Categories
Coaches Colleges NBA Players NFL Players NFL Teams Philanthropy Sports Agents

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up

For those of you wrapping up your Winter Breaks, I wish you a smooth start into your Spring Semesters/work hours. Today is my first day back to law school, and the fact that the temperature is in the 20s in Gainesville, FL does not make my desire to return to the classroom any stronger. Is Florida the only SEC team to lose a bowl game thus far? Here are some links that I did not discuss over the past week:

  • Pacman Jones’ attorney, Manny Arora, has gone from being named Associate Dope of the Month, to a potential NFLPA agent. Word is that he has been recruiting some football players as of late [PACMAN’S LAWYER ENTERING THE AGENT BUSINESS].
  • We may be seeing larger buyout clauses implanted in coach contracts in the future. In the meantime, WVU wants Rich Rodriguez to pay up $4 million [West Virginia sues, seeking $4 million buyout in Rodriguez’s contract].
  • Standing 5 feet and 8 inches tall, Indianapolis Colts safety, Bob Sanders, has just become the highest paid safety in the NFL. Agent Tom Condon was able to get him a 5-year deal for $37.5 million, including $20 million of that amount guaranteed [Bob Sanders signs 5-year, $37.5M contract with Colts].
  • Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns will be inviting some of his teammates, San Antonio Spurs players, and Jermaine Dye, among others, to his Hearts and Helmets charity poker tournament. It will be held on January 30th and has an entry fee of $1,000 [Suns’ Marion to host charity poker benefit].

James Alexander Taylor’s post on the positives and negatives that can arise from sponsorship in sport is the featured post of the week. Check it out on the right sidebar under Featured.

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.