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Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/25/2011)

Darren Heitner — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:00:51 +0000

Shout out to all the agents currently freezing their tails off in Indianapolis. It is where the NFL Scouting Combine is held every year and happens to be the most popular annual meeting for NFL Certified Contract Advisors to attend. This year, it happens to be a mandatory meeting for all Contract Advisors. The NFLPA decided to make it mandatory based on the upcoming expiration of the current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. I spent a few days in Memphis, Tennessee this week and had the opportunity to meet many people in the athletic department. I am getting ready to start making the rounds in Spring Training, with Jupiter being my main spot. Let me know if you will be around, and maybe we can meet up. Here are some stories I missed this past week:

Football

No one beats Professor Feldman when it comes to explaining NFL Collective Bargaining issues [NFL Labor Negotiations: Are We Headed for the Doomsday Scenario?].
More bad news for the young league [UFL faces another lawsuit].
Darren Rovell dipping into the realm of Sports Law [New Ruling Gives College Athletes Edge Over NCAA, EA].
Good information regarding the medical evaluation process [An intense Combine time].
Proposal to ban players who lose their student-athlete eligibility from participating in the NFL Combine [Combine could help clean up college game].

Basketball

NBA teams are asking Mark Bartelstein for information regarding NFL Franchise Tags [After Stagnant 12 Months, N.B.A. Faces Its Own Labor Countdown].
The senior director of public relations at BDA Sports [Ilana Nunn, NBA power player].

Baseball

Players beat owners 2-1 in this year’s arbitration hearings [Hunter Pence beats Astros in final arbitration hearing of winter].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/25/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Sports Agent Blog 2011 Top 5 At Each Position

Brandon Thorn — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:14:44 +0000

2011 Top 5 At Each Position Last Updated: April 16th, 2011

Here are the top 5 players at every position for the 2011 NFL Draft, underclassman are included. We still have the NFL Combine as well as Pro Days left, which will determine my future rankings. Stay tuned for constant and frequent updates!

Quarterbacks
1. Cam Newton – Auburn
2. Ryan Mallett – Arkansas
3. Blaine Gabbert – Missouri
4. Jake Locker – Washington
5. Christian Ponder – Florida State

Tailbacks
1. Mark Ingram – Alabama
2. Mikel Leshoure – Illinois
3. Ryan Williams – Virginia Tech
4. Jaquizz Rodgers - Oregon State
5. Kendall Hunter – Oklahoma State

Fullbacks
1. Owen Marecic – Stanford
2. Stanley Havili – USC
3. Henry Hynoski – Pittsburgh
4. Shaun Chapas – Georgia
5. Charles Clay – Tulsa

Wide Receivers
T-1. A.J. Green – Georgia
T-1. Julio Jones – Alabama
2. Torrey Smith – Maryland
3. Leonard Hankerson – Miami
4. Jonathan Baldwin – Pittsburgh
T-5. Tandon Doss – Indiana
T-5. Randall Cobb – Kentucky

Tight Ends
1. Kyle Rudolph – Notre Dame
2. Luke Stocker – Tennessee
3. Lance Kendricks – Wisconsin
4. D.J. Williams – Arkansas
5. Virgil Green – Nevada

Tackle
1. Gabe Carimi – Wisconsin
2. Anthony Castonzo – Boston College
3. Tyron Smith – USC
4. Nate Solder – Colorado
5. Derek Sherrod – Mississippi St.

