JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jaguars sponsor wants no part of the “clown game” on Sunday against the Colts and is suing to get out of a sponsorship agreement with the team, saying the “toxic environment” around the franchise is now a “detriment” in doing business together.
According to a suit filed on Thursday in Jacksonville’s Circuit Court, RoofClaim.com said its interest in the Jaguars was tied to ex-coach Urban Meyer’s tenure with the team and it attempted to opt-out of its agreement following Meyer being fired shortly before 1 a.m. on Dec. 16. The suit said that the Jaguars were insistent that the deal continue.
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RoofClaim.com has paid $300,000 thus far and does not want to continue with the remainder of its agreement.
The company said that the social media campaign for fans to show up to Sunday’s game in clown noses or attire in protest of owner Shad Khan’s decision to retain general manager Trent Baalke isn’t something it wants to be a part of. It said the Jaguars’ “toxic environment around its brand that the co-mingling of marks has become a detriment to RoofClaim.com.”
The sponsorship between the Jaguars and the company was a four-year deal, the first of which was worth $600,000. It was set to increase to $655,636 for the 2024-25 season.
“Like Defendant’s decision to fire Urban Meyer, this protest, which is also happening on social media, has been widely reported in the national news. RoofClaim.com is now currently faced with the prospect of its brand being emphasized as the primary sponsor of the clown game,” it wrote in the filing.
RoofClaim.com signed a sponsorship agreement with the Jaguars that was announced on Sept. 16. The announcement itself was somewhat of a downer, as the company teased an “exciting announcement” on Twitter that gave fans hope of shade coming to TIAA Bank Field.
The announcement was revealed as just a sponsorship.
According to the complaint, the company chose the Nov. 28 game against the Falcons to serve as sponsor and “receive additional marketing opportunities prior to and during the game.” The Jaguars said that the date was already taken and offered two different options. RoofClaim.com selected the finale against the Colts.
Since that selection, the Jaguars have stacked one embarrassing headline on top of another, headlined by the Meyer firing.