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Interview With The Agent: Tony Ciccolella

The life of a baseball agent is a constant grind.  Tony Ciccolella of Excess Sports would likely put up no resistance to the making of such a statement.  Ciccolella is a happy graduate of the Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) program who has been able to achieve a fair amount of success on his own.  I recently discussed his practice, his experience with SMWW, and other topics concerning the representation of baseball players in an interview, which is published, below.

Darren Heitner: Who do you currently represent?

Tony Ciccolella: Excess Sports currently represents Jeff Gray (Twins) Josh Judy (Reds) Josh Schmidt (Marlins), Jason Ray (Padres), Ryan Acotsa (Dodgers), Brett Tanos (Rockies), Bryce Massanari (Rockies), Brandon Creath (Cardinals), Michael Gonzales, (Twins) Mitch Delfino (Giants).

Darren Heitner: Why did you choose to sign up for SMWW’s course?

Tony Ciccolella: I chose it because of it’s ease in learning through their online program. At that time, I was working as a head hunter for for a large utility company here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was put into contact by a collegue of mine saying that head hunting had many of the similarities of that as a Sports Agent. I was then able to meet with Dr. Lynn Lashbrook / President of SMWW in person during one of his visits to the San Francisco Bay Area, and he and I not only spoke about the program but the future and how entrepenuership plays a large part in what would be my next career. He spoke from the heart and never “sugar coated” anything which is why I respect him and the program. I did a lot of research based on not only the ease of taking a program that would allow me to still continue my current career and take very minimal time away from my family which was important. After looking at all the University programs and other online programs, this was the best fit for me.

Darren Heitner: What are the positives of the course?

Tony Ciccolella: The program allowed me to continue my career and provide for my family while I was still learning the foundations of being a Sports Agent. SMWW staff was always there to answer any questions I had, the online chats are fabulous as you gain insights from others that are in the program and advice from those that have already completed the program. Dr. Lashbrook provides his real life insights from his past experiences which is valuable asset, to hear what other established agents have had to deal with certain situations, nothing compares to getting advice from ones that experienced it.

Darren Heitner: What are some of the difficulties of representing players through the Minors?

Tony Ciccolella: One of the key attributes that we look for other than talent in a potential client is also integrity. Our firm is based on doing the best job for our players day in and day out and taking all those outside distractions away so they can do what they were drafted to do…play ball. One challenge is that players are often courted by other agents or firms with the other agents or firms not necessarily knowing that the player is already being represented. What ends up happening is that the player hears a great “song and dance” from the prospective agent and instantly thinks that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. In most cases, it isn’t and the person that suffers is the player…”where was this agent when you were in rookie ball with no equipment and wouldn’t even give you the time of day, now that you’re going on the 40 man roster, they want to ride the wave to a pay day….”  We’ve lost players like this; unfortunately it’s too late and they want to come back realizing they made a mistake. It’s a shame that this happens, but we do our best to prepare our clients for incidents like this and have been pretty successful in retaining loyalty that we pride ourselves on.

Darren Heitner: What types of endorsement deals have you found for your clients?

Tony Ciccolella: Endorsement opportunities are a great benefit to our clients. It obviously helps promote the product, but also promote the clients stature amongst the public eye. Our clients believe in only endorsing those products that they believe in and actually use. We have the typical baseball products, Rawlings, Franklin batting gloves, Wilson, Akadema, and the various shoe companies as well. But what we’ve done is really exposed our players to the world outside of baseball with various clothing and accessory opportunities that most players don’t know about. We “pitch” clothing manufacturers on the opportunity to “tap into a new market” and by having baseball players wearing their clothing and such, especially with minor league players as kids are easily influenced by what a player wears. During the off season, we work with our clients on potential movie or tv appearances, especially if it’s baseball related or commercial opportunities as well. These have worked really well over the years and we look forward to continuing that model.

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.