Interested in getting a foot-in-the-door in the sports business industry in the summer of 2012?

Looking for the advantage you need to in order to begin your career in sports business?

The Manhattan Sports Business Academy (MSBA), an 8-week sports business leadership program that will take place in New York City this upcoming summer, was recently launched at the Ivy Sports Symposium on November 18, 2011 at the Wharton School in Philadelphia. MSBA is a mentoring program that will give undergraduate and graduate students the skills and resources to get a career in the highly competitive sports business world.

MSBA provides a carefully selected group of 25 students with a comprehensive learning experience that includes internship placement, career development workshops, weekly guest speakers, one-on-one mentoring with established sports industry professionals, weekend group outings, and an optional fitness and training component. Participants in this program will have the opportunity to intern with teams, leagues, agencies, and events in the area of focus that interests them such as marketing & sponsorships, event management, public relations, and athlete representation.

Ben Sturner and his team have attracted a list of 45 notable industry executives who will speak to the MSBA participants as part of a weekly guest lecture series. Some of the confirmed speakers are Mark Tatum (Executive Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships at the NBA), Dan Singer (Director at McKinsey & Company), Todd Kaplan (Director of Sports Marketing at PepsiCo), and Brett Yormark (President and CEO of the Brooklyn Nets).

MSBA serves as a valuable experience for young professionals looking to jumpstart their career in sports and get the job they have always dreamed of. Check out www.gomsba.com, the official MSBA website, to learn more!

Introducing The Manhattan Sports Business Academy from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

What: 2011 Ivy Sports Symposium

When: November 18, 2011

Where: Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Jon M. Huntsman Hall)

The Ivy Sports Symposium was founded in 2006 as the Princeton Sports Symposium.  This is the first year that the symposium will be held on a college campus other than Princeton University.  Another special feature of this year’s event is that ten stars of the sports business industry under the age of 30 that have achieved a rare level of success at their ages will be announced as the first class of 10 NEXT.

There are so many panels, speakers, and moderators planned for this special event that it is easiest if I just post the .pdf file with the current tentative agenda.

2011 Ivy Sports Symposium

2011 Ivy Sports Symposium from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Anyway, the purpose of this post is not just to plug Fall’s excellent Twitter feed, but to highlight a fantastic post that he published on his Sports Resource Blog last week.  I am not only promoting it because I was mentioned in it (however, major thanks to Steve Fall for including my name), but because it states something that is so obvious, yet never said to people who are looking to break-in to sports business.

I suggest reading the entire post.  Below, please find extrapolations that I pieced together.

The world has changed. Back in the 1990’s, you had to build and polish a resume with all the right background, send it off to the decision makers, and then hope for the best. Now, technology enables sports outsiders to become insiders without actually breaking in.

The key step is to put your work out there for all to see. Whether through a website, blog, app or videos, you can gain exposure in sports far easier than ever before.

While your passion and skills should determine what you put out there, I recommend avoiding the edgy sports opinion blogs that are everywhere. Specialize as much as possible.

Internships are great for making contacts and gaining experience. However, your work may not reach the masses or have your name attached to it.

Happy July 4th!  Be safe, have fun, and G-d Bless America!

Breaking Out – Great Tips On Getting Into The Sports Biz from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Football

• Includes failure to adequately monitor the social media activity of the team [North Carolina Receives NCAA Notice Of Allegations].
• College football players were accepting benefits under the table back in the 1940s [Pay for Pay - How one college athlete received cash or benefits while at USC].
• Supported by the competition committee [Roster sizes could be expanded during training camp].

Basketball

• Gabe Feldman is back with another “user-friendly” explanation of the issues at hand [The Legal Issues Behind the Looming NBA Lockout].
• About the NBA Draft that has become a game within the game [Fifteen Years of the NBA Draft].

Sports Business

• I am interviewed on a variety of subjects [An Agent’s Take on Lockouts, the NCAA, and Paying Athletes].

