mgmt one is a full service sports and entertainment agency (it prefers to be recognized as a premier lifestyle management company) with offices in New York, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles.  The company’s website, which is currently only a video (albeit an impressive video), displays pictures of a plethora of clients, including Allan Houston, Ken Griffey Jr, Rasheed Wallace, Donte Greene, Andre Smith, Brandon Banks, Chinedum Ndukwe, Frostee Rucker, Tyrese, Eva Pigford, Deborah Cox, Mike Epps, Ciara, and more.  mgmt one’s services also include digital publishing, lifestyle and wealth management, and even insurance.  The pervading slogan throughout is, “This is our DNA.”

mgmt one’s Chairman is James M. Gould, who has more than 25 years of experience in the corporate investment, real estate, sports, and entertainment industries.  He also has roughly 20 years of experience as a founder and Managing Partner of The Walnut Group, a private equity fund, and was a founding member of the now defunct United State Football League.

The company’s Vice Chairman is Brad Tilford, who also serves as the chairman of The Blackwave Group, which has properties in entertainment, sports, marketing, online media, and business-to-business consulting.  Prior to Blackwave Group, Tilford was a founding partner of Blue Equity Sports Television (BEST), which was eventually sold to
Lagardère Unlimited.

The COO/Senior Vice President is Bill Strickland, who is known for his experience in representing professional basketball players.  Strickland was President at BEST for 3.5 years, but also ran his own company, served as President of the Basketball Division at IMG, and was once Chief Operating Officer of ProServ’s Team Sports Division.

The President of the Baseball Division is Brian Goldberg, who represented Ken Griffey, Jr. for his entire 23-year career.  Kim Grillier is the President of the Basketball Division.  Grillier also used to work at BEST.  Jory Zola is the Vice President in the Hockey Division.  He is a young, bright agent who recently merged his start-up firm with mgmt one.  And there are others involved in the company, but you get the point – this looks like it has a lot of potential based on the names involved.

There is one common thread between many of the people working at mgmt one – they have worked with one another in some fashion, particularly at BEST.  As this group becomes more unified and begins to recruit more clientele, I will be sure to share its successes on Sports Agent Blog.

Agency Spotlight: mgmt one from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Carmelo Anthony – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Donte Greene – Bill Strickland (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Etan Thomas – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Hakim Warrick – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Jonny Flynn – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Andy Rautins – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Wesley Johnson – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Jason Hart – Bill Neff (Saga Sports)

If you want to go real old school, we can talk about two of my favorite Syracuse Orangemen (that’s what they were called before it became politically incorrect), Rony Seikaly and Danny Schayes (I will also throw current FIU basketball broadcaster Jared Schwartz in the fold).  But let’s stick to the game plan and focus on this year’s Syracuse players who may have a shot at the NBA in 2011.

I was very high on Kris Joseph at the beginning of the season, and still think he has great pro potential, but his draft stock might have gone from sure 1st rounder to middle of the road or high 2nd rounder.  He is only a Junior, so he could opt to come back, which he may end up doing should Syracuse perform poorly in the Tournament.  Rick Jackson does not have that option.  The 6’9 Senior will likely be a mid-to-late 2nd rounder.  Looks like it will likely be a fight between Tellem, Rose, and Duffy.  The three are used to competing with one another.

Agent Selection Scenarios: Syracuse Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Matt Bonner – Kenny Grant (Championship Sports)
• Corey Brewer – Happy Walters (Rogue Sports)
• Taurean Green – Andy Miller (ASM Sports). Currently plays for CB Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.
• Udonis Haslem – Henry Thomas (Creative Artists Agency)
• Al Horford – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group). Aaron Goodwin was not pleased about losing Horford.
• David Lee – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports)
• Mike Miller – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Joakim Noah – Bill Strickland (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Marreese Speights – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Jason Williams – Dan Tobin (Wasserman Media Group)

Another school where Wasserman Media Group has a strong presence.  Arn Tellem and his crew have established themselves on quite a few campuses.  Other familiar names include Priority Sports, ASM Sports, and Lagardere Unlimited.  Brewer was not originally with Happy Walters when he left the University of Florida.

I think the draft stock of Florida players will have a lot to do with how the team fares in the NCAA Tournament.  Patric Young will not be leaving after his Freshman year, even though if he did, he would likely be a first round pick.  Chandler Parsons is an interesting player that a team may take a chance on.  At 6’9 he has strong ball handling skills, and seems to be “good” at just about everything, other than shooting free throws.  Twenty-four year old Vernon Macklin would really have to step it up in the Tournament to be a 2nd rounder.  He could still find himself on an NBA roster eventually, though.