Guard/Center
1. Mike Pouncey – Florida
2. Danny Watkins – Baylor
3. Clint Boling – Georgia
4. Rodney Hudson – Florida State
5. Marcus Cannon – TCU

Defensive End 4-3
1. Da’Quan Bowers – Clemson
2. Robert Quinn – North Carolina
3. Adrian Clayborn – Iowa
4. Ryan Kerrigan – Purdue
5. Aldon Smith – Missouri

Defensive End 3-4
1. Marcell Dareus – Alabama
2. Cameron Jordan – California
3. J.J. Watt – Wisconsin
4. Cameron Hayward – Ohio State
T-5. Muhammed Wilkerson – Temple
T-5. Adrian Clayborn – Iowa

Defensive Tackle
1. Marcell Dareus – Alabama
2. Nick Fairley – Auburn
3. Muhammed Wilkerson – Temple
4. Cory Liuget – Illinois
5. Stephen Paea – Oregon State

Outside Linebacker
1. Von Miller – Texas A&M
2. Akeem Ayers – UCLA
3. Justin Houston – Georgia
4. Brooks Reed – Arizona
5. Bruce Carter - North Carolina

Inside Linebacker
1. Martez Wilson – Illinois
2. Quan Sturdivant – North Carolina
3. Colin McCarthy – Miami
4. Greg Jones – Michigan State
5. Casey Matthews – Oregon

Safety
1. Rahim Moore – UCLA
2. Robert Sands – West Virginia
3. Quinton Carter – Oklahoma
4. Tyler Sash – Iowa
5. DeAndre McDaniel – Clemson

Cornerback
1. Patrick Peterson – LSU
2. Prince Amukamara – Nebraska
3. Jimmy Smith – Colorado
4. Brandon Moore – Miami
5. Aaron Williams – Texas

Kicker
1. Dan Bailey – Oklahoma State
2. Alex Henery – Nebraska
3. Wes Byrum – Auburn
4. Kai Forbath – UCLA
5. Josh Jasper – LSU

Punter
1. Ryan Donahue – Iowa
2. Derek Epperson – Baylor
3. Chas Henry – Florida
4. Matt Bosher – Miami
5. Reid Forrest – Washington State

Kick/Punt Returner
1. CB Patrick Peterson – LSU
2. WR Randall Cobb – Kentucky
3. WR Titus Young – Boise State
4. WR Torrey Smith – Maryland
5. WR Edmond Gates – Abilene Christian

The Sports Agent Blog 2011 Top 5 At Each Position from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/11/2011)

Darren Heitner — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:00:47 +0000

Amazing that I arrive in New Orleans when the city happens to be the coldest it has been this entire Winter. Oh well. At least The Big Easy has been a great time thus far, and I have really enjoyed serving as a arbitrator at the Tulane Law Baseball Arbitration Competition. Many thanks to everybody helping run the fantastic event, and a special thanks to Armando Velasco and Professor Gabe Feldman for being great hosts and making this a truly enjoyable getaway. It was rather interesting to have a long conversation with Larry Silverman, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Pittsburgh Pirates, not long after he and his club became the first team to lose an arbitration hearing this year (to Ross Ohlendorf). While he was certainly disappointed, it was nice to see him still able to smile. Well, I have been busy eating po’ boys and beignets, which I will have to burn off in the gym in the coming week. Here are some stories I was not able to cover in depth:

Football

Already a lawsuit being planned [Super Bowl: NFL Does Noble Job Recovering From Ticket Snafu].
Any agent who suggest to his client that he should not attend the NFL Combine in order to “prove something to the NFL” should receive a letter in the mail saying the agent is hereby terminated [Union, agents considering boycott of combine, draft activities].
The NFL owners cannot only lockout Brett Favre [NFL Lockout: The Legal Issues Behind the NFL-CBA Negotiations].

Baseball

Hunter Pence wants $6.9 million; Astros provided a number of $5.15 million [Pence, Astros set for arbitration on Feb. 18].
Swish’s new agent, Scott Boras, has to love this article [Yankees' Swisher Takes Center Stage].
So long to what would have been the most interesting arbitration hearing of 2011 [Rangers, Josh Hamilton Agree To Two-Year Deal].

Basketball

Whether it is called a F.A.T. clause or a B.A.T. clause, make sure to get it in your international players’ contracts [For Americans Overseas, a Referee for Paychecks].

