Now on onside kickoffs, the kicking team will no longer be able to overload one side of the ball. The new rule states that “at least four players of the kicking team must be on each side of the kicker, and at least three players must be lined up outside each inbounds line, including one who must be outside the yard-line number.” This new rule will make it harder for players to administer the kinds of hits that usually jar the ball loose, make gang tackling and stripping tougher, and will put an emphasis on the kicker’s ability to place the ball more precisely.

On kick returns, the return team can no longer form a wedge to block for the returner. The new rule will be enforced when “three or more players line up shoulder to shoulder within 2 yards of each other to lead the blocking,” and will be enforced from the spot of the wedge. This rule will effect some teams more than others. This rules puts more of an emphasis on the return team being able to hold their individual blocks and not just being able to power the return back.

Two of the other rule changes deal with contact with receivers. First, receivers will now get personal foul penalties if a player delivers a blind side block to the head of a defender using his helmet, forearm, or shoulder (The Keith Rivers Rule). Second, if a defender hits a defenseless receiver going over the middle of the field (or in any spot where he appears defenseless) in the head or neck with the forearm or shoulder, it will be a personal foul. This rule is an extension of the previous rule, which states you cannot hit a defenseless receiver with a helmet hit.

Finally, defenders who are knocked to the ground can no longer lunge into quarterbacks if the play is still going on (The Tom Brady Rule). Although I do agree with protecting the quarterback, I’m not so sure how effectively enforced this rule will be. I have a feeling it will be like a couple of years ago where players would have quarterbacks wrapped up and then stop thinking that they would get called for unnecessary roughness penalties, while the quarterbacks scrambled away to continue the play. Where do you draw the line between a player trying to get back into the play after being knocked down around the quarterback and a player lunging into the quarterback?

On another note, officials will be focusing more on horse collar tackles this year. Even though the number of horse collar penalties and fines went up in the last year, the NFL Owners felt that the rule has not deterred the tackle enough.

According to a June 2006 Study, approximately 168.5 million residents in the United States, roughly 75% of the population, use some form of vision correction. So chances are you and most of the people you know are wearing glasses or contacts to see properly. With vision being such a critical aspect of every sport, many athletes are considering undergoing the LASIK procedure. Here with us is Cary M. Silverman, M.D., Medical Director of EyeCare 20/20 in New Jersey, to answer some questions about LASIK for us. As a distinguished eye surgeon, Dr. Silverman has been featured in publications such as USA Today, The New York Times, and as a guest ophthalmologist on The Health Network. He has treated a number of professional athletes and is currently correcting the vision of a number of U.S. Winter Olympians prior to the 2010 games in Vancouver.

A Quick Background on the Eye

The cornea is a part of the eye that helps focus light to create an image on the retina. It works in much the same way that the lens of a camera focuses light to create an image on film. The bending and focusing of light is also known as refraction. An imperfection in the focusing power of the eye is called a refractive error.

There are three primary types of refractive errors: myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Persons with myopia, or nearsightedness, have more difficulty seeing distant objects as clearly as near objects. Persons with hyperopia, or farsightedness, have more difficulty seeing near objects as clearly as distant objects. Astigmatism is a distortion of the image on the retina caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens of the eye. Combinations of myopia and astigmatism or hyperopia and astigmatism are common.

Glasses or contact lenses are designed to compensate for the eye’s imperfections. In LASIK surgery, precise and controlled removal of corneal tissue by a special laser reshapes the cornea changing its focusing power, ultimately correcting and improving your vision.

Q&A with Dr. Silverman

Can you explain the Lasik procedure to our readers?

LASIK uses a computer-controlled laser to reshape the cornea and correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. An instrument called a microkeratome is used to create a flap in the corneal tissue. This flap is lifted and folded back. The laser is then used to reshape the cornea by removing or ablating tissue beneath the flap. The excimer laser used in LASIK surgery is a cool, ultraviolet beam that severs the bonds that hold the tissue together. As this tissue is removed, the shape of the cornea is altered. The amount of tissue removed depends on the patient’s eyeglass or contact lens prescription, which is essentially etched into the cornea by the laser. Reshaping the cornea allows light to focus more precisely on the retina for improved vision. The corneal flap is then replaced, requiring no stitches. LASIK surgery takes about 10 minutes per eye, and most people are able to enjoy improved vision without the need for corrective lenses.

What advantages does Lasik offer over contact lenses or traditional Horace Grant style Rec-Specs?

