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Friday Wrap-Up

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-up (4/6/2018)

I suppose the big story of the week was NFL offensive lineman Richie Incognito firing his agency, Athletes First, via Twitter. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t the first time he took to Twitter to terminate his relationship with the sports agency (soon thereafter rethinking that decision). Otherwise, the large sports agent-related story is the fact that former Louisville QB Lamar Jackson is choosing to enter the 2018 NFL Draft without one by his side. Some NFL players such as Richard Sherman applaud his decision; many in the biz think he’s doing the wrong thing by trying to save some money on agent fees.

This week on Forbes:
(1) Report: DraftKings Is Aggressively Shopping For Sports Betting Partnerships In New Jersey;
(2) Wasserman Hires Veteran NFL Agents Doug Hendrickson And CJ LaBoy;
(3) Leading Sports Data Company Defends MLB And NBA ‘Integrity Fee’ Demand;
(4) Pelicans Forward Anthony Davis Adds ExxonMobil Partnership;
(5) Why Lamar Jackson Should Reconsider Not Hiring An Agent

This week on Inc.:
(1) Watching Video Games Is Now Bigger Than Traditional Spectator Sporting Events;
(2) Skillz Mobile Esports Platform Sets New Run Rate of $200 Million;
(3) How the Chicago Bulls Are Making Digital Strategy a Priority for Growth;
(4) Sports Bet Discovery Startup Raises $3 Million Led by Early FanDuel Investor;
(5) Jay Glazer’s Key to Branching out Is Making Sure Each Avenue Builds the Others

And as always, the weekly wrap-up:

Basketball

Football

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.