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Visionary Post Of The Months

Screw Nightmare Clients of the Week today. If you committed a stupid act over the past two weeks and possibly put your professional career in jeopardy, at least you will get a pardon from seeing your name on this website. That is my Holiday gift to you.

In addition, here are my Visionary Post Of The Months. Below I will link to what I feel have been the most influential/thought provoking/interesting posts that have been made on this site each month over the past year. Enjoy.

January 2006 – Should a Sports Agent go to Law School? – A common question that I receive in comments/e-mail is whether a person looking to be a Sports Agent should go to law school. I personally believe that one should. It may have not been as important in the past, but I believe that in the future it will almost be a necessity.

February 2006 – Arbitration…good or bad? – A good discussion about the facts behind when a client becomes arbitration eligible and why it may not be in an agent’s favor to actually have the hearing.

March 2006 – Can Olympic/Student Athletes Obtain Endorsements? – A look at Jeremy Bloom’s case and the NCAA Bylaws gives some insight into the answer.

April 2006 – Is Being A Sports Agent Rocket Science? – The importance of personal relationships among other qualities a Sports Agent must have. A look at the agent histories for Vince Young, Lance Berkman, and Jonathan Vilma.

May 2006 – What are the Fee Regulations in Major U.S. Sports – Another common question in my inbox. This post should set the commission fee ceilings straight in the four main American professional sports.

June 2006 – NFL Holdouts – Are players and their agents in the wrong when they decide to holdout? Deion Branch’s case stirred up some good conversation.

July 2006 – Clients on Social Networking Sites – Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace get tons of hits per day and reveal plenty of information about its users. Should an agent allow his/her client to use such sites? This post was featured on Sports Business Daily.

August 2006 – Agent or Advisor? – Benefit of being labeled an advisor early on in negotiations instead of being a player’s agent (highlighting baseball).

September 2006 – Is It Really Worth It? – One of the main goals of this site is to try to curb NCAA violations and illegal acts made by Sports Agents. This post highlights the Reggie Bush scandal and asks if it was really worth it to violate the rules.

October 2006 – Will The Yankees Success Hurt Agents? – One of our many posts featured on Deadspin.com, this post examines whether or not agents should be seeing lower commissions as teams realize that money does not always buy success.

November 2006 – Big Ass Roundup Of MLB’s New Labor Deal – A synopsis of important changes and how those changes may affect agents.

December 2006 – No More Commissions – A look into whether or not more Sports Agents will bill their clients by the hour instead of take a commission on contracts that are signed. Also whether or not this is a good idea for the athlete.

And last, I leave you with my Prediction for 2007: Cyber athletes continue to gain prominence in America and Sports Agents begin to capitalize on their increasing gain of wealth. Sponsorships and endorsements increase and more agents enter the arena so that cyber athletes can remain focused on their game playing skills.

Once again, Happy New Year!

-Darren Heitner

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.