LASIK affords the patient/ athlete excellent vision without the need for contacts or glasses. No more getting on your hands and knees looking for a lost contact lens on the court or field, as we have seen many times on national TV. LASIK does not protect the eyes from a direct blow as Rec-Specs can, but are certainly more stylish.

How much can you actually improve a patient’s vision with this procedure? How effective is the procedure?

LASIK is able to correct most patients’ entire prescription. 95% of good candidates are able to see 20/25 or better without glasses or contacts.

As a corrective eye surgery, what are the potential risks and drawbacks of having the procedure done? Are there any potential long term side effects?

In contact sports, one of the main drawbacks is the possibility of getting hit in the eye and moving the flap. If this occurs (it is extremely rare) the flap may need to be repositioned. For athletes participating in at risk sports such as boxing, a treatment called epiLASIK may be a better option. This procedure does not involve a flap as the laser ablation is made on the corneal surface. Return of vision is slower with this procedure, but is the only drawback of epiLASIK.

Is this a “one and done” surgery where once you have it, your vision is corrected for life, or is there a chance that you vision can go bad again, requiring another procedure?

LASIK results generally “stick”. There is a 1 to 10% chance of needing a “fine tuning” or enhancement of the original LASIK, depending on the surgeon’s outcomes.

What is considered a “successful” surgery, and what is the success rate of the procedure?

I define a successful procedure as making my patient “20/happy”. These patients are able to wake up, see the alarm clock, watch TV, drive a car, and perform their sports without the need for contacts or glasses. Over 99% of my patients end up “20/happy”!

What criteria should a person consider when they are thinking about having Lasik done?

Getting LASIK is a lifestyle decision. If someone is sick and tired of being reliant on glasses or contacts for day to day activities, they should consider LASIK.

Who makes a good candidate for Lasik surgery? Who doesn’t?

Many factors go into determining LASIK candidacy including stable prescription, corneal curvature, corneal thickness, pupil size, health of the eye, and patient expectations. Most LASIK surgeons offer free LASIK evaluations to determine if a patient is a good candidate.

How about the cost of the surgery? How affordable is it? Is it covered by most insurance policies?

LASIK costs vary from $1500 to $3500 per eye and is not covered by insurance. Many LASIK practices offer 0% financing for up to 2 years. Generally discount prices are offered by corporate centers where the bulk of care is given by technicians or optometrists. Higher priced procedures are generally done by more experienced surgeons who offer cutting edge technologies and more personalized care.

Seeing as how technology is always changing and advances in medicine happen so quickly, do you see any major changes coming in how the procedure is done? Is there any reason for a candidate to wait a few more years before having it done?

Results of LASIK are excellent now. Technologic advances will continue to expand the treatment parameters of LASIK.

Is there anything else you would like to add on the topic? Anything that you think our readers should know or be aware of while considering this procedure?

Do your research and ask friends and family who have had LASIK and are happy with their results for referrals. Shop experience, not price. We are only given 1 pair of eyes, and should not compromise results to save a few dollars. For more information on how to select a LASIK surgeon, visit our blog post: 10 Things to Consider When Picking a LASIK Surgeon: http://lasikblog.typepad.com/the_lasik_blog/2009/01/10-things-to-consider-when-picking-a-lasik-surgeonhtml

The article mentioned $15,000 of fines against Hines Ward for unnecessary roughness while blocking down field even though the officials did not call any penalties against him. James Harrison was fined $20,000 for criticizing a referee who called Roughing-the-Passer against him. Also $7,500 of fines were charged to Nate Washington (Taunting) and Ryan Clark (Late Hit).

I feel that the league should handle fines on a case-by-case basis because the situations and circumstances regarding the actions a player took are unique to each game’s situation. Yet, I do feel that Polamalu was right, and that the league’s recent splurge of fees is quite unnecessary and detrimental to the game. Playing organized football for 6 years and backyard football for the majority of my life, the game has always been about the big hit or the big block (and touchdown dances…I also don’t believe the league should fine players for celebrating after scores). At my high school, if you had a highlight reel worthy tackle or pancake block, you got a star on your helmet. If the hit or block just totally destroyed the other player, you got a star and a shirt with a skull and crossbones and the word “hitter” on it. Being aggressive and making the big play and the big hit is what football is all about, so why is the league trying to deter that aspect of the game, especially when it is what the fans pay to see? It’s not like every time a runningback is handed the ball, he’s not aware that there are 11 guys with different jerseys on trying to end his career.

