🏈 Strategy for dealing with Agents

[LBS]

We know that there is a date before which a player should not be speaking with an agent, and after which we are all pleased with our boys being wined adn dined.

We know that the UA holds Pro Day, where they host the scouts who come in and have all needed access to the players.

As part one of the solution, apply an Pro Day equivalent approach to Agents. Invite the Agents in, give them everything they need (Player access, Private meeting spaces...whatever), and schedule that event when the players are eligable. Hold an event that leaves them wanting for nothing.

Part two is to crush any agent that violates this arrangement. Have the violater by-name subject to jail time, and hold the firm liable for monetary damages to the school. (Lets put a dollar amount on the impact of being on probation.) Then make the Agent and it employees banned form conducting buisness within the state of Alabama. (Consider the impact of that last one with their rivals are not only welcome, but catered to.)

If the State Legislature makes "out-of-season" Agent/Athlete dealing illegal, that would also expose the Athlete copable for the harm they willing enter into. If an athlete is approached illegally, he will choose to hammer the Agent with real power (i.e. the Cops) or he violates the law himself (risking his NFL career).


I think this removes any gray area and lets everyone be as successful as they deserve to be.

 

[psychojoe]

To borrow from an old lawyer joke:

If all the sports agents in the world were laid end to end it would be a good thing.

 

[JoshB]

Saban's suggestion is the best Ive heard and its the suggestion that Bruce Feldman made when I got a comment from him for my research paper on the subject. All agents have to be certified WITH the NFL. If a player becomes ineligible and/or a school faces sanctions because of an agent having contact with a player (which is illegal by the way), said agent's certification is suspended for a year. 2nd time suspended for 2 years. 3rd time and he's banned for life. just my take on it.

 

[252BAMA]

I have a strategy. Remind them that although they might mean well, so did Logan Young, and he ain't around anymore.

 

[LBS]

Saban's suggestion is the best Ive heard and its the suggestion that Bruce Feldman made when I got a comment from him for my research paper on the subject. All agents have to be certified WITH the NFL. If a player becomes ineligible and/or a school faces sanctions because of an agent having contact with a player (which is illegal by the way), said agent's certification is suspended for a year. 2nd time suspended for 2 years. 3rd time and he's banned for life. just my take on it.

If the same Agent earned this third strike with yet another million dollar commision check, and did so with three straight Alabama players, would you like it then? Would "take your millions and go do something else" be a satisfactory reply for you?

Impacts of negative press. Impacts to lost bowl revenue. Impacts to future poor performance due to drop in recruiting. That has an impact measured in the millions, would you not agree?

What about the impact to the players who are left to play under the restrictions left in their wake. Does "Strike ONE! Take a year long vacation." make that right?

The problem does not need to be solved AFTER each person's third offense, but BEFORE everyone's first offense. That is done by threatening to bring the pain.

Go to jail. Pay restitution, to the tune of millions.

 

[TideAlum05]

Ultimately the players control everything and every single one of them knows that they can't accept anything from agents. The players are just as much at fault as the agents, even moreso really. How about we stop passing the blame? If the players want to break the rules, they will face the consequences. How about we force young adults to become responsible and not blame others for their own mistakes?

Should repeat offender agents be punished? Yes. But this blame game nonsense that implies players are just innocent kids is 100% BS.

 

[ExiledTidefan]

I think the problem of agents intermingling in places they shouldn't might be overblown because it's always high profile when it happens. It happens more than we know, but not too often, because it's usually high profile, highly targeted ball players they go after. The agents and rogue individuals will always be there, and always trying to find a way to, well, "get around" the rules laid out. Notice I didn't say "cheat". It's all about staying one step ahead. This time, they used another player to get to other players. Not the first time.

Until monetary and possibly criminal charges are levied against these folks, and less penalties on the institutions, it's gonna keep happening. Have to punish the source of the problem, not the innocents left behind, even if they might have been co-conspirators, or at least, head-buried-in-the-sand-types.

 

[RollTideinGA]

I think they should handle sports agents the same way any other kid in college being recruited for a job is. Have an "agent fair" much like job (career) fairs on campus. Agents get to hand out pamphlets advertising their services and talk to the players. Only allow up coming Juniors/ Seniors to attend.

I know sports agents arent the same as corporate recruiters but why cant they be treated in a similar fashion? Really agents should have to pitch with a resume and list of clients feedback.

Agent- "Here is my list of credentials and the star players I have represented. Please feel free to contact any of them for a reference."

I know it won't work. Its too simple and easy.

 

[RollTideinGA]

Ultimately the players control everything and every single one of them knows that they can't accept anything from agents. The players are just as much at fault as the agents, even moreso really. How about we stop passing the blame? If the players want to break the rules, they will face the consequences. How about we force young adults to become responsible and not blame others for their own mistakes?

Should repeat offender agents be punished? Yes. But this blame game nonsense that implies players are just innocent kids is 100% BS.

I dont think it is as simple as that. Some of these situations start off as mistaken identity or false pretences. If I was invited to a party with some friends I would go. I wouldnt be like hey, who is throwing the party and why.

If I was a young college kid given a chance to go deep sea fishing I wouldnt think of it as a violation.

Its all easy to sit on the sofa and second guess everything that happens, but you wouldnt know unless you experienced it. Whats that saying about walking a mile in another mans shoes?

The agents also know the rules. They shouldnt be putting bait in the trap. If they didnt then the players wouldnt have to be on pins and needles if someone offered to pay their dinner bill.

 

[TideAlum05]

I dont think it is as simple as that. Some of these situations start off as mistaken identity or false pretences. If I was invited to a party with some friends I would go. I wouldnt be like hey, who is throwing the party and why.

If I was a young college kid given a chance to go deep sea fishing I wouldnt think of it as a violation.

Its all easy to sit on the sofa and second guess everything that happens, but you wouldnt know unless you experienced it. Whats that saying about walking a mile in another mans shoes?

The agents also know the rules. They shouldnt be putting bait in the trap. If they didnt then the players wouldnt have to be on pins and needles if someone offered to pay their dinner bill.

You're telling me that if you lived in Tuscaloosa and one of your buddy's invited you to a party in Miami, you wouldn't ask who was having the party (or any details about it)? Come on.

The fishing thing with Mark and Julio had nothing to do with agents IIRC. You can't really compare the two situations.

The players know the rules and so do I. You can't take money/gifts from agents. It really is simple.

The agents should be punished especially repeat offenders, but this "poor innocent kids" schtick is a freaking joke. The players are beaten over the head with the rules at big time programs. The players aren't allowed to have people pay their dinner bills. Just because you play ball for Bama (or any big time program), doesn't mean everyone can give you money even if they'd like to.

 

[reger60]

You're telling me that if you lived in Tuscaloosa and one of your buddy's invited you to a party in Miami, you wouldn't ask who was having the party (or any details about it)? Come on.

The fishing thing with Mark and Julio had nothing to do with agents IIRC. You can't really compare the two situations.

The players know the rules and so do I. You can't take money/gifts from agents. It really is simple.

The agents should be punished especially repeat offenders, but this "poor innocent kids" schtick is a freaking joke. The players are beaten over the head with the rules at big time programs. The players aren't allowed to have people pay their dinner bills. Just because you play ball for Bama (or any big time program), doesn't mean everyone can give you money even if they'd like to.

I'm having a hard time disagreeing with you TideAlum05. Hey collegiate athlete, sorry, but you live by a set of rules that are different from the rest of us. Abstain from anything that remotely looks like it could get you in trouble. Ask questions. Lots of questions. Talk to your coach, see what he thinks about the activity. I promise he will take your call and give you the best advice.

I agree that agents are not without fault, but we all know that trying to reliably monitor their activity is a hopeless cause. They make their living circumventing contractual obligations.

 

[srollins]

I know I'm naive about things at times, but an agent's job is to act in the BEST INTEREST OF THEIR CLIENT. An athlete/agent relationship is supposed to be like an attorney/client relationship where the attorney or agent acts in the best interest of the client or athlete. If an attorney does not they face severe penalties up to and including disbarment. Why should an agent not face the same?

On a side note, why the $#%* would an athlete who lost his eligibility due to the unscrupulous acts of an agent ever, EVER sign with him when he declared for the pros?

 

[LBS]

A 20 year old player is thinking about Football, his classes, and girls. The agent has teams of seasoned professionals who stand to make millions if they can skirt the system. The player will not see through everything.

In football, your guilty until proven innocent. A player and team can hurt even if they out smarted the Agent industry, all because it take time to prove you did.

Short of locking oneself away, a star player will be targeted. Its not a fair fight and they need help...because they are losing...we all are losing.

 

[TideAlum05]

Hey collegiate athlete, sorry, but you live by a set of rules that are different from the rest of us.

I couldn't agree with this statement any more. Hey I did plenty of stupid stuff when I was in Ttown, but no one cares because I'm an average Joe. Is that fair? No. But we all learned really early in our lives that life ain't fair.

Abstain from anything that remotely looks like it could get you in trouble. Ask questions. Lots of questions. Talk to your coach, see what he thinks about the activity. I promise he will take your call and give you the best advice.

