But what about the agents representing these athletes? While any agent would be foolish to profess to have the freakish physical abilities that athletes have, unless of course they used to play the game, agents can offer some pretty interesting insight on the behind the scenes of  the business of sports.

Here is, (from what I’ve seen), the first list of the top 10 sports agents to follow on Twitter. Because of the ever changing nature of Twitter, it should be noted that the statistics mentioned below were taken on December 6^th, 2011 at 9:00 AM. The list was compiled by taking in account a number of factors including but not limited to: 1) number of tweets, 2) diversity in tweeting content, and 3) professional experience. This list provides a nice cross section of different areas of the agent business; with agents representing Olympians, coaches, athletes from all the major sports, and broadcast analysts.

1. @PMGsportsevan

The stats:  7,505  Tweets / 1, 891 Followers / 488 Following / 69 Listed

Evan Morgenstein is the President and CEO of PMG Sports, a company that represents many Olympians. Want a good chance at interaction with an agent? Morgenstein is the king at responding to @ tweets. Morgenstein is also known for frequently tweeting about his lack of sleep. Two things are clear however; Morgenstein has mastered the ins and outs of twitter and he really enjoys his day job. Since Morgenstein responds to so many followers, his commentary on the agent business can get lost in the shuffle, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing since it’s rare to find someone who interacts so much with his followers.

2. @DarrenHeitner

The stats: 11,013 Tweets / 5, 238 Followers / 405 Following / 250 Listed

Darren Heitner started his own representation firm, Dynasty Athlete Representation, and authors this site, SportsAgentBlog.com. With a JD from the University of Florida, Heitner mixes in legal analysis with his tweets about the agency business, creating a unique Twitter account that is a must follow for anyone looking to get into the agency business or interested in a career in “sports law.”

3. @Walsha

The stats: 5,656 Tweets / 14,966 Followers / 445 Following / 950 Listed

Allen Walsh is an agent at Octagon Athlete Representation. Walsh has been certified by the NHLPA since 1996 and is a licensed lawyer in the state of California. For a hockey agent, Walsh has quite the follower base. Octagon has 102 NHL clients, so follow Walsh for an agent’s perspective on the NHL and all things hockey.

4. @RosenhausSports

The stats: 1,719 Tweets / 113,380 Followers / 278 Following / 2,764 Listed

When it comes to sports agents, Rosenhaus is the king. With 150 clients, television, book and movie appearances, Rosenhaus has mastered the art of being in the spotlight and promoting his agency. Rosenhaus doesn’t tweet too frequently, although one would assume with a client base as big and as high profile as his, there wouldn’t be a lot of room for the Twittersphere on his plate. In any event, more tweets from Rosenhaus, who surely has plenty of career advice/stories to share would be welcome. Come on Drew!

5. @JasonBelzer

The stats: 2,800 Tweets / 1,258 Followers / 110 Following / 60 Listed

Belzer is the President at Global Athlete Management Enterprises. Belzer has his law degree, but more importantly, he provides a rare take on the world of coaching representation. Belzer’s agency exclusively represents coaches. While definitely not “new” to the agency scene, Belzer is an up and comer. Check Belzer’s Twitter for updates about a venture he just co-launched with Darren Heitner called Collegiate Sports Advisors (CSA).

6. @RalphCindrich

The stats:  12,102 Tweets / 4,358 Followers / 63 Following / 194 Listed

There is no replacement for experience and Cindrich has 25 years of it representing NFL athletes. His first big name client? Current ESPN analyst Mark May. Cindrich tweets a lot, and for good measure. Some of the best back and forth banter occurs between him and Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen.

7. @DavidCanter

The stats: 13,402 Tweets / 4,029 Followers / 617 Following / 154 Listed

Canter’s company DEC management, has a nice size group of clients (San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle being one of the more notable). But seriously, is there anyone who tweets more than Canter? The frequent tweets are great, and they range from sports, agency, comedy and where Canter is eating.

8. @SteinbergSports

The stats: 1,529 Tweets / 8,022 Followers / 2,296 Following / 334 Listed

There are very few in the business with the Twitter potential of Steinberg. With over 35 years of athlete representation experience, the Steinberg name carries great weight in the sports agent business. In light of that, the Steinberg Twitter handle has no interaction with followers. Since Steinberg is such a big name, the lack of interaction with followers simply does not matter. Steinberg links pretty frequently to his blog, which provides good supplemental information.