Sports Business

A search to find the best methods to becoming a successful agent [TSBX Special Report: So You Want To Be a Sports Agent].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/11/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Joe Flanagan And BTI Sports Breaking Out In 2011

Darren Heitner — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:00:03 +0000

One of the main things that I will be watching during this year’s NFL Draft is the success of Joe Flanagan and his DePere, Wisconsin based company, BTI Sports. Flanagan, a licensed attorney, is a Co-Founder of BTI Sports along with his partner, Brad Leshnock.

As of the publishing of this post, Dominic Perilli predicts that Da’Quan Bowers will be the first player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. Bowers is represented by Flanagan. But Bowers is only one player in Flanagan’s 2011 Draft Class, which is full of prospects. The following list includes BTI Sports’ 2011 Draft Class along with their projected draft ranking, provided by NFLDraftScout.com.

Kyle Adams, TE, Purdue – 6-7 round
Colin Baxter, OL, Arizona – 13th best center
Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson – 1st round
Bryant Browning, OL, Ohio State – 7th round
Lester Jean, WR, Florida Atlantic – 7th round-free agent
Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson – 2-3 round
Jeron Johnson, DB, Boise State – 4th round
Armand Robinson, WR, Miami-Ohio – 42nd best wide receiver
Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State – 7th round
Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse – 16th best inside linebacker

BTI Sports could very well end up with around 7 drafted players, including Bowers being the first player taken in the draft. Their draft class is even more impressive when read alongside the company’s current NFL client roster, which is comprised of many lesser known players including Chris Greisen, Austin Spitler, Adam Stenavich, and Adam Tadisch. It is not as if Flanagan is in Rosenhaus’ shoes recruiting players with brochures that include names like Darnell Dockett, DeSean Jackson, and Beanie Wells.

Flanagan and BTI Sports will be dropping a lot of money on their players leading up to their Pro Days and the NFL Combine. Other than a few players who will be training at their respective schools, most listed will be training at one of the Athletes Performance academies at a hefty price.

Joe Flanagan And BTI Sports Breaking Out In 2011 from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Preparing For The Wonderlic Test At The NFL Combine

Darren Heitner — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:00:16 +0000

Yesterday, I talked to Patrick Fisher, Executive Director of SportsMeasures TestPrep. Fisher is busy promoting his service now that the college football season is over and NFL draft-eligible players might be in the market for what he has to offer. Our discussion was as follows.

Darren Heitner: In five sentences or less, what is SportsMeasures TestPrep?

Patrick Fisher: SportsMeasures TestPrep mentally prepares athletes for the next level. We help create an athletes mental resume. Initially, we will be preparing NFL draft-eligible athletes for the Wonderlic Test at the NFL Combine in February. In future expansion, we will include other assessments to help create a deeper picture of the athlete for high school, college and the professional ranks.

Heitner: How did you come up with the idea to create this company?

Fisher: It occurred during a phone conversation with a connection made on LinkedIn. We were talking about data analysis for football players when I told him I’m a psychometrician. After I explained what a psychometrician does (examination data analysis), he asked me if I could “do something” with some items from the Wonderlic Test. I told him yes I could and the business concept was born.

Heitner: What is your experience in the world of psychometrics prior to starting SportsMeasures TestPrep?

Fisher: I have over eight years experience as a psychometrician developing and analyzing high-stakes examinations for medical and dental certification boards. I have also been conducting objective measurement research into sports performance for over 20 years.

Heitner: I’m most interested in learning more about your SportsMeasures TestPrep’s Wonderlic Personnel Test prep class. What does that entail?

Fisher: We start with the athletes taking the first half of our practice exam containing items very similar to those on the Wonderlic. They are given 25 items and asked to answer as many as possible in six minutes – similar criteria as at the NFL Combine. After that we go over each of the 25 items in great detail. The concept within each question is explained and the best method to come up with the correct answer is shown. We then follow up with the second half of the practice exam with 25 more questions for which the athletes will again have six minutes to answer as many questions as possible, allowing them to utilize the newly learned methods.

Heitner: Why is there a need for such a class?

Fisher: While this isn’t the athlete’s 40 yard dash time or vertical leaping ability, intelligence is quickly becoming a more important factor when choosing athletes for your program – be it college or professional. A higher score on the Wonderlic can translate into being a higher draft pick and thus a larger contract.

Heitner: What kind of results have your past clients attained?

Fisher: While being a start-up company, we’re still seeking our first clients, which is why we’ve structured the class as we have. We also want to have the athletes see immediate results.

Heitner: Are you currently working with any agents or trainers, or are you mostly selling your service to individual athletes?

Fisher: My target audience is agents and trainers, especially agents. I am being mentored and assisted by an NFLPA certified agent currently.

Heitner: What is your elevator pitch to an NFL Contract Advisor reading this interview?

Fisher: I’m here to help pro prospects maximize their mental and character grades, realizing that today you can leave no stone unturned because the NFL clubs certainly do not.

Preparing For The Wonderlic Test At The NFL Combine from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (5/14/2010)

Darren Heitner — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:00:55 +0000

In two hours, I will be on stage at the O’Connell Center (where UF plays its basketball games), officially graduating from University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. The whole family is in town, which is nice (but rare). On Monday, I begin studying for the Florida Bar. As I have mentioned before, other than being a student of Sports Law, I have really enjoyed reading up on Intellectual Property issues. Here’s one that might be interesting for those of you who share a liking of IP Law. Dynasty is representing some new players in basketball, including a few that are coming off tremendous seasons overseas and in college. And the baseball draft is less than a month away. Here are some stories I missed over the past week:

Baseball

150km-per-hour fastballs – someone do the math [17-year-old pitcher signs with Scott Boras].

Basketball

Agree with the six players listed who truly deserve max contracts ["Max" player an overused term in the NBA].
Bartelstein and co. had quite a Monday [Getting the job done].

Football

This looks like Moneyball in football [Is it Time to Abolish the NFL Combine?].
Don’t make it in the NFL? Like Australia? [Agent hunts for great American hope]

Sports Business

And an easy way to get someone drunk.. [How To Announce A Sponsorship Deal—The Right Way].
Former sports agent Jim Neader assembled the board [St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster forms new Sports Alliance to help market city].

Sports Law

Some good stuff about how an athlete’s attorney, agent, and PR people work together [Ask the Expert: Sports Attorney Jay Reisinger].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (5/14/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (3/5/2010)

Darren Heitner — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:44 +0000

It sure is nice to be back in South Florida for a semi-extended period of time. I will be down here until March 14, when I start the last month of my life as a college student. Law school is so close to being over, but even after I graduate, I will never stop learning. I am so hungry to learn, not only in the area of sports, but in all facets of life. In fact, I would love to not only learn, but also teach. I have been speaking at my different institutions of higher education over the past few months, and it has left me a desire to teach along with continue to build my agency. Know of any good openings for me? Anyway, now that I have a short break, I will be able to travel the state and see a lot of my guys in Spring Training. This will be a big year for a lot of the guys in Dynasty’s Baseball Division, and we cannot wait for their seasons to get started. Here are some stories I missed over the past week:

Football

NCAA ban aside, football coaches may want to think twice before selecting Dez Bryant [Bryant comes with a caveat emptor tag].
Mike Ornstein vs. Bill Henkel [Wilson: Marketing reps confirm altercation at combine].
Yes, the NFL has to follow state laws when they are applicable [The Star Caps Saga Continues].
Please read what Head Coach Marvin Lewis had to say about the NFL Combine [Inconsistent Measureables].
Some will over spend, some will go the cheap route, others will pretend there is still a cap [NFL free agency begins Friday without cap].

Baseball

Never seen Garrett Broshuis pitch, but I am sad to see him leave the game [Suitcase Chronicles: Not Crash Davis].
Some love for Arn Tellem as a baseball agent [Hideki Matsui in Anaheim: "Man, I feel comfortable here"].

