Talk about a beautiful frame and picture!  I know we have three losses so far this year, but I cannot wait to put this up in my office.  It is one of the new products on Church Hill Classics’ Mike Sullivan Sports Artwork Frames line.  Sullivan is a nationally known sports artist who is known for his chiseled, edgy style.  The frames (which come in two different styles) are available here.  Go take a look.

And while I have your attention, Sports Agent Blog is running a contest for a separate prize.  We are teaming up with Buffalo Wild Wings to offer a free Buffalo Wild Wings lawn chair.  The chairs are great for tailgating or for additional seating all season long.

All you have to do is tweet what you think will be the the final score of tonight’s Game 4 of the New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers match-up and reference @Darren_Heitner. Here is an example tweet: “@Darren_Heitner Game 4 #ALCS final score prediction: NYY-5 TX-2.”  If more than one person correctly predicts the final score, we will randomly select the winner amongst those who got it right.  If no one gets it right, then everyone who submits their guess will be eligible in a random drawing.  Make sure you include @Darren_Heitner, though, or else we won’t know that you tweeted your prediction.

Gators Picture Frame And Sports Agent Blog CONTEST from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

His most recent masterpiece is of the Chicago Cubs and took him over one-hundred hours to complete.  George is giving away free prints of the sketch on his website.  Is there a market out there for George?  Is this an area where a traditional sports agent may help out?  Check out the YouTube below, and let me know what you think.

Representation Of An Etch A Sketch Artist from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

I have some great news to share early in the game.  The Tampa Bay Rays had expressed interest in Alvin’s work recently.  For weeks, I had been going back and forth corresponding with multiple people in the organization.  Finally, I received word that Carl Crawford had checked out Alvin’s work and liked it, and the Rays had plans to use it.

I am excited to announce that the Rays will use signed prints of Alvin’s original 22″ x 30″ illustration of Carl Crawford, featured at the top of this article, as raffle items for their season ticket holders.  Additionally, I arranged for Alvin to meet Carl Crawford at Tropicana Field in July.  We were told that Carl would sign the original illustration.

The original is a mixed medium piece, with a combination of colored pencil, watercolor, and acrylic.  The illustration presents Crawford batting with a sunburst from the new logo in the background.  Alvin is one of the first artists to capture a Rays’ player in the new team uniform.

It was music to my ears to hear that I made Alvin’s day after I told him the news.  As a sports attorney, I have learned that representation comes down to building good relationships, no matter if it involves an artist, athlete, or musician.  Even though the work can become tedious at times, I really enjoy the personal side of representation.  It was a great feeling to celebrate this milestone with Alvin.  We are heading in the right direction and I hope to establish Alvin as a premier sports artist in the near future.

Illustration of Carl Crawford from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules