Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up

Post author By Darren Heitner
Post date February 22, 2008
7 Comments on Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up

The NCAA basketball season is quickly coming to a close, and Dynasty is hoping to get into the world of basketball in the upcoming draft. Speaking of Dynasty, I never really got to publicly thank the creator of the Dynasty logo. If you like it and want to talk to him about creating a logo for your business, you can reach Joel Barenbrugge here. Behind the scenes, we are working hard to get Dynasty’s name on the 2008 NBA Sports Agent Draft (click here for last year’s). Time will tell. Here are some stories that were not covered over the past week:

The IOC believes that blogging is a “legitimate form of personal expression,” and will permit athletes to blog from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics [Athletes allowed to blog from Beijing, with restrictions].
Greg Feste, who once had many football clients including Mark Brunell and Tony Boselli, filed for bankruptcy [One-time football entrepreneur files for bankruptcy].
After hitting over 30 homeruns and swiping over 30 stolen bases last year, Brandon Phillips and his agents avoided arbitration and signed a 4-year $27 million deal that could be worth a lot more based on incentives and escalators [Reds, Phillips agree to deal, avoid arbitration hearing].
Go check out Sports Business Carnival Number 10. One of Kenji’s posts is the top link.
EA Sports hires IMG to act as its agent [EA Signs an Agent, Goes Big Internationally].
The current President of IMG, George Pyne, did a lot to help out NASCAR before he left to join the sports and entertainment conglomerate [Facing a new mountain to climb, Pyne reveals his secrets].
State Farm Insurance will be using LeBron James to connect its brand to a younger audience [Unlikely partnerships: LeBron James & State Farm Insurance].
Mike Lowell quotes Drew Rosenhaus when discussing Castro’s departure [Castro’s exit good news, but Lowell still skeptical].

Be sure to check out this week’s Featured post by clicking the Featured box located on the right sidebar. Kenji Summers’ 2008 NBA Mock Draft (Part 1 of 4) will be holding down the spot for the next week.

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.

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7 replies on “Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up”

How about Richard Zednik and Statae Farm Insurance?

I am looking forward to your take on the new partnership in the world of Dolphins.

Not sure about Statae Farm, but State Farm is a little scared of ice hockey for now. I think they’ll stick with Bron Bron. And as far as the Fins are concerned, Miami fans should be happy that any percentage is out of Wayne’s hands.

Darren, random question here, but did you ever play any college sport? If not, HS varsity sport? Just curious as to where your interests lie in regards to sport leagues if you had to choose between the big 3.

Good question. A lot of agents, especially in the field of baseball, are former players themselves. While I did not play high school baseball, I have played the sport for the majority of my life, and it is definitely the sport that I excelled most in. I did not play for my high school team because at the time, Nova High School was ranked #2 in the nation, and if you did not try out your freshman year, you had no shot of making the team. It is a county school and with both parents having to work early in the morning, there was no one to take me to tryouts or practice. Oh well. And for those who don’t know, I am not exactly a giant, clocking in at 5’9 and 135lbs, although I pride myself in the fact that I can bench press 225 3 times. So basketball was not an option, although I did just ball out on court 1 of UF’s gym on Friday (which is the best pickup game court…I know…big deal, right? haha).

But just because I was a baseball player my whole life who ended picking up the sport of volleyball in high school and eventually being named captain of the team senior year along with being selected as an all county setter, that does not mean that my interests have to lie in the MLB…or the AVP! To tell you the truth, I am interested in each of the big three sports. I see Dynasty being a major player in all 3. I am definitely a student of each game, have done extensive research in each area, and continue to work hard to prove that I, and Dynasty, am ready to represent top talent in all 3 leagues.

Darren, I deffinantly want to get in contact with the creator of your logo but a question to you: How did you make the decision on that logo and why? I really feel like that logo describes a dynasty.

Matthew (my former partner) and I both went to high schools with the colors green and gold. Also, with the name Dynasty, we were reminded of the Roman Colosseum, Forum, etc…thus the columns. Ironically, the first guy we were talking to was Danny Richmond (also initials D.R. like the logo).

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