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Top Sports Agencies
Sports management has become a significant industry. The business of sports agent has become a major component in the realm of sports.
Over three thousand certified sports agents are registered to the various sports leagues, according to the web site, Sports Agents Directory at http://sportsagentsdirectory.com/?gclid=CLTn1cfA94gCFR-lQAodpk4zbA. Agents are thus among the most important figures in the world of sports. Many today desire a sports management career, even earning sports management degrees, learning how to become a sports agent. If you are interested in learning how to become a sports agent or if you are interested in working for sports agencies, visit:http://www.workinsports.com/home.asp
Some professional sports agents are highly esteemed. One of the most highly respected, successful agents is Leigh Steinberg. He began his sports agent career by representing Steve Bartkowski of
California
University
. Steinberg has represented some of the most recognizable athletes of the last thirty years, including players from the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. He has even represented boxing champions Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis. In the past fifteen years, Steinberg has negotiated contracts for his clients with dollar amounts that exceed one billion dollars!
Leigh Steinberg is known, however, for more than simply negotiating lucrative contracts. He is also reported to be the inspiration for the movie, “Jerry Maguire” and the television series, “Arliss.” Steinberg is a proponent of his clients being responsible and contributing members of society. Those he represents have given millions of dollars to assist various charities. He expects each client to provide assistance to the high school he or she attended, the college or university attended, as well as charities in his or her hometown.
Arn Tellum is another powerful sports agent. He is also highly regarded as a man of quiet strength and intellectual prowess. In November, 2003, Tellum was appointed to the position of CEO of SFX Baseball, a sports agent agency. His appointment followed the departure of Randy Hendricks. Randy and his brother, Alan, had sold their sports agent agency, Hendricks Sports Management, to SFX in 1999 for more than fifteen million dollars. The Hendricks brothers now run a boutique baseball management agency, with such clients as Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Tellum currently represents many high profile athletes like Tracy McGrady, Jason Giambi and Barry Zito. Zito is one of the most highly desirable free agents this baseball off season. Tellum’s organization represents an amazing percentage of the athletes in Major League Baseball and the National Baskeball Association. Agents under Tellum’s supervision manage over sixteen per cent of MLB Players and nearly one in five of all the players in the NBA!
Not every agent has a good reputation. Some professional sports agents are considered controversial. Some are known as, and even promote themselves, as sharks.
Scott Boras began his sports agent career following a professional baseball career that was cut short by a series of knee injuries. Some of his early successes as a negotiator were for clients who had previously been his team mates.
Boras
is cited as being instrumental in the dramatic rise in the amount of signing bonuses for players taken in the amateur draft each year. Today’s draftees are often given signing bonuses worth multiple millions of dollars.
The Scott Boras Corporation today represents some of the biggest names in baseball. His client list include such impressive names as Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, J.D. Drew and the likely soon to be All Time Home Run Champion, Barry Bonds. Eight years into the deal
Boras
negotiated for Rodriguez, it remains the most lucrative in all of baseball.
Controversy has swirled around some of the
Boras
led negotiations. When J. D. Drew was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies,
Boras
demanded $11 million. The Phillies offered only three. Drew held out for a year, reentered the draft and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals for $8 million. There are many fans in Houston who can be heard on talk radio shows that believe
Boras
used the Astros organization as nothing more than leverage to drive up the amount of the contract offer from the New York Mets.
Drew Rosenhaus has represented some big-name athletes, including Warren Sapp, Clinton Portis and the inimitable Terrell Owens. And he is known as a shark. In fact a 1998 biographical book about his sports agent career is titled, A Shark Never Sleeps: Wheeling And Dealing With The NFL’s Most Ruthless Agent. Rosenhaus has made appearances in two movies, “Jerry Maguire” and “Any Given Sunday.”
Rosenhaus is known for his aggressive dealings and for holdouts. His methods have drawn complaints from some of his competitors, who charge that he breaks rules that prohibit a professional sports agent from soliciting clients that are represented by another sports agent agency. His clients defend him against the charges. Rosenhaus is also reported to have saved a little boy from drowning. He had been a life guard earlier in his life. One day in Orlando Rosenhaus dove into a pool, pulled out a four year old boy. The boy was not breathing, so Rosenhaus administered CPR, preserving the boy’s life. Reportedly, Rosenhaus was glad to be known as a good guy for a change.
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