The Future of the Sports Agent Business

In today's business you see more and more people who are trying to break into the business and sign that big time athlete that can set off a career of fortune. It is too bad that the majority of agents never reach those lofty goals they set fourth. In fact, as of 2001 there were 1,112 agents in the NFL, of that number only 30% of them actually had a client in the league [The Business of Sports Agents, By Kenneth Shropshire and Timothy Davis]. But enough about facts. I have a vision for the future that may actually help the newer agents. You see today's superstar agents like Scott Boras, Drew Rosenhaus, Tom Condon, and Bill Duffy represent a slew of superstar athletes, which in return brings in a few million dollars per year for each. I find it hard to believe that big time athletes like to be shared. There are not enough hours in a day or days in a month for Scott Boras to give each of his clients the attention they deserve. Most of you may be thinking, hey he gets them the money they want and that's all that matters. This is true, but I feel that the superstar athletes out there want the individual attention that these big time agents with over 30 clients can not provide. My view may not hold true for those athletes who sign agents solely to represent them in a contract signing. Athletes who want the whole package: endorsements, post-career counseling, outside business endeavors, etc, may need to look elsewhere. I find it hard to believe that one agent can adequately handle every superstar client like a superstar client deserves to be treated. At a recent symposium held at Manhattanville College, law professor Marc Edelman Esq. shared a story about Matt Leinart that further reinforces my view. Professor Edelman who works close to athletes and agents in the NFL, NBA and MLB said that when it came time for Matt Leinart to select an agent, the main factor was to choose a different agent as Heisman winner and teammate Reggie Bush. Matt's father thought it would be a very bad idea to hire the same agent as someone who was thought to be the number 1 pick in the draft. He feared that he wouldn't get the attention he needed. I cannot you disagree with that sentiment. To close out this discussion, let me ask you a question: Do you ever see a time where athletes and agents sign contracts where a clause will limit the amount of clients one agent can have? For example, if I sign Jimmy Clausen in 3 years is there a chance that he puts in a clause stating that as long as he is a starter in the NFL, I can not represent more than 5 clients? -Paul Schackman