Fanatics fraud case includes Harrison Sr

nawlinsn931

Rising Star
BGOL Investor

AGAINST HIS SON??


Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. has been added as a defendant to the lawsuit between his son, Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., and Fanatics (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

Per Florio, Fanatics accused Harrison Sr. of attempting to create the impression that his son was signing a "Binding Term Sheet" when his own signature was on the document. The company is accusing the Harrisons of fraud by knowingly inducing Fanatics to commit to the agreement after the alleged intentional signature difference.

On May 18, Fanatics initially filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Harrison Jr. after he signed a $1 million deal with the company in 2023.

Fanatics claimed that the company made a non-exclusive agreement with Harrison in April 2023 before entering into "a fully binding and enforceable contract" in May 2023, per the lawsuit.

In an affidavit on July 26, Harrison Jr. said that the agreement was between his company, The Official Harrison Collection, and Fanatics instead of himself (via ESPN's Josh Weinfuss). In a separate affidavit, Harrison Sr. said that he signed the binding term sheet as an authorized representative.

"It is not an agreement between Fanatics and me," Harrison Jr. said in the filing, per Weinfuss. "I was never requested to, nor did I ever, sign any document that personally obligated me to do anything concerning the 'Binding Term Sheet.'"

"I never intended to be personally bound by the 'Binding Term Sheet' and I am not personally bound by it," he added.

Fanatics is now able to sue both members of the Harrison family and can extend the case beyond more limited breach-of-contract damages to the broader scope of recovery available in a tort case due to the signature (via Florio).

Harrison Jr. was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, while his father earned eight Pro Bowl nods throughout his 13-year career with the Indianapolis Colts
 
The lawsuit filed by Fanatics against Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. keeps getting more and more interesting.

Via attorney Paul Lesko on X, Fanatics has now added Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr. to the lawsuit as a defendant.

The move makes plenty of sense, given that Harrison Jr. has made the argument that Harrison Sr. and not Harrison Jr. signed the “Binding Term Sheet” that ostensibly created a contract between Fanatics and Harrison Jr. The amended complaint includes another wrinkle — Fanatics accuses Harrison Sr. of signing the document in a way that was calculated to create the impression that Harrison Jr. had signed it.

And Fanatics makes no bones about the company’s current contention. They accuse the Harrisons of committing fraud by knowingly inducing Fanatics to commit to an agreement that Harrison Jr. never intended to fully honor.

Thus, by making the “there’s no contract because Harrison Sr. not Harrison Jr. signed it,” Harrison Jr. and Harrison Sr. have provoked Fanatics to sue Harrison Sr. And to sue both of them for fraud.

It’s a massive unforced error by the Harrisons. For starters, the signature shell game wasn’t going to be a silver bullet, mainly since Harrison Jr. performed the contract that his father had signed for a year. Now, Fanatics has unlocked the ability to sue both Harrisons, and to extend the case beyond the more limited breach-of-contract damages to the broader scope of recovery available in a tort case.
 
ice-cube-sarcastic-huh-3ipns5x0syy3wapd.gif
 
Back
Top