Last week, I read one of the best pieces of journalism that I have been able to find on ESPN.com in quite some time.  The title of the piece is, The curious case of Deion Sanders.  Be warned, it is not one of the short fact-based pieces you are accustomed to finding on ESPN.  I find it quite interesting based on my limited coverage of Deion Sanders on this site in the past.

My coverage of Sanders started with a Facebook post made by soon-to-be first round pick, Dez Bryant, when Bryant revealed that he was being suspended by the NCAA because he went to Deion Sanders’ house, the NCAA found out, and Bryant lied to them because he thought that telling the truth would be a violation of NCAA rules.  Rumors started that Deion’s relation to agent Eugene Parker would lead Bryant to Parker.  Whether those rumors were true or not, Bryant did in fact eventually select Parker to be his agent.  I looked into that a little further in a piece titled, Dez Bryant Speaks About Deion Sanders And Eugene Parker.

So now we have this new piece by Seth Wickersham of ESPN the Magazine.  Here is a portion of that story that adds some thought to my previous discussion of the Bryant, Sanders, Parker matter.

When Bryant returned to Oklahoma State, he started asking his coaches questions about agents and his pro career — the kind of questions the sophomore had never asked before. His coaches wondered, Why now? Was Sanders helping Bryant out of kindness? Or was he steering a first-round talent to his friend, agent Eugene Parker?

Suspecting the worst, OSU receivers coach Gunter Brewer and then-compliance director Scott Williams ordered Bryant to limit his interactions with Sanders to texts and phone calls. Bryant agreed, but there was still cause for concern; he was notoriously unreliable, and getting him to focus on even simple tasks like attending class was a daily struggle.

OSU officials say they tried to set up a conference call with Sanders, hoping to guard against any rules violations, but they never connected — although they did exchange several text messages with him. Over the summer, Williams got the call he feared, when the NCAA asked to interview Bryant. On July 24, the wideout answered questions about Sanders and Parker for two hours. Bryant told investigators the same thing he says now: “Deion never talked about Parker.”

The NCAA didn’t buy it. Bryant was interviewed again in August and once more in September. “I answered all the questions the best way I could,” he says. “But they’d say, ‘I’m going to ask you one more time’ … making me think I’d done something wrong.” So Bryant lied about visiting Sanders at Prime U and dining at his mansion. Neither of those things was a violation. The trouble came when the NCAA interviewed Sanders, who repeatedly denied being a runner for Parker but who also told the investigators that he had hosted Bryant at his house. Bryant’s lie — not anything Sanders did — ultimately resulted in a suspension that caused the receiver to miss all but the first three games of the 2009 season. “I don’t feel like Dez’s suspension was Deion’s fault,” Williams says, adding that Sanders was “extremely cooperative and open” throughout the process.

The NCAA has closed its investigation, but suspicion lingers, especially after Bryant, the top-rated receiver heading into April’s NFL draft, signed with Parker in January. “Why does Sanders want to mentor only the star players?” asks a college assistant coach. “I’ve got a backup guard who could use guidance. It can’t all be innocent.”

Then again, Parker represents only a few of Sanders’ Kids. The agent didn’t need Sanders to land star clients like Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Packers counterpart Greg Jennings, guys who barely know Sanders. “It doesn’t make sense for him to recruit guys to an agent,” says Hegamin, a friend of Sanders’ since 1995. “He doesn’t need anything. He doesn’t ask anyone for anything. He doesn’t need to work for anybody.”

Sanders can only shake his head and laugh as he says, “Being accused of working for an agent? You’ve got to be kidding me!” He rolls his eyes when he hears Colt McCoy, the former Texas quarterback, talk about working at the Manning family camp and texting Peyton and Eli all the time. The NCAA doesn’t investigate those relationships, Sanders points out. Yes, he admits that if a player asks for advice while picking an agent, he happily vouches for Parker — even if that endorsement is a gotcha moment in the eyes of his critics. But should it be? Is it wrong for an adviser to recommend a trusted friend and successful professional? After all, the NCAA and the NFL Players Association do zero to protect a player who gets swindled by a bad agent. In any other field, Sanders’ advice would be seen as a matter of course. In sports, it’s seen as another reason to shake your disbelieving head.