Baseball

• No above-slot signings from the 2011 Draft to date [Ranking the toughest players to sign]

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (6/24/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Baseball

• This happened earlier this year. Went from Bobby Barad to Melvin Roman [Jaime Garcia Changed Agents].

Sports Business

• Where is it going to come from, how do you decide which athletes are paid, is it just in revenue-producing sports, etc.? [The Problems With Paying College Athletes]

Baseball

• Players who are hitting triple provide quite a bit of value [Properly Valuing Hit Types].

Golf

• The new breed of super agents includes Chubby Chandler [Golf's biggest players: Who are the super agents running the game?].

Football

• July 1 certainly seems like a key date [Is the UFL the real winner of the NFL lockout?]
• John Phillips calls Rosenhaus a “toybox” and “an ATM Machine” [Drew Rosenhaus- Dissecting the Self Proclaimed "Shark"]
• I wrote about Florida’s attempt to protect itself from this on our sister site, ChangeLegal.com [NFL players prefer pursuing workers’ compensation claims in California].
• Take a look at those legal fees! [Yet another reason to bench the lawyers]

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (6/17/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Football

• Professor Gabe Feldman breaking it down [Q&A: Where does the labor situation sit after Friday's hearing?].
• Tony Agnone says the sky is not falling…yet [Agent telling players to stay prepared for inevitable return].
• University of Texas players not having the self control to say no to agents? [McCoy’s Wife: Longhorns ‘Didn’t’ Tell Agents ‘No’]
• Tweeted info about his teammate’s injuries [Ticats release player over Twitter posts]

Basketball

• Includes former agent Jason Levien [These Guys Want To Buy The Sixers].

Baseball

• I hear that Scott’s wife is the named advisor [Brewers draft Trent Boras, son of super agent Scott Boras].

Sports Business

• Molly Fletcher discusses how agents can help their clients into retirement [For the fans; Prepare for life after the game].

Sports Law

• Notarized contracts, $100,000 bond, strict document storage rules… [NC senate proposes strict sports agent laws].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (6/10/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Earlier today, Isenberg provided a guest contribution titled, DIYRS: Do It Yourself Rookie Symposium.  Within that post, Isenberg offers a booklet, free of charge, to any NFL draftee, undrafted free agent, and current NFL player.  That booklet is called Go Pro Like a Pro, and is a much shorter read than Money Players.  In fact, it is a small booklet that has been created for athletes, their parents, and others who have the privilege to influence, advise, and work on athletes’ behalf.  The goal is that those who read it will empower themselves and others to maximize their earnings and sustain their wealth.

I have to give props to Isenberg for printing one of my favorite quotes before his initial message to the reader.  ”I am not a businessman/I am a business, man” – Jay-Z.

Beyond the great quotes, Go Pro Like a Pro might be an even better for athletes than Money Players, not only because of it being a shorter read and less time consuming for someone who already has very little free time to spend, but also because it really fleshes out somewhat complex topics into easy-to-understand blurbs.  It can be carried around as a reference by amateur and professional athletes – and it should be.

One of the main points of the brochure is to explain the laws and NCAA rules regulating their relationships with others and the consequences of not knowing or adhering to those laws/rules.  Isenberg and Nece also make sure to speak of the wide array of benefits a competent and ethical agent may provide, especially since athletes are often dealing with general managers, coaches, and other team executives who have a tremendous edge in experience over the athletes they negotiate with and draft.  But they really stress that it is in athletes’ best interests to stay away from agents who are trying to “buy” their clients.

Chapter 4 is titled, “Stay in school or go pro” – something I have written extensively about in the past.  It is probably the toughest decision a talented amateur athlete has to make in the early part of his life.  As Marc correctly points out, the money offered should be considered only after the athlete decides whether he is mentally and physically ready for the rigors of a professional obligation.  And something I tell guys I am advising is that college coaches are great to go to for advice on the field/court, but when it comes to a decision to leave early, their advice will undoubtedly be biased.

Then there is Chapter 6 – “Select the right agent & management team.”  It’s all about an athlete associating himself with good people and distancing himself from those who might cause harm.  Isenberg attempts to assist the reader in this process.  Here are some things Isenberg points out as services that a good agent/lawyer should provide:

• Negotiating contracts
• Help with preparation for the draft
• Protection from making rookie mistakes
• Education regarding collective bargaining issues
• Information and feedback
• Help maximize financial opportunities, including endorsements
• References to other professionals, including business managers and financial advisors

Overall, I am quite impressed with the brevity and conciseness of the booklet.  It will be a good thing if this gets into the hands of amateur and professional athletes.

Book Review: Go Pro Like A Pro from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Sports Law

• Some ammo for Plaintiffs’ counsel in the Ed O’Bannon case? [Many Athletes Unknowingly Sign Away Rights to Profit From Their Images].
• The “roster management” approach to Title IX [College Teams, Relying on Deception, Undermine Gender Equity]

Football

• By purposely scoring bad in the preseason [Players may try to beat concussion tests].
• I don’t see Janoris Jenkins suing the NFL anytime soon [Janoris Jenkins could be the first to directly attack the draft].

Sports Business

• Based on Klout.com score.  I am 26 points behind him [Chad Ochocinco Tops Most Influential Athletes In Social Media List].

Basketball

• Michael McCann kills it on this one [Recent NFL ruling could drastically alter NBA's labor strategy].
• The NBPA gets ready for the next major sport labor battle [Report: NBA players could decertify].
• Includes names like Olu Ashaolu, Jacob Blankenship, and Keishawn Mayes? [NBA Announces Early Entry Candidates For 2011 NBA Draft].

Want to ask a football question to Phil Simms, Boomer Esiason, Chris Collinsworth and Howie Long?  You might even win a once in a lifetime trip.  Just click here!

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (4/29/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Baseball

• Former Boras Corp. employee talks about the industry and his new position [Baseball Sports Agency: Meet VP, Tim Murphy].
• His best response was getting Oliver Perez a new deal [Agent Boras defends himself against 'Player X'].
• 7-day disabled list [MLB, union adopt universal concussion policy].

Football

• I think the NFLPA has done enough; no need to affirmatively encourage players to attend the NFL Draft [NFLPA says it’s not asking players or agents to boycott draft].
• Rosenhaus is advising his clients to hold off on workouts organized by players [Miami Dolphins players trying to set up workouts].

Basketball

• Group workout being planned in New Jersey on the weekend of April 29 [Testing the NBA Draft Waters May Never Be the Same].

Sports Law

• A good video clip featuring some experts on the subject [MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Panel on "The Coming War: Sports Labor Relations"].

Sports Business

• Donation earns Falk the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics [David B. Falk ’72, Rhonda S. Falk ’74 make $15 million gift to Syracuse University].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (4/1/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Sports Business

• Congratulations to everybody on this impressive list [Forty Under 40: Class of 2011].

Baseball

• Great write-up on Roy Halladay’s relationship with his agent, Greg Landry of CAA [Trusted agent sharing in Halladay's happiness].
• Worthwhile to hear, especially if he answers questions [Scott Boras will be the keynote speaker at SABR convention].
• I wonder what Boras produced to influence the Nationals to sign Perez [He Wrote the Book on a Bust].

Football

• Will we see lawsuits filed by players who are not being paid workout bonuses? [Other players could file their own lawsuits].
• Agree with the title [NFLPA* should drop any efforts to attack NFL’s antitrust exemption for broadcasting].

Rugby

• Started for IMG and worked for some other agencies before starting his own [Mark Spoors, Founder of leading Player Management Company Big Red, talks about rugby, careers and Jerry Maguire].

Sports Law

• Why would you ever want to give your wife steroids? [Agent suspended 10 years for BALCO involvement]

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (3/25/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules