Alex Rodriguez has been around the block when it comes to representation.  In 2007, he dropped Scott Boras (only concerning marketing) in favor of Madonna’s agent, Guy Oseary.  Then, in 2008, Rodriguez hired William Morris Agency (WMA) for marketing purposes.  In 2010, Rodriguez dropped all ties to Boras, terminating his relationship with Boras Corp. with regards to negotiating baseball contracts.  Many people believed it did not matter based on the likelihood that Rodriguez would no longer play after his current contract ends.  This year, Rodriguez changed marketing agents again, hiring Steve Loy of Gaylord Sports Management.  And finally, A-Rod has just hired a new agent to handle any future baseball contracts.  The lucky new agent is Dan Lozano, who broke off from Beverly Hills Sports Council (BHSC) to start his own agency with clients like Albert Pujols, Nick Swisher, Yonder Alonso, and now Alex Rodriguez.  Let’s hope that A-Rod does not change his mind any time soon for the sake of Mr. Lozano and Mr. Loy.

Dan Lozano’s Empire Expands With Addition Of Alex Rodriguez from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

In 2010, Alex Rodriguez fired Scott Boras.  Boras had been Rodriguez’s MLBPA certified agent; his responsibility was to help Rodriguez choose the teams he would play for and negotiate the terms of his contracts with MLB teams.  However, Rodriguez has always had many other “agents” helping him out off of the field.

In 2007, Rodriguez dropped Boras as his marketing agent and signed Madonna’s agent, Guy Oseary, to negotiate his marketing/business affairs.  In 2008, Rodriguez hired William Morris Agency (WMA) to handle all of his marketing-based initiatives.  In 2009, WMA merged with mega agency Endeavor.

In 2011, Alex Rodriguez has a new marketing agent.  He recently hired Steve Loy of Gaylord Sports Management to work on his marketing deals.  Gaylord has already put up a nice profile page for Rodriguez, and made sure to include that, “In 1999, he was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People.”

A-Rod has been around the block went it comes to marketing agents.  I hope that Gaylord is able to have more success with the Yankees slugger than his former marketing reps.

Alex Rodriguez Goes With Gaylord For Marketing from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Darren Heitner: What percentage of your firm’s work is related to Sports Law?  What about your individual work?

Jay Reisinger: My personal caseload is about 85% Sports Law related.  Sports Law is about 50% of my firm’s total caseload. My firm also handles white-collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation.

Heitner: What is the most interesting Sports Law case you have ever litigated?

Reisinger: I’ve been lucky that in my career in that I have had a number of interesting Sports Law cases.  However, the most interesting Sports Law matter that I handled was Sammy Sosa’s testimony before Congress related to performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball.  The shear number of interested parties and competing interests created an intriguing and challenging atmosphere.  It was also the first case that I worked on with James Sharp, a well-known Washington, D.C. trial attorney who has also worked with me on Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez.

Heitner: What are your thoughts on the current final-offer arbitration in baseball?  Any ideas on how to make the proceedings leading up to a hearing, and the hearing itself, more effective?

Reisinger: I believe that final-offer arbitration works to the benefit of the entire salary arbitration system.  Final-offer arbitration encourages mutually agreed upon settlements, which is why, on a percentage basis, very few cases actually go to hearing.  Hearings are reserved for those cases where, in the main, there is a philosophical chasm between the player and the club. Given that the system works well for all parties, I am not in favor of making any modifications to it.

Heitner: Does your negotiation strategy include anything that we won’t find much of in negotiation textbooks?

Reisinger: I’m not sure that I read any negotiation textbooks, so I’m not sure what’s in them!  I truly believe that it’s a skill acquired through experience.  That being said, I have found that the most useful negotiating tactic is preparation.  The ability to quickly counter on specific negotiating points at the table has served me extremely well.  Further, if you prepare for every eventuality, you are never surprised.

Heitner: Should the NCAA’s no-agent rule be abolished, or at least modified?

Reisinger: At a minimum, it should be modified.  The James Paxton and Andy Oliver cases were perfect examples.  How is a college (or potentially college-bound) student supposed to make life-changing decisions without appropriate and experienced counsel?  Quite frankly, the NCAA’s position on the matter is outrageous.

Heitner: You are a certified player agent with the MLBPA. Do you currently represent anybody on a team’s 40man roster? Who have been your more noteworthy clients?

Reisinger: I am a certified agent with the MLBPA, but I don’t represent (as an agent) any player on a 40-man roster.  I represent professional and amateur athletes as an attorney.  I represent athletes in disciplinary matters, grievance proceedings, eligibility matters, criminal and civil litigation, and salary arbitration.  I have represented players such as Sammy Sosa, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, and Francisco Rodriguez, just to name a few.

Heitner: Does your firm have any plans to expand outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania or to hire any new associates?

Reisinger: As it stands now, we have a nationwide practice that just happens to be based in Pittsburgh.  We are always looking for talented attorneys and staff who share our passion for the work that we perform for our clients.

Heitner: What would you suggest to somebody who is interested in not only being a sports agent, but practicing in the area of Sports Law?

Reisinger: The most important advice that I can give to those interested in Sports Law is to get practical legal experience in areas outside of Sports Law.  Prior to focusing on Sports Law, I practiced primarily white-collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation.  The experience that I gained in these areas, including litigation skills, has served me, and more importantly, my clients, well.

Q&A With Sports Attorney Jay Reisinger from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Baseball

• Not news. A-Rod has had Resinger as legal rep for a while now [Alex Rodriguez using Pittsburgh attorney, not Scott Boras, as legal representative].
• A look at an email Brandon Webb’s agent sent to a popular baseball blog [Webb Seeking Significant Base Salary For 2011].
• Teams that do not spend big money in free agency are proving to be very aggressive in the draft [Surprise Teams Spend On Draft].

Football

• As of today, the San Diego Union-Tribune story is still up [Vincent Jackson, agents demand retraction from San Diego Union-Tribune].
• I bet they also live longer than offensive tackles, on average, due to an adherence to a healthier diet [Is Cornerback The Next Great Money Position?].

Sports Law

• I think Stoops is way off, but they did not quote me on that! [Bob Stoops: Amnesty for some players].
• California’s sports agent law being tested [Sports Agent Sued for Collecting Illegal Commissions; Action Sports Athletes Entitled to Refund].

Sports Business

• No one has seen a lift in popularity quite like Victor Cruz [Rising Sports Stars: September 2010].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (9/3/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Basketball

• An agent of a former UK 2010 NBA Draft pick might be in some trouble [Kentucky Basketball Players Subject of NCAA Probe].

Baseball

• Cool with the super-two. Not cool with teams manipulating it [MLBPA To Consider Changes To Arbitration Process].
• I would imagine that Matt Sosnick (Jay Bruce’s agent) is pretty happy about this [Super Two Cutoff Less Than Expected].
• A lot of reasons why Puerto Rico is poised for a comeback [Sanchez: Game regains status in Puerto Rico].
• His involvement with A-Rod [Warren Buffett: sports agent?].

Football

• NFLPA Agent Terry Bolar described the lawsuit as “a headache that in the end has made me a better person.” [Agent says he's reached lawsuit settlement with former client, Bills' CB McGee].
• Includes Marvin Demoff and David Dunn [San Diego Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers Added to NFL 101 Lineup].

Hockey

• One of the only African-American agents in professional hockey [Eustace King: Sports Agent, Business Partner, Friend].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (7/2/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

As noted in the piece, this is the first year since Jonah started recording figures, that the average earnings for the list, decreased.  Blame it on the economy?

Beware of the bullets:

• 5 New York Yankees players are listed, but they all make the list because of their salaries, not an overwhelming endorsement portfolio.  Maybe LeBron James (#3 on the list) notices that meeting his endorsement potential is not all about moving to NY.  Or perhaps he believes that baseball players in NY have no chance getting as much money in endorsements as he would (a basketball player).  I still hope that he stays in Cleveland.
• It’s not as if A-Rod’s contract is new to us, but just look at the difference in salary between Rodriguez and every other athlete on the list.  Unreal.
• Shaq is getting old and less productive, but still making a great amount of money…especially in endorsements.  How will his love for Twitter help/hurt his ranking over the next year?
• Teixiera and Sabathia, combined, make less in endorsements than Jermaine O’Neal?  Okay, baseball players do have some marketing hurdles to overcome.
• Steve Francis at #22 hurts a lot more than Barry Zito at #26.

