The fallout from the sudden end of the AAF continues after two former players filed suit against the league in a class-action complaint in the wake of its shutdown last week, according to CBS Sports.
“Acting individually and on behalf of other players, Birmingham Iron punter Colton Schmidt and Orlando Apollos linebacker Reggie Northrup allege they were misled and defrauded when AAF control owner Tom Dundon halted operations after eight weeks of play. Dundon and AAF CEO Charlie Ebersol are two individual defendants named in the suit.
The complaint, filed in the Superior Court of California, seeks damages for: breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealing, failure to pay wages in violation of labor code, and fraud, among others. The class representatives are seeking the counsel of Boris Treyzon of the law firm, Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo LLP.
“We are proud of the players who decided to stand up for their rights. Our clients stand ready to perform the obligations required by the terms of their contract and demand that the league and its’ backers do the same. ” said attorneys for the class representatives Boris Treyzon and Jonathon Farahi in a released statement.”
Boris Treyzon also informed CBS Sports that he believes his clients are entitled to damages because they upheld their end of the AAF player contracts.
Contracts in the AAF ran for three years and $250,000.
“There is a basic honesty part,” Treyzon said. “If you’re going to sign [the players] to a three-year contract, there’s an implied promise. If you shut it down eight weeks after you start, that indicates, among other things, that you don’t have the backing to fulfill that promise.”
“These players are in prime of their lives,” Treyzon said. “They’re seeking to elevate their standing. and then the rug gets pulled out from under them.”
Treyzon went on to point out that the non-guaranteed contracts is valid only if termination is performance based.
“It’s not true that the contracts are non-guaranteed,” Treyzon continued. “Players can be cut for performance, they cannot be cut because the guys didn’t have the financial backing.”
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This is not a good look for an up-start spring football league that had so much promise.
