Sports Business Daily
is reporting that Vince McMahon filed legal papers in reponse for former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck suing for his back pay after McMahon fired him as the XFL was coming to an end.
According to the story, McMahon cited these reasons for firing Luck:
- Luck left the XFL's Connecticut HQ for his home in Indiana on March 13 and “disengage[d] from the XFL’s operations,” according to the filing. McMahon further claims Luck did not inform him of his intentions. "Put simply, at the very moment when his leadership as CEO was needed most, Luck did not devote substantially all of his business time to the XFL, as required by his contract.”
- Luck signed Antonio Callaway, a former Cleveland Browns WR, to a draft contract promising a $125,000 signing bonus without informing McMahon, even though he was aware that McMahon asked for final approval rights to any player with a questionable background. The filing continues on that “Luck failed to promptly terminate Callaway in accordance with McMahon’s instructions,” and then Callaway injured his knee in a Tampa Bay Vipers practice, which triggered medical costs and worker’s compensation costs for the startup. "The cost to the XFL of this episode of gross negligence was in excess of six figures,” McMahon’s filing reads.
- Luck used his league-issued iPhone for personal matters.
It will be interesting to see where this ends up.