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Brees vs. Brees: NFL player tells mother to stop using his image in political ads
Mina Brees says she has taped new version of ad that doesn't use Drew Brees' image
By Marty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Drew Brees wants no part of his mother's political aspirations.
The NFL quarterback and Westlake High School graduate has told Mina Brees, an Austin attorney, to stop using his picture in TV commercials as she runs for a spot on Texas' 3rd Court of Appeals, saying their relationship is now "nonexistent" after souring six years ago.
"I think the major point here is that my mother is using me in a campaign, and I've made it known many times I don't want to be involved," he said Monday.
The New Orleans Saints player said he is speaking out now because she did not acknowledge previous requests to keep him out of the campaign.
She said replacement spots have been sent to TV stations.
The commercial in question has been airing on local stations. It includes a picture of Drew Brees in a San Diego Chargers uniform (his former team) and notes Mina Brees' football ties: She is also the daughter of a successful high school coach and the sister of former University of Texas quarterback Marty Akins.
Mina Brees, a Democrat, is running for a spot on the court that reviews civil and criminal cases from 24 counties in Central and West Texas. Her opponent is incumbent Republican Justice David Puryear.
Drew Brees said that when he heard about the spots, he called his mother and asked her to stop them. She did not return his calls or stop using his image, he said, and his agent sent her a letter Oct. 20 threatening legal action.
Mina Brees, 56, said a version of the spot that omits mentions of her son Drew was taped last week and sent to TV stations Friday.
KVUE Television, an ABC affiliate, received the new version late in the day Friday, sales director Jill Fredericks said. Fredericks said that the last of the campaign's old commercials ran Sunday and that new ones were scheduled to begin airing today. Mina Brees said that "everything in the ad was true" and that she did not anticipate it upsetting her son. She said the connection to football is relevant to her campaign because through sports, her father, Ray Akins, taught her a strong work ethic that she would bring to a career as a judge.
She said her other qualifications include being a president of the Austin Bar Association and having 27 years of legal experience. She noted that in a State Bar of Texas poll, 1,228 lawyers picked her as the better choice, compared with 914 who voted for Puryear.
She said of her relationship with her son: "I love Drew very much, and I'm very proud of him. But sometimes when people are following a career path, they change."
Drew Brees led Westlake to a state championship in football before graduating in 1997 and becoming the starting quarterback at Purdue University.
He signed a six-year, $60 million contract in the past off-season with the Saints.
During his senior year at Purdue, he said, their relationship crumbled after he refused to hire her as his agent. He said she later undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him to Sports Illustrated without his knowledge.
"There is definitely history," he said. "It's got nothing to do with my career path. I've just gotten older, and my eyes have opened to the lies and manipulation."
He added that her commercials were sending a message of, " 'If you don't know much about the election, vote for me because I know Drew' . . . and that is a shame because the political process should be decided on your credentials."
Mina Brees said her son's allegations are mischaracterizations.
She said that the book was a set of her memoirs about following her son through a season and that a Sports Illustrated writer, Tim Layden, told her in response to inquiries that it would not garner much interest. She said she had no intention of becoming her son's agent but took the NFL Players Association agent test to help her and Drew's father screen prospective agents while her son was still in college.
"I have never asked for a penny from Drew," she said.
She also said she received no messages asking her not to include information about him in her campaign.
Alan Sager, chairman of the Travis County Republican Party, said Mina Brees should pull out of the race. Sager said Brees is a "morally rudderless political opportunist" who acted unethically by using her son's image for her campaign.
But Chris Elliott, chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party, said Sager is making "a mountain out of a molehill."
mtoohey@statesman.com; 445-3673
Brees vs. Brees: NFL player tells mother to stop using his image in political ads
Mina Brees says she has taped new version of ad that doesn't use Drew Brees' image
By Marty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Drew Brees wants no part of his mother's political aspirations.
The NFL quarterback and Westlake High School graduate has told Mina Brees, an Austin attorney, to stop using his picture in TV commercials as she runs for a spot on Texas' 3rd Court of Appeals, saying their relationship is now "nonexistent" after souring six years ago.
"I think the major point here is that my mother is using me in a campaign, and I've made it known many times I don't want to be involved," he said Monday.
The New Orleans Saints player said he is speaking out now because she did not acknowledge previous requests to keep him out of the campaign.
She said replacement spots have been sent to TV stations.
The commercial in question has been airing on local stations. It includes a picture of Drew Brees in a San Diego Chargers uniform (his former team) and notes Mina Brees' football ties: She is also the daughter of a successful high school coach and the sister of former University of Texas quarterback Marty Akins.
Mina Brees, a Democrat, is running for a spot on the court that reviews civil and criminal cases from 24 counties in Central and West Texas. Her opponent is incumbent Republican Justice David Puryear.
Drew Brees said that when he heard about the spots, he called his mother and asked her to stop them. She did not return his calls or stop using his image, he said, and his agent sent her a letter Oct. 20 threatening legal action.
Mina Brees, 56, said a version of the spot that omits mentions of her son Drew was taped last week and sent to TV stations Friday.
KVUE Television, an ABC affiliate, received the new version late in the day Friday, sales director Jill Fredericks said. Fredericks said that the last of the campaign's old commercials ran Sunday and that new ones were scheduled to begin airing today. Mina Brees said that "everything in the ad was true" and that she did not anticipate it upsetting her son. She said the connection to football is relevant to her campaign because through sports, her father, Ray Akins, taught her a strong work ethic that she would bring to a career as a judge.
She said her other qualifications include being a president of the Austin Bar Association and having 27 years of legal experience. She noted that in a State Bar of Texas poll, 1,228 lawyers picked her as the better choice, compared with 914 who voted for Puryear.
She said of her relationship with her son: "I love Drew very much, and I'm very proud of him. But sometimes when people are following a career path, they change."
Drew Brees led Westlake to a state championship in football before graduating in 1997 and becoming the starting quarterback at Purdue University.
He signed a six-year, $60 million contract in the past off-season with the Saints.
During his senior year at Purdue, he said, their relationship crumbled after he refused to hire her as his agent. He said she later undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him to Sports Illustrated without his knowledge.
"There is definitely history," he said. "It's got nothing to do with my career path. I've just gotten older, and my eyes have opened to the lies and manipulation."
He added that her commercials were sending a message of, " 'If you don't know much about the election, vote for me because I know Drew' . . . and that is a shame because the political process should be decided on your credentials."
Mina Brees said her son's allegations are mischaracterizations.
She said that the book was a set of her memoirs about following her son through a season and that a Sports Illustrated writer, Tim Layden, told her in response to inquiries that it would not garner much interest. She said she had no intention of becoming her son's agent but took the NFL Players Association agent test to help her and Drew's father screen prospective agents while her son was still in college.
"I have never asked for a penny from Drew," she said.
She also said she received no messages asking her not to include information about him in her campaign.
Alan Sager, chairman of the Travis County Republican Party, said Mina Brees should pull out of the race. Sager said Brees is a "morally rudderless political opportunist" who acted unethically by using her son's image for her campaign.
But Chris Elliott, chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party, said Sager is making "a mountain out of a molehill."
mtoohey@statesman.com; 445-3673
