Is Being A Sports Agent Rocket Science?

Last night on ESPN’s Outside The Lines, the agent situation for three athletes was examined. These 3 topics were discussed:

1. Vince Young’s selection of Major Adams as his agent
2. Lance Berkman’s original selection of his father as his agent
3. The agent selection process for Jonathan Vilma

1. Vince Young’s selection of Major Adams as his agent
Since hiring Major Adams as his agent, the press has been very speculative concerning Vince Young’s decision. To the press, the selection of Major Adams seemed out of no where. He is the Young’s family attorney and has only served as an agent for one other athlete in the NFL. He has known Vince Young since his Pop Warner days, but is that enough to qualify him to represent one of the top picks of the upcoming draft? Major Adams seems to think so. This is what Major Adam’s said in an interview on Outside The Lines:

“He [Vince Young] wants people around him who knows him. Not just someone who shows up on your porch out of the night. Being an agent isn’t all that difficult.”

Well thank you Mr. Adams. Let’s see what critics make of your statement about the ease of being an agent once Vince Young is either not picked as high as you would have liked or he does not get the contract that he deserves. Also, if it is the case that being an agent isn’t that difficult, why have you hired a team of other agents to help along with the process? If your assessment is true, then why does this blog exist, why does the NFL require agents to gain a post-undergraduate degree, and why do athletes continue to hire agents? Enough for Major Adams…let’s move on to Lance Berkman.

2. Lance Berkman’s original selection of his father as his agent
Lance Berkman, the power hitting outfielder for the Houston Astros, began his career using his father as his agent. As a tax attorney at Momentum Sports Group (which is now added to the list of Sports Agencies on the left panel of this website), Larry Berkman felt that he could handle representing his son in contract negotiations. If you are wondering where I got the title of this post from, it is from Mr. Larry Berkman himself when he said on ESPN:

“It [being an agent] is not rocket science. The best agents have the best clients.”

Very deep. Extremely philosophical. Of course the best agents have the best clients. That’s because they are the best at what they do! Being an agent may not be a rocket science, but looking at the fact that your son, Lance Berkman, decided to fire you does not say much for your thoughts on the profession.

3. The agent selection process for Jonathan Vilma
Here was the part of the show that actually shed some true light on the profession. Jonathan Vilma from the U (University of Miami) was selected 12th overall by the Jets a few years ago. According to his testimony to Outside The Lines, Vilma first started to see and hear agents mid way though his Junior Year. They were asking him about his thoughts about going to the NFL and leaving early. Overall he heard from 15 to 20 agents and only took 3 of them seriously. A lot of the agents did not make the cut because they were not capable of handling the job or because their personality clashed with Mr. Vilma’s.

Timeout. Realize that out of about 20 agents who spoke to Jonathan Vilma, he only took 3 of them seriously. This means that the rest of the agents spent their time and money for absolutely nothing. But that’s part of the game.

Anyway, Jonathan Vilma wanted someone who would be more than a contract negotiator. He wanted a relationship. DING DING DING. BOOM. BANG. Hearing it from a professional football player on ESPN was like hot chocolate on a brisk day.

See:
“This Is Not a Game” by CFO Magazine:

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS (let’s just say that I capped that message because I am 100% in support of it)…do not burn your bridges as some agents have done in the past.

Are all of us crazy?!?!?!:

Do everything that you can to create relationships with those around you and reach out to make new relationships each day.

Jonathan Vilma found an agent that would form a personal relationship with him. There were three other things that Vilma was looking for in an agent. Those three things were: professionalism, record with past clients, and his family’s thoughts. For any job, it is important to remain professional, you are judged constantly by your past, and a client’s family is just as important to woo as the client himself/herself.

The main question that Jonathan Vilma had for the agents that were all over him was: “How are you going to approach my contract?” If asked that question, how would you answer it?

Vilma concluded his interview by answering that day-to-day, his agent’s job was to make sure the little things were taken care of so that he could stay focused on football, and only football. This is important to take in. While being an agent seems glamorous at many times, you have to realize that you will be the one in charge of booking the flights, booking the hotel rooms, etc.

In conclusion, being a Sports Agent may not be a rocket science, but it is a cut-throat, 24/7, amazing job where personal relationships are key. Major Adams has had a personal relationship with Vince Young since Vince’s childhood, but is that enough to qualify him as the best candidate for the job as Mr. Young’s agent?

[tags]vince young, major adams, lance berkman, larry berkman, jonathan vilma, sports agent, contracts, espn, outside the lines[/tags]