The NFL Players Association on Wednesday sent a letter to
ESPN, claiming that the network's sports business reporter Darren Rovell made
"several erroneous statements" about the NFLPA's financial advisor
program.
The comments in questions were featured in an interview with
Rovell that was part of the network's "30 for 30" documentary film, Broke, which details how many former
professional athletes lose their money after retirement. Those errors were also
published in an online column that ran Tuesday.
The NFLPA said there were three main inaccurate comments
that Rovell made: 1) That the NFLPA Financial Advisor Registration program
generates revenue for the NFLPA, 2) He stated "repeatedly" that NFLPA
Registered Financial Advisors are certified by the NFLPA -- the letter states "they
are registered after meeting requirements and passing a background check"
-- and 3) he incorrectly said that "players cannot choose a financial
advisor outside the program."
In the grievance, the NFLPA argued that it was contacted "multiple
times dating back to March 2012" by an ESPN staffer fact checking for Broke, stating that it answered questions
with a "prompt, thorough, accurate response.
"Despite these efforts, though, we were disappointed to
see the flippant, inaccurate comments made by this media personality in the
film. When it comes to the NFLPA, Rovell has a track record of bad analysis and
uninformed opinion."
ESPN has since made a correction to Rovell's online story.
The full letter is available on the NFLPA's website.
