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Will The Rays Dance With The Devil?

Happy Tampa Bay BaseballIs Barry Bonds going to go to Tampa Bay and play with the always changing Devil Rays or move to a location where he can justify ignoring reporters because they speak another language, and play ball in Japan?

The Rays are busy talking internally about proposing an offer to Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, but have kept all conversations in house for the time being. And Borris is not exactly a wealth of knowledge for the time being. He had this to say:

“I talk to Tampa Bay all the time for a variety of reasons. I won’t comment on that [Bonds] one way or another. … There’s only so much I can say.”

Yet, the St. Pete Times still tried to get more information out of Borris. They asked him if he will meet with them while he is in Tampa/St. Pete. Again, a thought provoking response when he said, “I can’t say.”

But while Borris does not give much for us to chew on the Rays situation, he did make sure to tell the media that Japan is an option if no American team takes an interest in Bonds.

The thought of Borris driving from training camp to training camp trying to sell Bonds to GMs is quite humorous in my mind. But that is what you are committed to do if you take a player like Bonds into your stable of clients.

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.