http://www.yardbarker.com/users/heitner Recent Yardbarker Articles: heitner en-us Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:07:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348614 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348614 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:07:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348613 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348613 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:07:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348612 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348612 Want to really appreciate life, at least for a day? Then try to fast from sun-down one day to sun-down the next. Me and my Jewish brethren (including Ryan Braun, Kevin Youkilis, and others) finished accomplishing that feat last night. Nothing beats the break-fast meal. I am back home in South Florida for the weekend, enjoying some time with my family and young dog, Mushu. I'll be back up to Gainesville on Sunday, but in the meantime, will be relaxing, working out, and reading enough law school material to not fall too far behind. Here are some stories I missed this past week: Sports Business * Think you have what it takes to run Darren Rovell's blog over at CNBC? [Write My Blog Contest--Your Chance To Blog Right Here!] * Divorced athletes and their child support options [Negotiating The Professional Athlete's Child Support Obligations]. * Something makes me think endorsers are just going to love this new column…[Endorsement "Fraud" Central]. * Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, and Dell Computers? [CAA hired to upgrade Dell]. NFL * They want $100 million collectively for the use of their likeness [More than 2,000 former players sue NFLPA]. NBA * After all the Redick speculation, he remains a part of the Magic [Magic pick up option on guard Redick]. * No matter where you go overseas, the people sweat Kobe [Dwyane Wade's jersey drops in popularity in Europe]. MLB * Michael Brantley was recently acquired by the Cleveland Indians in the C.C. Sabathia trade. His agent, Josh Kusnnick spoke about the trade and life as an agent in a recent radio interview [Smoke Signals]. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:55:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348434 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348434 We all love seeing agents portrayed on screen. Whether it be representing Hollywood stars to athletes, we draw some, if not all of our assumptions of an agent's life from these roles. With this in mind, I've come up with a list of the Top 6 Agents who both represent Athletes and Entertainers. The list is based majorly on how close the Agent reflects true life. You're probably asking why 6, well I thought 10 was too many and 5 wasn't enough! 6. Jerry Dabelstein (Dailan Evans) - Mark Loves Sharon (TV) Plot: The show takes a behind the scenes look at the life of Mark Wary, an Australian sportsman as he navigates through his career, culminating in his marriage to his girlfriend Sharon. Mark is a bit of a bad-boy, being involved in one indiscretion after another, leaving the job of his Agent Jerry, quite a difficult task. Agent lessons?: Despite the show receiving lukewarm reviews, the character of Jerry was written and portrayed quite well. Jerry was characteristic of a struggling Agent, with Mark being his only client. He wasn't flashy and didn't live in a mansion. He was always at Mark's side at every press conference after his mishaps. Mark would be lost without him, and this is shown when Mark drops Jerry. Favorite Quote: "You here that? That is the sound of Mark Wary not in trouble. Beautiful sound, usually only heard when he's fast asleep…*Alarm rings*" Watch full episodes here 5. Rick Peck (Matthew McConaughey) - Tropic Thunder (Film) Plot: A bunch of actors filming a war film are sent deep into the jungle to create a more realistic film, only to discover they are involved in a real war themselves. Rick Peck is the Agent of the film's star Tugg Speedman, who won't stop harping on about his Tivo. . Agent lessons?: Rick Peck's offices are stylish and sleek, and he is portrayed as a fast talking win at all costs Agent. Rick's alliances are tested throughout the film, as he is offered a large sum to forget about his client. a highlight of this portrayal is the commitment and integrity shown towards his client. Quotes: "Now let me get this straight. You want me to let my client of 15 years, one of my best friends, die in the jungle alone, for some money and a G5?" 4. Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant) - Extras (TV) Plot: Andy Millman is an extra who finally gets his big break when a TV show he wrote gets picked up by the BBC. Darren lamb plays his incompetent Agent. Agent Lessons?: Darren Lamb is the perfect example of a terrible, inept Agent. He is constantly bagging Andy, and is more concerned on fattening his bank balance and his other clients. Darren has a very small office, and most of the time it seems Andy knows more about getting roles than he does. Favorite Quotes: "Will he still get paid even if his performance is crap?" 3. Arliss Michaels (Robert Wuhl) - Ari$$ (TV) Plot: Arliss Michaels is a Super Agent. He represents a large stable of clients across a wide range of sports. The show features plenty of guest stars, mainly in the sporting arena. Arliss narrates over the show, offering tips and advice of how to succeed as an Agent. Agent Lessons?: Arliss Michaels was a bit over the top, but never the less much can be taken from the character. The 'tips' that he gave were at least in the ballpark of what an Agent is expected to do. The way that the Arli$$ series played out was that you learned what to do at the same time he did. A highlight of the show was the variety of situations in which Arli$$ saw himself. From NFL contracts to NCAA recruiting, a lot of ground is covered. Favorite Quote: "My name is Arliss Michaels. I represent athletes. These are my stories." 2. Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) - Entourage (TV) Plot: Vincent Chase is one of the brightest talents in Hollywood. From indie films to blockbusters, he navigates through this wild ride with his three best friends- Drama, Turtle and E. Ari Gold is his unscrupulous Agent, who often considers himself as one of the gang. The show features many actors playing themselves. Agent Lessons?: Ari Gold is a self proclaimed 'Super Agent' and a true example of how hard work pays off. He started from the ground up, and over a decade has become one of the leading Agents in Hollywood. He has a large house, fast cars and a beautiful wife. Although the show does take things to the extreme of indulgence, the character of Ari is based loosely on Ari Emanuel, who like his character broke away from a major agency to start his own. [Source] Ironically, Ari Emanuel once represented Jeremy Piven. A dilemma that faces Ari Gold through the series is self interest. Often he'll play studios against each other in order to get more money for his client. While this sounds good in theory, most of the time it is against the wishes of his clients. Lesson learned? Listen to your clients wants and needs, because if you won't someone else will. 1. Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) - Jerry Maguire (Film) Plot: Jerry Maguire is a hotshot Agent who decides to grow a conscience. By releasing a game plan for how he wants the business to be run, he is let go. He enlists the help of an assistant and after a frantic chase to take his clients with him, he is left with one, Rod Tidwell, an NFL player looking for a new contract. Agent Lessons?: It's the film that almost everyone gets perceptions about the industry from. Based on one of the finest and most successful (if not most successful) Agent in the world, Leigh Steinberg, Jerry Maguire explores some interesting topics. The path of leaving an Agency to form your own is one many respected and driven Agents take, and as it shows in this film, it's not as easy as you may think it would be. Although the film has very romantic overtones, a theme that needs to be explored is the sense of loneliness that Jerry Maguire has. He is effectively married to his job, as he leaves his fiancee early in the film. This highlights the notion that being an Agent is a 24/7 job. Favorite Quote: "I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game featuring you, while singing your own song in a commercial starring you, broadcast during the Superbowl, in a game that you are winning." So in conclusion, while a lot of the Agents' lives you see portrayed on screen are jazzed up and glamorized, this from of media is a great way to research methods of how to be a successful Sports Agent. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:03:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348309 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348309 People always want to know a little bit about the expenses in starting up an agency, and more specifically, what I have gone through to get to where I am today. Here is an example of how you have to put your money where your mouth is if you truly are committed to establishing yourself as any kind of force in this industry. While Dynasty did not have any clients in the 2008 NBA Draft, we picked up quite a few clients afterward and have been in the process of finding them playing opportunities abroad and within the United States. This past week, we spent roughly $2,500 to send three players to various domestic tryouts in an effort to place them with a new team. Last weekend, Brian Graves tried out for the Vermont Frost Heaves, the 2007 and 2008 ABA Champions who are now a part of the Premier Basketball League. Flights at the last minute from Norfolk, Virgina to Burlington, Vermont are quite expensive, but nothing like a flight from Chicago to Bakersfield, CA. I just booked Royce Parran out to Cali for about $900 round-trip. And we are experiencing economic problems? But the worst experience of all relates to the NBDL's antiquated procedures relating to payment for tryouts. With Royce, I had to go to Publix (a Southeastern supermarket) to purchase a money order and send it to Bakersfield. It wasn't all that bad, but did you notice that I said money order? I have a business AMEX card, check card, etc. Why a money order? The NBDL requires its member organizations to accept only cashier's checks or money orders for all free agent tryouts. That fact made yesterday real interesting. After three hours of temple and after over twenty hours of no food or drink, I was running around trying to figure out how we would get payment in to the Erie BayHawks for one of our clients, Aaron Nichols. He has a tryout in Cleveland this weekend and the team needed the payment by today. Western Union was no fun. They could not write the order out to the Erie team. Believe me that it took about forty-five minutes before we could settle the entire thing. Anyway, I now have a full stomach, but a more empty wallet. I am investing in my clients because I believe in them. Let's hope that they make the Dynasty family proud. