OFF BEAT: George Brett accused of false advertising of sports jewelry

If his “Pine Tar Incident” tirade taught the world anything about Hall of Fame infielder George Brett, it was that he is quite capable of mounting a vigorous defense against accusations of wrongdoing.

That ability could again be put to use, as Mr. Brett has been accused of falsely advertising health and performance benefits associated with his line of sports necklaces and bracelets, according to an Associated Press report.

In a complaint filed Monday in federal court, Iowa resident Seth Thompson alleged that Mr. Brett’s company, Spokane Valley, Wash.-based Brett Bros. Sports International Inc. misleadingly promotes its Ionic brand necklaces and bracelets as having pain-relieving and restorative abilities, the AP reported.

Mr. Brett, who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, has been president of Brett Bros. since 2001 and appeared in several company ads.

Mr. Thompson alleges the false representations appeared on the company’s website from 2008 to 2010, and still can be found on products packaging. His attorneys asked a federal judge to approve class action status for his claim, as they believe there are “thousands” more potential claimants who have purchased one of Mr. Brett’s products, the AP reported.

Mr. Brett is the latest purveyor of “performance” jewelry to find himself caught in a legal rundown. In November 2011, Power Balance L.L.C., the company behind a “performance-enhancing” bracelet that enthralled professional athletes, pop culture icons and millions of other consumers, filed for bankruptcy after reportedly agreeing to settle a class action false advertising lawsuit for $57 million.