Before I go into the details of this event, please realize that it is completely sold out.  They do have a waiting list, which you can place your name onto, if you are so interested.  The only option on the waiting list is to register as a non-student for $200 (again, only if you are selected off of the waiting list).

What: 2010 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

When: Saturday, March 06, 2010 (7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) – map

Conference Goal: To provide a forum to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry.

Panels:

• Alternative Storytelling: Future of Sports Journalism
• Baseball Analytics
• Basketball Analytics
• Buzz-Worthy Events: The Olympics, Super Bowl, NBA Finals and Winter Classic
• Coaching Analytics
• Developing the Athlete’s Brand
• Emerging Analytics
• Future of Attendance: Innovations at Arenas & Stadiums
• International Expansion
• Lunch Presentations
• Next Generation Sports Management and Ownership
• Performance Enhancement: Will Future Athletes be Formula One or NASCAR?
• Social Media Marketing
• What Geeks Don’t Get: The Limits of Moneyball

This Conference has one of, if not the, richest group of panelists that I have ever seen at an event.  If you do have a chance to make it off of the waiting list, the $200 may be well worth it.

So you want to work in sports?  You’ve put in the days, the months, and the years into getting yourself ready to be a productive member of the sports industry.  You have recently graduated college, maybe even with an industry specific degree in sports management.  In some cases, you even went out and got yourself a fancy post graduate degree and now you are ready to take on the challenge of working in the sports industry.  If this sounds like you and you are currently gainfully employed in the same sports industry you set out to conquer during these ever important early years of your professional career, then consider yourself a lucky member of the minority.  The majority, on the other hand, is the ever expanding group of young sports industry prospects who have a lot to offer, but no one willing to take a chance on them.  I am a part of this majority, and in this case, it is definitely better not to be running with the crowd.

I am 24 years of age, have a bachelor’s degree in sports management, and have held 3 different internship positions since graduating in 2007.  I have interned for a sports and entertainment public relations firm, an up-start NFL agent, and most recently a sports event hospitality company. I believe internships are a great way to learn more about the industry you want to be in, but like anything else, they have their pros and cons.  An obvious pro is that you can learn and gain experience in the industry you have wanted so much to be a part of.  This isn’t as fool proof as one may like; however, since you will find companies who only value their interns as a means to input data and nothing else.  On the other hand, you also may be lucky and work for a company who splits up the boring, tedious work that you are most definitely supposed to be doing at this stage of your career with actual company matters that require creative thoughts and ideas to stimulate your mind and give you the real experience you can use down the line. I have had the opportunity to intern in both types of settings and have a real appreciation for companies who value their internship programs.  But what if you are in the type of situation where your voice isn’t being heard…ever?  Well, that is where you have to make your own luck and figure out a way to do what is necessary to be noticed.

My personal motto for all work situations is to treat everyday like it is an interview. I learned this from the NFL agent I interned with for over a year and I try and do my best to keep that kind of enthusiasm and commitment day in and day out no matter how unglamorous the tedious work for the day might be.  The one thing that every internship has in common is that it is a foot in the door.  Getting that foot in the door is hard enough and you want to make the most out of it because things could suddenly open up, and if you have made yourself an indispensable part of the office and have shown great effort, then you could be in line for a promotion and subsequently a place in the sports industry. An internship also provides you with experience for your resume and can be a great way to make connections and grow your network.

Your network might be your most important asset in the sports industry. I recently spoke with someone who has the job I want at the company I would like to work for, in order to try and gain some perspective and advice.  What I learned from him is that connections trump all. He had worked in the industry for a few years, graduated high in his class and obtained his MBA, but was convinced all of that was peanuts compared to connections he had made, one of which was with his boss that led to him getting his job.  When this person said, “I’m convinced my boss doesn’t ever look at resumes” I rethought my game plan and refocused it on networking and selling myself as a person, because there are countless people out there, some of you included, with more impressive resumes than me and I need to separate myself from the gathering herd of applicants.  You should be doing the same thing.  Sell yourself, get creative and come up with your own game plan to follow.

