Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall is firing back, suing the company that terminated him and asking for more than $1 million in damages.
In May, after Mendenhall’s sponsorship deal was severed by Champion due to tweets related to Osama Bin Laden’s involvement in Sept. 11th. The company said they would immediately end the relationship with Mendenhall and wouldn’t pay him for the five years and the remaining $1 million-plus on his contract.
Mendenhall’s lawsuit was filed this afternoon in North Carolina District Court, where Champion’s parent company Hanesbrands has its headquarters.
“This case involves the core question of whether an athlete employed as a celebrity endorser loses the right to express opinions simply because the company whose products he endorses might disagree with some (but not all) of those opinions,†the suit reads.
WRITTEN BY Â Darren Rovell
CNBC Sports Business Reporter
& FULL STORY HERE