Thoughts?

Darren Heitner: You are coming close to 20 years of negotiating deals for NFL players. Which period in that long term was your most enjoyable, and why?

Jack Bechta: Probably 1993 through 1998. In ‘93 I had a 2nd-rounder (OL Todd Rucci), a 3rd-rounder (OL Earl Dotson), and a UFA (CB Curtis Buckley) who all went on to be very successful. That was my breakout year, and the next several years were fun because I had the business somewhat figured out. Rucci became a very close friend, and in that period I signed guys like Tim Dwight, Adam Treu and Todd Washington, all of which I grew very close to because my clientele was still small. A few of these guys would live with me in the off-season, and we would travel together to places like Tahoe, Australia and Mexico. Good times!

Darren Heitner: You have negotiated over 200 NFL Contracts. Which one or two were the most creative deals, what were the creative terms, and how did you go about placing those terms into the contract?

Jack Bechta: For Todd Rucci in 1993, he was one of the first players ever to have a voidable clause in his contract under the new CBA. Also, I once had a weight clause in Dotson’s contract. If he reported under 320, he would get $100k bonus. We used it to make a make up a gap. I told Earl the number was 315, so he made it every time.

Darren Heitner: You are one of the brave few agents who has the courage and time management skills to represent talent and blog about it. How do you manage the load?

Jack Bechta: It’s pretty easy, actually. I try to keep my blogs to about 500 words, and I just write about current events and things I know well once or twice a week. Writing has actually made me a better agent, because I now pay attention to every single piece of information in the blogosphere and on our site. I am more informed than I ever have been. I also like educating young people, players and parents on the inner workings of the industry. A lot of agents try to make this business mystical, and I try to demystify it and make it more professional.

Darren Heitner: What benefits do you and your clients get from your regular postings at NationalFootballPost.com?

Jack Bechta: I won’t use NFP as a tool to help myself or my clients. However, they will benefit by getting some national exposure when I write about them.

Darren Heitner: You played college football. How has that helped you relate to clients? Has it helped you in your representation of athletes?

Jack Bechta: I understand what it’s like to go to camp, stay in shape, get hurt, get concussions, get a job, lose a job and be a rookie and a vet. A coach once told me there are football players, and there is the rest of the world. I feel I am in a unique fraternity. Although I played at small Texas A&M, we were big on football pedigree. We had 3 to 5 guys go pro the years I was there, including Hall of Famer Darrell Green. Gene Upshaw was an alum and visited a few times. Basically, it helps me tremendously. I can talk the language, and I am never starstruck.

Darren Heitner: How bad is client stealing amongst NFLPA certified agents? What can be done to curb the practice of client stealing?

Jack Bechta: It’s pretty bad. When a good player nears the doorstep of free agency, the wolves start to circle. So far the NFLPA has done very little to stop it. The problem is they need the player to turn in the wolf, and they won’t do it. I wrote a little bit about a client of mine who was approached by another agent in one of my NFP articles.

Darren Heitner: What’s your beef with Leigh Steinberg all about?

Jack Bechta: I don’t have a beef with Leigh. I actually respect him as a marketer, as he was the first agent to play to the media. However, I have little respect for the latter part of his career because I know some things that are downright disgusting relating to his behavior as a person and an agent. To this date I believe the rookie deal he did for Bledsoe in 1993 exponentially set the stage for rookie contracts today. Unfortunately, i know too much. I am rooting for him, though, to over come his addiction problems, especially since my father was an alcoholic. He’s a pioneer, and I wish him well, but I also tell it like it is.

Darren Heitner: How many years were you in this business before you started earning a profit? What kind of expenses go into being an agent?

Jack Bechta: It took me about 5 years to become a full-time agent. But things were different then. We didn’t have to pay for training, room and board, so my business has always been profitable. A beginning agent will need about $100k to get started.

Darren Heitner: I could not help but notice that you list your high school G.P.A. and class rank on your company website. What’s that all about?

Jack Bechta: I’m not sure, actually. I like to let people know what part of the country I am from. I treat my website like a resume, and college football players are only 4 or 5 years removed from high school, so they can relate. You can never give too much info about yourself – people want to know who you are.

Darren Heitner: What advice would you give to those in their early twenties who want to break into this industry?

Jack Bechta: The #1 rule is: Don’t be naive. This is the most competitive business on the planet. If you want to hear more of my thoughts on this topic, I’ve actually written quite a few posts over at NFP. “Cracking the Agent Business”, “Two Paths to Becoming an Agent”, and “Becoming an Agent Part Two”.

Darren Heitner: Anything else you would like to add for our readers?

Jack Bechta: The sports world can always use more hard working professionals who have the best interest of the players in mind!

Blake Baratz

Recently, Baratz left Impact Sports to start up his own firm: The Institute for Athletes.  His clients at Impact Sports will remain co-represented by Baratz and his former employers, but Baratz should not have a tough time recruiting new clients to his “Institute”.  Jack Scharf has been hired by Impact Sports to fill the void left by Baratz’s departure. Scharf’s clients include Ryan Torain, Jerricho Cotchery, Marquis Cooper, and Marko Mitchell.

You can make jokes about the name of Baratz’s new entity, but I actually like it.   It coincides with the mission of his practice, which is to ensure that more NFL players are educated.  On his LinkedIn profile, Baratz notes that:

The most glaring area of need for improvement is simply education. 78% of all NFL players are either leaving the game broke, or broke within 3 years of their last NFL game.

I really like his approach.  At Dynasty, we stress family and innovation as our main selling points.  Baratz has chosen education as his.   It does not mean that we don’t educate our clients or that Baratz does not use innovative techniques to advance his players, but at least he has distinguished his agency from the mainstream agency that promotes the same package of services as the rest.  Baratz has also done a fantastic job surrounding himself with a lot of talent in his new start-up.  As reported by the StarTribune.com,

His brain trust includes Jeff Diamond, the former Vikings executive and Tennessee Titans president; actor Jaleel White, famous for the role of Steve Urkel on “Family Matters”; and a group of financial advisers, talent evaluators and former players.

Not sure what Jaleel White brings to the table other than a quality “Did I do that?” when things go wrong.  Bobby Engram, Will Allen, and Abdul Hodge, also sat in on meetings to help Baratz’s new firm get some legs to stand on.  Good luck to Baratz, another young agent who has a mission and will not let the cheerleaders on the sidelines prevent him from accomplishing his dreams.

Players that are accepted to the program partake in a three-month, paid internship gaining experience in areas like communications, membership services, legal, and information systems.  Sports marketing internships are also available through the union’s marketing and licensing arm, NFL PLAYERS.  The pros must go through the same application process that students normally go through to get internships, by submitting an application, resume, cover letter, getting recommendations, submitting a writing sample, and a providing a transcript.  The only qualification…candidates must have played at least one full season in the NFL and/or AFL.  Tom DePaso, current Associate General Counsel and a Regional Director at the NFLPA and former NFL linebacker, participated in the internship back in 1984.  Being his first off-the-field work experience, DePaso said that “I would not be where I am today without having had that experience.”

The internship program isn’t the only way that the NFLPA helps out retired players.  The union holds a career opportunity expo as part of the NFLPA Retired Players Convention in Palm Springs.  The most recent one had eight employers in attendance, including New York Life Insurance Company, Prudential, and The Corporate Playbook.  Retired players can network and find out about employment opportunities from the companies in attendance, as well as have on-site interviews in private areas the expo has provided.  This year’s expo marks the fifth year that this aspect of the convention has been held.

