Judge Rules For AT&T In NASCAR Suit

[Jonesi]

Just up on Speed web site:
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nextel/nascar/37470/

[e2mtt]

Good news.

[Sparky1329]

This is huge and not just for RCR. But it's only an injunction and not the whole enchilada.

[call_me_andrew]

Finally, big buisness scores a victory over another big buisness!

[Jonesi]

It's not over yet, even for this weekend! Check Jayski, Nascar has an emergency hearing with the judge tomorrow morning. Where's the rolling eye smiley?

[harvick#1]

:rolleyes:

;)

[Chaparral66]

I know NASCAR is putting on a show to look as if it's protecting its lead sugar daddy Sprint/Nextel, but if I were them I'd call this a wash and move on. All this is doing is giving AT&T a motherload of publicity with its victory in court, and that's just making NASCAR and Sprint/Nextel look silly. I'd just let it go and watch it fade from the news. This really isn't a huge issue, anyway.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Anyone else enjoy the irony of Ryan Newman in the "Alltell" car receiving the "Sprint/Nextel: Call of the Race" last week...pretty funny seeing them zoomed in on his car with the Sprint/Nextel graphics surrounding and praising him. It'd be like the All State "Good Hands Driver" award going to a State Farm sponsored car...lol, assanine sponsorhip run amuck!

[djarumdudley]

my favorite is whenever Kurt Busch takes a Bud pole award.

"Busch wins another Bud pole in the Miller Dodge"

[muggle not]

NASCAR appeals court decision

By Diego Mejia Friday, May 18th 2007, 22:16 GMT


NASCAR has has been granted a hearing to stay today's decision by the judge who ruled in favour of AT&T's injunction in its lawsuit against NASCAR earlier today.

The hearing will be held at 11:30 am on Saturday morning. If the judge grants the stay, then the No. 31 car will remain with its current branding. If NASCAR's request is denied, however, then NASCAR will seek an emergency stay on Monday morning.

"Today's ruling is limited to the facts of this particular case and does not have broad implications," NASCAR said in a statement.

"NASCAR will continue to provide a sponsor-friendly environment for the industry and its partners and will protect the industry from actions designed to interrupt a business model which has been beneficial to all.

"It is important to understand that Sprint Nextel is a cornerstone sponsor that benefits the entire industry by way of its contribution to the championship point's fund, technology bringing fans closer to the sport, and its massive marketing and advertising campaigns."

[Lee Roy]

Good decision. Hope the judge doesn't grant a stay on this.

[pentti]

Let's see how difficult it will be RCR cars to pass checking in future!

[RaceFanStan]

It would have been much simpler if Kentucky Fried Chicken had become the Cup Series sponsor .....
the Champion's trophy could have been changed from a cup to a KFC bucket ...
the Champion's banquet could have moved from NY to the infield garage @ Kentucky Speedway ...
and at the banquet all the top drivers would wear white tuxedos ...

:rotflmao:

[Sparky1329]

It would have been much simpler if Kentucky Fried Chicken had become the Cup Series sponsor .....
the Champion's trophy could have been changed from a cup to a KFC bucket ...
the Champion's banquet could have moved from NY to the infield garage @ Kentucky Speedway ...
and at the banquet all the top drivers would wear white tuxedos ...

:rotflmao:

:rotflmao:

[MD24]

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/05/19/nascar.loses.stay.att.ap/index.html

[Sparky1329]

Here's the report from Fox Sports.

A federal judge again refused to grant NASCAR's request for a stay to prevent Jeff Burton's No. 31 car from racing Saturday with the AT&T logo.

The ruling, made just hours before the Nextel All-Star Challenge in Concord, N.C., was the second in two days from U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob. On Friday, Shoob issued a preliminary injunction barring NASCAR from stopping AT&T Inc. from placing its brand on Burton's Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Following Saturday's denial for a stay, NASCAR filed an emergency appeal with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.

"We don't know when that will heard," said Ramsey Poston, NASCAR's managing director of corporate communications.

"Our expectation going in is that it probably wouldn't be heard until next week."

Shoob's decision to deny NASCAR's request followed a private hearing.