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:33:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348213 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348213 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:30:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347943 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347943 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:30:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347942 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347942 Organizers of the inaugural U.S. Sports Film Festival today announced the complete schedule of events that will comprise the four-day event taking place in Philadelphia from October 23-26. In all, the USSFF will have more than 40 screenings. Recently added films include: Bud Greenspan's "16 Days to Glory;" "First Basket," follows the little-known history of Jews and basketball at the beginning of the 20th century; "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29," the story of the famed 1968 Ivy League football game between two of the most renowned academic institutions in the world; "Peglegs of St. Stuyvesant High," is the documentary produced by five-time Emmy winner Paulette Douglas, following Manhattan's Stuyvesant High School football team and the lives of Max Niddam, Romeo Alexander and Aaron Landman; "Pittsburgh Passion," this documentary brings you football with a spin, following the lives of the Pittsburgh Passion of the International Women's Football League (IWFL); "Running the Sahara," on February 20, Charlie, Ray and Kevin touched the Red Sea, just a few hours before sunset en route through six countries and the Sahara; "Streetballers," is an Irish-Urban drama exploring the lives of two junior-college basketball players and their struggles within a divided city, broken homes, and the demands of collegiate level athletics; "Sugar," a fictional true-to-life drama around the character of Miguel "Sugar" Santos, a hot Dominican pitching prospect for the fictional Kansas City Knights who has a dream to make it in the big leagues; "The Hammer," tells the story about a guy edging into middle age trying to become a success fighting guys half his age; and "We Are Young," the Major League Baseball Productions production which spans seven years chronicling the highs and lows of brothers Delmon and Dmitri Young's journey to make and succeed in the Major League. These films join an All-Star lineup that includes the Mixed Martial Arts documentary "Renzo Gracie: Legacy;" the debut of "Basketball in the Barrio," the story of two former University of Texas El Paso basketball players who started a program teaching basketball to the impoverished immigrant children of South El Paso, and the stories of those who used basketball as a tool for fulfillment, as well as "Kicking It," the Ted Leonsis-produced film about a team of homeless soccer players and their life stories and successes on the pitch;"Run For Your Life," the true-life story of the man who created the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow; "Kassim The Dream," the story of Ugandan-born (and Philadelphia resident) boxing world champion Kassim Ouma, a kidnapped child soldier and his struggles to break free and regain his life as a professional athlete; "The Zen of Bobby V," the baseball film which follows former MLB manager Bobby Valentine through Japanese baseball; "Truth in 24," which follows all the drama of the 24 hours of LeMans, and "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," former Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's chronicle of eight of the country's top high school hoopsters, including NBA rookies Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, as they negotiate the courts of legendary Rucker Park in New York . Also on tap for the festival will be a series of classic films by producer Mark Ciardi, including "Invincible" and "The Rookie." The baseball film "The Natural," starring Robert Redford rounds out the classic films series of the festival. Movie: Time Date Location First Basket: 6-9 pm Thu Prince Black Box Running The Sahara: 6:30-9:30 pm Thu Prince Main Stage Peglegs of St. Stuyvesant High: 9-11:30 pm Thu Prince Black Box Truth in 24: 9:30-11:30 pm Thu Prince Main Stage Zen of Bobby V: 12:30-2:30 pm Fri Prince Main Stage Kicking It: 1-3:30 pm Fri Broad St. Ministries Streetballers: 3-5:30 pm Fri Prince Main Stage The Rookie: 3:30-6 pm Fri Prince Black Box SMAD Initiative: 3:45-5:15 pm Fri Broad St. Ministries We Are Young: 6-9 pm Fri Prince Main Stage The Streak: 6:30-9 pm Fri Prince Black Box Basketball in the Barrio: 9:30-11:30 pm Fri Prince Black Box Sugar: 9:30-11:30 pm Fri Prince Main Stage 16 Days to Glory (Bud Greenspan): 12-3 pm Sat Prince Black Box Gunnin' for that # 1 Spot: 12:30-3:30 pm Sat Prince Main Stage Pittsburgh Passion: 12:30-3:30 pm Sat Broad St. Ministries Invincible, Bonus: Rudy! Making of a Hero: 3-6 pm Sat Prince Black Box Pete Sampras: 3:30-6 pm Sat Prince Main Stage The Natural: 3:30-6 pm Sat Broad St. Ministries Run For Your Life: 6-9 pm Sat Prince