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“Come After Me, Big Guy” – Ralph Cindrich

The following article is a guest contribution by Benjamin Haynes, Esq.   Haynes is a former Division 1 Basketball Player at Oral Roberts University and currently practices law in the State of Florida.

Ralph Cindrich is a sports agent in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Recently, Ralph has come out with some very aggressive comments directed towards the NCAA, NCAA President Mark Emmert, and Nick Saban. According to a recent article published on AL.com, Ralph believes Nick Saban is cheating and breaking NCAA rules. However, when pressed, Ralph offered no direct evidence to prove such. Instead, Ralph stated, “Everybody has something on Nick Saban. And if he has a problem with anything I say, then come after me, big guy.” Further, when Ralph was asked if Alabama players were paid, he stated, “Oh, come on.”

Cindrich made a comment that I found quite interesting. He stated, “I have enough on Saban right now, and I realize this stuff gets out, and I also realize that truth is a defense.” This comment shows that Cindrich is aware of the legal cause of action, defamation. Defamation is a statement of fact that is false and causes a defamatory effect, identifies the Plaintiff, and is published to a third party. The key to defamation is the statement made cannot be one of mere opinion, but has to be a fact. This could be the reason why Cindrich didn’t mention any specific facts when being interviewed. That, or Ralph doesn’t really have any facts to speak of. However, truth is an absolute defense to a lawsuit against defamation. That means if Ralph would have stated specific facts about Saban cheating, and they were true facts, then Saban could not succeed in a defamation lawsuit against Ralph.

This rant by Cindrich began when he was being asked about the sanctions imposed by the NCAA against Penn State. From there, Ralph went on to speak about the integrity of the NCAA, or better yet, the lack there of. Saban wasn’t the only person spoken of during the interview. Ralph had some choice words for Mark Emmert as well. When asked what Ralph thought of Mark Emmert, he replied, “A bozo, a hypocrite.”  When asked about the NCAA decision against Penn St., Cindrich replied, “We should be looking at them (NCAA). There’s something that smells about this whole thing. It came down too quickly, in my opinion.”

One thing is for sure, while nobody will get upset about Cindrich bashing the NCAA, Alabama football faithful fans took issue with his statements regarding Nick Saban and the University. Cindrich had his Twitter feed blown up with angry Alabama fans on Thursday, demanding that he state facts before he throws out merit less accusations.

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.

One reply on ““Come After Me, Big Guy” – Ralph Cindrich”

No, this started back when Saban called agents pimps in 2010.

Cindrich pulled the same thing with USC with some unfounded things he claimed he knew about USC/Pete Carroll.

http://www.conquestchronicles.com/2010/7/27/1589917/nfl-agent-ralph-cindrich-needs-to

Cindrich will go out of his was to defend his profession…which is fine, there are many solid agents who do respectable work in the field, there are also some that cross the line…you can say the same thing about coaches. No profession is perfect, there bad apples everywhere.

Bottom line, if Cindrich has info on any coach breaking the rules then he should put up or shut up. His tough makes him look insecure and petty…

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