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Whining About A Crennel Contract Extension

I am not a gambling man, but my favorite casino game is Texas Hold-Em Poker. It is the only betting game where I feel you have a chance at controlling the destiny of your wallet. Bluffing is a vital part of the action, and the best hand often does not win; it is all about playing your hand to the best of your ability. I have always felt that contract negotiations are handled in a very similar fashion. On the surface, your client may not seem to be worth a certain amount of money, but if you play your hand correctly and build up your client’s strengths, you can gain value and possibly win the negotiation. The reason I italicize win is because there really is no such thing as winning a negotiation. You win when both sides come out happy.

Anyway, Frank Derry of The Orange and Brown Report believes that poker players and sports agents are completely different types of people. To sum up his arguments, he says that a poker player gets a minute of pleasure (if even that) from winning a hand that he statistically should not won, but gets devastated when he loses a hand that statistically should have been a winner. In contrast, a sports agent is silent when his client is having a bad year but quickly demands more money for a client who suddenly has a good year in lieu of consistent past failure.

Joe LintaBasically, Derry is upset over a contract extension inquiry made by Romeo Crennel’s agent, Joe Linta of JL Sports. Crennel’s Cleveland Browns went a unexpected 10-6 this year, and I personally cannot blame Linta for trying to capitalize on his client’s success and obtain a long term contract. Just as a poker player would not bet into an opponent who flips over his cards to show 4-of-a-kind, an agent would not try to get his client a better deal after a 4-12 season. Why is this so shocking?

Having one winning season may not be enough to get Crennel a new agreement, but it would not surprise me if Linta is able to get his client a sweeter deal. If a West Virginia interim head coach only has to win one game to bump up to full head coach status, then I do not put it past any agent to get his client a better deal based on a full year of success.

And I still believe that there are many similarities between sports agents and poker players.

p.s. – Check out Jason Peck’s newest Sports Business Carnival. He took off the complementary image advertisement for SportsAgentBlog.com, but we still love him.

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.

One reply on “Whining About A Crennel Contract Extension”

[…] Romeo Crennel has already acquired the pot of gold that awaited him after turning around a disgusting looking Cleveland Browns team in 2006 to a 10-6 playoff contender in 2007. Next in line looking to reap their rewards are RB Jamal Lewis and QB Derek Anderson. In the beginning of this season, how many people even envisioned Anderson finishing 2007 as the Browns starting quarterback? How many thought he would either be on another team or forced out of football in a few years? […]

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