In addition to setting up conferences like the career opportunity expo, the union set up a NFL Player Job Board in 2008 as a resource for retired players to find jobs with employers specifically interested in hiring former professional football players.  New Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has taken a proactive role in aiding former players find jobs.  He recently sent a letter to over 1,000 retired players who own their own companies or work for corporations in Florida, Texas, and California asking for help in finding employment opportunities for other retired players by listing their companies on the job board.  According to the NFLPA website, over 50 retired players have already found jobs using the job board.

While other unions like the MLBPA and NBPA help retired players find post-playing employment, the NFLPA’s efforts are even more necessary as the average career length is about two years shorter.  Retired football players have several options and resources to explore.  Agencies like Darren’s Dynasty Athlete Representation offer post-career guidance for their clients, and players often turn to their agents for help and advice when it comes to finding a new job because they have hopefully formed a trusting relationship over the years.  But the NFLPA’s continuous effort to aid athletes after their playing days are over is a noteworthy action for its players.

Now on onside kickoffs, the kicking team will no longer be able to overload one side of the ball. The new rule states that “at least four players of the kicking team must be on each side of the kicker, and at least three players must be lined up outside each inbounds line, including one who must be outside the yard-line number.” This new rule will make it harder for players to administer the kinds of hits that usually jar the ball loose, make gang tackling and stripping tougher, and will put an emphasis on the kicker’s ability to place the ball more precisely.

On kick returns, the return team can no longer form a wedge to block for the returner. The new rule will be enforced when “three or more players line up shoulder to shoulder within 2 yards of each other to lead the blocking,” and will be enforced from the spot of the wedge. This rule will effect some teams more than others. This rules puts more of an emphasis on the return team being able to hold their individual blocks and not just being able to power the return back.

Two of the other rule changes deal with contact with receivers. First, receivers will now get personal foul penalties if a player delivers a blind side block to the head of a defender using his helmet, forearm, or shoulder (The Keith Rivers Rule). Second, if a defender hits a defenseless receiver going over the middle of the field (or in any spot where he appears defenseless) in the head or neck with the forearm or shoulder, it will be a personal foul. This rule is an extension of the previous rule, which states you cannot hit a defenseless receiver with a helmet hit.

Finally, defenders who are knocked to the ground can no longer lunge into quarterbacks if the play is still going on (The Tom Brady Rule). Although I do agree with protecting the quarterback, I’m not so sure how effectively enforced this rule will be. I have a feeling it will be like a couple of years ago where players would have quarterbacks wrapped up and then stop thinking that they would get called for unnecessary roughness penalties, while the quarterbacks scrambled away to continue the play. Where do you draw the line between a player trying to get back into the play after being knocked down around the quarterback and a player lunging into the quarterback?

On another note, officials will be focusing more on horse collar tackles this year. Even though the number of horse collar penalties and fines went up in the last year, the NFL Owners felt that the rule has not deterred the tackle enough.

Football

• I really admire this guy.  Still think that he would be an agent’s dream come true to represent [Myron Rolle Chooses Oxford Over NFL].
• So who’s the victim? [Attorney general: State victim of alleged agent, player contact]
• Not a big fan of open tryouts, but figured I’d pass along the info [Open tryouts for the 2009 AF2 Football Season].
• $15 million per season? [Giant payday coming to Eli Manning after laying Eagle egg]
• Retired but still up for a fight [Federal Judge Upholds $28 Million Award to Retired NFL Players].
• Brian Dawkins, Kurt Warner, and Matt Birk: Who’s your pick? [Dawkins finalist for man-of-year award]
• Kurt Warner as other things on his mind, though [Cardinals’ Warner Can Add $4 Million in Bonuses With NFL Title].

Sports Business

• So long to The Bonham Group [Bonham sports marketing shuts doors, citing economy].

Baseball

• A strong case against implementing a salary cap [Let Freedom Ring].

