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Nightmare Clients of the Week

Nightmare Clients for the Week of October 1st-October 8th

1. Terrence Kiel of the San Diego Chargers was arrested for shipping a codeine type of cough syrup called “lean” and may be missing some future games [You Can Leon On Him].

2. Albert Haynesworth of the Tennessee Titans received a 5 game suspension after stepping on another player’s head [Titans’ Haynesworth gets five-game suspension].

3. B.J. Sams of the Baltimore Ravens was charged with his second D.U.I. within the past 14 months [Ravens’ Sams charged with second DUI in 14 months].

4. Koren Robinson of the Green Bay Packers will spend 90 days in jail for violating his probation by drinking under the influence…this drinking and driving nonsense needs to stop [Koren Robinson to serve 90 days for second DUI].

5. Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers was hit by a car and decided to shoot a gun…Jamal Tinsley had some marijuana on him. No one was arrested [Pacers’ Jackson hit by car, fires gun, police say].

6. Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals makes this thread again with his most recent two-game suspension [NFL Awards Chris Henry More Free Time].

As a side project, does any reader want to take a look at all of the Nightmare Clients of the Week posts that have been made thus far on this blog and see which professional league has the most players appear? I think the result may be interesting. Baseball and basketball are notorious for the bad rap that its players receive for off-the-field matters/drug related issues. Why do football players make the news more often for their behavior, yet find themselves much less scrutinized on the whole?

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.