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Sports Agents

Matthew Vuckovich Interviews With Jimmy Scott

Those of you who have been following this site for a while know that we have gone through various contributors during the existence of SportsAgentBlog.com.  One of our original contributors was a man named Matthew Vuckovich.  He was one in charge of our expanding Interview with the Agent section and was so passionate about breaking into this industry that he convinced me, in April 2007, to join up and start a sports agency.  Dynasty Athlete Representation was formed with co-founders, myself and Matthew, and initially, we had read through the entire NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement because we thought that we had a shot at signing one of his friends who played professional hockey.  It did not quite work out like that, but soon we were representing a few bowlers and Kyle Dison, a former baseball player, who at the time, was looking for another chance to show affiliated baseball that he still had it.

xclusive sports managementVuckovich and I did not always see eye to eye on a lot of issues, and decided to part ways in February 2008.  I retained the rights to Dynasty, and Matthew went on to form his own agency, Xclusive Sports Management (XSM).  Kyle Dison joined him, and the two created an agency solely dedicated to representing baseball players.  Kyle is a Managing Partner at XSM.

Yesterday, Matthew had an interview with the website, Jimmy Scott’s High & Tight.  Click here to head on over to the interview.  I have been interviewed on the site in the past, and in fact, you can hear me at the beginning of Matt’s clip.  It was good to hear Matt’s voice again.  Since a few weeks following the break-up between us, I have not heard a word from Matthew.  To be fair, I did not reach out to Matthew to touch base, either.

Good luck Matt.  Though we have had our differences in the past, I am still rooting for you.  I won’t ever be that “Florida guy” who harassed you in Minnesota.  And who knows, maybe your client Merricks crosses paths with one of our own, Zach Rosenbaum, who is in the Mets organization as well.

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.