Don’t get discouraged.  Get hungry.  If this is something you want and you are passionate about it and can afford to maybe work a night job for a few years so you can spend your days working for free towards your goal, then do it.  I personally need to be doing something I’m passionate about to be effective, and I love sports.  I’ve been told to maybe work a job in a different industry and figure it out later, but the time is always now to do what you love and the road isn’t always an easy one.  It is easy to get down on yourself if you, like me, have had a little trouble climbing the corporate ladder, but know that you’re not alone.  In the mean time, keep yourself sharp and try to make yourself stand out, but try not to take any jobs from me!

I was not sure of the answer to her question, but figured that some of you may be able to help her out.  This is what she asked,

I was thinking about continuing my education with a masters degree in the USA, and I’ve been looking for universities that specialize in Sports PR. I just wanted to ask you, if you are able and willing to help me out, if you are aware of institutions that provide students with that chance. Because my research so far hasn’t been very productive. Do you happen to know any universities I can contact?

I know of universities that offer specializations in Sports Business, Sports Law, and Sports Management, but how about Sports PR?

The entire Q&A segment may be read by clicking here.  Below is one question and answer provided free of charge.

3. In what ways can other sports marketing companies turn their blogs into business opportunities?

Many aspects of the sports industry are closed off to a large segment of the worldwide population.  And unsurprisingly, there are a lot of people hungry for more knowledge about what goes on behind the scenes in the business of sports.  People do not only reserve an interest about sports agents, sports law, and sports business, which are the three areas we cover the most at SportsAgentBlog.com.  Unfortunately, no matter how many Sports Management classes you take in school, you will leave unsatisfied and with a desire to learn more.

Sports marketing companies can benefit from adopting a model based on openness and transparency.  It will allow them greater access to potential innovative interns, spur additional relationships with members of other companies who come across the blog, strengthen the company’s image as a knowledgeable source within its niche, and bounce ideas off of its readers, who end up being the consumers of the produced marketing material.

For the current Internship Program, Justin Herzig (our HR Director) received over 250 intern applications.  Some were thrown away after reading a couple of lines of the cover letter, but most applicants actually seemed extremely qualified for the limited number of spots available.  Do you need to have a law degree, MBA, or internship to break into this industry?  Read Jack Bechta’s story…the answer is no.  But it surely does help to at least have an internship.  Bechta is a part of a very small minority of people who can succeed in this very difficult profession by printing a few business cards and starting up a company with absolutely no experience.

Bechta mentions that there are several agents with a huge client list that never attended law school.  My response is that an agent is not graded by his client list.  There are also many players who end up suing their agent or leaving the agent because of poor execution of his job.  When I first started law school, I wondered myself why so many people said that it was so important for a person to attend law school in order to be an agent.  Criminal law, Torts, Property, Civil Procedure…yeah they may all come in handy, but probably not.  Then came Contracts, Corporations, Business Organizations, Intellectual Property…now it all makes sense.  The knowledge I have after going to law school coupled with the experience I continue to gain with my own clients makes me a better agent every day.

There is also going the route of Bechta and keeping an attorney on retainer for your firm.  I still think that if given the opportunity, go to law school.  Players like having a one-stop shop for all their needs (that’s why CAA, WMG, etc. continue to dominate).  I think that they also want an agent who can wear more than one hat.  To bring a personal knowledge of the law to every negotiation and not have to rely on another person seems to bring some extra value to the table.

As far as grad school for some sort of Sports Management MBA is concerned, I am not completely sold.  If you go that route, I think you should definitely heed Bechta’s advice.  Look at who the professors are and the subjects being taught before you spend all that money.