This all started from a freaking twitter page. With facebook, myspace, and twitter, it's hard to fly under the radar if you're an athlete. You really can't just lay low and assume you won't get caught. Damn near every cell phone has a camera built in now. You've got to do what Mark Ingram did and get it cleared before you go. Now Mark did have to learn his lesson from the fishing situation, but other players should learn from his mistake too IMO.

But I don't know all the facts and Dareus could be an innocent bystander. With everything we know now, it doesn't look that way. CLEAR EVERYTHING WITH THE AD/NCAA.

 

[planomateo]

at the end of the day it comes down the the student athlete doing the right or wrong thing. There will always be distractions and it comes down to good decision making skills. now some folks don't learn these skills until much later in life do to never being taught things (a of my siblings are perfect examples to this). the even more difficult thing when dealing with some athletes, is that sometimes their decision making skills can be overlooked simply because of what they do in their sport, so things get overlooked and eventually this will hurt them - the fact that nobody taught them life lessons.

This is no different than what everyone is faced with in life if you ask me. We are all faced with difficult decisions (some more than others). You can't tell me that these athletes don't know right from wrong, so when someone makes a bad choice, I don't feel bad for them at all.

that being said, I will not jump to conclusions about any of this stuff...the media spins **** all the time and it's hard to determine what is legit vs junk.

 

[JoshB]

You're telling me that if you lived in Tuscaloosa and one of your buddy's invited you to a party in Miami, you wouldn't ask who was having the party (or any details about it)? Come on.

The fishing thing with Mark and Julio had nothing to do with agents IIRC. You can't really compare the two situations.

The players know the rules and so do I. You can't take money/gifts from agents. It really is simple.

The agents should be punished especially repeat offenders, but this "poor innocent kids" schtick is a freaking joke. The players are beaten over the head with the rules at big time programs. The players aren't allowed to have people pay their dinner bills. Just because you play ball for Bama (or any big time program), doesn't mean everyone can give you money even if they'd like to.

If the story is true, then supposedly his buddy said come to the beach with me and hang out not "hey come to this party". when they get there he says lets go to this party. if my friend is tellin me this, then no i wouldnt question it. maybe thats just me tho.

 

[AlabamaAubKiller]

Saban's suggestion is the best Ive heard and its the suggestion that Bruce Feldman made when I got a comment from him for my research paper on the subject. All agents have to be certified WITH the NFL. If a player becomes ineligible and/or a school faces sanctions because of an agent having contact with a player (which is illegal by the way), said agent's certification is suspended for a year. 2nd time suspended for 2 years. 3rd time and he's banned for life. just my take on it.

Agree. 100% and would add a 20 yrs prison sentance & 1,000,000 fine to repeat offenders.
But again.....how to get the state & NFL /NFL players to inforce it will be a huge problem.

 

[psychojoe]

Coach Saban's suggestion makes a lot of sense. Colleges have zero leverage with agents. They could care less whether a player loses eligibility or a school ends up on probation.

The NFL, on the other hand, can control agents as tightly as they wish by their licensing process.

The NCAA could do some serious jawbonong with the NFL, as the colleges do control access to practices and films that NFL scouts go over in such detail in evaluations. Get the NFL to police the agents and boot the bad apples out. That really gains control of the process at the back end, but a well publicized case or two where the agents can't represent NFL players will bring the others into line.

I know that many states have laws against the worst of the agent practices, but they have proven to be hard to enforce. So educate the players at the front end and have the NFL enforce it at the back end.

 

[RollTideinGA]

If the story is true, then supposedly his buddy said come to the beach with me and hang out not "hey come to this party". when they get there he says lets go to this party. if my friend is tellin me this, then no i wouldnt question it. maybe thats just me tho.

Bingo!

Wow, this is a harsh crowd. I'm glad none of you are judges, well in real life. I'm so glad everyone on these message boards are so perfect too. Gee I appreciate the offer to attend that party but could you tell me who paid for everything and what they do for a living. Because I have to question everything like a paranoid person.

No, it shouldnt be up to these kids to have to worry about it. Yes they know the rules, but do these agents also pull tricks on them, yes. The agents shouldnt prey on them. But you guys have already made up your mind that every player that gets in some trouble did it without thinking or questioning. Maybe UNC dude told him he took care of it, maybe Marcel did ask the questions and his "buddy" lied to him.

And from what I understand from former collegiate atheletes I work with this stuff goes on everywhere and the guy that brags about it and gets carried away is the one that ruins it for everyone. No school is perfect and if you think one is you are blind to reality.