This is something that we, as agents, must accept.  Our clients will never be glorified for requesting or demanding a renegotiation of their contracts, but if they so deserve an increase in salary, then a little bit of criticism from the media and/or their organizations may be worth it.  So for the Lito Sheppards and Sheldon Browns, keep your heads up high.

An Unfair Double Standard In The NFL? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

“One of the big things I really liked,” Thomas said, “he [Peter Schaffer] respected everyone, no matter how important or unimportant they were in the process. He never wanted anyone to feel like they were being taken advantage of. I think a lot of big-time agents go on power trips after they have big-time clients, but he has never done that. My goal was to find a firm that had top prospects, but yet hasn’t turned into a super megafirm where you don’t get the personalized service that you’re looking for.” – Joe Thomas

Thomas, along with other NFL players like Jamar Adams and Mike Hart chose Schaffer and All Pro Sports & Entertainment over rival agents.  Their list of clients is nothing to scoff at, but in comparison to Rosenhaus and Condon, it does not compare.  In fact, Lito Sheppard recently dropped All Pro for Rosenhaus.  Think Schaffer is holding a grudge?  From Saturday’s Denver Post,

“I don’t think Scott Boras is bad for business; he takes a very intellectual approach and he drives a hard bargain, but he represents his client.

“But Drew Rosenhaus and people like him stretch the level of credibility. That’s bad, because you’re in a business where you want to portray a sense of ethics, morality and honesty and he’s admitting that he’s lying and cheating and stealing to get contracts and players. That’s not good for any business.

“The morals and ethics of our society have to be driven by the professionals of our society. It’s always easy to lie and cheat to get to where you want to go, but it should be about doing it the right way. I don’t think the way he does things can be defined as successful — in any business. He makes it harder for us, but people like that will never affect how we do business.”

Zing!  I felt the crack of that whip all the way in Florida…many miles away from Colorado, which is where Schaffer calls home.  Here are some snippets that are actually informative,

“We tell [players] what an agent legitimately can and can’t do and what they should expect. The biggest misconceptions about the business are created by other agents telling clients what can happen. Like in marketing, you can take an offensive lineman and tell him he’s going to get TV commercials and roles in Hollywood movies, but the reality is that’s probably not gonna happen. Yet someone will tell them that with a straight face and it gets hard to convince them otherwise.”

“Every contract has its own unique issues and challenges, whether it’s a seventh-round pick or a top-10 player. You have to treat everyone like it’s Barry Sanders because it’s their career, and you have to put their own individual stamp on their deal to put them in the best situation.

“It’s interesting on an intellectual level because there are so many moving parts: Is it a three-, four- or five-year deal? . . . What about incentives? . . . Can a player reach them? Do you want the player to stay with a team? If he’s a nickel back on a team, do you do a shorter deal so he can go to another team and be a starter? You want to look at a contract, not only as it being good today, but also it being good tomorrow or the next year, too.”

But I really like Schaffer’s parting words…

My dad always told me, “Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut.”

Yeah, I bet Rosenhaus is thinking that Schaffer should have heeded his dad’s advice right about now.

Peter Schaffer Lends His Two Cents from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Whether other agents are approaching your clients or not, you can never be too sure that you have forged a strong relationship with those whom you represent; a relationship where they will smile at you one day and then drop you like a dime the next.  Just look at the Philadelphia Eagles as a case study.

Within a matter of days, Lito Sheppard and Brian Westbrook had dropped their agents and hired new ones.  Sheppard let go of All Pro Sports & Entertainment Inc. in favor of Rosenhaus Sports Representation.  Westbrook said goodbye to Fletcher Smith, who had been basically working for free for the past nine months, and signed Todd France.  Even more proof that there is little loyalty is that Westbrook was managed by Eastern Athletic Services before firing them and hiring his now former agent, Fletcher Smith.

I am not saying that former player agents of Sheppard and Westbrook did not drop the ball.  I am merely noting how easy it is for a player to say goodbye to his agent and that there is little to no recourse.

To view the agencies listed above, please go to the Agencies tab at the top of this page.

Think You Are Not Disposable? Think Again from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

In some cases I don’t blame players for complaining about their contracts, because teams can cut them at any time. With football being such a physical sport, players know they need to make the money as soon as possible, for one injury can end their career. I understand players like Urlacher complaining, especially when he is the heart and soul of the defense and his current contract is now outdated compared to others at the linebacker position.

But what I can’t stand is when guys like Jeff Garcia or Lito Sheppard complain. While Garcia is a very talented quarterback and deserves the respect he is demanding, he is also an old quarterback. Garcia isn’t getting younger and it seems only natural that the Bucs are looking towards the future without the aging QB. Why threaten to retire? If you sign a contract, you should be ready to play through the contract. At this point Garcia must know the business of football. Not every player deserves extensions before his current deal expires.

The Lito Sheppard situation really confuses me; he signed a 5 yr $25 million that runs through 2011 and yet he’s complaining. Since his contract was signed in 2005, he has only played in 34 games. He has proven he just can’t stay on the field, and he is no longer one of the elite corners in the league. He may think his contract is now outdated compared to the recent deals signed by Nate Clements, Asante Samuel, Marcus Trufant and Terrance Newman. Unfortunately for Lito, he just hasn’t earned himself a new lucrative contract.

I understand griping about contracts is part of the business because of the lack of guarantees, but I would like to see a time when players play through the contracts they are given.

What’s The Deal? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules