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Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-up (4/15/2016)

Post author By Darren Heitner
Post date April 15, 2016

Coming to you live from New York today, where I am speaking on a fantasy sports panel at Cozen O’Connor’s Sports Law event, which features fantastic panelists throughout. We are quickly coming up to the 2016 NFL Draft and just learned about a blockbuster trade between the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams, swapping the former’s No. 1 overall pick to the latter team. We should be unveiling our annual list of players/agents in the near future. Also, expect more college basketball player signings as many go from testing the waters to firmly committed to remaining in the NBA Draft.

This week on Forbes: (1) What’s The Big Deal With A Pro Sports Team In Las Vegas?; (2) Playing Ball In The Multi-Billion Dollar Sports Collectible Market; (3) Olympic Top Partner Gillette Reveals Rio Advertising Campaign; and (4) Kobe Bryant Vs Derek Jeter: The Retirement-Related Numbers.

As always, the weekly wrap-up:

Football

Drew takes issue with the release of completely confidential information [Drew Rosenhaus upset with NFL over leak, hopeful Josh Gordon will play in 2016].
Drew also upset with new client Johnny Football and prays that he seeks help [Johnny Manziel’s new agent gives him an ultimatum: get help or I quit].
It was about, ‘If I can’t be great, I don’t want to do this’ [D’Brickashaw Ferguson: What happened?].

Basketball

Deyonta hired an agent and won’t be returning to school [Michigan State freshman Deyonta Davis to declare for NBA draft].
But Diamond Stone is going with hiring a representative [Maryland’s Diamond Stone, Melo Trimble will declare for NBA draft; Trimble won’t hire agent].

Baseball

Distanced himself by using the ‘That’s my agent’s comments’ line [Focused Pablo Sandoval downplays agent’s ‘Ferrari in garage’ quote].

Hockey

The possibility of having a client play in Russia is a nice piece of leverage for NHL agents [KHOKHLACHEV’S AGENT BLAMES JULIEN FOR BLOCKING HIS CLIENT’S PATH WITH BRUINS].

Tags D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Deyonta Davis, Diamond Stone, Drew Rosenhaus, Johnny Manziel, Josh Gordon

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.