Charles W. Taylor Jr., one-time National Football League Players Association V.P. of the Houston Chapter, says a single mom "got stiffed" out of tens of thousands during a Super Bowl event last year.
(PRWEB) September 24, 2005 -- Charles W. Taylor Jr., one-time National Football League Players Association V.P. of the Houston Chapter, states a single mom "got stiffed" out of tens of thousands during a Super Bowl event last year.
Taylor also told a Houston Press reporter, "I don't personally owe her money. I wasn't putting on a party. The NFLPA was putting on a party." But the NFLPA fingers Taylor for wrongdoings—more scandal in the NFLPA family.
Taylor and the NFLPA continue to play hardball with the producer of a Super Bowl XXXVIII event in a lawsuit filed in Houston last year – Cause No. 819789, Harris County Court No. 1 (August 24, 2005 – NFLPA & Houston: Snake Oil Salesmen"? PRWEB). In a recent interview with a reporter, Charles W. Taylor Jr., one-time VP of the Houston Chapter, admitted the woman got stiffed" (September 22, 2005 – Super Bummer" by Todd Spivak, Houston Press).
In spite of Taylor's admission and revelations of fraud in a deposition, he and the NFLPA are using an accommodating legal system to drag out the case and torment the woman. Taylor claims he does not personally owe the money stating, The NFLPA was putting on the party."
Along with several other small businesses, the woman filed suit against the NFLPA and Taylor for breach of contract and check fraud. It's been over eighteen months now, and the NFLPA has made no movement to settle the case--despite a judge's order to mediate. Instead, they're poised to ask for a continuance, which means they will delay the case even longer. Bottom line, the NFLPA is using a delay of game" ploy.
According to documentation and testimony, the NFLPA knew Taylor was negotiating fraudulent contracts with local Houston vendors, but failed to stop their V.P. from deception and check fraud. Even the chapter president, Curtis Duncan, resigned on the basis of unethical practices and mistrust" within the group, stating he would "not lie" for the chapter. This lack of discipline within NFLPA ranks cost the producer of the show and several others losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The NFLPA still claims no responsibility, but to the rest of the world, Taylor was Houston's bona fide NFLPA V.P., sanctioned by the NFLPA until late 2004, when the chapter was finally decertified.
Taylor issued the producer worthless NFLPA checks amounting to over $31,000 to pay for the event. In fact, Taylor had promised to wire the money. Instead, he used the bank information to deposit worthless checks, knowing the illusion of "deposited" funds would allow the party to go on. When the highly lucrative, weekend gala was over, the woman was then informed by her bank that it was not a wire transfer, rather, physical checks were deposited by Taylor. And, all the checks were returned "NSF" on the following Monday. Consequently, the producer paid all her sub contractors using personal funds.
One wonders how Taylor, a local politico, can issue bad NFLPA checks in the multi-thousands (a felony) and still evade criminal reprimand. Is it because of a NFLPA/Houston Good Ole Boy" network? According to the Houston Press article, . . . in 1995, Governor George W. Bush appointed him (Taylor) to the Texas Commission on Human Rights. And in 1997, he served as development director for Harris County under Judge Robert Eckles." Taylor told the Houston Press reporter, George Bush said I was great -- that can't be taken away from me," he says. I mean, come on, I've been anointed already. Nobody can attack my credibility."
In essence, the producer paid for the Super Bowl Party at the Pavilion and the NFLPA Houston Chapter kept the money with no accountability. According to Taylor's testimony, people on his team who signed up sponsors (including Taylor) received a percentage, but offered no explanation of where the rest of the money went. Super Bowl weekend in Houston was estimated to be a $300 million boon, but it seems only the rich got richer. Why does Houston allow high-profile Super Bowl" frauds to go unpunished?
The NFLPA, a union organization and a member of the AFL-CIO, represents 1,800 active and 3,000 retired NFL players. The union, along with its marketing and licensing subsidiary, "Players Inc." reportedly had an income of $165.1 million in 2004. The NFLPA negotiates and assures the terms of the NFL's bargaining agreement. In terms of dealing with Charles Taylor in the fraud case, oddly, they have not filed charges against him. So far, the only victims have been the woman producer and several other local vendors.
Does the NFLPA and Houston's good ole boys" have the moral fortitude to make things right? So far, they're playing hardball, using expensive court proceedings to pressure their adversaries.
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