It makes sense that major West Coast agencies continue to grow.  Creative Artists Agency was a player in the entertainment world well before it started buying out the largest sports agents/agencies.  It figured that its existing model and connections could bring in more revenue than those entities had been receiving in the past.  It seems to be doing quite well with that business plan.  Another company with broad entertainment connections for its clients is Wasserman Media Group.  I don’t know when agent Arn Tellem finds time to sleep, with his enormous list of clients in professional basketball and football.  He probably receives over one-hundred calls per day from GMs, reporters, and clients, and still finds time to go on the recruiting trail and find new business.  He also keeps his current clients happy, and seems to have a strong connection to the entertainment world through his wife, Nancy Tellem.  Nancy is the President of CBS and is in charge of all of its television programming.

Quite the power couple, and it definitely benefits Arn’s clients.  Recently, Pau Gasol made an appearance on CSI: Miami.  Last year, Gasol and Jordan Farmar appeared on NUMB3RS.  Both shows are on CBS, both players are clients of Arn Tellem and WMG.  Gasol and Farmar are not the biggest names in the game of basketball, but both of them are playing in Los Angeles, so it is natural for them to want a piece of the limelight.

Want to be a MAJOR player in this industry?  Better start cultivating those connections in the entertainment industry, as well.

My colleague Douglas Sanders with The Sports Link introduced me to the new service, which strives to make it easier for athletes to connect with their fans by providing “text only once, but update fans everywhere” convenience.  If an athlete sends a text message to MogoTXT, MogoTXT can automatically forward that message to the athlete’s fans on MogoTXT, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and all other websites.

Terrell Owens, Shane Battier, Chris “Beanie” Wells, Santonio Holmes, Jordan Farmar, and even Mr. Holdout, Michael Crabtree, are on board, along with many more athletes and rising journalists.  Some entities use the service more than others.  T.O. is updating the world on his life almost every second of the day…Beanie Wells, not so much.

In addition to providing ease and convenience to athletes, MogoTXT is able to aggregate the fans of an athlete that are located on several different websites into a single large audience to enable the athlete to achieve critical mass much faster for purposes of fan relations, marketing, advertising, etc.  The theory is that the service will empower athletes and their agents to strike better endorsement deals by enhancing athletes’ reach and providing marketing data.

MogoTXT can also facilitate revenue generation for athletes and their selected charities by working with athletes and their agents to feature desirable ads and clickable links to additional content and ads at the bottom of the athletes’ text messages before these messages are displayed on MogoTXT and also distributed to fans on all of the major social networks.

And for the Yao Mings and Kobe Bryants with huge international appeal, MogoTXT can also translate the messages into foreign languages on a near real-time basis.

Best of all, the service is free for its clients and their fans.

Dynasty has cultivated strong bonds with companies that range from providing private jets, to bodyguards, to training facilities.  Another area that we have forged strong bonds is in athlete relocation.  Athletes are constantly on the move.  One second they have a stable job at X team.  The next day, they find their names on the transaction wire because they were traded or released.  There are a few companies that have stepped in to ease the process of moving.  Dynasty is lucky to be on friendly terms with two of them.

The Dingman Group, headed by Chris Dingman, matches athletes with a real estate expert from their distinguished Nationwide Family, and ensures a seamless and successful relocation. Whether the need is to sell, purchase or lease a home, Chris’ priority is to recommend a sound financial decision while providing the highest level of service and attention.  The real estate experts are pre-screened and interviewed to ensure they possess a track record of excellence and the skills necessary to enable a smooth transition.  The service provided does not cost the athlete a penny.

Sport Star Relocation, headed by Ed Kaminsky, offers very similar services as The Dingman Group.  Additionally, its lending branch can arrange discounted loans for athletes and executives almost anywhere in the U.S.  Kaminsky is listed in the top 100 real estate agents in the country.  Sport Star Relocation and Mr. Kaminsky were recently highlighted in a video clip showing an L.A. house to our boy, Jordan Farmar.

Football

• The Cowboys are committed to having strong DBs to cover the WRs on the Giants [Pro Bowl safety Hamlin gets guaranteed $15M in new contract].
• Flacco signed in time to fight for the starting job in training camp [Agent: First-round pick Flacco agrees to contract with Baltimore].

Sports Law

• Can we take anything away from the Rich Rod settlement? [Final thoughts on WVU v. Rodriguez]
• I would not mind negotiating a broadcasting deal for my client…or myself [Lawyers get in the game of sports broadcasting].

Sports Business

• Track stars get endorsements too! [Fort Lauderdale sprinter Dix signs deal with Nike].
• I hope he’s not a die-hard Zephyrhills drinker… [Evian Serves Up an Ace With Frank Dancevic Endorsement].
• Josh Hamilton is decently marketable [Josh Hamilton: Will The Endorsement Deals Come Now?].

Baseball

• Have the Brewers accepted a short-term financial loss in exchange for a long-term financial gain? [Sabathia deal makes dollars and sense]
• The Giants handed out the largest bonus ever for a Latin American hitter, excluding Cuban defectors [Giants Set Record For Rodriguez].
• Greg Genske is pushing for the MLBPA to intervene and move his client back up to the big league [Agent wants players' union to investigate Twins' call-up snub of Liriano].

Basketball

• Heat…check.  Celtics…check.  Hornets…check? [Posey signs $25 million contract with Hornets].

• Agents should start making sure their clients are financially responsible [Why Athletes go broke?].
• Danilo Gallinari may want to stick in Italy if he thinks that NY and NJ are full of nice people [Jersey Or Bust].
• The Yankees are not afraid of Boras [Yankees Tap Agent Scott Boras’ Talent Pool In MLB Draft].
• 23rd overall pick, Allan Dykstra, accepted a $1.4 million signing bonus [Padres Agree To Terms With Thier Top Draft Pick, Plan Spending Spree In Dominican].
• T.O. is willing to pay the $769,120 he owes to the Eagles in cash…or even pennies [Terrell Owens to repay Eagles].
• Plaxico thinks he’s undervalued [Unhappy with deal, Burress refuses to practice; Shockey shows up].
• While one Will Smith is hoping to make some good money from Hancock the other Smith has secured himself at least $26 million over the next six years [Smith will receive $26 million guaranteed in new deal with Saints].
• Once Calvin Johnson’s NFL career is up, the PBA will be calling [Johnson rolls in tournament].
• It enhances sex, sports, and soon it will be found to increase your SAT score [Why Viagra is a great workout partner for athletes].