Hungover from Day 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft? I made the crazy decision of signing up for spin class at 7 a.m. this morning, before my body was fully adjusted back to the eastern time zone after a week-long trip in Vegas (by the way, a full week in Las Vegas is way too long no matter the purpose for your travels). While in Vegas, I suffered a few heartbreak Miami Heat losses, but at least a pushed on a big bet I had on my home team. I also witnessed the first competition in a new H1Z1 esports league, which was very interesting to take in live. The power of the esports industry continues to amaze me, and I’m excited to not only cover its happenings, but also do a lot of legal work for various individuals and entities in the space at Heitner Legal.
This week on Forbes:
(1) VVP’s Stratton Sclavos Says Esports Leagues Are ‘Everything’ As 10-Figure Industry Continues To Grow;
(2) How Paddy Power Betfair Is Preparing For Sports Betting To Open Up In The U.S.;
(3) NFL Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster Dances His Way Into A Sponsorship With Pizza Hut;
(4) Why The Brooklyn Nets Are Suing A Recent Sponsor In Monster Inc.;
(5) Drone Racing League Extends Title Sponsorship With Allianz, Adding 3 Years To Deal
This week on Inc.:
(1) 4 Hurdles That Pro Video Game Players Face Despite Finally Being Able to Earn Livings Pursuing Their Passion;
(2) 2 Takeaways from Restaurant’s Failure in Seating and Serving Giannis Antetokounmpo After Big Win over the Celtics;
(3) Why Former NBA Player David Robinson Is Investing in a $5 Million Round for SidelineSwap to Battle Against Amazon and eBay;
(4) Why INFLCR Founder Jim Cavale Didn’t Rush to Raise His First $1 Million;
(5) Philadelphia 76ers CEO Says He Runs It Like a Family Business and Talks About the Hardship of Working Parents;
(6) The 2018 NFL Draft Is Here: Here’s the Secret Success Tip Agents Need to Focus On and Why
And as always, the weekly wrap-up (all football!):
Football
- A discussion with NFL’s former youngest agent Aaron Zack [NFL Players Need A Playbook When Managing Their Financial Future].
- Former general manager and team president Jeff Diamond now works with an NFL agent group as a consultant [Reality of NFL Draft rooms is a blend of tension and trepidation].
- Kim Miale’s (rep of the #2 overall pick) advice is to “Prioritize what needs to be done and stick to the plan. Do not waste time worrying over things you cannot control. Focus on what you can do and execute” [12 Women Executives On How They Keep Their Cool in High Stress].
- More on Miale, who broke a record for female agents at the NFL Draft [Kim Miale, Saquon Barkley’s agent, makes history at NFL Draft].
- Mayfield on Bus Cook: “If you’re going to pursue a guy and say that you want him, you want to be that guy that’s going to be there for him, why not do your research” [Here’s why Baker Mayfield hung up on Brett Favre’s agent].
- 27-year-old O’Dare has 5 clients eligible for the Draft including Arkansas QB Austin Allen [Sports agent Shawn O’Dare helps players navigate ‘unpredictable’ NFL Draft].
- Malki Kawa is actively defending his client under scrutiny [Reports: Antonio Callaway’s agent claims diluted sample after WR failed NFL combine drug test].
- Likely why the Patriots didn’t spend their 1st round pick on a QB [Tom Brady’s agent expects Patriots QB to play in 2018].