Those Who Are Fortunate from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Yankee Stadium or “the house that Ruth built” is a baseball and sports icon.  Many great games and events have been played on that hallowed ground.  I recently had the opportunity to watch the Yankees play the Twins at the fabled Yankee Stadium before it reaches its demise and gets torn down after this season.  A friend and I drove to the Bronx and watched the Yankees come back and beat the Twins 8-2 in a great Tuesday night game.  The next day we traveled back to Virginia Tech via Baltimore, Maryland and decided to stop in for an Orioles game at Camden Yards.  The O’s got stomped 8-1 but our seats were down the first base line in the front row, and we paid $5 bucks for them so we couldn’t complain too much.

The MLB road trip was fun and crazy, and it made me really appreciate what Josh Robbins did just last month.  Attending 30 MLB games in 26 days must have been a lot more hectic than our trip, but that would be some way to spend 27 days.  Robbins set a World Record by seeing a game at every single ballpark in the MLB in only 26 days.

We only visited 2 MLB ballparks, but it made me remember why Yankee Stadium really is such a great piece of history and why everyone is making such a big deal of this being the stadium’s last year.  Our tickets at Yankee stadium were great, right above the Yankee dugout with a perfect view of everything.  The tickets were eBayed for $150 bucks a pop and were well worth it.  Our tickets at Camden Yards were only $5 dollars, and were just as good. However, there was a huge difference in the overall atmosphere at the two stadiums.

Obviously the price difference for tickets was extreme, as the Yanks are in contention for the AL title or the wild card and the Orioles don’t have a real shot at the post season.  However, the price was not the only difference between the two stadiums.  Yankee stadium had a palpable environment that was behind the team and the stands were packed.  The Orioles game did not have close to as many fans and you could barely tell the crowd was there, except for the occasional boo after the Blue Jays had scored another run.  Again, this might have been attributed to the position both these teams are in the league, but any team can win on any given day.  From the beginning of the game, 0-0, the crowd and stadiums were totally different environments and you could tell why the Yanks had the record they did.

Yankee stadium fans were on top of everything, every play and every stat…at least the ones that sat in the season ticket seats near us. I saw a child probably 7 or younger actually keeping track of a scorecard.  It was Richie Sexson’s first game in pinstripes and everyone knew all about him already.  I personally do not know why they paid money for Sexson.  They should have picked up Bonds instead of Sexson.  Giambi has been playing solid at first base.

Anyway, it is not only the fans, the expensive seats, the multi-million dollar players in every position, and the great game that is going on right in front of your eyes that makes Yankee Stadium so great. It’s the legacy and memories from the previous players and teams that have been in the same stadium that you are in now. As you look around the stadium you see banners and signs that remind you of Ruth, Maris, Mantle, Jackson, Billy Martin, and many, many other great Yanks from the 26 World Championships they have won. It has seen two Popes and the Baltimore Colts even won an NFL championship 23-17 in the stadium. When you see the Bank of America sign in right field, you might even start thinking of Josh Hamilton hitting it many times as he broke the All Star HR record.

It is almost too hard to put in words…the atmosphere and great pride you get when you watch a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Going to the house that Ruth built and another ballpark in two days really put Yankee Stadium’s glory in perspective.  The new stadium has a lot to live up to and is certainly likely to see some great games.

The House That Ruth Built from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Lies, deceit, and public infidelity.

It is not something that the average man doesn’t deal with on a daily basis, but fans do not view one of the world’s most highly paid and skilled athletes as an average man.

A-Rod is having a reputation crisis in the world’s biggest media market.

Is it impossible for A-Rod to fix his current situation?  At this point, no.  The point in reputation monitoring and reputation is to catch and address issues early. You break the news and you take the power away from the new media and citizen journalist.

So what steps could A-Rod have taken if he was monitoring his reputation online?