I can’t disagree with Bechta when he says that overall the 2 most important qualities for success in this industry are:

1. a competitive nature
2. determination

Along with that, I will add a third quality: 3) innovation.  There are so many agents out there going after the same clients, giving the same pitch, and providing the same services.  Do something to make yourself stand out.  Sorry, I already created SportsAgentBlog.com, so making a blog about the sports agent world will not really separate you.  Spend some time thinking about what you can do to make yourself a thing of value.  I promise that the time taken will be well worth it.

Where: James B.M. McNally Amphitheatre, Fordham Law School. 140 West 62nd Street, New York, NY.

When: Friday, April 17, 2009

Program Agenda

9:00 AM- Welcome and Opening Remarks
Opening Remarks by Tanner Rouse
Co-Editor, Fordham Sports Law Symposium

9:30 AM – Panel I
Pharmaceutical Liability and Sports

Moderator:

JOHN M. VORPERIAN, ESQ.
Professor of Sports Law/Sports Management,
Concordia College;
Host, “Beyond the Game”

Panelists:

EUGENE ROGER EGDORF, ESQ.
Pharmaceutical Litigator, The Lanier Law Firm;
Certified Contract Advisor, NFL Players Association

EUGENE LEE, ESQ.
President and Founder, ETL Associates;
Certified Contract Advisor, NFL Players Association

CAMERON A. MYLER, ESQ.
Associate, Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz, P.C.
Four-time Olympic Luger;
Associate Counsel, World Olympians Association

5 Minute Break

11:15 AM – Panel II
Sports Journalism Ethics

Moderator:

ABNER GREENE, ESQ.
Leonard F. Manning Chair,
Professor, Fordham University Law School

Panelists:

ARI FLEISCHER
President, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications
Former White House Press Secretary

MIKE FLORIO, ESQ.
Correspondent, Profootballtalk.com

JACK MARSHALL, ESQ.
President and Founder, ProEthics;
Primary Writer and Editor, The Ethics Scoreboard

MARK CONRAD, ESQ.
Professor of Legal and Ethical Studies,
Fordham University School of Business

DAVID SUSSMAN, ESQ.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
Former Counsel and acting COO of the New York Yankees

1:00 – Lunch

1:45 PM – Keynote Address

Introduction by PAT F.X. FITZPATRICK, JR.
Co-Editor Fordham Sports Law Symposium

JOHN D. FEERICK, ESQ.
Sidney C. Norris Chair of Law in Public Service,
Director /Founder of the Feerick Center for Federal Justice,
Fordham University Law School

2:45 PM – Panel III
Gambling in Sports

Moderator:

MATTHEW J. MITTEN, ESQ.
Director, National Sports Law Institute;
Director of LL.M in Sports Law for Foreign Lawyers,
Marquette University Law School

Panelists:

JEFFREY STANDEN, ESQ.
Professor of Sports Law,
Willamette University;
Author of Upcoming Publication:
The Beauty of Bets: Prediction Markets, Wagers and Compensation for Professional Athletes

JAY MOYER, ESQ.
Adjunct Professor,
Fordham University Law School;
Special Counsel, National Football League

MARC EDELMAN, ESQ.
Visiting Professor,
Rutgers School of Law- Camden;
Founder and CEO, www.SportsJudge.com

SENATOR RAYMOND LESNIAK
State Senator of New Jersey
Plaintiff: Interactive Entertainment & Gaming Association, Inc., et al. v. Holder, et al.

CLE Credits and Registration Fees: Free and open to the public | 6 NYS CLE (non-transitional, professional practice) credits and lunch available for $100 ($85 for Fordham Law alumni & public interest attorneys). Lunch without CLE credit is available for $10. Fordham Law School has a financial hardship policy.

It’s good to be back after a hiatus from writing for the site. The old saying goes that in law school they scare you to death in the first year, work you to death in the second year, and bore you to death in the third year. Consider me officially bored, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean it’s any less busy or stressful! It’s been a crazy few months.

