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Thanksgiving is all about three things: turkey, family, and football.  All three are very important to the standard American household.  Turkey is quite tasty and happens to be extremely healthy (depending on the way you prepare it).  Your family is composed of the only people you know will care for you at all times and be for you whenever you need them.  Last, football has become a year-round sport, taking up a large portion of all of our lives, whether it be watching the games on Sunday, Monday, and sometimes Thursdays, checking our fantasy stats, following the transactions in the off season, etc.

It seems as though the NFL’s business model is multiple times stronger than the other American professional leagues.  In a short amount of time, the sport has eclipsed all others, which obviously may have been affected by ESPN’s extensive coverage of it throughout the year.  Whatever the case may be, American football has captured our attention from the college bowl game season, to the pre-draft workouts, the combine, the draft, and beyond.  One area that seems to be generating more buzz as of late is the NFL combine.  The Scouting Combine occurs once a year (in February) in Indianapolis, Indiana.  It is a privilege for a player to be invited to test his 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical leap, and fill out the Wonderlic Test.  If you are an NFLPA certified agent you are there.  And now, anyone can watch the events as they unfold on NFL Network.  The combine has gained a larger following each and every year.  Apparently the NBA has been paying attention as well.

A memorandum was recently sent out from NBA Exec to all GMs to announce the abolishment of the Pre-Draft Camp and institution of a new NBA Draft Combine.  Agents, book your flights now.  It will be from May 27-May 31 in Chicago, Illinois.  Team workouts will begin on April 7.  It will be interesting to see what kind of success this new development may have on the NBA draft process and if it will spark any new interest among general fans of the game.

More information: NBA Again Tinkering With the Pre-Draft Process

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.