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Nightmare Clients of the Week

Nightmare Clients for the Week of June 18th-June 25th

Let me see yo grillI had to bring this one to you all early again due to my departure tonight to Las Vegas once again for a little vacation. I will be back on Tuesday, so until then, enjoy this post, read over any that you’ve missed over the past month, and who knows, Nicholas may even provide a post in the meantime. It was not a bad week for individual athletes. Ozzie Guillen acted like a jerk, but you can’t expect much more out of such a class act [Guillen crosses line with latest slur]. Without any delay, here are your nightmare clients of the week:

1. Santonio Holmes

    I love a first-round wide-receiver with big potential in the National Football League. I hate it when such a talented receiver jeopardizes his future before playing a single game as a pro. Domestic violence by assault, assault, and maintaining an outstanding charge from a speeding accident that occurred a week ago…3 strikes buddy [Holmes could be in trouble with NFL]. Particularly, I do not really understand why the outstanding charge still exists, especially if he has a person or team representing him and making sure that his record is as clean as possible. At least Holmes has publicly appologized to the team. Because of his actions, however, many postulate that Santonio Holmes will not receive as lucrative of a first contract as others in his class and will see his signing bonus spread more throughout the various years of his contract than his draft-mates. Implications for Sports Agents: Public appologizes are important when your client screws up. If you have noticed (or actually not noticed), Holmes really has not received much press about his conviction. His team (Joel Segal as agent) has handled the situation well. At the same time, if you represent someone, make sure that his/her record is clear of any old charges. It is stupid to have those things linger around and then show up again if any criminal action does take place.

Like I said, slow week in the world of nightmare clients. That’s great news. Have a great weekend everyone, and I will be back on the scene blogging next week under the influence of Percocets after I get my wisdom teeth pulled. Should be an adventure!

Update: Before I was even able to get on the plane to fly over to Vegas, I get word that Brett Myers was upset about not being on this week’s column. So to get himself on-board, he decided to punch his wife outside of a bar in Boston last night [Brett Myers Punched His Wife In The Face]. What do you think he threatened to do if she didn’t pay the bail for his release?

[tags]santonio holmes, nfl, pittsburgh steelers, ozzie guillen, joel segal[/tags]

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.