I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the most interesting meetings I’ve ever been a part of. On November 10^th and 11^th, a sports management conference was held in Toronto at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. It was hosted by Brian Burke, the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Trevor Whiffen, a partner with the Toronto-based law firm Aylesworth LLP. The conference brought together dozens of influential personalities from many different sectors of the sports world.

There were a number of different speakers and panels. The keynote speakers at the luncheons were NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the first day and Paul Godfrey, the outgoing President of the Toronto Blue Jays on the second day. The panels dealt with a number of diverse issues, from sports in the courts, to the role of the media, to the challenges of running a professional franchise. Speakers came from all over North America and almost every major professional sports league. Although there was a significant hockey slant to the conference (this being Canada after all), there were still many interesting speakers from the other North American pro leagues. Representatives from baseball, football, basketball, and lacrosse were all in attendance.

Two of the more interesting panels for readers of this site were a roundtable featuring representatives from a number of players’ associations and an agents’ roundtable. The players’ association panel featured Paul Kelly, the Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA); Billy Hunter, the Executive Director of the National Basketball Association Player’s Association (NBAPA); as well as representatives from the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) and the Major League Baseball Players’ Association (MLBPA). They discussed the upcoming expiration of the collective bargaining agreements in the NBA and NFL, and what the sagging economy means for the negotiations of new agreements.

In keeping with the hockey theme of the conference, four of the five agents during the agents’ roundtable were hockey agents, Don Meehan, Don Baizley, Mike Liut, and Pat Morris. Randy Hendricks, a baseball player agent, was also a member of the panel. One piece of advice that all of the panel members had for potential player agents was to go to law school and practice law first before attempting to become an agent. This is solid advice and is the path that I am following at the moment. They all stated that the life of an agent is not nearly as glamorous as “Entourage” or “Jerry Maguire” would make it seem. It involves a lot of pounding the pavement and a lot of research. Don Meehan stated that if you followed him around for a week, you would likely lose your interest in becoming an agent. I’m not sure that would deter many of our readers!

One of the things that impressed me most about the conference and the panelists was that they took the time to answer questions and were cognizant of the fact that there were a number of younger delegates in the audience, such as myself, who are looking to break into the professional sports world. The panelists and other delegates were available during breaks to talk and answer questions. They were friendly and approachable and were willing to offer whatever advice they had.

All in all, this conference was like a dream for me. I had wanted to attend something like this for a very long time, and it exceeded my every expectation. I joked to some friends afterward that I took more notes and learned more in those two days than I did in my entire time at law school! While this is only partially true, it was an incredible learning experience. I made contacts with people from all over North America and learned skills that will help me in my career going forward.

My personal highlight was getting to meet Brian Burke. He has been one of my idols ever since I started thinking about entering the world of professional sports and it was a thrill to meet him and get to talk to him. To think that I was standing there, talking to Brian Burke about his plans for next season (this was while he was still with the Anaheim Ducks, the day before he stepped down as GM and signed with the Leafs), I still can’t believe it. Attending the conference was truly amazing and made me want to work in professional sports even more. I can’t wait to go back again in the future.

Visit sportsjobs.com and read it regularly for a month, and this is what you’ll find: copious commission sales jobs, a handful of sponsorship jobs at mid-level colleges, and bundles and bundles of unpaid internships with teams of every stripe.

The jobs that are out there either don’t pay or are really just sales positions not a lot different from selling shoes or boat motors or securities. They aren’t sexy.

So it seems like the current landscape for a college graduate looking for a job is this:

1. There are availabilities for sports business jobs to young, qualified, and ambitious candidates.
2. Entry level pay at those jobs will be below what may be necessary for you to live comfortably.
3. You cannot be picky when it comes to breaking in.  You may not get a job with a sports agency or basketball team, but may get offered a low level position doing marketing with a company that focuses on a sport like soccer.

