In the same week that he signed a major second contract, Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson was sued for failing to appear at his youth football camp in May.Through his agent and lawyer, Johnson has now issued a statement calling the allegations “completely false.”
The statement claims that FlewWorks, the company that arranged the camp, committed “countless breaches” of the arrangement with Johnson, “including the failure to facilitate his timely arrival.”
The statement calls the lawsuit “frivolous” and a “money grab.” (Isn’t it funny how every lawsuit is a “money grab,” until the defendant decides to grab his checkbook and write settlement checks?) It alleges that FlewWorks has made a “petty” effort to seek “go-away” money from the professional athlete.
None of this matters. And it’s not as if the lawsuit against Johnson was creating an outcry for a statement. Frankly, the statement adds nothing to the situation. It’s chock full of predictable cliches aimed at swaying public opinion, at a time when the public has no opinion whatsoever.
The far better way to handle situations like this is to ditch the obvious public statement and to make any and all appropriate defenses in court, eventually proving that the case is a frivolous money grab.
Until, of course, the defendant is confronted with sufficient evidence to prompt him to grab his checkbook and write a settlement check.
