Sports agent talks ethics in response to SI article
A. Isaac 
Yesterday, a former NFL agent named Josh Luchs opened up a rather large can of worms. In an article entitled “Confessions of an Agent” for Sports Illustrated, he describes in detail the shady side of the business. Of particular note, Luchs offered up information on 30 college players that he made payments to in an effort to land them as a client.
Josh Luchs is certainly not alone in this type of activity. 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush was forced to give back the award for accepting improper benefits from an agent. USC was also hammered with sanctions from the NCAA. And just a few days ago, defensive tackle Marvin Austin of North Carolina was booted off the team for receiving close to 13k in benefits.
Undoubtedly, these kinds of stories don’t paint sports agents in a positive light.
We asked Darren Heitner, the CEO of Dynasty Athlete Representation and editor of Sports Agent Blog, to give us a little insight into how somebody goes about ethically attaining clients in this type of sordid atmosphere.
The movie Jerry Maguire was released in 1996. Fourteen years later, Tom Cruise’s depiction of a sports agent is still what is generally accepted by those who do not work in the sports agent profession. While Jerry Maguire made for a great story, and it grossed quite a few dollars in the box office, it is not the best representation of my business.
If you are a fan of college football, and in particular UNC, South Carolina, Alabama, or UGA, you are probably aware of AgentGate, or at least have noticed that some of your favorite players have been suspended for at least a portion of this year’s college football season. While there are various reasons for the suspensions, one justification continues to surface – athletes accepting benefits from sports agents. The ethical way of approaching a student-athlete about representation is to provide him information about yourself, your agency, and the services you will be able to provide him once he declares for a professional draft and no longer holds on to any student-athlete eligibility. The wrong way is through false promises, signing or orally agreeing to an agency contract, and delivering anything of value to a player while he continues to have a wish to play college sports.
The problem is that there are some people in my industry who do not play by the rules. It makes it very difficult for me to compete, especially since I refuse to stoop to their level of play. It helps that I spent seven years at one of the best athletic institutions in the world (the University of Florida), but when athletes have their hands out and agents are sending “care packages” in the mail, my alma mater advantage is quickly wiped away. That said, it is not impossible to use a college tie to one’s benefit. Take Drew Rosenhaus, for example. He has made quite a business out of recruiting University of Miami football players.
I have been asked for money and have seen runners connected to other agents give money to players. With everything that I have seen and heard, I am still in this line of work, and I truly believe that I will be able to flourish. Athletes will continue to ask for money and agents will continue to provide it. If I become one of those agents, I will put myself at risk of jail time, huge fines, but worst of all, I would not be able to live with my actions. Instead, I will use my openness and knowledge of the law, negotiations, and marketing to benefit my clients and seek new clientele. There are also plenty of athletes who understand the value of having a professional work on their behalf instead of someone who is a pro at giving hand-me-outs.
Darren Heitner is a certified agent and attorney in the State of Florida. He is the CEO of Dynasty Athlete Representation, LLC and is the Chief Editor at http://www.SportsAgentBlog.com. He is regularly quoted in major publications for major sports agent issues.
follow guyism:
Other Stories You Might LIke
Sports by the number: 10/13/10
comment on this story
blog comments powered by Disqus