9. @GoodwinSports

The stats: 1,447 Tweets / 3,627 Followers / 680 Following / 156 Listed

Based in Seattle, Goodwin Sports is one of the few “firm Twitter accounts” to make the cut. Goodwin has some fantastic clients, but not too many tweets. Most of the tweets are client related. There is barely any interaction with followers, and mostly posts linking to articles or videos.

10. @EugeneTLee

The stats: 352 Tweets / 555 Followers / 66 Following / 9 Listed

One of the more fascinating people on this list simply because of the lack of tweets! Eugene T Lee had the distinction of being featured on the much talked about ESPN Film “The Dotted Line.” However, Lee has not tweeted much since the show premiere, seemingly missing an opportunity to capitalize on the momentum in the Twittersphere. Based on what viewers saw in the ESPN film, Lee has a lot of great insight and experience to offer. It would be nice to see some more regular tweets from him. Lee comes off as a real genuine personality in the film, and he should let it shine through more on Twitter.

Matthew Weinberger is a sports business enthusiast who is passionate about the intersection between the law and the sports business industry. He regularly writes on timely topics relating to sports business, law, entertainment, media, and technology. Follow him @MattWeinberger

Top 10 Sports Agents to Follow on Twitter from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management has represented some of the best players in basketball.  At one point in time, he represented Rodney Stuckey, LeBron James, Al Horford, and Dwight Howard.  They all currently have different agents representing them.  Now add Jamal Crawford to that list.

Jamal Crawford has terminated his relationship with Goodwin Sports Management in an offseason where he is expecting a nice payday (through an extension) once teams resume signing players.  He has performed impressively with the Atlanta Hawks over the past couple of years, and should have quite a few teams as potential suitors, should the Hawks not be interested in providing Crawford’s future request for an extension.

Goodwin Sports Management’s big client is now Kevin Durant.  The company also represents Nate Robinson, Matt Barnes, Demar DeRozan, Terrence Williams, amongst others.  Crawford has not yet announced who his next agent will be.

On To The Next One: Jamal Crawford from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

On May 21, 2011, The Detroit News reported that Rodney Stuckey (shooting guard, Detroit Pistons) signed with Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency (CAA).  Rose became Stuckey’s 5th agent in a span of 4 years.  He started his career represented by Goodwin Sports Management (GSM).  At the time, Steve Banks worked at GSM and became very close to Stuckey.  Banks would eventually branch off from GSM to start Banks Sports Ventures, and signed Stuckey as his one and only NBA client.  With Stuckey’s departure to CAA, Banks Sports Ventures is left without anyone to represent in the NBA.

On February 9, 2010, Banks stated,

“I’m blessed to have a guy like Rodney right now. All you need is one to make it work. It’s like the trickle-down effect and right now there are a few other guys interested.”

Back to Stuckey.  The Pistons extended him a qualifying offer, which means that if he signs a tender with any other team, the Pistons will be able to match the offer and retain Stuckey within a 7-day window.  Rose will be trying to drum up interest for Stuckey in the meantime to drive up the price of his new client.

On To The Next One: Rodney Stuckey from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Hassan Adams – David Lee (David Lee Services). Currently playing for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association.
• Gilbert Arenas – No agent
• Jerryd Bayless – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Mike Bibby – David Falk (FAME)
• Chase Budinger – Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports)
• Channing Frye – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Jordan Hill - Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports)
• Andre Iguodala - Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Richard Jefferson – Todd Eley (Stratosphere Sports)
• Jason Terry – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Luke Walton – James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
• Marcus Williams – Aaron Goodwin (Goodwin Sports Management). Not quite sure what happened to him.

BDA Sports and Landmark Sports Agency both seem to be in the lead with two players each, but no one firm has dominated Arizona basketball over the years.  Other big names seen at many other schools include Williams & Connolly, Lagardere Unlimited, and Excel Sports Management.  Thus, it seems like anybody has a shot at Derrick Williams, who has to be leaving after this year.  As stated last week, BDA Sports, Landmark Sports Agency, and Wasserman Media Group (which is not listed above) are all pushing for the right to rep Williams.  Time will tell who the victor will be.

