ESPN reporter tries to 'educate' NFL player on business and it backfires horribly
Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. is branching out from the football field into the bakery business.
Jones and his wife, Jazmyn, will soon open their own cake shop in the Detroit suburb of Troy, Michigan, a new location of the national chain Nothing Bundt Cakes.
“Gonna be epic,” the 28-year-old wideout said Wednesday on Twitter.
My wife and I are so excited that our cake shop in Troy, MI is near completion! Gonna be epic! #StayTuned pic.twitter.com/frt1t4yuqz
— Marvin Jones Jr (@MarvinJonesJr) May 9, 2018
Darren Rovell doesn’t share Jones’ enthusiasm, and the ESPN sports business reporter felt the need to tell him so.
He chimed in with a response to the receiver’s tweet offering an unsolicited opinion on the wisdom of owning a franchise versus an independent shop.
Most important part about opening a franchise is to understand that franchisor fees come off gross sales, not net sales. This franchisor, for example, takes 9% of gross sales for a marketing and royalty fee. Is the brand that valuable vs just opening a new cake shop? https://t.co/l4wX3zBKSX
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 9, 2018
Jones fired right back, calling Rovell a “smart ass” and explaining why they chose to open a Nothing Bundt Cakes.
Hey smart ass 🖐🏽. Don’t you think if we wanted to open up a new one, I would have? Infrastructure that’s already in place (easy) with Godly recipes, wife loves and is passionate about THIS particular shop. That’s why SHE owns it.
— Marvin Jones Jr (@MarvinJonesJr) May 9, 2018
Rovell unconvincingly claimed he wasn’t referring to Jones’ case.
Wasn’t referring to your case here. Was pointing out franchise fees and the debate every new franchisee has to embrace — how much is the brand worth?
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 9, 2018
When called out about it, he said he was merely using it as an opportunity to share his expertise on franchising.
Because it enabled me to talk about the franchise business, something I’m very familiar with.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 9, 2018
Rovell was called out again.
Just because you’re “very familiar” with it doesn’t mean everyone wants to hear you talk about it. You’re spoiling someone else’s joy.
Congrats @MarvinJonesJr – good luck!
— Eric Miltsch (@emiltsch) May 10, 2018
“All I was doing was starting a conversation,” he weakly replied. Many people on Twitter didn’t buy it.
Nah, you were doubting his business.
— letsgobrowns (@CraigWaikem) May 10, 2018
What a giant load of double-talk BS. Be better if you had the spine to own criticizing him or the humanity to just apologize.
— Roy D. (@royd77) May 10, 2018
You’re currently trending on Twitter for this if you weren’t aware. Major mistake here, apologize and move on.
— Sean MF McVay (@SeanMFMcVay) May 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/C1231Will/status/994593810201145344
https://twitter.com/RobbieBlazerIV/status/994327153624825856
Rovell continued to tout his extensive knowledge about the subject.
Hosted the most extensive show on franchising in television history, but what do I know? Was not saying this franchise is bad, just saying it’s a complicated deal. All are.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 9, 2018
I’ve read more franchise disclosure documents than any journalist on earth.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 9, 2018
None. Did the definitive documentary on the business of franchises in 2010 in Cnbc.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 9, 2018
He referred to his CNBC documentary “Behind the Counter: The Untold Story of Franchising,” which was criticized as misleading by the International Franchise Association.
Jones fired back again, saying the “weirdo” Rovell “must not know how to make a wife happy.”
You wanna talk #s atleast try & get ahold of me directly (you cant btw) instead of google searching. Quit pocket watchin, if you don’t know what that means look it up. I dont make wrong moves trust me I understand it all. You must not know how to make a wife happy #weirdo
— Marvin Jones Jr (@MarvinJonesJr) May 9, 2018
“All I was looking for was a discussion,” the ESPN reporter whined. “Scary that it was shot down in the way it was.”
Rovell might know a lot about franchising but he has a lot to learn about how to engage with other human beings.
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