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

I will be attending and speaking at this symposium, but will be leaving roughly half way through in order to catch a flight to Arizona for Arizona State’s 2nd Annual Conference On Sports & Entertainment Law.  If you are in New York during the event, I hope that you are able to stop by during the day and say hello.

What: New York Law School Third Annual Sports Law Symposium

When: Friday, November 4, 2011 (12:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.)

Where: New York Law School, 185 West Broadway, NY (2nd Floor Events Center, W402, W420)

Industry leaders will engage in panel discussions involving current legal issues in the sports industry including the legal infrastructure of developing and growing professional sports leagues, amateurism issues in collegiate sports, intellectual property management of sports and entertainments brands, and athlete agent regulation and enforcement.  Panelists will also offer perspective on breaking into the legal side of the sports industry. A networking reception will follow the day’s events.

Panels:

• Panel 1: Overview of Current Legal Developments in the Sports Industry
• Breakout Session 1: Financial and Tax Considerations in Representing Professional Athletes
• Breakout Session 2: Intellectual Property Issues in Sports
• Breakout Session 3:  Athlete Agent Regulation and Enforcement
• Panel 2:  Legal Infrastructure of Developing and Growing Professional Sports Leagues
• Panel 3:  Amateurism Issues in Collegiate Sports
• Panel 4:  Breaking Into the Sports Industry
• Networking Reception

Panelists:

• Jason Belzer - President, Global Athlete Management Enterprises, Inc.
• Andrew Bondarowicz - President, Aregatta Group, Inc.
• Allison Cantor - Assistant Counsel, ESPN
• Mark Conrad ’81 - Associate Professor of Business Law, Fordham University, Adjunct Professor of Sports Law, New York Law School
• George Daniel -  Commissioner, National Lacrosse League
• Marc Edelman – Assistant Professor of Law at Barry University’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
• Dimitrios Efstathiou - Senior Counsel, Major League Soccer
• Andrew Fine - Director of Marketing and Broadcasting, RLR Associates
• David Fish - NFLPA Certified Agent, Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School
• David Gross - Commissioner, Major League Lacrosse
• Darren Heitner - Founder of Sports Agent Blog, CEO of Dynasty Athlete Representation, Professor of Sport Agency Management, Indiana University, Attorney at Law, Wolfe Law Miami P.A.
• David Mayer -  Counsel, ESPN
• Kevin Matz - Managing Member, Kevin Matz & Associates PLLC
• Michael McCann – Sports Illustrated Legal Analyst, NBATV Legal Analyst, Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
• Tim McIIwain ’95 – Partner, McKenna McIlwain, LLP
• Robert Raiola - CPA, Sports & Entertainment Group Manager at Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPIlusa, LLC
• Katherine Salisbury – President, Friedman & Salisbury Sports Management LLC
• David Soskin ’08 - Assistant Counsel, ESPN
• Mike Zarren - Assistant General Manager and Associate Team Counsel, Boston Celtics
• Warren Zola - Chair, Professional Sports Counseling Panel, Boston College

CLE credits will be offered.  For more information on the event, please contact Elliot Solop at essolop@gmail.com. 

New York Law School Sports Law Symposium from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

What:

When: April 20-22, 2011

Where: William C. Friday Center for Continuing Education at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (map)

April 20 Panels

• 8:30am – 9:45am: Show Me The Manual! NCAA Regulations, Agents, and Amateurism
  • Jason Belzer — President of Global Athlete Management Enterprises, Inc. (GAME, Inc.) and current agent serving college coaches
  • Barbara Osborne, J.D — Counsel in Ice Miller’s collegiate sports practice and Associate Professor in Sport Administration at The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
  • Marcus Wilson — Assistant Director of NCAA’s Enforcement Staff
  • Brad Wolverton – Senior Editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• 10:05am – 11:20am: A View From The Top: Insights from Industry Leaders on the State of College Athletics
  • Jim Delany– Big Ten Commissioner
  • Elson Floyd — President of Washington State University
  • Joel Lulla – Media Rights Consultant
  • Rob Spear — University of Idaho Athletic Director
  • John Swofford — ACC Commissioner

April 21 Panel

• 9:30am – 10:45am: Four Years and Several Scores Ago: An Honest Reflection on the Student-Athlete Experience
  • Dijuan Harris– Former University of North Carolina – Charlotte Basketball Player
  • Scott Krapf – Illinois State University Cross Country Participant and the Missouri Valley Conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Representative
  • D.J Looney — Mississippi State University Offensive Lineman and the Southeastern Conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Representative
  • Clare Perry — Davidson Field Hockey Player
  • Tierra Ruffin-Pratt — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Basketball Player

April 20 Keynote

• 11:30am – 12:30pm: Academic Keynote
  • Dr. John Singer – Assistant Professor of Sport Management, Texas A&M University - “Until You Do Right By The Black Athlete: A Critical Race Perspective on College Sport Reform Issues”

April 21 Keynote

• 8:30am – 9:15am: Bridging The Gap Keynote
  • Roy Williams – Head Men’s Baskeball Coach, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Further information, including afternoon session topics and contributors, may be found here.

Cost: Professional CSRI Member Registration ($375), Professional non-CSRI Member Registration ($475), Undergraduates and Graduate Students ($105).  Register here.

2011 College Sport Research Institute (CSRI) Conference from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Football

• Joe Panos won’t give advice to players regarding leaving school early for the NFL [Watt 'loves to compete with the best,' ex-Badger Panos says].
• Trying to avoid a knee-jerk reaction [NCAA likely won't propose emergency legislation regarding Newton case at this week's convention].
• Marvin Austin will appear in the East-West Shrine Game on January 22nd [Disgraced Tar Heel Austin to play in all-star game].
• The stories that future agents really need to read [A ruthless business].

Basketball

• Rick Smith thinks basketball will be harder to control than football [NCAA targets agent problem].

Sports Business

• My man Jason Belzer poses a good question on MSNBC [Business Answers: Marketing & Angel Funding].
• Ted Forstmann doesn’t like IMG being referred to as an agency [IMG's Ted Forstmann talks gambling, global sports growth].
• A 72-year-old member of the tribe [‘Most interesting man’ keeps drinkers thirsty for Dos Equis].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (1/14/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Looking Back At The CIT Championship from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules