Successful sports agents are comfortable with high finance and intense competition for the right to represent talented players, and the most respected agents are those who can deal with the pressures of high-stakes negotiations in an honest fashion. But whereas rules and penalties govern the playing field, there are far fewer restrictions on agents. In The Business of Sports Agents , Kenneth L. Shropshire, Timothy Davis, and N. Jeremi Duru, experts in the fields of sports business and law, examine the history of the sports agent business and the rules and laws developed to regulate the profession. They also consider recommendations for reform, including uniform laws that would apply to all agents, redefining amateurism in college sports, and stiffening requirements for licensing agents. This revised and expanded third edition brings the volume up to date on recent changes in the industry, including: —the emergence and dominance of companies such as Creative Artists Agency and Wasserman Media Group —high-profile cases of agent misconduct, principally Josh Luchs, whose agent certification was revoked by the NFLPA —legal challenges against the NCAA that may fundamentally change the definition of amateurism —changes to agent regulations resulting from new collective bargaining agreements in all of the major professional sports —evaluation of the effectiveness of the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (2000) to regulate agent conduct —issues faced by the increasing number of agents representing athletes who work abroad as well as athletes from abroad who work in the United States. Whether aspiring sports agent, lawyer, athlete seeking an agent, or simply interested in understanding the world of sports representation, the reader will find in The Business of Sports Agents the most comprehensive overview of the industry as well as a straightforward analysis of its problems and proposed solutions. "An insider's guide to the current state of the sports agent business for those now in the industry, those interested in becoming a professional agent, and public officials who may be called on to draft or enforce regulations." ― Choice , in a review of a previous edition Kenneth L. Shropshire is the David W. Hauck Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Timothy Davis is the John W. and Ruth H. Turnage Professor of Law at Wake Forest University School of Law. N. Jeremi Duru is Professor of Law at Washington College of Law, American University. IntroductionIt didn't seem so wrong. It seemed as though I worked my whole life to get where I am, and at the same time, when it was presented to me, it was like this was the time I could start to get back some of the fruits of my labor. —Paul Palmer, former star college football running back, regarding cash payments of more than $5,000 he received while a college senior from sports agent Norby WaltersThis epigraph has remained in our text through multiple editions. Its continued relevance is underscored by the irony that, in a recent court ruling, a judge pegged the minimum dollar figure for college athletes to receive from licensing revenues at $5,000. This book, meanwhile, focuses on the evolving sports agent industry, the issues affecting it, and how to improve and regulate it. Key issues and problems associated with sports agents are visible at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Whatever the concerns that lie at the center of the sports agent storm, it is a business that captures the attention of many. For years, the dominant sports agent images were the fictional Jerry Maguire and Arli$$; more recently it has been the faceless mega-agencies that have resulted from the consolidations discussed in Chapter 3. Today's most intriguing image may be entertainment mogul, now sports agent, Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay Z, sitting next to his latest celebrity athlete recruit at a sporting event. Whatever the image, the business is complex, and the line between what helps a client and what hurts a client can often be thin. The widely rebroadcast 2005 press conference featuring sports agent Drew Rosenhaus speaking on behalf of client Terrell Owens after Owens was suspended from the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles, for conduct detrimental to the team, remains illustrative. With Owens in the background, Rosenhaus stood at the microphones responding to seemingly every query regarding the suspension with the response "Next question?" Many observers expressed concern about the strategy the agent employed and its impact on the already tarnished image of his client. Others wondered whether the apparent grandstanding was more of an agent's ego-trip than an earnest attempt to advance his client's interests. While there is no way to know for sure, not long after the incident Rosenhaus penned a book entitled Next Question: An NFL Super Agent's Proven Game Plan for Business Success . Several years after the book's publication, however