NFLPA tells agents to reject “inappropriate” language in Rams contracts

NFLPA tells agents to reject “inappropriate” language in Rams contracts Posted by Mike Florio on March 12, 2016, 11:12 AM EDT AP

The Rams apparently are staying in St. Louis. In one very specific, self-serving way.

Per a league source, contracts being offered to new players state that the laws of Missouri, not California, control the relationship. The NFL Players Association has in turn instructed all certified contract agents to reject that term as “inappropriate.”

Other language in the contract makes the purpose of this strategy clear. The Rams hope to nudge any workers’ compensation claims away from California and into Missouri.

From the contract: “The parties hereto acknowledge that this Player Contract has been negotiated and executed in Missouri; that should any dispute, claim or cause of action (collectively ‘dispute’) arise concerning rights or liabilities arising from the relationship between the Player and the Club, the parties hereto agree that the law governing such dispute shall be the law of the State of Missouri.  Furthermore, the exclusive jurisdiction for resolving Workers’ Compensation related claims shall be the Division of Workers’ Compensation of Missouri, and the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Act shall govern.”

The NFLPA strongly disagrees. “We believe that any reference to the state of Missouri is inappropriate since the Rams have relocated to California as evidenced by the fact that they have changed their name on their website to the Los Angeles Rams, are prepared to hold off-season workouts and training camp in California, and will practice and play their home games in California in 2016,” the union says in the memo to all agents.

It’s a gutsy move by the Rams, for a variety of reasons. Apart from trying to keep workers’ compensation claims out of a forum that universally is regarded as grossly pro-employee, the Rams hope to impose burdens on the administrative mechanisms of the state they have now abandoned.

Here’s the bottom line. If you move to California, you accept everything that goes along with it. And if there’s something about it you don’t like, don’t move there.

Permalink 58 Comments Latest Stories in: Los Angeles Rams, Rumor Mill, Top Stories Tweet Email

devilsmetsgiants says: Mar 12, 2016 11:17 AM How are they even permitted to draw up a contract like this? Do they still have a business connection to Missouri?

mongo3401 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:21 AM Workers comp in Missouri is a joke. They basically out you through a grinder to get it and when you do it amounts to about enough to buy groceries every other week.

rhamrhoddy says: Mar 12, 2016 11:24 AM not as many creative incentives as I had hoped when I read the headline

johnnyjagfan says: Mar 12, 2016 11:24 AM Yo Stan! If you wanted to benefit from Missouri law, you should of stayed in Missouri. What a jerk. If you’re a player looking at that contract, you already know that your physical health is a mere money and ease-of-litigation issue for your greedy, selfish owner.
Oh, and he colors his hair & ‘stache too dark and looks like a fake, too.
Same ol greedy a– Rams.

streetyson says: Mar 12, 2016 11:26 AM We, the Rams, respect our players as much as we do our fans.

hamlet423 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:28 AM It is another sad statement on the state of the NFL
The owners are always trying to find way to pay players as little as possible. To play a very dangerous game that can and has lead to life long injury and disability.
Once the player is used up, the owners and the league are done with them. What? you got hurt! you knew the Risks of playing football? Except, uh, we paid our nfl docs to hide evidence of the risk, but…still..you took our money for a few years! on the non-guaranteed contracts that we can get out of at nearly any time!
Players accept some risk when they play football. But from stupid contract tricks like this, to NFL owners that make billions but refuse to put adequate playing surfaces in their tax payer financed stadium and then complain when someone blows out a knee playing in a mud bowl that they are soft.
I think the NFL is on borrowed time. As more evidence of head injuries come out, they either will go bankrupt or have to fundamentally change football.

the610limited says: Mar 12, 2016 11:30 AM If injury happens while team plays in St. Louis, Missouri law applies. If it happens when team starts playing or working out in California, that state’s law applies. Simple as that.

jmc8888 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:31 AM Wow. Billions of dollars for the Taj Mahal Stadium in California, and yet they are trying to stiff workers and the State of Missouri.
These guys truly believe they are above the law.
Nothing new here.

lukedunphysscienceproject says: Mar 12, 2016 11:34 AM It may seem a little slimy, but I am not sure they’re legally wrong.
I worked in New Jersey for a company incorporated in Missouri and it was the same deal. Few of the company’s employees lived in St. Louis, only the owner and a few management types.
If they are incorporated in Missouri, they are a Missouri corporation. They can call themselves anything they want.
Not saying it’s the right thing to do, but I am not sure they are legally wrong.

sonoco says: Mar 12, 2016 11:34 AM “Sure, I’ll sign . . . if I get the benefit of the Missouri income tax rate.”

spartyistheclassofthenationinfootballandbasketball says: Mar 12, 2016 11:35 AM How scummy. And on a side note it’s refreshing that there are at least a few states out there like California that aren’t total backwater conservative cesspools where workers rights are constantly trampled on. Pretty soon there won’t be a middle class at all there will just be the poor and the super rich.

toybkshr says: Mar 12, 2016 11:35 AM Who’d a thot and NFL team would try n pull a fast one on their players?!!!

