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Contract Negotiation MLB Players NFL Players Sports Agents

Next Question!


What would a Sports Agent blog be without discussion on the current (whether it’s good for the business of sports or not) poster-boy of the Sports Agent world, Drew Rosenhaus?

In his last Press Conference (notice that we actually have not seen him in a while), he barely answered any questions from the press straight-forward, and instead relied on answering 90% of the questions with “Next question.” I cannot count T.O.‘s birthday bash as a true Press Conference, even if Rosenhaus used his flashy Rosenhaus Sports backdrop.

The question is, as a Sports Agent, is it your job to provide a lot of press when negotiating a contract, or should contract negotiations be left behind the scenes? When Rosenhaus garnered great contracts for his clients in the past, the public would hear about it after the fact, and the increased money allotted in the contracts allowed Rosenhaus Sports to obtain over 90 NFL players (the most in football…BY FAR!). But he just lost one…Javon Walker…who also had his contract re-negotiations placed in the spotlight.

So let’s look at Scott Boras, who is the baseball version of Drew Rosenhaus, without the need to be seen on ESPN talking on his phone to clients while in the shower (sexy body, Drew). Scott Boras is known for getting every single penny that he thinks his client deserves or he will hold his client from signing with a team right out of the draft. But teams understand the risk of drafting a Scott Boras client, and yet, baseball players continue to flock to Boras, and teams continue to draft the players that he represents. Johnny Damon was not being offered enough money by Boston this off-season and Damon’s first choice would have been to stay in Boston if the money would have been there. Many people feel that Boston has been extremely cheap this offseason, especially with Damon, but Boras did not make any statements against the team, never paraded his client on ESPN, and eventually signed a great deal for Damon with the New York Yankees.

Damon In New York

Does getting your client in the spotlight during a contract negotiation help? I’d say arguably, no, but then again, I am sure there are people who disagree. If in a stalemate, there may not be much else to resort to, but it is important to remember that while the Press can be your best friend, it can also become your worst enemy. It seems like Drew Rosenhaus has learned his lesson as of late, and is staying away from the enemy that may slowly cripple his career. My suggestion = do not follow his path, make your own.

[tags]Drew Rosenhaus, Rosenhaus, contracts, contract negotiation, T.O., Javon Walker, Scott Boras, Damon[/tags]

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.

3 replies on “Next Question!”

[…] Your next question may be, “Who is T.K.?”  All the way back on January 2nd, 2006, I looked at how Drew Rosenhaus virtually answered every question posed to him at a Terrell Owens press conference with “next question.”  Burger King (and T.K. – The King) now looks to take advantage of the phrase that once captured headlines on ESPN and other sports news services.  On its website, Burger King has a “reel” of what looks to be a new commercial starring agent Drew Rosenhaus [Click on Press Conference after clicking this link]. […]

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