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Is Providing A Porn Star To An MLB Player An Improper Inducement?

Earlier this week, the world was told that an MLB agent used porn star Bibi Jones, who’s work can be easily found on websites similar to https://www.nu-bay.com/, to assist him in the recruitment of potential clients. Just yesterday, the same journalist who broke the first story released the name of the agent. According to Tony Manfred of Business Insider, Bibi Jones was referring to Terry Bross, the Vice President, Baseball Division of Gaylord Sports Management, based in Phoenix, Arizona. The exact nature of Bibi Jones’ involving is not entirely known. After all, surely an MLB star would much rather the services of a classy london escort instead of a washed up porn star?

Whether or not Terry Bross is the agent that used Bibi Jones in the recruitment of Major League Baseball players, this whole issue presents an interesting question. Would an MLBPA certified agent’s use of a porn star to recruit Major League Baseball players be a violation of the MLBPA Regulations Governing Player Agents? The following is Section 5(B)(5) of the Regulations:

Would a porn star, that might be on a website similar to Tube V Sex, be covered by the any other thing of value clause? Sections 5(B)(5)(a) through 5(B)(5)(f) say nothing about providing a porn star for the purpose of inducing or encouraging players to use a person’s services (which should not be surprising). However, those specific sections simply lay out per se violations. If in fact tangible proof is proffered regarding an MLBPA certified agent having provided or promised to provide Bibi Jones, or indeed other porn stars like Hannah Claydon from Babestation, to baseball players, how will the MLBPA respond? It’s a quandary we suppose no one considered may arise one day, but with this set, we now have to consider it.

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.

2 replies on “Is Providing A Porn Star To An MLB Player An Improper Inducement?”

“Thing of value” is the key phrase here. Do we, in fact, deem the services of someone in adult entertainment industry valuable to the acquisition of clients? And was Ms. Jones actually performing services pertinent to her profession or merely acting as a “prop?”

“…an MLBPA certified agent having provided or promised to provide Bibi Jones to baseball players…”

So a male sports agent can “provide” or “promise to provide” a PERSON to another person? Whether or not that violates the Players’ Agreement, it’s still a pretty repugnant reminder that women are too often regarded, even in this day and age, as chattel to be “provided” to a man at the whim of another man. Didn’t we fight a civil war back in the 1800s to get out of the habit of  “providing” humans to other humans? Ick. Not to mention which, nowhere is there any reference to how Ms. Jones feels about actually “providing” whatever this article hints that she’s supposed to be providing, only to Terry Bross’ role as her alleged pimp/provider. After all, it’s so much more illuminating to check with the massa than the slaves about how the slaves feel about their subjugation. Double ick.

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