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Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Crabtree

michael crabtree

Not only 49ers faithful, but a lot of readers of SportsAgentBlog.com, are getting crabby with Eugene Parker.  Fans of the game of football cannot stand seeing one of the best wide-receivers in the 2009 NFL Draft class miss the first week of the season, and possibly the remaining fifteen games on the schedule.  A couple of days ago, I had heard that Michael Crabtree holding out until next draft was actually likely to happen, but then when the 49ers knocked off the Cardinals, which did not bode well for my Pick ‘Em score, Crabtree started to show some anxiety.

Yesterday was Crabtree’s birthday, which is probably a strong reason for him leaving the Bay Area.  I would not look too far into it and surmise that his leaving has anything to do with him completely breaking off conversation with the 49ers.

The clock continues to tick, and Crabtree remains far away from competitive football.  Each game Crabtree misses will likely change the 49ers offer to the disgruntled wide-out.  Why pay a player the same amount you were going to pay him before the season, if he is only going to play a fraction of the regular season games?

He left school early, so I guess he can at least tell himself that if he stayed another year at Texas Tech, he would not be making any money, anyway.  At least now, with his student-athlete tag removed, Crabtree can take as much money as he wants from any interested party (I’d bet that Eugene Parker is on that list).

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.

6 replies on “Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Crabtree”

Crabtree hasn’t proven himself at the pro level.. i think Parker and him are being rediculous. I’m sure if he had an outstanding season with the niners they would be willing to think about some retstructuring or renegotiations. but im not sure who to blame more.. crabtree or the agent?

As a Texas Tech grad, it’s sad to see a star at the college level sitting out because he’s unhappy with the situation in the NFL. This will only hurt him if he plans to hold out until next year’s draft, I believe, and I know my fellow Red Raiders are not excited about it either. Just play your rookie year now, and then they’ll know if you’re worth more.

It pains me to see Crabtree sitting out. It pains me even more to see that Crabtree is possibly taking advice from Eugene Parker. Parker must not have passed How to Be an Agent 101 because any agent would know that by holding out a player this long is not only detrimental monetarily but it also poses a serious threat to the players’ development. And in the NFL, the last thing a rookie needs is to miss any valuble practice time.

From my understanding they are about 5million apart in guaranteed money. He will lose roughly that much money from missing out on 1 year salary and 1 year of endorsements.

He will surely slip further in the draft next year…every team would rather take a player that they actually saw play within the last year (not to mention, it will likely be a deeper year for WR’s than last year) and who wants a diva induced headache unless they can get it for great value? So I really don’t like his chances of getting anymore money than what he’s being offered now.

Then you’ve got the risk of injury during his year off. And if he actually had a contract there would be a possibility of renegotiating if he outplayed it.

Doesn’t make sense to leave money on the table unless either you’re stupid or don’t want to be in the 49ers run first offense.

Mr. Crabass, and your “agent”……..I hope you get what you are looking for, drafted by a throwing team who is drafting high. Maybe the Raiders, would you enjoy that ?? Enjoy your money, and hopefully you are never ever lucky enough to win a championship, you don’t deserve it !!

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