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

• A.J. Abrams – Keith Glass. Signed with Scaligera Basket Verona in Italy.
• LaMarcus Aldridge – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• D.J. Augustin – Thad Foucher (Wasserman Media Group)
• Kevin Durant – Aaron Goodwin (Goodwin Sports Management)
• T.J. Ford – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Daniel Gibson – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• P.J. Tucker – Andre Buck (ISM)

Wasserman Media Group certainly sticks out amongst the crowd, and I have heard that Texas star Sophomore Jordan Hamilton is leading in their direction.  He is not the only potential first rounder in the 2011 NBA Draft.  If Freshman Tristan Thompson decides to leave, he could also be a fairly early selection.  Texas is a scary team if both players come back, but it is unlikely that either stick around Austin no matter what is being said at this point in time.

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

With a 3-0 lead over the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, one would think that the only thing on Dwight Howard‘s mind right now is finishing up the series with a sweep and moving on to the next opponent.  Instead, it seems like he has some other big things on his mind.  Last night, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Howard has dropped Aaron Goodwin as his NBA agent and that Howard will most likely allow extended family/friends manage his future contractual negotiations.  As Wojnarowski points out, this is an interesting move, since it was not too long ago that another NBA superstar (LeBron James) left Goodwin with the same plan.  The difference is that James left Goodwin and signed with Creative Artists Agency (Leon Rose) to handle his team contracts, and started his own marketing firm (LRMR) with a few of his closest friends.

Did Howard not enjoy the shoe deal Goodwin got him?  What about the amazing social media exposure that Nate Jones was able to provide Dwight?  Aaron Goodwin and his team at Goodwin Sports Management will survive.  With his impressive list of clients, he can still practically root for any team remaining in the playoffs to win the championship this year.  I wonder why Howard left and who he will pick to replace the people at GSM.

On To The Next One: Dwight Howard from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• #51 – Lon Babby, Partner, Williams & Connolly
• #49 – Andy Miller, President and Founder ASM Sports
• #48 – Aaron Goodwin, CEO of Goodwin Sports Management
• #45 – Bill Duffy, Founder, BDA Sports
• #44 – Mark Bartelstein, CEO and Founder, Priority Sports
• #38 – Leon Rose and Henry Thomas, Creative Artists Agency

Obviously this list is highly subjective.  I have no problem with the way that the agents are ranked in this grouping.  The only question I have is whether Duffy might deserve a higher spot.  Like him or not, the guy has had a very strong influence on basketball.

The Influencers Of Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

First Round

1. Clippers - Blake Griffin PF/C – Agency: Excel Sports Management
2. Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C – Agency: BDA Sports
3. Thunder – James Harden SG – Agency: Landmark Sports Agency
4. Kings - Tyreke Evans PG/SG – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
5. Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio PG – Agency: BEST
6. Timberwolves - Jonny Flynn PG – Agency: CAA
7. Warriors - Stephen Curry PG/SG – Agency: Octagon
8. Knicks - Jordan Hill PF – Agency: BDA Sports
9. Raptors - Demar DeRozan SG/SF – Agency: Goodwin Sports Management
10. Bucks - Brandon Jennings PG – Agency: BDA Sports
11. Nets - Terrence Williams SG/SF – Agency: Goodwin Sports Management
12. Bobcats – Gerald Henderson SG – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
13. Pacers – Tyler Hansbrough PF – Agency: Excel Sports Management
14. Suns - Earl Clark SF/PF – Agency: BEST
15. Pistons - Austin Daye SF/PF – Agency: BDA Sports
16. Bulls - James Johnson SF/PF – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
17. 76ers - Jrue Holiday PG/SG – Agency: BEST
18. Timberwolves – Ty Lawson PG – Agency: Peake Management Group
19. Hawks - Jeff Teague PG/SG – Agency: BDA Sports
20. Jazz - Eric Maynor PG – Agency: ASM Sports
21. Hornets - Darren Collison PG – Agency: BDA Sports
22. Trailblazers – Victor Claver PF – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
23. Kings – Omri Casspi SF/PF – Agency: CAA
24. Mavericks – B.J. Mullens C – Agency: ASM Sports
25. Thunder – Rodrigue Beaubois PG – Agency: Comsport
26. Bulls – Taj Gibson PF – Agency: Priority Sports
27. Grizzlies – DeMarre Carroll SF/PF – Agency: Priority Sports
28. Timberwolves – Wayne Ellington SG – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
29. Knicks – Toney Douglas PG/SG – Agency: FAME
30. Cavaliers - Christian Eyenga SG/SF – Agency: ASM Sports