Football

• D-Rov doesn’t think the AFL will ever come back [The End Of The Arena Football League?].
• The NFL seems to have instituted a very liberal fining policy [NFL players’ tab for fines up 22% over last season, union says].

Sports Business

• SBJ released some new rankings.  Condon and Boras can be found on the back-end of the list [50 Most Influential people in sports business 2008].
• Jason Peck gives us a shout out in this solid piece [Sports and Social Media in 2009 - My Predictions].

Baseball

• A nice distraction from studying for final exams.  If you do not get them all, you should probably pick a new industry [Major League Teams].
• Yeah, but hindsight is 20/20 [Tony's Top 5 worst pitching contracts in baseball].
• More players flood the free agent market [Non-Tendered Players Become Free Agents].

Basketball

• Bonzi hoping to boost his image in China [Former NBA bad boy Bonzi Wells lands in China].

Hockey

• The NHL’s way of saying, Happy Holidays! [NHL roster freeze begins Friday].

Webster was drafted in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft, going 43rd overall to the Giants. He was benched early on in the ‘05 season, but later moved up in the depth chart when fellow cornerback Sam Madison suffered a sports hernia. Webster is definitely a clutch player with huge games in the NFC wild card game last year as well as the NFC championship game when he sealed the deal with an interception on Brett Favre at the end of the game. In the Super Bowl, Webster limited Patriots’ wide receiver Randy Moss to 5 catches.

Source: ESPN.com

A federal jury awarded over 2000 NFL retirees more than $28 million in damages last week after a three week trial in San Francisco in a class action lawsuit against the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). The lawsuit, filed by hall of fame cornerback Herb Adderley, claimed that the NFLPA actively excluded retired players from lucrative marketing deals in an attempt to increase the royalties for current players.

A particular point of contention on the part of the retirees was the use of their likenesses in EA Sports’ Madden NFL video games. The plaintiffs pointed to a letter from the NFLPA to EA Sports demanding that EA scramble the images of the retired players on the vintage teams included in the game so that the NFLPA could avoid paying them any royalties. While the Madden vintage teams used rosters with no-name players and likenesses, the retirees contended that the players were easily recognizable based on their characteristics. The jury agreed, awarding $7.1 million in actual damages and another $21 million in punitive damages to the retirees.

The jury award comes at a time when not only tensions between the union’s representation of current players and former players are high (not only over marketing, but over the highly publicized disputes concerning retirement and disability benefits as well), but the NFLPA also faces the challenge of replacing longtime executive director Gene Upshaw with a new commissioner who appears to rule with an iron fist, and the possibility of labor strife as the current collective bargaining agreement is due to expire after the 2010 season.

The choice of a new executive director for the union promises to be an important one. Gene Upshaw was highly respected during his tenure, but his leadership was also the source of substantial criticism. While some supporters suggest that the current labor peace and the substantial success of the NFL as a whole were reasons to maintain the status quo, detractors contend that Upshaw’s relationship with the league owners was much too congenial. Bryant Gumbel once suggested that Upshaw was “docile” and that Paul Tagliabue made him his “personal pet.” These critics point to the fact that most NFL salaries are not guaranteed and that the hard salary cap severely limits players’ earning potential. Comparisons to baseball and the strength of its players’ union are inevitable.

The new executive director, expected to be elected at the NFLPA’s annual meeting in March, will be immediately confronted not only with the issue of the tensions arising out of the recent lawsuit, but also of the expiring CBA. The current deal, which could have carried through the 2012 season, was opted out of by the owners this year. Assuming a new deal is not struck beforehand, the 2010 season will be played without a salary cap. This decision on the part of the owners should signal to the NFLPA that the owners are not necessarily content with the status quo and will be looking to tighten the purse strings once again.