A recent article by Brian Kladko at Bloomberg.com seems to agree with the above sentiments, but adds some additional information to help guide students or future students that are looking to break into the industry.  Apparently, obtaining a sports management/administration degree from one of the over 229 schools that offer such a program is often the wrong move if you are looking to gain a job in this field out of college.  Theo Epstein did not major in sports management, and Mark Cuban believes that you are doing yourself a huge disservice if you decide to limit yourself to studying in a sports-oriented major.  Mark is quoted in Bloomberg as saying,

“While we won’t dismiss a potential hire because they graduated with a sports management degree, it hurts more than helps…I would rather hire someone with more diverse skills.”

Nobody tells it quite how it is like Mark Cuban. What he says may not be pretty, but at least you know you are getting the truth (or at least his version of it).  Mark has a solid point, though, which is one that I have said time and time again.  There is no reason to limit yourself to focusing on one particular subject.  In fact, a more well-rounded candidate is always preferable to somebody who is only proficient in one area (actually, if you are an accountant, I retract that statement).  Go to school and take business courses, finance, political science, and mass communications (my favorite!).

The one exception is if you go to a school that has a rich history of successful alumni who graduated from its sports management program.  Ohio University is a great example.  Harvard…not so much.  Do your homework and make the right decision in choosing your school and your courses.  This field is too competitive to be making any false steps.

My response is usually along the lines of, There really is no “right” route. Law school will teach you the most about negotiation and contracts. A masters in sports management will probably do less, but may prove to be rewarding. I obviously hold slight bias as a current law student, but from what I have heard and read, obtaining a J.D. was more valuable than gaining a masters in sports management as long as one was willing to put in the three years of time to receive the degree and countless hours in the library to prevent failing out.

A new story is making me reconsider the weakness of obtaining a masters in sports management. In fact, the most valuable masters degrees in sports management may be coming from schools that you would not at first consider when applying for graduate school. San Diego State University, Arizona State University, Ohio University, and University of Oregon have sports management masters programs that are among the top in the United States. SDSU has a strong relationship with the San Diego Padres and Arizona State with the Phoenix Suns. Then there is always top rated Wharton at University of Pennsylvania, where one has a chance of being taught by a premier sports business professor, Ken Shropshire.

If law school is not for you, but you want a post graduate degree (possibly so that you can be a certified NFLPA agent), signing up to be a sports management masters program student may not be such a bad idea. Do your research and learn which program is best for your future goals.

While I am gone, you will be left in the strong and able hands of Jason Wulterkens, who will take over my role as the main writer and editor of Contributor posts. For the next week, send all tips to jgerritwulterkens@gmail.com. And here are some news stories not covered over the past week:

• Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up loves a good Jewish sports story. Enjoy this one about a former Packers and Cowboys O-Lineman who is now a Super Jew [Ex-NFL player goes from shoulder pads to prayer shawl].
• I don’t even want to speak about this Jew.. [Red Sox Scout Endures The Long Nights On The Road In The Wrong Way].
• And if you are looking for somebody to do your son’s bris, maybe check out international and U.S. knife-throwing champion, Rick Lemberg [Champion knife thrower joins Jewish sports heroes].
• Enough about Jews already! Congrats to Sports Law Blog for publishing its 2,000th post [Happy 2000th Anniversary, Sports Law Blog!].
• A Sports Management Worldwide success story [Salesman Now Sells to the NFL].
• Could Randy Moss be the new face of Pony brand shoes? [Randy Moss: Can He "Ride" Pony Back To Success?]
• What you can look forward to as a 1L in Civil Procedure. The only problem is that the cases are much more boring to read [Clemens v. McNamee: Your Civil Procedure Exam].
• Interesting that ESPN is just now picking up on the fact that NBA players and others are speaking out about the genocide in Darfur. Yeah…I covered that about a year ago. Still, kudos to the increased effort to help the troubled area [Ballers Against Genocide].