Agent Selection Scenarios: Florida Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Ed Davis – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Danny Green – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Wayne Ellington – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Ty Lawson – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Tyler Hansbrough – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Reyshawn Terry – Lance Young (Octagon). Currently playing for Brose Baskets of the German League.
• Brandan Wright – James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
• David Noel – Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports). Currently playing for Paris-Levallois Basket in France Pro A.
• Rashad McCants - E. Lindsey Maxwell
• Sean May – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group). Currently playing for Fenerbahçe Ülker in Turkey.
• Raymond Felton – Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports)
• Marvin Williams - James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
• Joseph Forte - John Ebeling (JEMsports)
• Brendan Haywood – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Shammond Williams - Rade Filipovich (BDA Sports)
• Vince Carter - Kurt Schoeppler
• Antawn Jamison - Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Rasheed Wallace – Bill Strickland (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Jerry Stackhouse - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)

The list could have gone on and on.  Arn Tellem and WMG seem to be just as entrenched at North Carolina as they are at local rival Duke.  However, there is no one agent or agency that dominates this school.  BDA also seems to have had a strong presence over the years.  But look at the first seven players listed, which are the last seven to be drafted out of UNC.  Each one of them has signed with a different agency.  It would be tough to say that Roy Williams promotes any particular agent to his players.

Agent Selection Scenarios: North Carolina Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Football

• Not exactly the $40 million in guaranteed money that was originally flaunted [Donovan McNabb's guaranteed money: $3.5 million].
• The “godfather of agent misbehavior” [Norby Walters doesn't regret role in college football scandal].
• Because UNC has not yet suffered enough [NCAA says two Heels cannot play].
• Fingers crossed that the NFLPA doesn’t adopt the NBPA’s rule that an agent can’t represent both a player and coach? [Jimmy Sexton, Pat Dye merge firms]

Baseball

• Already brokered $57.25MM worth of contracts since the start of free agency [ACES Agency Off To A Great Start].

Basketball

• Such an awesome resource [HoopsHype - NBA Sneakers].

Skiing

• Highlights an agency named Allegiance Sports Group [Yes, skiers have agents].

Sports Agents

• The list begins with Bill Strickland and ends with Larry Reynolds [11 Black Sports Agents Transforming Players into SuperStars].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (11/19/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Odell McCants is representing Cousins’ former teammate at Kentucky, Patrick Patterson.  While Odell doesn’t have a huge Twitter presence, at least he is following myself and SportsAgentBlog.com (the small things that put a smile on my face).  McCants also doesn’t have much of a website.  McCants Sports Management looks like it will be powered by WordPress, but thats all I can gather from the blank page.  Patterson is McCants’ first NBA client – it’s not bad when your first professional client is a projected lottery pick.  McCants has Patterson working out at St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis.  Hopefully, for McCants’ sake, he keeps Patterson as far away from other hawking agents as possible.  I find it very interesting how Coach Cal’s boys have all gone in different directions with agents, and that none of them signed with Leon Rose (Daniel Orton signed with Raymond Brothers).

Kim Grillier works for a large company in Blue Equity Sports Television.  It’s easy to find yourself hidden when you are working with Dan Fegan, Donald Dell, and Bill Strickland.  That said, Grillier is about to make a name for himself.  Along with serving as the secondary agent for Corey Brewer, Grillier will now be the primary agent for Willie Warren, who is a player that would have been a sure-fire lottery pick had he left Oklahoma last year, after his freshman season.  I still believe that Willie will be a first round pick, but probably not in the lottery selections.  Jonathan Blue (Chairman and Managing Director of Blue Equity) has been quoted in the past saying that Kim Grillier is one of the great young up-and-coming agents.  Prior to joining BEST, Grillier had plenty of experience working for Fred Slaughter Management Group and the former powerhouse named CSMG Sports.  With Henry Thomas (who is now at CAA) at CSMG, Grillier was instrumental in recruiting decent players named Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.  Grillier did not easily part ways with Thomas, however.  In 2008, Grillier  filed a lawsuit against Henry Thomas, claiming that he was never paid commissions for helping Thomas recruit players like Wade and Bosh.  In June 2009, the judge in the case ordered that the case go to arbitration.  That order, which is an interesting read in itself, is embedded below.

Grillier v. CSMG Sports

NBA Draft Virgins: Odell McCants & Kim Grillier from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

This year’s draft class has seen many non-senior talents withdraw themselves from the draft, which has led many analysts to claim that this year’s pool is mediocre at best.  Writers are already frothing at the mouth in anticipation of next year’s class, which is supposed to be extremely deep.  Don’t forget your life preservers!

The most recent players to bow out of this year’s draft are: Tasmin Mitchell (LSU), Nic Wise (Arizona), and Dwayne Collins (Miami).