joker65 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:37 AM Businesses need oversight or they will take advantage of employees. That’s why unions exist. This is a perfect example of that.

moseszd says: Mar 12, 2016 11:38 AM And the Kroenke-sleaze just keeps getting sleazier. The St. Louis fans did more to support the Rams, despite 14-losing seasons and only 4-winning than the people of LA did with a dominant, routine play-off contender. And Kronke just crapped on them like it was a scat-party.
And, of course, he refuses to refund the balance of the PSLs even though he owes them close to a decade of obligation.

keithdylan says: Mar 12, 2016 11:42 AM Examples such as this are what makes me wonder when working class people tell me how evil unions are. They may not be perfect, but there has to be a counter balance to management.

harrisonhits2 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:44 AM CA has very strong worker’s protection laws so of course the league wants as few team as possible operating under them.
Scumbag billionaires in action.

patsbrat says: Mar 12, 2016 11:46 AM Are the Rams a corporation (inc) or an LLC and in what state are they filed? Wouldn’t this be the determining factor?

realtruthteller100 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:50 AM just another example of a union trying to supress free speech. sad

pack15forever says: Mar 12, 2016 11:54 AM the610limited says: Mar 12, 2016 11:30 AM If injury happens while team plays in St. Louis, Missouri law applies. If it happens when team starts playing or working out in California, that state’s law applies. Simple as that.
_________________________________________
Where did you go to law school? Trump University?

nels1959 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:55 AM This is proof of how the filthy rich got that way to begin with. I’d be willing to bet he’s also a crappy tipper. Worth 7 billion dollars but still guarding every penny. I don’t believe in heaven but I do believe every day spent with old Stan is hell

steve11blog says: Mar 12, 2016 11:57 AM Shouldn’t the NFL make them change that as they are no longer in Missouri???????

lingsun54 says: Mar 12, 2016 11:58 AM It only makes sense that the Rams would want to protect themselves from the destructive rules of the People’s Republic of California. Expect California to rule in favor of players in ways that no other state would. Such as expecting the team they play for to cover their health care costs for life. It’s coming. After that, any player that played for a California team at any time would be forced to pay.

coke4mauk says: Mar 12, 2016 11:59 AM Technically it’s legal as their offices are still located in St Louis; they’re still “looking” for a site to set up shop in LA until the stadium is built.
Kroenke being Kroenke though, he’s probably already had a site picked out for 3 years

kevpft says: Mar 12, 2016 12:04 PM Say hello to the new sleaziest team in the NFL. Starting at the top.

tremoluxman says: Mar 12, 2016 12:05 PM Workers and unions have been getting screwed over by Big Business more and more for decades. Enough is enough.

jag1959 says: Mar 12, 2016 12:07 PM Further evidence that the scum can’t be cleaned off the top of the NFL greed pond since that’s all the pond is made up of. Anyone that thinks this is emblematic of just Kroenke is delusional. Be it the players, taxpayers, fans or the NFLPA the league itself has shown their avaricious contempt time and again. They care so little they don’t even bother with subtlety anymore. Hard to believe most of the more egregious examples would have happened under Tagliabue’s watch where, if nothing else, at least appearances mattered. That stuff like this is even attempted is one more glaring example of the difference between a commissioner and a commi$$ioner. No wonder Roger still has a job

mongo3401 says: Mar 12, 2016 12:09 PM No it’s not where you get inured. Workers comp is paid according to the state where the business has physical facilities. Thus offices in LA are most certainly physical facilities. I am willing to bet the Rams will say when they had the contracts reprinted to allow for the name Los Angelos Rams, they over looked the part about the state of Missouri in the rest of the contract. This would be pinned on their lawyers reviewing all new documentation. Tony recollection the Rams have maintained an office in CA all the while they were in Missouri. It doesn’t matter, California State law will be dictated if an injury comes up. Players DO pay state tax for each state they play a game in but players do not file for workers comp in a different state where they get injured. That’s completely wrong.

trainwrecksryan says: Mar 12, 2016 12:09 PM Too many garbage franchises polluting the league anyways. Goodell should just pull the plug on these guys, the Browns, Jags, Titans, Jets, Eagles, and Lions.

mogogo1 says: Mar 12, 2016 12:10 PM Yes, and the players would like a provision in the contract saying they’re actually working in Texas so they won’t have to pay any state income tax.
Maybe I’ll draw up a contract for myself saying I’m really living and working in some country that has no taxes. These fantasy games are fun!

docboss says: Mar 12, 2016 12:13 PM As a side note, any mention of integrity, honesty, gratitude, or playoffs should be removed from Rams dialogue as inappropriate.

mongo3401 says: Mar 12, 2016 12:13 PM Rams have no offices any longer in Missouri. They moved out of the dome and earth city last month. Their lease on earth city propert expired the last day of the 2015 league year. This is something PFT should really look into.

genericcommenter says: Mar 12, 2016 12:21 PM The Redskins have been sued multiple times and lost, for insisting that all substantive work functions are performed by the players in Virginia. The games in Maryland are considered by the team to be like some occasional non-significant part of the job. Like going to a work conference, I guess. The courts agreed, until they didn’t.