Black Box Renzo Gracie: 6:30-9:30 pm Sat Prince Main Stage True Blue: 7-9:30 pm Sat Boathouse Kassim The Dream: 9-11:30 pm Sat Prince Black Box Harvard Beats Yale 29-29: 9-11:30 pm Sat Prince Main Stage Pittsburgh Passion: 6:30-9:30 pm Sat Broad St. Ministries The Hammer: 12 -3 pm Sun Prince Black Box Miracle: 12 -3 pm Sun Prince Main Stage Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:06:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347807 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347807 One of the real flaws of traditional agentry is that there is no collegiality to it. Agents are so hyper-critical of each other that they don't advance it as a profession, because they are so competitive that they are unable to acknowledge that other agents negotiate well or do a good job. They rejoice in the failure or difficulties of each other, and without understanding that it is a profession and the more successful every agent is, the better it is. Too often it's crabs in a barrel. -Leigh Steinberg (4/27/08) I have read that section of my interview with Leigh countless times, and every time I look it over, I feel more passionate about giving up some of my time to try to change the landscape of this profession. Leigh and I share many things in common, one of which is the idea that life is not all about money. Happiness is not gained solely through the accumulation of dollars. There is more to it. Enjoying your daily job is one factor, and I believe that we can do something to turn around the sports agent profession to improve the quality of life for all that call athlete representation their occupation. As I have stated on numerous equations, I created SportsAgentBlog.com for three purposes: 1) It was a vehicle to get my name out there in an industry that has a high barrier of entry, 2) I would be forced to stay up to date with news in the agent world along and continue to read up on relevant information concerning the industry, and 3) I was upset with the terrible stigma that surrounded the sports agent world and wanted to try to root out some of the false assumptions and bad behavior circulating the profession. I believe that I have done a decent job with the first two elements and would like to start focusing a bit more on the third. In my interview with Mr. Steinberg, he mentioned an organization that once existed called ARPA. He described it as a large group of supportive agents that did things like giving awards for agent of the year and involved many agents sharing negotiating tips and calling each other for advice on negotiations. I decided to do some research to learn a bit more about the organization. ARPA stands for Association of Representatives of Professional Athletes. It was created in 1978 as a vehicle to introduce self-regulation into the profession. Much like the American Bar Association (ABA) has created its code of ethics for lawyers in the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, ARPA had its own code. The problem is that while the ABA tends to enforce its code from time to time through courts of law, ARPA had no regulatory agency; sanctions were ineffective. Before ARPA was extinguished in 1988, the organization reached up to four hundred members. Since 1988, there has not been any formal group to unify agents under a common code or credo. The only exception may be in the Sports Lawyers Association (SLA), which is catered towards the attorney-agent, which makes up only a fraction of the entire athlete agent profession. I truly believe that we can bring ARPA back. My goal is to reintroduce ARPA at some point in 2009. With the help from some of the older guard of agents who truly want to see a change and ensure the advancement of sports agentry, I feel that it is possible that we can once again create an organization that encourages the peaceful coexistence between all of us who aim to represent professional athletes. The idea is to bring sports agents together in a common venue every year. At that point, we will collect membership dues and get the ball rolling once again with ARPA. I believe that ARPA's purpose should be slightly altered, however. The end goal may remain as self-regulation; however, a lower aim would be just to get the entire sports agent community in one room at least once a year to open up communication lines and put a human story behind each person in the room. Awards may be handed out, but more importantly than making it a competition, it should be an annual gathering of people who truly wish to advance the sports agent profession. It will make us all more cordial toward one another and only yield promising results. Darren Deloatche's recent comment just gives all of us agents more of a reason to plan a yearly get-together. Collective efforts can lead to lower insurance premiums along with a plethora of other advancements for our profession. If you are currently an agent and would like to help with the implementation of this program, please contact me and let me know how you may be of assistance. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:29:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347785 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347785 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:13:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347349 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347349 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:13:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347348 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347348 You should have seen this one coming for a while. Late 2007, CAA began representing MMA apparel brand, TapouT, which sponsors over one-hundred MMA fighters. CAA's main tasks have been to look for licensing opportunities for TapouT in categories ranging from DVDs to truck mud flaps and everything between. Now CAA is going back to its traditional representation role by signing its first high-profile MMA fighter - Georges St. Pierre. The UFC welterweight champion will be looking in CAA's direction for help with licensing, endorsement procurement, and TV/film opportunities. Personally, I have received many pitches for MMA style TV shows. I definitely believe that there is an expanding market for MMA fighters who are not only good at their trade, but have an impressive look and can act. St. Pierre just teamed up with one of the top agencies that can parlay its connections in the sports world with its ties to the entertainment landscape. Additionally, the relationship shows that CAA has bought into MMA's relevance and believes that at least UFC has a business platform that should allow it to stick around for a while. As far as Kimbo Slice and Elite XC, who knows. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:45:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347127 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347127 Not every player is interested in going with a mega-agency like CAA or IMG (depending on the sport). Some are just fine with going for a smaller firm that has a proven track record. That's what Joe Thomas was looking for going into the 2007 NFL Draft. "One of the big things I really liked," Thomas said, "he [Peter Schaffer] respected everyone, no matter how important or unimportant they were in the process. He never wanted anyone to feel like they were being taken advantage of. I think a lot of big-time agents go on power trips after they have big-time clients, but he has never done that. My goal was to find a firm that had top prospects, but yet hasn't turned into a super megafirm where you don't get the personalized service that you're looking for." - Joe Thomas Thomas, along with other NFL players like Jamar Adams and Mike Hart chose Schaffer and All Pro Sports & Entertainment over rival agents. Their list of clients is nothing to scoff at, but in comparison to Rosenhaus and Condon, it does not compare. In fact, Lito Sheppard recently dropped All Pro for Rosenhaus. Think Schaffer is holding a grudge? From Saturday's Denver Post, "I don't think Scott Boras is bad for business; he takes a very intellectual approach and he drives a hard bargain, but he represents his client. "But Drew Rosenhaus and people like him stretch the level of credibility. That's bad, because you're in a business where you want to portray a sense of ethics, morality and honesty and he's admitting that he's lying and cheating and stealing to get contracts and players. That's not good for any business. "The morals and ethics of our society have to be driven by the professionals of our society. It's always easy to lie and cheat to get to where you want to go, but it should be about doing it the right way. I don't think the way he does things can be defined as successful — in any business. He makes it harder for us, but people like that will never affect how we do business." Zing! I felt the crack of that whip all the way in Florida…many miles away from Colorado, which is where Schaffer calls home. Here are some snippets that are actually informative, "We tell [players] what an agent legitimately can and can't do and what they should expect. The biggest misconceptions about the business are created by other agents telling clients what can happen. Like in marketing, you can take an offensive lineman and tell him he's going to get TV commercials and roles in Hollywood movies, but the reality is that's probably not gonna happen. Yet someone will tell them that with a straight face and it gets hard to convince them otherwise." "Every contract has its own unique issues and challenges, whether it's a seventh-round pick or a top-10 player. You have to treat everyone like it's Barry Sanders because it's their career, and you have to put their own individual stamp on their deal to put them in the best situation. "It's interesting on an intellectual level because there are so many moving parts: Is it a three-, four- or five-year deal? . . . What about incentives? . . . Can a player reach them? Do you want the player to stay with a team? If he's a nickel back on a team, do you do a shorter deal so he can go to another team and be a starter? You want to look at a contract, not only as it being good today, but also it being good tomorrow or the next year, too." But I really like Schaffer's parting words… My dad always told me, "Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut." Yeah, I bet Rosenhaus is thinking that Schaffer should have heeded his dad's advice right about now. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:28:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347118 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/347118 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:53:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346646 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346646