Soccer

So now that Major League Soccer and its players’ association is not bound by a collective bargaining agreement… [McCarthy’s Musings: The Friday Five Explains The Demise Of The MLS CBA].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (3/5/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Free Presentation At the NFL Combine

Darren Heitner — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:00:44 +0000

Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague.com is offering a free presentation Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Indianapolis Downtown. The presentation, titled ‘Building a Successful Football Agency’ is expected to take about an hour and Neil will answer questions that he regularly receives from newer firms seeking to build a practice. Those subjects include, dealing with how to find diamonds in the rough, how to build relationships with people in the business, how to reach prospects, what a rising agent needs to know, and mistakes to avoid.

Neil will also have a brief presentation by businesses worth partnering with. This presentation is aimed specifically at agencies and agents certified less than three years, or recruiters/young agents considering starting their own firms.

If you are out in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, this is an event you probably want to check out.

Free Presentation At the NFL Combine from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (4/24/09)

Darren Heitner — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:00:21 +0000

The University of Florida is the #4 party school according to Playboy’s 2009 rankings. The University of Miami is #1. 2L classes have finally come to a close. I turned in my Legal Drafting final yesterday and just completed a 24-hour take home exam in International Human Rights Law. I am mentally and physically drained. I will now get to studying for my 3 remaining finals. After that, I will officially enter my third and final year of law school. UF’s Entertainment and Sports Law Society won Organization of the Year for the second year in a row! Makes me real proud to be President of the organization! Tomorrow is Day 1 of the NFL Draft. Rulon Davis, Kevin Grant, and Andrew Johnson all have a chance of being drafted this weekend. Whether they are drafted or not, each one of them deserves a spot on an NFL roster next season. Want to know what your favorite athletes are up to?…130 athletes on Twitter.

Football

Looks like the Bills won’t be looking RB on day 1 of the draft [Rhodes joins Bills with two-year deal].
A Division II DE hoping for a chance after the draft [Kees hopes to get deal with NFL].
This was definitely kept from the media for a while [Shockey fires, but may rehire, Drew Rosenhaus].
The NFL Combine is not only about 40 times and reps on the bench [NFL teams examine minds as well as bodies of potential draft picks].
Will he be the first Mauian ever drafted into the NFL? [Maiava nears end of waiting game]
Ian Greengross thinks C.J. Spillman will go 3rd or 4th round [Agent touts Spillman's chances in NFL Draft].

Baseball

Apparently baseball fans like to shave [MLB and Gillette: Continuing to make sponsorship history].

Basketball

B.J. Armstrong must love representing this guy [Rose's calm doesn't diminish following huge playoff debut].
The NY Times seems to think the two are a match made in heaven [Bulls Rookie Has an Agent Who Knows What He’s Going Through].

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Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (4/24/09) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Johnny Knox May Do Wonders For National Sports Agency

Darren Heitner — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:00:19 +0000

National Sports Agency got a lot of solid press for winning Spike TV’s reality show, Super Agent. Harold Lewis and his company beat out nine other agents to win the right to represent Detroit Lions DT, Shaun Cody. Harold also received some solid press from his interview at SportsAgentBlog.com. But the biggest news for his young agency might have come over this past weekend, when Johnny Knox ran a 4.34 second 40-yard-dash. The wide-receiver went from a junior college to Abilene Christian before his big coming-out-party at the 2009 NFL Combine. Knox probably is not all that surprised with his 40-yard-time, as reports indicate he has run as fast as 4.27 at Tyler Junior College. He was at the Texas v. The Nation All-Star game, but no one was really talking about him being a mid-round draft pick until the Combine..

Besides Knox, National Sports Agency has three other 2009 NFL Draft prospects at the Combine. They are: Pannel Egboh (Stanford), Paul Fanaika (Arizona St.), and Lardarius Webb (Nicholls St.).

Johnny Knox May Do Wonders For National Sports Agency from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules