Odell Beckham Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Nike that alleges the shoe giant withheld millions of dollars in the free-agent receiver’s endorsement deal. 

Beckham took to Twitter Monday night to explain why he’s taking legal action via a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in an Oregon court.

“Today, I’m taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love — especially those who don’t have the means to stand up for themselves,” Beckham wrote. “We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments too.”

The lawsuit alleges that Beckham “has suffered damages of $20,625,000 plus prejudgment interest.” 

According to the lawsuit obtained by Front Office Sports, Nike matched an offer worth up to $47 million from Adidas in 2017 when his original Nike contract expired. But the lawsuit states that in March, “Beckham’s relationship with Nike began to sour” after Nike kept more than $2 million of the nearly $2.6 million Beckham expected to be paid.

More Allegations

The lawsuit also alleges that “Nike stopped actively manufacturing and/or selling royalty generating products after 2020 to prevent Mr. Beckham from meeting the net sales trigger for the guaranteed extensions.”

Beckham, 30, recently was cleared to return to football after recovering from a knee injury suffered while playing for the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.

“This happens too often in the sports industry and it’s time for change,” Beckham said in his statement. 

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos did nothing to quell rumors that he’s interested in buying the Washington Commanders in an interview on Saturday.

Asked by CNN’s Chloe Melas about the chatter that he could buy the team, Bezos replied that he’s “heard that buzz.”

• “I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I played football growing up as a kid,” Bezos added. “It is my favorite sport … so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
• His girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez, seemed to add more fuel to the rumors, saying, “I do like football. I’m just going to throw that out there for everyone.”

Bezos is reportedly working with Jay-Z and Matthew McConaughey on a joint bid. Jay-Z would likely have to divest or otherwise separate himself from his Roc Nation agency, which lists 58 football players as clients on its website.

Not Just Bezos

The Commanders sale is attracting a large number of well-heeled names. 

United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia has expressed interest in buying the team, telling the Washington Post, “The NFL is a great league, and Washington is one of the elite franchises,” adding that he is “interested in exploring this opportunity further in the very near future.”

Clearlake Capital co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José Feliciano are exploring a bid, sources told Front Office Sports. Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry is thought to be considering a bid as well.

Fenway Sports Group’s sale of Liverpool FC could spark a bidding war between the world’s two richest sports team owners.

Mukesh Ambani, owner of the Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians, is interested in the Premier League club — but he may face opposition from Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who has recently been linked to Liverpool as well.

• Ambani — net worth $94.3 billion according to Forbes — and Ballmer ($79.5B) are the richest sports team owners in the world.
• Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca may also be interested, according to the Daily Mail. Pagliuca joined a consortium that made an unsuccessful bid for Chelsea FC.
• Dubai International Capital, which is connected to the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, could also explore a bid.

Premier Price

Fenway Sports Group could set the price tag at $3.2 billion, per the Daily Mail, but other sources have floated higher estimates, with the Mirror putting the ask as high as $4.7 billion.

The team’s next set of financial figures is reportedly expected to show revenue of $706.8 million for the 2021-22 season.

FSG, which bought Liverpool in 2010 for $353.4 million by today’s exchange rate, is reportedly interested in bringing an NBA franchise into its portfolio. The group also owns the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Chicago Bears won’t need to start packing for Arlington Heights anytime soon.

Officials at the village outlined an approval process for the NFL team to break ground on a new $5 billion stadium, but the multi-step process could take months — more likely years — to complete, per The Daily Herald.

The Bears first have to close on their $197.2 million purchase of a 326-acre property from Churchill Downs Inc., then will need to submit plans and studies to the village hall, including:

• Traffic, transportation, and parking plans
• The economic feasibility of the project for the team
• The economic impacts and benefits for the village and other local governments 

The village, two consulting firms, government agencies, and cities will need to review the documents. Other hurdles include zoning issues and a potential amendment to a previous comprehensive plan.

The Bears have also publicized plans to formally ask the village and other government bodies to help finance portions of the stadium and district. 

“I don’t think we’ll be in a position to have anything close to a final vote in 2023,” village manager Randy Recklaus said. “I think this is a multiyear effort, and that’s if they’re interested in moving relatively quickly.” 

Soldier’s Sum

The Bears’ lease at Soldier Field extends through 2033, but if they break the lease in 2026, they’d have to pay Chicago $84 million with decreasing penalties thereafter. 

Chicago has been looking at potential stadium investments to keep the Bears, including a roof for Soldier Field.