Music
Jay-Z is in hot water with the NFL Players Association
by Tyler Munro
May 28, 2013
When we first learned that Jay-Z had sold his minor stake in the Brooklyn Nets to become a sports agent, it was reported that the NFL wasn’t letting him court free agent Victor Cruz because he’d yet to be certified by the NFL Players Association. That was in April, and apparently his luck hasn’t improved. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped him from trying.
According to Yahoo, Jay-Z might violated the football league’s “runner role” as indicated by a picture Jets draft pick Geno Smith posted on Instagram of himself with Hova.
While the Roc Nation sports agency is in good terms because of its relationship with CAA, Jay-Z isn’t yet accredited by the league, and the picture means he might have violated an NFLPA rule that forbids an intermediary from recruiting clients.
Here’s how the rule is explained in a memo to sports agents sent out in April 2012:
[The rule] prohibits a Contract Advisor from using, employing or entering into any business relationship with an individual to recruit prospective player-clients who is not an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor.
While his agency has already established a working relationship with Cruz, this mistake could get Jay-Z suspended, or worse, from working with the players association.
Jay-Z can’t be certified by the NFLPA beacuse he lacks the necessary postgraduate degree. He’s arguing to get that waived, but hasn’t yet been successful. The image stirring all the controversy is up top. We’d link to the original, but it looks like Smith’s since deleted his Instagram. Whooooooooooops.