I also think that if a ref did not feel the need to penalize a player for unnecessary roughness, then, in the majority of cases (obviously there are always exceptions to the rule and refs miss calls), the league shouldn’t be able to go back retrospectively and fine those players. The refs are professionals on the field who are paid to make those calls in the heat of the moment. If they don’t see it as necessary, I don’t see why the league should.

I’m not saying that all fines are not warranted because some definitely are, but I do believe that the league needs to rid themselves of this fine happy attitude and be realistic and fair to the players that give it their all every Sunday. I also believe that as agents and potential agents, we have a responsibility to our clients to make sure that the league is treating them fairly and not fining our clients unnecessarily. I’d love to hear what our community has to say about this topic and maybe any possible remedies to the situation.

Like a lot of people, I stumbled across this website as a person with an idea and a desire, but little direction of guidance. I figured that the best way to learn about the sports agent industry would be to get into an office as an intern. Using SportsAgentBlog’s Agencies by State page, I researched and looked up every agency I could find in the Chicagoland area, wrote them an e-mail, and attached my resume. Then, after following up with countless e-mails and maxing out my cell phone minutes, I landed a phone interview with MGI. During the interview, Tami Hardoby, our Operations Manager, and I talked extensively about my writing for the SportsAgentBlog and how it has helped me get a better idea of what being an agent is really like and why I want to be an agent. I really believe that having something like that on my resume showed not only my genuine interest in the field, but also that I was willing to do what it took to get myself noticed and that I was actively pursuing my dreams.

It’s been an outstanding experience, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on many different projects. Below is the job description, and I’ve probably worked on half of the stuff listed, with the other half still to be done within the next couple of months.

• Track and Update info for NFL Clients (Stats, News, Photos)
• Update recruiting lists on a weekly basis
• Assist with the creation and distribution of marketing pieces and recruiting e-mails
• Responding to client needs and requests
• Prepare products and information for the 2009 Draft Class Clientele
• Assist marketing team with current endeavors
• Be involved in general day-to-day operations

One thing I’ve been working on pretty frequently is a Sports Social Networking site called FanFuego. Check it out when you have some free time, but it’s a way for professional athletes to connect with their fans while promoting their charities and generating marketing dollars for themselves. Also, it gives smaller league teams, semi-pro athletes, and even youth leagues a chance to get their names out and raise some money for their teams.

It’s a great time to be an intern. With college and professional football in full swing, you really get a feel for what it is like to be an agent during the actual season, and you get to experience first hand all the time and work it takes in order to keep an agency running. It has definitely opened my eyes to a lot of smaller details of the agency (like how important having good interns really is). Also, I love the fact that whenever I’m watching an NFL game, I see players like Chiefs’ Cornerback Brandon Carr, Jaguars Defensive Tackle Rob Meier, Giants’ Guard Rich Seubert, or Bears’ Linebacker Nick Roach and tell my friends, “Hey, he’s one of our clients.”

It’s an outstanding opportunity for anyone who is in the Chicagoland area or willing to come to the City of Wind. The atmosphere is very laid back. The office is nice, the team is small, and you get to really interact and work closely with all the people in the office and other interns. Many opportunities are available to you, and you never run out of interesting or fun stuff to do. I’ll definitely post a few more times about things happening in the office, and give you guys a better breakdown of fanfuego.com over the next few weeks. Also, look for an Interview With The Agent coming soon with Masterplan’s Josh Wright. Also, check out Masterplan at www.masterplangroup.com for more information on the agency. Until then.

According to ESPN, Jackson signed a two-tiered contract worth $29.3 million with $21 million guaranteed over three years or $49.3 million by way of huge escalators over five years (full details on the contract are not available yet). The contract has been structured as a five year deal, but the Rams have the option to void the last two years of the contract if his performance levels are not what they expect.

It has been reported that Jackson will have to put up similar numbers over the next three years as he did in his last three. From 2005 to 2007, Jackson rushed for 3,576 yards and 26 touchdowns and caught 171 passes for 1,396 yards and 6 touchdowns. Jackson has great abilities and has proven it in the past, yet after missing 4 weeks of camp, Head Coach Scott Linehan said Jackson would not be playing in this weekend’s preseason game because he needs to get his body in football shape. Also, with new offensive coordinator Al Saunders trying to make Jackson the focal point of the offense, Jackson has a lot of catching up to do in the next couple of weeks before the regular season starts.

Jackson’s agent, Eugene Parker, put Jackson in a good position. Jackson got the $20 million in guaranteed money he was looking for, and has the opportunity to nearly double the money he receives if he plays as well as he is capable of. Also, if the Rams decide not to pick up the last two years of his contract, Jackson could end up a free agent on a market with potentially no salary cap. Hopefully for the Rams, Jackson lives up to his contract and they don’t get burned by dishing out top running back money and not getting the production they wanted in return.

The globalization of a sport is nothing new. The NBA has had teams playing exhibition games in Europe for a few years now. Reigning Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow, Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona and Lithuania’s Lietuvos Rytas will face the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors and, possibly, the Los Angeles Clippers at undetermined NBA venues in the near future. Playing games abroad is great for the sport, increases league exposure around the globe, and is helping to increase revenues.

But what about the loyal fans back in the States? How about the season ticket holders, facing increasing ticket prices, and receiving a fewer amount of games for the price they are paying? Many fans in Buffalo fear that the playing of these games abroad might be the beginning of the end of Bills in west New York. Yet, Toronto says that the series of games is just an opportunity to showcase Toronto as a city that can host a permanent NFL franchise, and nothing more.

How about the players? Home field advantage is something that every NFL team cherishes. If you have been to an NFL game before, you have probably witnessed the effect of an entire stadium of cheering fans backing their team as they drive down the field late in the fourth quarter trying to win a game. In 2002, when Soldier Field was under renovation, the Chicago Bears played all their “home” games at Memorial Stadium two and a half hours south of Chicago at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, home of the Illinois Fighting Illini. Most of the players felt like they played 16 away games that year.

I am in no way against the NFL trying to market and globalize the sport of football at all. I think it would be a great thing to expand the league and nurture an interest in football in countries outside of the United States. I just feel like if it is going to be done, the NFL needs to come up with a more effective way where the teams don’t have to play “home” games that could potentially decide the outcomes of their season (which Buffalo may have to deal with this year) outside of their actual stadiums. Under the current system, loyal fans of the franchises that must play a home game at an off-site venue suffer by losing one of only eight home games they can possibly see in person. The NFL must be able to effectively spread and expose the international community to their brand of football in a way that will not hurt an NFL team’s win/loss record and disappoint their fans.

Any Suggestions?

Here is the description of the game sent to us by the site:

Just like Real NBA GMs, 30 + users come together to create a virtual NBA league with 30 GMs and at least one Agent to negotiate free agent contract and player buyouts. The game uses the NBA’s Collective Bargaining agreement so they are pretty much taking over the GM duties of an NBA team like the real NBA GMs do.  The NBA uses the Collective Bargaining Agreement to control spending as well as to even the competition playing ground for NBA franchises so that smaller markets can compete with the larger markets. This game captures the essence of the business side of the NBA.

The game is broken down into 5 phases:
Phase 1 is before the NBA rookie draft
a. You can trade soon-to-be free agents to free up salary cap space for free agency
b. You decide team options
c. You can move up in the rookie draft
d. No free agents can be claimed
e. You can negotiate buyout

Phase 2 is the rookie draft
a. You draft rookies

Phase 3 free agency (starts a day after the draft is finished)
a. Agents can represent free agents
b. Agents decide player options
c. Gms can make offers to free agents

Phase 4 regular season play (October-March)
a. GMs face off head-to-head in 18-week regular season
b. Agents face off in Rotisserie-style play

Phase 5 Playoffs (for GMs only April)
a. GMs face off in NBA playoffs

It seems like a great opportunity and chance to sharpen your skills. Every potential NBPA agent on this site should definitely be considering joining this as an agent, or even as a GM (trying to think and negotiate like a GM might give you some more insight on where you might be able to get GMs to be more flexible.)

Any unanswered questions? Want to learn more and sign up? Click this link to go to the homepage and check out what it’s all about.

Although I understand the players’ demands and do not blame them for trying to get the money that they think they merit due to performance, $15,000 a day is a hefty price to pay to make a player’s voice be heard. There has to be a better way to deal with the problem of player compensation.

For Rookies

Institute a pay scale similar to the NBA’s system for incoming rookies. In this system, the salaries would be predetermined by the NFL and NFLPA. The first two years of the contract are guaranteed with a team option for the third and forth years, and it sets the price for a qualifying offer in the fifth year. I believe this is a fair system because usually after four years, a team can determine the development and the quality of the player it has drafted.

In cases where players break on to the scene with a great rookie season and have proved they can perform consistently at a high level with another good season (like Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is poised to do), teams should add clauses to contracts where if certain performance levels are met, they will allow a contract renegotiation after the second or third year.