The new NFLPA executive director will have an immediate impact on how the union will be perceived by the owners entering negotiations for a new CBA and on the perceived strength of the bargaining unit. Players and their agents alike should be lobbying for strong advocacy. A cozy relationship with the front office should not be the number one priority, but instead more guaranteed money in player contracts and some unification between the union’s representation of current and former players should dominate the initial agenda. The NFLPA faces a potentially difficult and tumultuous road ahead and strong leadership will be essential to the future of the players, their representatives and the NFL’s retirees.

Guest contribution by Michael C. Frilling, Esq.; General Counsel; www.fksportsmanagement.com

Paula Duffy, National Sports Examiner for Examiner.com and regular contributor to The Huffington Post wrote an article (‘If a Simple Mouth Guard Can Prevent Concussions, Why Isn’t the NFL All Over It?’) that has ignited interest in and directed attention towards ways to reduce or prevent the alarming number of sports-related concussions, especially in the National Football League.

Duffy’s column in the Examiner.com expressing concern for St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green and his return to the field after suffering two concussions in one calendar year, including one at the most severe level identified by medical professionals, elicited an informative phone call from Mahercor Laboratories, LLC. Headed up by the New England Patriot’s team dentist for more than two decades, Dr. Gerald Maher, Mahercor Laboratories has developed an innovative mouth guard, The Maher Mouth Guard, which aids in the prevention of concussions for all athletes participating in contact sports, from professionals to youth players.

Dr. Maher says that the current NFL-approved helmet chin strap directly contributes to concussions that arise from a blow to the jaw. It compacts the end of the jawbone against the skull and increases the likelihood of the bone striking the temporal lobe of the brain, increasing the symptoms of dizziness, the sensation of seeing stars and headaches commonly known as a “ding.”

The Maher Mouth Guard helps reduce the chances of suffering from a concussion. The implementation of this properly-fitted mouth guard with the prescribed thickness separates the mandible (lower jaw) from the maxilla (upper jaw). This limits the chance of obtaining a concussion via a direct blow to the jaw. This, as well as wearing properly fitted protective head gear and chin straps allows for the utmost protection from dangerous head trauma.

Duffy’s articles in the Examiner.com and Huffington Post center on the questions surrounding the seemingly inexplicable lack of interest by the NFL to study and approve Dr. Maher’s product which is already successfully used by the New England Patriots, numerous high school and college athletic programs, individual NFL players and a number of boxing, hockey and lacrosse professionals.

A seven year old NFL study with data that is even older (1996-2001) cites an incidence of .41 concussions per game every week during the football season. Duffy’s concern is for players not aware of the anecdotal evidence about the Maher Mouth Guard waiting for the league or their union to give the nod to a product for on-field use. Duffy believes solutions such as those offered by Mahercor Laboratories should be immediately evaluated for use by athletes at risk.

Things may in fact be starting to happen. Researchers recently presented statistical evidence of athletes treated for Temporomandibular (jaw) Disorders (TMD) prior to the fitting of the (Maher) orthotic appliance at the largest collection of concussion experts in the world, the 2008 FIFA International Conference on Concussion in Sport in Zurich Switzerland. This may be the forum needed to fully understand the relevance and benefits of these procedures.

“While a concussion policy in the league has been instituted to prevent players from being forced back onto the field without regard to their health, prevention seems to be the solution in the long run, at least to me,” stated Duffy.

Mahercor Laboratories product line includes The Maher Standard Mouth Guard (LEVEL I), an introductory maxillary stabilizing mouth guard designed for someone involved in a sport where mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) from non-direct impacts to the face and jaw are to be expected. The Maher Intact Mouth Guard (LEVEL II) is designed for anyone involved in a sport where mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) from hard impacts to the face and jaws are to be expected. This mouth guard is composed of a multi-layered laminated EVA material to enhance tooth protection and a patent pending posterior occusal rim to improve condyle disk relationship to lessen the potential for concussions. The Maher B-Protect Splint (LEVEL III) is designed to position the condyle-disc assembly into the optimum position to resist concussive forces.

Since its development, no NFL Player wearing any products in The Mahercor Laboratories product line has ever succumbed to a concussion from a blow to the jaw.