Report: Dick’s Sporting Goods accuses rival CEO of undercover spying

New York -- Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. has accused Mitchell Modell, CEO of Modell’s Sporting Goods, of disguising himself as a Dick’s executive to illegally obtain confidential business information, The Record reported.



In a complaint filed in state Superior Court in Mercer County (New Jersey) on Feb. 20, Dick’s claimed Modell visited its store in Princeton, N.J., on Feb. 8 and pretended to be a senior VP of Dick’s. Modell allegedly told a store manager he had an appointment to meet Dick’s CEO Edward Stack at the store and got employees to show him around the store’s private back areas and answer questions about store operations, the report said.



The complaint accuses Modell of civil conspiracy and trespass. Dick’s is seeking unspecified financial compensation for damages. The chain also wants a ruling that would bar Modell and his employees ever again entering the non-public areas of a Dick’s store or using the information gained from Modell’s February visit.