I believe that players who have not consistently proved that they can be top tier players should not receive top tier salaries like many rookies are demanding. Allowing teams to have an option on the third and forth years of the contract saves them from paying out huge, multiyear deals to first round players who bust. It also allows them to keep players who they believe are developing well on their teams. As I said earlier, I believe that the league should only allow contract re-negotiations in the first four years if a player meets performance clauses and proves he can consistently perform at a high level for multiple years that would warrant an extension.

For Veterans

I believe that every veteran player who has proved his worth to a team and shown he can be a productive contributor in the league should be rewarded in such a way. By instituting a pay scale for rookies, teams can make sure that they have enough cap space to compensate the players who have proved themselves, on and off the field, properly.

The same system should be used for veterans in the sense that teams should include clauses that after the first two years, and every year or two years after that depending on the length of the contract, if certain performance levels are met, the team will allow for a re-negotiation of the base/guaranteed salary and performance level incentives for the remainder of the contract, or a complete restructuring and extension of the contract. This again allows players who outperform expectations to re-negotiate their contracts for proper market value and protects teams from having to overpay for players who have not proven themselves worthy of premier contracts. Also for consideration could be a player option clause, where in the final few years of his deal, if a team wishes to pick up an option on a player, the player must also agree to the option or else he can become a restricted free agent.

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I think a contract system like the one I described above could help end a lot of the training camp holdouts that we are seeing currently, especially on the rookie end. By getting these players off their couches and back onto the practice field, all parties involved benefit. I believe as agents, it’s our duty to make sure that we negotiate contracts that give our players flexibility and the ability to get what they are worth without having to damage their relationships with their teams by holding out.

Obviously there are always players whose values are difficult to gauge who might warrant a holdout, like the Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester. Yet overall I think this system would help keep team owners happy by protecting them from overpaying players who have not earned the salaries they are expecting, and gives players who have truly earned an extension and increase in salary through performance their dues.

Am I missing something? Is there something like this already in place I’m not aware of? Please leave your thoughts and comments below, The Sports Agent Blog Community would love to hear what you have to say on the topic. Thanks!

Yet, Braylon Edwards, like many other professional athletes, dreams of bigger and better things, inside and outside of football. In a recent article in ESPN The Magazine, writer Carmen Reneé Thompson followed Edwards around for a day of meetings with the higher ups who hold his pass to silver screen stardom. Edwards claimed that “Outside of a Super Bowl ring, my definition of success is making more money after football.”

Of course, Edwards was not alone. His agent, Creative Artists Agency’s Howard Skall (who also represents Brady Quinn), accompanied him throughout the day. Edwards represents a growing percentage of athletes who are getting more and more interested in off-the-field pursuits in the entertainment industry. Along with hoping to make cameo appearances on shows like HBO’s Entourage or being a guest on Oprah, Edwards feels that he is capable of being a lead actor in a film and hopes to lock down a major endorsement deal this summer.

While CAA and other “powerhouse” agencies are doing a great job of getting their athletes, such as Peyton Manning, major endorsements deals (Manning scored an estimated $13 million in endorsements in 2007) and cameo roles (Manning hosted Saturday Night Live), where does this leave the smaller, “boutique” agencies? While agencies like CAA, IMG, and Octagon have divisions in the agencies dedicated to entertainment talent management and are well established in Hollywood, how can smaller firms open up the door and help their clients pursue their off-the-field interests without having to refer them to different agencies?

Some of these difficulties can be seen even with some of the largest “boutique” firms. KCB Sports Marketing is the firm that handles marketing for all of Drew Rosenhaus’ clients (Over 90 players including some of the NFL’s top players like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson). Except for a few players like Johnson or Jeremy Shockey, it doesn’t seem like a lot of KCB’s high end clients (Tommie Harris, Willis MaGahee, Anquan Boldin, Frank Gore, etc.) have had their names linked with specific brand endorsements. That is not to say that this is for a lack of effort or forgetting that many other factors exist like player marketability, demand for athletes to endorse products, or even the players’ interest in endorsing a product play a factor in these endorsement deals. It just seems to me that when your organization represents around 5% of the NFL, more than 2 or 3 of your clients should have recognizable endorsements with major products and brands.

With endorsements being a major market for athletes, and as more professional athletes look to get into the entertainment business, how are the “boutiques” going to get their slice of the pie? Just a little food for thought.

Am I missing something? Feel the need to put in your two cents. Please leave your thoughts and comments below. The Sports Agent Blog Community would love to hear what you have to say on the topic. Thanks!