Notes:

• Leading up to the draft, I really liked that Goodwin Sports Management was doing to get its clients connected on social networks.  My man Nate Jones, a law student at UCLA, has been doing a great job helping out Aaron Goodwin and Co. on publicizing GSM client Twitter accounts and setting up Rookie Chronicles.
• BDA Sports seems to have dodged any potential negative recruiting ramifications from the company’s involvement with the O.J. Mayo scandal.  Three BDA clients were taken in the top ten picks of the draft.  Four BDA clients went in the top fifteen.  Six in the top twenty-one!  Where WMG made the headlines last year, BDA definitely took over the 2009 draft.
• Speaking of WMG, the company had three players taken in the top sixteen picks.  And BEST had three guys selected in the top seventeen picks.  WMG still dominated with five total draft picks in the first round.
• The first Israeli player drafted was taken by the Kings.  The fairly new GM of the Kings is a friend, Jason Levien.  I am happy for him because I think Omri Casspi was a steal at the slot picked, and Levien is supporting the Jews!
• One of my favorite players in the draft, Toney Douglas, was taken by a team who I think will really benefit from drafting him.  Knicks fans should be happy with that pick.

2009 NBA Draft: Breaking Down The First Round from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Besides worrying about the state of the Miami Heat, what will this move mean for the future of Joel Bell and Bell Management International?  Beasley was definitely the staple of Bell’s client list, although he does have solid clients in guys like Jamario Moon and Steve Blake.  But this year has definitely been a huge setback for Bell.  Not only has he lost Beasley, after definitely putting a lot of time and money into the former Kansas State stud, but he also witnessed his other drafted client, DeAndre Jordan, drop him for WMG after Jordan was selected in the second round.  Jordan was definitely disappointed at the position he was drafted, and Beasley seems to have been upset with Bell’s success in landing him strong endorsements (I am sure the shoe deal is a major part of that).

Wojnarowski hypothesizes that Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management has the best shot at landing Beasley.  A lineup that includes Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Michael Beasley looks pretty sexy.

Joel Bell Got Rung from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The NBA is scared.  There is nothing to make league executives think that Childress is a rare blip on the radar.  Thus, I was not surprised to hear that agents are now using that fear to their clients’ advantage.  Delonte West, represented by Noah Croom of Goodwin Sports Management, has made some headlines recently as potentially being the next fringe player to leave his NBA team for a more lucrative offer overseas.  In this case, Croom has suggested that Dynamo Moscow is interested in offering West a two-year deal worth about $10 million.  If true, the offer would seem to be more favorable than the $2.76 million qualifying offer that West would likely receive from the Cavs for a year.  West and Croom cannot be too happy about such a small monetary figure when his teammate, Daniel Gibson, is receiving $21 million over 5-years.

There really is nothing wrong with Croom trying to look elsewhere to drive up the price of his client.  We do it all the time by leveraging teams in the same league against each other.  In fact, in the early 1970s, agents drove up prices by pitting the NBA against the ABA.  Now, there is a new option: putting in an NBA executive’s mind that one of his prized players is thinking about traveling across the Atlantic Ocean.  Assistant Coach Manos Manouselis of Olympiacos (the team that recently signed Childress) recently expressed his feelings toward American agents using the potential of playing overseas as a negotiation tactic.

Our goal is not to be a factor in driving up prices in the NBA market, but rather to target players who we believe will help us win the Greek Cup, Euroleague and Greek League…We had many NBA officials that were more than generous with their time talking to us at the Summer League, and we would be more than willing to reciprocate with them in regard to any potentially false rumors associated with our club. We would like to maintain an excellent relationship with the entire NBA, because in the end we are all looking to promote the game of basketball.

With all of this camaraderie, maybe there is hope for a European division of the NBA eventually.  I highly doubt it, but just thought I would link to the interesting idea.  I think that the best plan is something that is actually not in the NBA’s hands.  In fact, it has more to do with you.  The Presidential election is less than one-hundred days away.  If you want to see the NBA gain back strength against the international market, vote for who you think will turn around our struggling economy.  The strength of the Euro against the Dollar has allowed teams like Olympiacos to sign players that we would have never imagined would leave the NBA for an Euroleague team a year ago.  Till then, agents will rightfully pit NBA teams against potential offers from overseas.

Agents Using Overseas Option As Leverage from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules