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At Least You Can’t Say That Borris Isn’t Trying

Jeff Borris, the agent of record for Barry Bonds, is nothing short of persistent.  Even though Bonds has not received a Major League deal from any teams, Borris continues to put his client’s name in the paper and has no problem expressing his displeasure in the lack of interest in Bonds.  Borris most recently attempted to get Bonds a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.  The team seemed like the perfect fit.  They are in contention to win the AL East or Wild Card, have suffered numerous injuries, and as an American League team, can use Bonds in the DH position.  The only problem: Tampa Bay GM, Andrew Friedman, is not returning Borris’ text messages.

“With (Carl) Crawford and (Evan) Longoria going down simultaneously, I thought I’d make one last vain attempt to reach out to Tampa Bay, and to no avail,” Borris told FOXSports.com.

And then Borris returned to his normal shpiel…that of collusion.

“That’s because Major League Baseball has been successful in their pursuit in blackballing Barry out of the game.”

In the midst of all of this, Borris may be burning bridges with Tampa Bay execs by going public about his text message campaign.

“I’m not sure what Jeff Borris is trying to accomplish by saying he sent me a text message,” Friedman said. “But our longstanding practice is not to comment on anything speculative.”

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 “At Least You Can’t Say That Borris Isn’t Trying”

I don’t envy anyone dealing with the issues surrounding Bonds. But the bottom line is, if Barry played dirty, he has to deal with the consequences. And Jeff Borris, as you point out, needs to remain professional no matter how desperate the situation seems.

Very nice job with the article! I really enjoyed it.

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