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Sports Law

2011 Is Not That Far Away

The 2010 UF Sports Law Symposium is roughly only 5 months away, and there already is a lot of buzz about the future event amongst sports business and sports law professionals.  We have already secured a plethora of amazing panelists, moderators, and our keynote speaker;  names will be announced within the next few weeks.  As you may know, the overall theme is: Bargaining Collectively.  The focus will be on the expiration of the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, and discussion about the negotiating points on a new collective bargaining agreement in each sport.  Join the Facebook Fan Page to stay up-to-date on symposium news and clippings about CBA related material.

The symposium is 5 months away, but union leaders and league executives have already begun to speak publicly about the pending expiration of their collective bargaining agreements.  Just yesterday, SportsBusiness Journal ran a few lengthy pieces with the overall title being, 2011: Deal or No Deal.  Below, find a link to each piece with a short breakdown.

  1. Deal or no deal? The NFL and NBA have begun formal negotiating, and a major sticking point for team owners and execs want big changes in the salary cap structure.  In the MLB, the union is concerned about possible collusion under the current CBA.  Teams and leagues want to see if sponsors will renew their agreements in this rough economy instead of negotiating a new deal based on old figures.  The main issue in the NFL and NBA is players’ share of league revenue.  Owners are tired of a salary cap that is determined by a percentage of league revenue.
  2. Proskauer Rose has a seat at every table.  The MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL are all represented by Proskauer Rose.  David Stern and Gary Bettman started their careers at the firm.  Proskauer Rose is a major player in labor negotiations.
  3. Four veterans look at the state of labor relations.  Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group believes that the NBPA has a lot of power if they can muster up the courage to use it.  Mark Murphy, CEO of the Green Bay Packers, wants to see veterans paid more and rookies paid less, suspended players suspended from paychecks, a strict substance abuse and steroid program, and more.  Doug Allen, former NFLPA assistant executive director, says players should prepare for decertification (renouncement of collective bargaining altogether).  Clark Griffith, former owner of the Minnesota Twins, believes that balancing revenue is important so that going into every game, fans have no idea who is going to win.  He believes that drug testing has a lot to do with making game outcomes unknown.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.