In article <ssnaql$kqie$1@news.freedyn.de>
<governor.swill@gmail.com> wrote:
>
Marriott may have outsmarted itself.

The Athletic�s Daniel Kaplan reported Monday �Marriott is
seeking to move the Michael Irvin lawsuit to federal court,
according to a notice on the Collin County court docket.�

According to Pro Football Talk, that move could come back to
haunt the hotel chain, which is named as a defendant in Michael
Irvin�s $100 million lawusit. Why? Because �the federal judge
who�ll handle the case will be naturally inclined to look more
favorably on Irvin�s claims.�

In cases between individuals and corporations, federal judges
appointed by Democratic administrations are more likely to issue
favorable rulings to the individuals. ... Amos L. Mazzant III
will handle Irvin�s case. Judge Mazzant was appointed by Barack
Obama, and he has handled other NFL-related cases. Most notably,
Judge Mazzant blocked the suspension imposed on Cowboys running
back Ezekiel Elliott under the Personal Conduct Policy in 2017.

Irvin filed the lawsuit after an alleged incident before Super
Bowl LVII in Arizona. TMZ reported the former Dallas Cowboys
wide receiver scored pair of legal wins last week. That�s
because a judge ordered that an Arizona hotel now must turn over
any video it has of an interaction the Hall of Famer had with a
woman that ultimately led to his removal from NFL Network�s
Super Bowl coverage.

The judge also ordered that the hotel must provide the name of
Irvin�s accuser ... as well as anyone else who may have filed a
complaint against the former football player. In the order, the
judge also ruled the hotel must reveal the names of the NFL
employees who received the complaints.

TMZ previously reported a pair of people who claimed to have
witnessed Irvin�s alleged inappropriate conduct one week before
Super Bowl LVII at an Arizona hotel indicated the three-time
Super Bowl champion did nothing wrong.

Kaplan reports �Michael Irvin in a court filing named three
witnesses who say are described as saying they did not see him
misbehave as alleged the Sunday before the Super Bowl in a hotel
lobby, an allegation that got him knocked of NFL Network and led
to his defamation lawsuit against Marriott.�

According to TMZ, Irvin filed a $100 million lawsuit in Arizona
days after after being sent home from the Super Bowl.

The New York Post reported NFL Network pulled Irvin from its
coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in
Glendale, Ariz. �after a woman at a hotel made an unspecified
complaint.�

Per TMZ, the Pro Football Hall of Famer claims he�s being
�railroaded� as a victim of �cancel culture.� As a result, he
filed a lawsuit against the unnamed accuser and Marriott, the
parent company of the Renaissance Hotel, which was the location
of the alleged incident.

According to the lawsuit, witnesses backed Irvin�s initial claim
that he �casually exchanged pleasantries� with the employee
(�Jane Doe�), �shook her hand, and went to his room alone.�
However, once Irvin and his team became aware of the
allegations, they say they attempted to provide witness accounts
to the hotel in an effort to rectify any misunderstanding, but
they say the Renaissance refused to listen. In fact, the lawsuit
accuses the hotel manager of reporting the alleged incident to
the NFL �with the intention of damaging that relationship and
canceling [Irvin].�

Irvin�s attorney says as a result of the allegations, the NFL
legend had his reputation damaged and lost money because of
canceled appearances.

Irvin told his side of the story to the Dallas Morning News and
described the interaction �as a brief, public and largely non-
physical encounter. He said he engaged in no physical contact
with the woman beyond a handshake when they parted ways.�

�Honestly, I�m a bit baffled with it all,� Irvin said. �This all
happened in a 45-second conversation in the lobby. When I got
back after going out � I came into the lobby, and I talked to
somebody. I talked to this girl. I don�t know her, and I talked
to her for about 45 seconds. We shook hands. Then, I left. �
That�s all I know.�

Irvin told the Dallas Morning News he hasn�t seen the woman
since the initial encounter. He also said he couldn�t remember
�the full nature of their conversation but insisted the only
physical contact between the two was the handshake.�

�I don�t really recall that conversation, to tell you the
truth,� Irvin said. �We were out drinking. It was just a
friendly conversation. �What�s up?� I don�t even know. � I am
totally perplexed. ... There was definitely nothing physical. �
That�s honestly all that happened. Nobody was in my room. It was
a 45-second conversation in the lobby, a handshake and we left.
� I don�t know. I don�t know what this is, and it�s running me
crazy.�

According to the Dallas Morning News, a Glendale police
spokesperson and officials from other local police agencies said
�they have no knowledge of any incident involving Irvin.�

The 56-year-old Irvin was a wide receiver for the Cowboys from
1988 to 1999. He was five-time Pro Bowl selection and 2007 Pro
Football Hall of Fame inductee. Irvin joined NFL Network two
years later.

<https://www.nj.com/giants/2023/02/marriotts-latest-move-in-ex-
cowboys-star-michael-irvins-100-million-lawsuit-could-
backfire.html>