1. Address the issues of extra-marital relations in his own words. Is it true? Is it not true? Andy Petitte is currently the poster boy for telling the truth in a sticky situation and having it blow over due to honesty. You will be found guilty in the court of public perception regardless. Humility and humanity can go a long way.
2. Approach the  divorce from his wife in a manner in which squelches rumors. If this is an amicable split, put out a united front. If it is not, get your side out in your words. Be honest, transparent. Show your humanity and take the ammo away from the press.

This situation is an extreme. There are few people on the level of A-Rod in the sports world. But these concepts translate to all athletes.

You need to 1) monitor your reputation and 2) react in a transparent fashion to what you find.

How do you respond?  Take some premeditated strikes.

1. Start a blog for your athlete. This will give him a platform to humanize himself and address public issues.
2. Create some market contacts with niche sports editors and forum moderators. This will allow you to spread your message easily. Have your athlete be readily accessible to the Internet media and citizen journalist.
3. Setup a strong reputation management system using various monitoring methods. Approach positive and negative sentiment.

I know that so much of this seems counterintuitive to what have been long held principles. But the new media environment will change your business, whether you want to change or not. The key is learning how to bend and not to break.

Protect Your Rep: The A-Rod Lesson from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

But the big A-Rod headline this week has been his signing with William Morris Agency (WMA) to handle all marketing-based initiatives.  Do not get confused, this has absolutely nothing to do with A-Rod trying to separate himself from Boras Corp.  On December 20, 2007, I reported that Alex had dropped Boras as his marketing agent and signed Madonna’s agent, Guy Oseary, to negotiate his marketing/business affairs (who knew it would involve an affair with Madonna?).  So all you Boras sympathizers need not cry, Boras has been unaffected by the addition of WMA to A-Rod’s corner.

But the battle between WMA and CAA continues.  WMA undoubtedly adds a marquee client to its sports/entertainment profile, but by all accounts, CAA is still the leader of the industry.  How can anybody beat Peyton Manning’s Mastercard commercials, afterall?  Darren Rovell is not impressed with WMA’s addition of Rodriguez, and I guess that the $2 million or so that he brings in endorsements per year is not all that much to such a large corporation.  I would definitely be happy with my 20% cut on that figure, though!

A-Rod Adds Another Agent from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The press sheet got me excited to crack the book open. Oral accounts of eight pivotal developments in the game of baseball told through stars like A-Rod, Jeter, Ichiro, Ripkin, etc. But honestly, it took me a while of reading before I actually started enjoying the book. In fact, there were times in the first third of the book where I almost put it aside and said, the hell with it. In the end, I am glad that I stuck it out, because some of the later chapters have actually made me a bigger fan of baseball than prior to reading Change Up. Without a doubt, I am more knowledgeable about the sport I love.

I think that a major hurdle that I had to get past was the unorthodox style of authors Larry Burke and Peter Thomas Fornatale. Before opening Change Up, I had never read a book that was 95% narrated by other people. The stories do a little jumping all over the place, which originally made it a little difficult for me to follow. Once I got the hang of it, I was conquering the book at a faster pace and enjoying the stories much more.

That being said, I did not get interested in Change Up, until Chapter 4, which was probably my favorite chapter of the book. In fact, if you purchase Change Up and run into the same issues that I initially did, do not allow yourself to give up and put the book aside. Instead, make sure to read Chapter 4, which is titled, The Birth of the Players’ Union. As an agent or future agent, it is important for you to understand how and why the MLBPA was created and who was instrumental in its creation. Even if you have no plans of becoming an MLBPA certified agent, the chapter gives great insight into what it takes for a successful players’ union to survive in any sport or industry.

Maybe you will be more interested in the 1962 Mets (I was not alive at the time) and you quite possibly will find the detailed look into Ball Four enthralling. If so, you should enjoy Change Up from start to finish. If not, I believe that you will enjoy the following chapters on the MLBPA, the DH, Frank Robinson, Cal Ripkin Jr., and finally, Ichiro and his Japanese friends going against all odds and finding success in American baseball.

Book Review: Change Up from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules