Comments on: This Is Family Business

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:25:29 +0000

Jon,

I agree we are in this business to make money. I think even if I was representing my brother, I would still be hoping to make something for myself. I think that if Marks brother is able to adapt and learn fast he will earn business from his brothers colleagues; that could potentially be very lucrative for him.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:40:01 +0000

I think this all depends on the family relationship prior to the business dealings. If you are close-knit, then you can definitely make it work. If the bond is forced for the sake of business then it won’t work in the long-term.

At the end of the day, each case is different. I salute Mark for his decision and I think more athletes should go this route. There are many details that may require a lawyer or someone with more experience to handle, but for the most part, you don’t need to pay someone millions of dollars to basically be a personal manager.

Hiring an agent is more of a tradition for someone turning pro, than it is a need for career guidance. if you have a family member that can handle your business, thats great… if you find a great agent, that’s cool as well… but all agents are in the business for money and that should have athletes somewhat alert.

follow @jonraff on twitter

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:23:56 +0000

Blood is thicker than water! When an Athlete\Agent contract is signed you become family anyway. I think that it is cool that these family’s make it work. I would love to be that close to my family on a daily basis.

I know I am going to catch hell for this…
Jessica Simpsons Dad\Agent is a great agent.

By: Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:18:59 +0000

Thanks a bunch. Various analysts have Rulon being taken mid to late rounds. Kevin Grant is currently projected as a late round/free-agent pick up. I don't put too much into those projections, though. They still have their Pro Days and individual team workouts to attend. I know just from seeing Kevin in his workouts, he has a lot to prove at his Pro Day. The baseball guys are both high school and college. follow @Darren_Heitner on twitter

By: Johnny Magodoo

Johnny Magodoo — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:57:45 +0000

Darren, your recent posts are awesome – great topics covered and terrific insight. Keep up the great work. Any idea where Rulon and Kevin might get drafted? Are the baseball clients you are advising in high school or college?

By: Josh Pittell

Josh Pittell — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:26:01 +0000

Hey Darren I talked to you over the phone about this when you were with my Dad during the super bowl. I still stand by what I said and that is I personally would not encourage other families to enter this business as a team. They always tell you to never mix work and relationships and this is a “FAMILY” relationship. There are many hazards that can stress the relationship such as resentment and frustration about business issues, household chores or money problems, communication problems and disagreements about how to manage the business. Here are some questions to ask yourself: How can you tell your spouse they made a bad business decision? what about If you have an argument at work, do you bring it home? Also, can you really fire your spouse if they are hurting the company? Take care Darren!!

By: Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:15:41 +0000

Definitely big time players...especially when it comes to their marketing connections. follow @Darren_Heitner on twitter

By: Nate Jones

Nate Jones — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:28:55 +0000

Don’t forget Aaron and Eric Goodwin. http://www.goodwinsports.com/about.html

follow @JonesOnTheNBA on twitter