• Alvin Keels and Joel Segal got DeAngelo Hall $54 million ($22.5 million guaranteed) in a 6-year deal with the Redskins.
• The Redskins have already spent a lot not only on Hall, but also on Albert Haynesworth.  Chad Speck got his client a 7-year deal worth a maximum of $115 million if he remains with the team all 7 years and meets all performance bonus clauses ($41 million is guaranteed, including $32 million in the first 13-months of the contract).  Is there still a salary cap in the NFL?  At least the Skins don’t have to worry about Jason Taylor taking money away from the cap (he was released).
• If he knew about this website, Sage Rosenfels would be a fan of our Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up.  For the time being, he will be counting his money that the Minnesota Vikings offered him.  Rick Smith got his client a 2-year deal worth $9 million.  Not bad for a guy who does not have the starting job wrapped up in Minnesota.
• Kenneth Vierra did not instruct his client, Chris Kemoeatu, to sign with whatever team presented the most money to his client.  Instead, Kemoeatu accepted a $20 million, 5-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers (including $6 million guaranteed), and passed up a bigger offer from the New York Jets.
• Will Cedric Benson be the starting RB for the Cincinnati Bengals?  Who knows?  What we do know is that Eugene Parker was able to get Benson a 2-year, $7 million deal.
• The Bengals also agreed to terms with Laveranues Coles.  Roosevelt Barnes is happy to see his client join Ocho Cinco.  Barnes also helped structure the 4-year, $28 million contract.
• No one will be competing for the starting inside linebacker position on the Baltimore Ravens.  Ray Lewis tested the free-agent market and did not like what he saw.  Or maybe he just loves being a Raven.  He re-signed with the team, while teammate, Bart Scott, signed with the Jets.
• And last, but not least, some guy that goes by T.O. signed with the Buffalo Bills.  Terrell Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, accepted a 1-year, $6.5 million deal.  It is a little bit colder in Buffalo than Dallas.

At Thursday’s Rookie To Retirement sports law symposium, the school’s Dean, Phillip Closius, made the announcement as many great agents, faculty and students were present. The law school will team up with local sports organizations to offer more exclusive internships and externships to students who want to focus on sports law after graduation.  More sports law classes will be offered by the school.  The school is even discussing the chance of a joint law degree, JD/MBA certificate program, in sports law.  No official date was mentioned, but the institute sounds like it will become a reality very soon.

The UB Sports Institute program will be constructed with the guidance of some great agents in the industry.  Tom Condon, a ‘81 UB law graduate, along with other Creative Artists Agency representatives will serve on the institute’s advisory board. The institute will work closely with the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens organizations, giving students a hands-on education and internship opportunities.

The Institute sounds like a great idea that other big name law schools need to mimic.   If you do not attend Yale or Harvard, the connections you build while in law school are what is most important, especially in sports law.  The sports industry is a very volatile industry that is hard to break into if you do not already have your foot in the door.  The education and connections from a sports law institute such as this could be a HUGE advantage to anyone looking to get in the industry.

He said he wants to “eliminate the Ravens just as the Steelers will on Sunday.”

Getting Flacco signed and in camp on time was essential if Flacco is to have any shot at winning a starting quarterback job. Last summer we witnessed Brady Quinn sit out more than 2 weeks due to a contract dispute. Not only did it set him back in regards to learning the offense, it may have cost him from ever stepping onto the field in a Browns uniform.

With Joe Flacco signed, there is now a realistic chance he wins the starting quarterback job. He will be competing against Kyle Boller and Troy Smith; neither of which have been able to establish themselves as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

The Brady Quinn contract debacle last summer was proof of how important it is to get a quarterback in camp on time. Sometimes it’s worth sacrificing a few dollars to ensure your client a shot at a starting position. The sooner Flacco wins the starting quarterback job, the sooner he will earn incentives and endorsement deals.

Linta, realized Flacco’s unique opportunity and did everything possible to give his client a shot at being the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.

What happens when an agent misses the deadline? In some cases, it may cost the agent his job with that particular client and may mark that agent as one to stay away from for many potential future clients. In this business, one has to be flawless, because there are so many other options for players to choose from.

Take for instance, David Joseph, former agent of superstar and current Dallas Cowboy, Terrell Owens. In 2004, Joseph did not file with the NFL by the free agent declaration deadline, which meant that Terrell Owens, by rule, would not be allowed to be a free agent in the ensuing year and would still belong to the San Fransisco 49ers (even though T.O. did not wish for such a situation). The problem eventually was solved, with the Baltimore Ravens losing out on obtaining T.O., but Terrell Owens finding a new home in Philadelphia. David Joseph, on the other hand, was left without his superstar athlete as T.O. turned to Mr. Ruthless (Drew Rosenhaus).

Poor David Joseph. Not everyone gets to be named “Tool of the Week.”

But miraculously, T.O.’s case is not isolated, as the agent for Dennis Northcutt made the same error in the same year! Still wondering why there are more registered agents than there are football players and why many of them represent 0 clients? Take advantage of the fact that many people become registered agents and poorly represent their clients. Do not be one of those people to forget an important deadline that greatly influences one of your clients.