justintuckrule says: Mar 12, 2016 12:23 PM Can us fans form our own league already???

meximyke says: Mar 12, 2016 12:27 PM I heard that Missouri doesn’t have a problem with workers comp, because they are all on welfare. Most don’t work, just collect off taxpayers!!

doggeatdogg says: Mar 12, 2016 12:34 PM Isn’t the move official. Why try to this year’s players because they can’t get away with this nonsense next year so the NFLPA is correct. Every thing California applies including those killer taxes, etc. My question is, what about the contracts signed prior. Once they move, do MO laws apply or CA laws. This should have been hashed out by the league before the move.

tmaczoozoo says: Mar 12, 2016 12:36 PM Probably why they ain’t signed jack noodles!

keylimelight says: Mar 12, 2016 12:40 PM sonoco says: Mar 12, 2016 11:34 AM
“Sure, I’ll sign . . . if I get the benefit of the Missouri income tax rate.” ____________________
This is a genius observation. Really, no snark.
This is as astute as you can get when looking at contract consistency.

ramfanmatt says: Mar 12, 2016 12:44 PM I guess Stan and Demoff should have thought about all of that when they left. Yes the cost of doing business is far greater in LA than St Louis. I hope Missouri steps up and says the Rams can’t do that. Screw Stan and Demoff.

yyc2phx says: Mar 12, 2016 12:46 PM NFL much like the USA is on the downward slide…Things aren’t good

hippieway says: Mar 12, 2016 12:54 PM When they say the nfl is a business, this is the kind of stuff that is included in that statement. Lawyers get big bucks because they keep track of the small money and it doesn’t take long for a lot of small money to add up to real money.

mongo3401 says: Mar 12, 2016 12:56 PM I can see the ST Louis fans still have their panties in a warm let it go Some of your remarks are getting old Starting to sound like young school children. You are the same people that lauded Kroenke when he bought the team outright and hated Georgia Held Kroenke on the highest for hiring Fisher Loved him for spending the money on FA busted Shawn But you all forget. John Shaw brought you all the GSOT.

jturney2014 says: Mar 12, 2016 1:07 PM Rams have no choice with Cal Comp, will be enforced anyways.
The last paragraph is just over enthusiastic journalism.

mmi16 says: Mar 12, 2016 1:07 PM Stan be the man to try and circumvent the law.

tomtravis76 says: Mar 12, 2016 2:29 PM It’s so hard to try and just enjoy the team you want to cheer on these days knowing how awful the league office and owners are treating the people who support the product or work for the team’s in various roles . The greed is too much, something needs to change.

jonathankrobinson424 says: Mar 12, 2016 3:04 PM ……….make Stan rework ALL the contracts for EVERY player to have CA language. That should keep his front office busy…….

theparadoxx82 says: Mar 12, 2016 4:05 PM Business finds way to pay as little as possible!!
Film at 11.
Every company that CAN do this… DOES this.
Every. Single. One.

ebdug says: Mar 12, 2016 4:18 PM Just when you think the NFL owners can’t get any sleazier.
What kills me is it’s so poorly executed. You’d think the owners would have better shysters.

granadafan says: Mar 12, 2016 4:30 PM Say what you will about California, but at least we care about the people and working conditions.

davew128 says: Mar 12, 2016 5:08 PM patsbrat says: Mar 12, 2016 11:46 AM Are the Rams a corporation (inc) or an LLC and in what state are they filed? Wouldn’t this be the determining factor? ******************************* Wholly irrelevant. Its where you’re doing business that matters.

rcali says: Mar 12, 2016 5:11 PM Well, Welcome to California Rams, the state that chases away companies everyday.

noteamforlosangeles says: Mar 12, 2016 5:17 PM Suddenly, Donald Trump may not be the worst toupee-wearing man in America anymore.

tonebones says: Mar 12, 2016 5:22 PM Smart move by the Rams. They were hoping this would makes its way into the headlines so that now, free agents will acknowledge the player-friendly environment that California has to offer.

truthinesshurts says: Mar 12, 2016 5:44 PM “Gutsy” move by the Rams ? I can think of several more appropriate adjectives. “Slimy”…”Scummy”…”Unscrupulous”…”Chutzpah-Fueled”

binkystevens says: Mar 12, 2016 6:19 PM California has the most oppressive and insane laws related to worker’s comp in the entire country. It’s no wonder the Rams don’t want to fall under the purview- it’s no wonder so many businesses actively avoid the state. No wonder it’s going bankrupt

swagger52 says: Mar 12, 2016 7:49 PM What..We are shocked that Stan is not afraid of appearances?

cubb1 says: Mar 12, 2016 8:05 PM Another NFL owner that tries to screw his players at every opportunity.

6stn says: Mar 12, 2016 10:27 PM Stank roenke is a Wal-Martian. No surprise here.

dryzzt23 says: Mar 13, 2016 12:15 AM Screw the players. It’s about time the NFL teams are allowed to protect themselves from greedy and criminal players. The players are protected by their union and the media, NO ONE protects the NFL itself or the franchises from players who enjoy drugs, alcohol, and beating women.