NASCAR has tried to prevent the Cingular logo from being changed to the AT&T logo on Burton's car. AT&T is the sole owner of Cingular and is rebranding the cell phone company's name to AT&T.

After Friday's ruling, AT&T announced that Burton's car would be repainted in time for the race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That decal switch was already completed by Saturday afternoon.

Sprint Nextel Corp. sponsors NASCAR's premier series, the Nextel Cup, and has exclusive rights as the telecommunications company for the series. Attorneys argued the only exceptions are companies, including Cingular, that already sponsored cars when Nextel reached its agreement with NASCAR.

San Antonio-based AT&T became the full owner of Atlanta-based Cingular when it completed its purchase of Atlanta-based BellSouth Corp. in December.

Cingular argued that its rights included changing its brand name to AT&T.

"The court concludes that the continued appearance of the Cingular brand on the No. 31 car, unaccompanied by any indication that Cingular now does business as AT&T, is likely to confuse NASCAR fans," Shoob wrote.

Shoob also concluded that AT&T has shown it will suffer irreparable harm in the form of loss of goodwill and loss of exclusive rights to renew its sponsorship agreement unless the court issues the injunction.

NASCAR argued that Nextel was entitled to exclusivity through its 10-year, $700 million investment that began in 2004. It also said it could be sued by Sprint Nextel if the court granted the injunction in favor of AT&T.

"Regardless of whether Sprint Nextel could or may bring suit against NASCAR, the court finds that the threat of such a suit does not outweigh the actual and imminent irreparable harm plaintiff will suffer if the court does not issue an injunction," Shoob said in his ruling.

The No. 31 car has been sponsored by Cingular Wireless LLC since 2001. Cingular had been a joint venture of AT&T and BellSouth before AT&T purchased BellSouth.

[e2mtt]

I know NASCAR is putting on a show to look as if it's protecting its lead sugar daddy Sprint/Nextel, but if I were them I'd call this a wash and move on. All this is doing is giving AT&T a motherload of publicity with its victory in court, and that's just making NASCAR and Sprint/Nextel look silly. I'd just let it go and watch it fade from the news. This really isn't a huge issue, anyway.

I agree. For people who follow NASCAR, this is only making them & Sprint look rediculous. Good publicity for At&T, bad for Sprint.

Nobody is going to be confused by having other cell phone companies sponsor cars.

[Sparky1329]

Jeff Burton's new firesuit looks pretty cool. :D :up:

[dont_be_jack]

Jeff Burton's new firesuit looks pretty cool. :D :up:

I didn't get to see it, but I'm sure that it does look great.

[tstran17_88]

Jeff Burton's new firesuit looks pretty cool. :D :up:
Not the ones his crew are wearing for the All Star race though. They slapped the AT&T logo on the old Cingular uni's...call the fashion police! :laugh:

[dont_be_jack]

I really hope that they give that car a new paint scheme...blue and white would look smooth with that logo...but it just looks bad with the orange and black and the odd contrast with the ATT globe...

[blakebeatty]

i said the same thing. it's not like that is just a big AT&T decal, they likely re skinned the whole car. Plus the uniforms had the logo. Orange and black does not suit

[Jonesi]

From Jayski
Alltel to Be Acquired by TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners

Here we go again ;-)

[harvick#1]

:p :

phone company mergers never end, I can't wait for AT&T to buy Sprint :eek: that will cause something interesting

[BobbyC]

Yes, here we go again with AT's takeover.

Good thing I didn't sign a new 2-year Alltel agreement. Because Nextel doesn't do our region well, I have used Alltel for over a decade because they are the only phone company that, when the contract was first signed, they covered many of the regions where we service computers. Sprint and AT&T did not have coverage of these regions at the time.

It is BobbyC's policy that he discloses positions he holds in stocks in which he discusses, though positions may change. He holds shares of Alltel (NYSE :AT), Nokia (NYSE : NOK), and Sprint Nextel (NYSE : S).

[Chaparral66]

NASCAR needs to remember the passion of its own fans. If fans of the #31 think Burton's team is getting the short end of the stick, it might see sales on AT&T products increase to protest what NASCAR and Sprint are doing.