Here is the most updated list of agent signings that I have:

• Aaron Goodwin – Terrence Williams, Demar DeRozan
• Aaron Mintz (Priority) – Tyrese Rice, Jeff Adrien
• Andre Buck (CAA) – Dionte Christmas
• Andrew Vye (ASM Sports) – A.D. Vassallo
• Andy Miller (ASM Sports) – B.J. Mullens, Daniel Hackett, Eric Maynor, Alonzo Gee, Rudy Mbemba, Robert Vaden
• Arn Tellem – Wayne Ellington, Gerald Henderson, Tyreke Evans
• Austin Walton (Dynasty) – Terrance Woodbury
• Bernie Lee (Lee Basketball Services) – Patrick Beverly, Dmitris Verginis
• Bill Duffy (BDA Sports) – Brandon Jennings, Hasheem Thabeet, Darren Collison, Jordan Hill, Josh Akognon
• Bill Strickland (BEST) – Kevin Rogers, Curtis Jerrells
• Bob McClaren – Josh Carter
• Brad Ames (Priority) – Ben Woodside, Joe Ingles
• Brian Elfus (Elfus & Siegel Management) – Connor Atchley, Marcus Thornton, BJ Raymond, Kyle Spain
• Charles Grantham (Ceruzzi Sports) - Jeff Pendergraph
• Chris Emens (Octagon) – Lee Cummard
• Chris Luchey (CGL Sports) – Eric Devendorf, Dar Tucker
• Dan Fegan (BEST) – Earl Clark, Ricky Rubio
• Dan Tobin (WMG) – K.C. Rivers, Aaron Jackson, James Johnson
• David Bauman (DB Hoops Management) – Josh Heytvelt
• David Falk – Toney Douglas, Alade Aminu
• Doug Neustadt (The Neustadt Group) – Jerel McNeal
• Eric Fleisher – Chris Johnson
• Happy Walters (Immortal Sports) – DeJuan Blair, Kevin Rogers, Curtis Jerrells, Tasheed Carr, Tyrell Biggs, Robert Dozier
• Herb Rudoy (Interperformances) – Stefon Jackson
• Jamie Knox (Strategic Sports Management) – Courtney Fells
• Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management) – A.J. Price
• Jeffrey Fried (Peake Management Group) – Ty Lawson
• John Hamilton (Performance Sports Management) – Garrett Temple
• Justin Zanik (ASM Sports) – Sergio Llull
• Keith Glass – Luke Nevill, A.J. Abrams
• Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports) – Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, Dominic James
• Lance Young (Octagon) – Lester Hudson, Jack McClinton, Wes Matthews, Sam Young, Stephen Curry, Brandon Costner
• Leon Rose (CAA) – Nando De Colo, Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn
• Mark Bartelstein (Priority) – Jeremy Pargo, Micah Downs, Leo Lyons, DeMarre Carroll, A.J. Abrams
• Marc Fleisher – Brandon Ewing
• Merle Scott – Nate Miles
• Michael Hodges (Rice Sports Management) – David Holston, Lawrence Kinnard, Courtney Pigram
• Michael Siegel (Elfus & Siegel Management) – Ahmad Nivins
• Michael Whitaker (REID Entertainment) – Jermaine Taylor
• Mike Naiditch (Naiditch EntertainmenT) – Joe Krabbenhoft
• Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency) – James Harden
• Sam Goldfeder (Excel Sports Management) – Blake Griffin, Taylor Griffin
• Sam Porter (Sportstars, Inc.) – Russell Hicks, Tony Gaffney, Marc Egerson, Chavis Holmes, Travis Holmes
• Thad Foucher (WMG) – DaJuan Summers

Have anything to add or information about a change? Email me.

NBA Draft Signing Update from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Have anything to add or information about a change? Email me.

NBA Draft Signing Update from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

If you can’t beat them, buy them. Blue’s latest acquisition is Fegan & Associates, led by agent, Dan Fegan. Fegan is a big boy in the world of basketball, representing names like Shawn Marion, Yi Jianlian, and Jason Richardson. All of his clients join the already large stable at BEST, which had been and will most likely continue to be run by Bill Strickland. Before joining BEST, Strickland was in charge of Black Wave Media. By looking at the company’s name alone, you would not think it was a basketball agency, but you would be wrong. BEST acquired Black Wave and now it adds a Fegan to the fold.

Before adding Fegan, BEST already boasted a client list of Joakim Noah, Rasheed Wallace, Corey Brewer, and many other big time ballers. Before the acquisition of Fegan and Associates, BEST was hanging around with the likes of CSMG and Interperformances when it came to its basketball division. Now, I would put it up with ASM Sports and Excel Sports Management. They are definitely in the top tier, but still just one step below the big three basketball agencies: WMG, BDA, and Priority Sports.

With more and more mergers by the week, what does it say for a young agent/agency trying to break in? How will others compete against WMG, BDA, Priority, and now BEST? If you are not a part of one of the four aforementioned agencies but are trying to build up a solid basketball division, what will be your strategy and what tactics will you employ?

BEST Becomes Better from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Blue Equity started making headlines in the sports world when it initially bought out NBA agent Bill Strickland, who has since added Corey Brewer to his list of clients that include Rasheed Wallace, Brevin Knight, and Malik Allen. From there, Blue Equity acquired the services of NFL agent Joel Segal, Donald Dell and SFX, and a plethora of other entities. In the middle of 2007, I anointed Blue Equity as the newest conglomerate alongside IMG, CAA, and WMG. At this point, Blue Equity may be close to being above them all, making it the BEST.

Simply the BEST from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules