UCONN Lady Huskies Capture No. 89. Clap For Them!

 Major congratulations to Coach Geno Auriemma, Maya Moore (setting a career high 41 pts., 10 rebounds), Tiffany Hayes, and the rest of the University of Connecticut's Women's Basketball team and program.  Unsurprisingly, they have officially made history by surpassing UCLA and legendary Coach John Wooden's 88 game winning streak after beating Florida State 93-62. 

During last year's Big East Tournament, I wrote about the Lady Huskies Rewriting HERstory and looked forward to this day.  At the time, it seemed so far away, yet still very conceivable because that's how stellar, consistent, focused, prepared, and dominant these ladies are.

Their remarkable feat should be celebrated and appreciated by not just female sports fans, but sports fans.  Period.  The fact that only one other sports franchise came this close to achieving such greatness speaks to how amazing this accomplishment really is.  Game recognize game and give these ladies their props.

The Lady Huskies simply can't be stopped.  It's extremely exciting to bear witness to history as they play to keep the streak alive.  Can anyone say back to back to back NCAA championships with zero losses?  No pressure, of course.

NHL Set for the Big Stage w/ HBO's 24/7 Penguins/Capitals Series

I recently reached out to my favorite NHL supporter, Caty Marzi, and asked her to make another contribution to my blog to cover the upcoming HBO series 24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic.  She happily obliged.  Enjoy!

For anyone who has been living under a rock for the past three years, the NHL Winter Classic is an outdoor hockey game played annually on January 1. This year, it will be documented by "24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic," an HBO special series that will follow both teams on their road to the big game ala 24/7 Boxing.

This is a huge opportunity for the NHL because it brings hockey into pop culture. I'm going to take a wild guess that the penetration of hockey fans in the HBO audience is not very high. What a series like this can do is humanize hockey and spark an interest in non-fans. It also super-serves existing fans by giving them more in-depth insight into the players and the games. It's a little unfortunate that it will appear on a premium channel, but HBO is likely to do a pretty good job with it.

Why watch?

Hockey fans should watch because it's hockey in prime time! We should watch it to discuss how genuine or disingenuous the players are. We should engage in arguments about how much or how little we think the NHL tried to muzzle HBO. Above all, we should watch to see what happens. Most of the video we have access to (in the US at least, Canada has infinitely more hockey related content) is plays, post-game interviews, or original online content created sporadically by the teams. This is documentary material crafted at the highest production level. Hockey will truly be in the spotlight and hopefully it will shine.

For casual sports fans, hockey or otherwise, this is a must see for you as well. It promises to share insight into how hockey players think and how dedicated these men, and in many cases just boys, are to their teams and teammates. If human interest is a hook, you could snag a great white on this kind of story. You'll also see two of the greatest athletes in sports right now in Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, who get minimal press due to the NHL's low profile.

There's also just the Ovechkin factor. He's a nut job. You never know what he's going to say or do. He's kind of weird, funny, and he's got some curious dentistry going on, but he's all in. He's aggressive and animated. If Sid the Kid is all finesse, restraint and wheat bread commercials, he's the anti-Sidney.

For a quick preview of the series, check out this video. I'm surprised the NHL let HBO focus on this aspect of the game, but because of it, I have hope for this series to get to the core of hockey earnestly.

24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic debuts Wednesday, December 15 at 10:00PM/ET on HBO. Episodes 2-4 will follow each Wednesday after at 10:00PM/ET. Also, it looks like fans can submit a comment on HBO.com with a question for the Caps or Pens to be answered during the show, so check that out.

NY Knicks: A Brand New Day?

If you haven't heard, the New York Knicks are on a roll!  And although New York City isn't roaring like it was in the 90s, there is a slight buzz that's beginning to penetrate the city.  Well, at least temporarily.  As true skeptics acknowledge, the Knicks have benefited from an easy schedule.  And although that's stating the obvious, we should still give credit where credit is due.  The Knicks of the past decade would have lost to the teams that are easily beatable.  And not only would they have lost, but they would've been BLOWN out.  The Knicks team we've seen over the past 11 games is definitely playing on a different level than teams in recent years. 

This Knicks resurgence is in large part due to the leadership and dominant play of Amar'e Stoudemire, the first real franchise player since the Patrick Ewing Era.  As Stoudemire goes, the Knicks go.  On Wednesday night, Stoudemire logged 30+ points for the sixth game in a row, helping the Knicks extend their winning streak to six; while also winning 10 of their last 11. 

After publicly questioning his teammates winning spirit, Stoudemire is leading by example and averaging 25.7 ppg and 9.2 rpg.  This season's two-time Eastern Player of the Week has undeniably proven that his addition to the Knicks' lineup is most certainly an upgrade over fan favorite David Lee.  And not only that, but his ability to step it up in the 4th quarter and takeover games have resulted in early MVP buzz for the All-Star.  And, with the solid play of Raymond Felton, Stoudemire has also shown that he is equally, if not more, effective after being separated from two-time MVP Steve Nash.   

Although it took a little time for Stoudemire and Felton to find their rhythm, they're arguably becoming the best one-two punch in the league.  The pick n' roll is just as good to them as it was to the Phoenix Suns.  Kudos to GM Donnie Walsh for finally giving the Knicks what they lacked for a long time, a true point guard.  I guarantee if Chris Duhon was still running point, the Knicks would not be the second hottest team in the league, behind the Dallas Mavericks.

Felton's impressive season with career high averages of 18.6 ppg and 8.6 apg proves that he's become more comfortable in his role.  This is also evident by the extra bounce that's found its way into his game and has spread to the rest of the team; further igniting the offense allowing Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari to make strong contributions each game.

However, it's not all good.  Although the Knicks are much improved, there are still two major flaws in their game: turnovers and defense.  The Knicks currently average over 15 turnovers per game, ranking among the top 10 in the league.  And although Stoudemire and Felton have been carrying the team, they rank sixth on the turnover list and are both responsible for 83 TOs going into tonight's game.  If the Knicks gain better control of the ball and limit their stumbling and bumbling (via Walt Frazier), which is doable, the Knicks could really be on to something!

The Knicks also continue to lack defense, which is no surprise for a D'Antoni team.  While the Knicks are grabbing more rebounds, averaging more steals and blocks, they're still allowing opponents to score too many points against them.  And for whatever reason, the Knicks enjoy letting players have career highs against them i.e. Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and Andrea Bargnani.  But, thankfully,  the Knicks have been outscoring their opponents and shooting well enough from the field and three point line to make up for lack of defense.  However, when you live by the three, you die by the three.  Ask John Starks.  That's a dangerous game to play.  The Knicks need to learn to tighten it up defensively in order to be a true contender. 

And although I still question whether D'Antoni is the right man for the job, I do agree that Eddy Curry should continue to accrue DNPs next to his name.  D'Antoni feels that giving Curry some minutes may be detrimental to the team and cause them to regress.  No one wants that.  And quite frankly, Curry isn't fit enough to handle the fast paced nature of the Knicks offense.  But, if Curry has to earn some minutes in order to improve his value so he's trade worthy, then D'Antoni must find a way to work him into the game without completely ruining team chemistry.

I don't mean to get ahead of myself by looking past any of the Knicks' upcoming games, but it looks like this year's Christmas matchup may actually be worth watching.  The Knicks kickoff a marathon day of NBA games with a matinee matchup against the Bulls.  However, the true test begins after tonight's game @ Washington when the Knicks square off against the Nuggets, Celtics, Heat, Oklahoma City, and the Magic; all teams above .500.  Will the "New Look" Knicks continue to shock us, or will they resort to their old ways and fall apart causing fans to jump ship?  We shall see.  Although I could be setting myself up for disappointment by drinking the kool-aid, one thing is for sure, it feels good to care again!!

Here's what the rest of their 2010 schedule looks like. 

1. Tonight 12/10 @ Washington
2. Sunday 12/12 vs Denver
3. Wednesday 12/15 vs Boston, ESPN
   
4. Friday 12/17 vs Miami, ESPN
   
5. Saturday 12/18 @ Cleveland
6. Wednesday 12/22 vs Oklahoma City
7. Saturday 12/25 vs Chicago, ESPN
   
8. Tuesday 12/28 @ Miami
9. Thursday 12/30 @ Orlando, TNT

Michigan Wolverines: Is it in the Genes?

From left, Josh Bartelstein, the son of a sports agent, represents the next generation of basketball at Michigan along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Jon Horford and Jordan Dumars, whose fathers played in the NBA

Last night I was able to watch the University of Michigan (U-M) play Clemson and it conjured up sweet memories of the first time I watched a U-M team play.  Back in the early '90s, I was introduced to Michigan on a Saturday afternoon, while sitting on the edge of my bed and channel surfing on my white 13" TV/VCR combo.  I was immediately hooked because I was watching something I'd never seen before.  Five Black young men, later known as the Fab Five, were running the court for the same team at the same time; on national TV for a D-1 college basketball program.  This was huge!  I was equally intrigued and shocked by what I witnessed.  Who are they?  Where did they come from?  Does anyone else know this is happening?  Or, is this old news and am I the last to discover this oddity? 

The following week I recall flipping through each and every channel trying to find them again.  If they re-appeared on TV then it would prove that what took place the week before wasn't a fluke.  I continuously traveled up and down the dial, but felt completely defeated because I was unsuccessful.  I didn't find them that week, but every weekend I watched college basketball with hope that I'd see them again.  Some weeks I did.  Some weeks I didn't.

However, they quickly won me over and I became an instant fan of the Fab Five.  I talked about them to anyone that would listen.  The imprint they lift in my psyche was unbelievable.  So much so, I declared that I would be attending the University of Michigan for college.  I was 12 years old, hadn't yet selected a high school, but I had college all figured out.  My Dad appreciated my obsession with and admiration for this team, but politely informed me that they wouldn't be there when it was time for me to enroll. 

Pause. 

What?  Oh.  I guess I hadn't thought about that.  Well, I didn't care.  That minor detail was irrelevant.  What mattered was that I was hopelessly in love with the Fab Five.  I totally immersed myself into everything they represented.  I read and hoarded every article about them, wore Michigan gear, or anything with navy blue, and argued with countless Duke fans in my jr. high classes.  I also patted myself on the back because for the first time in my life, I formed a sports allegiance independent of my father or brother.  And not only that, but the Fab Five were good!  They captured the attention of the entire country.  Not just little ol' me.  I was so proud of myself.  But shortly after the Fab Five disbanded and moved on from U-M, the hype surrounding their basketball program started to fade.  And since then, they haven't given their fans much reason to cheer for them. 

Well, it's possible things are starting to look up for U-M's basketball program.  They've been in the press recently because they have a trio of players with fathers that played in the NBA, not to mention another player who is the son of an NBA/NFL agent.  Yes, Tim Hardaway Jr. (guard, son of Tim Hardaway Sr.), Jordan Dumars (forward, son of Joe Dumars), Jon Horford (forward, son of Tito Horford and brother of Al Horford), and Josh Bartelstein (guard, son of Mark Bartelstein) are following in their father's footsteps and continuing the family's sports legacy.

Sharing similar backgrounds, the sons admit that they were not pressured into this by their fathers.  They are, however, excited about the opportunity to live out their dreams, while their fathers support them 100%.

Per the New York Times:

I’ve tried to shield my son from my business because there’s a lot I don’t think he should be exposed to,” Mark Bartelstein said. “It was his dream to play college basketball, and he’s now living it at Michigan. That’s all I can ask for. I am here to cheer him on.

In Dumars' case, he grew up hanging around practices and games, getting to know players. He's been a fixture at Pistons practices for years, playing pickup against Chauncey Billups and having Rasheed Wallace show him how to dunk. But again, it was his love for the game that attracted him to basketball, not the pressure from his dad.

Meanwhile Jon is fortunate to have his father and older brother advise him.  Al's successful college career came to an end after winning back-to-back NCAA titles at Florida.  And, his success has continued in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks.  But even with all of that, Jon is still doing his best to create his own identity and legacy on the court.

While they're thankful to have the support of their family, they do acknowledge that they don't expect any handouts along the way and recognize that they are targets who may be recipients of harsh criticism due to their family ties.  Upon witnessing how the Big Ten taunted Michael Jordan's son, Jeff, during his Illinois days, the Hardaway's have an idea of what awaits them.  “The world is cruel,” Tim Hardaway Sr. told the New York Times. “If we were back in the day, playing in college, and we knew that your father played in the N.B.A, we would try to destroy you.  Joe and I tried to prepare our kids for this: the up and downs, the mistakes you make."  Most importantly, all fathers have advised their sons to live in the moment and have fun.
 
Tim Hardaway Jr., freshman, seems to have the most promising future.  Right now, he's the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 12 ppg, 1.5 apg, 3.3 rpg.  And although Jon Horford, also a freshman, gets minutes, he's making less of an impact with 1.7 ppg, 0.0 apg, 2.2 rpg.  Jordan Dumars, a sophomore, is sitting out until the winter semester because he transferred from South Florida.  Josh Bartelstein, from Highland Park, Ill., is a sophomore reserve.

Are they being hailed as saviors of the U of M basketball program?  Not exactly.  But they have created a buzz that hasn't existed for a while.  People are interested in seeing how this class of celebuspawn will perform.  Will they be able to live up to the legacies of their fathers?  Only time will tell.  Coming off of last night's win, they're off to a 4-2 start after gaining their first road victory of the season and their first win in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge since 1999.  That's progress, certainly giving Michigan basketball fans a reason to cheer again! Go Blue!

Skullcandy + Roc Nation + NBA= The Skullcandy Crew

Skullcandy, the premium headphone brand, extended their partnership with the NBA and Roc Nation and formed The Skullcandy Crew which features a who's who among the best young(ish) talent in the NBA.  Andre Iguodala of the 76ers, Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, and Kevin Durant and James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder form the Skullcandy Crew.

Here's what Skullcandy said about the new partnership:

With teams in surf, skate, snow and several other action sports, it only made sense to broaden the Skullcandy Family to cover the NBA’s superstars, further cementing the bond between music and athletes. 

Skullcandy will be actively supporting charity events with each Crew member and will have exclusive access to behind the scenes action starring our NBA crew. Whether it’s taking over the Skullcandy Twitter account, hanging backstage at concerts, or dropping beats with the Roc Nation family, the Skullcandy Crew will give you the courtside view into the life of some real ballers.

NBA signature headphones will also drop sometime this year along with the Crew rocking the latest Skullcandy gear.

I think this is a dope partnership and a great come up for these guys.  But, I can't help but think how ironic it is that David Stern attempted to clean up the hip hop image of the players by enforcing a dress code; but then partners with Skullcandy and RocNation.  I honestly think both decisions were the right decisions, but I couldn't ignore my observation.  Can't knock the hustle.

Check out the promo video featuring The Skullcandy Crew.  And, if you want to learn what music the Crew is rocking out to on gameday, while they're traveling or just chilling, find out at www.skullcandy.com/nba-crew.

PRESS PLAY:  The NBA SkullCandy Crew

NIKE: Run Your City!!

With a little over a week until the ING NYC Marathon, I've had reoccurring thoughts about stepping up my running game and possibly training for a marathon myself.  This isn't the first time I've had these thoughts and I guarantee it won't be the last.  Each year, I'm inspired by all of the ads around NYC and my countless friends that run, but I guess I'm not inspired enough to actually advance beyond it just being a thought.  For some reason, running 26.1 miles seems like the unthinkable to me and is so far out of reach.

Admittedly, I'm guilty of piling on the self-doubt and question if I have the mental and physical fortitude to train for a marathon, let alone run a complete 26.1 miles. 

But thanks to Nike, I'm reassured that I'm not alone.   There are millions of people out there just like me.  We jog for exercise, but runners we are not!   Nike is speaking is my language!  And, if they're speaking your language too, lean in a little closer and check this out!

In true Nike fashion, they've come up with a fun, interactive way to speak to this segment and hopefully encourage them to look at themselves differently. Instead of plastering London with ads, Nike challenged their agency, Wieden + Kennedy, to create a game that would get London joggers to identify themselves as "runners".  And voila, you have GRID Run Your City! Back in April, London hosted the first GRID competition around the London Marathon.  Last week, the second GRID competition started.  Here's how it works:

 Nike has turned the city of London into a game board for a two-week competition called the GRID which the shoe manufacturer hopes will ultimately encourage young people who already jog for exercise to start identifying themselves as “runners.”

The company has broken the city down into its 48 zip codes. Each zip code (or “postal code” as they say in England) has four traditional phone boxes. Players compete by doing runs, which they start by going to one of the phone boxes, dialing a specific number, entering their unique identifier, and then following the instructions they're given, which send them to other phone boxes in the city.

Graeme Douglas of Wieden+Kennedy, which developed the game, wrote that when Nike approached them with the task of getting young people engaged in running, they didn’t have a specific idea about how to do that. “It was evident from the start that a message-based campaign wasn’t going to be enough,” Douglas wrote. “We needed to get people out and active; and introduce to them a new way to run.”

Douglas goes on to say, ”We decided the best strategic option to deliver this would be to augment the running experience; creating a layer of experience on top of the run that aimed to alter how the activity would be interacted with.” Hence the game. The current competition started last Friday and runs (no pun intended) for 15 days. Players, who can compete individually or in teams, get points, badges, and prizes for speed, routes, and “various unlockables,” Douglas writes, “that become apparent as the game unfolds.” As of this writing, the game had 2,834 players and 323 teams.

This idea is absolutely brilliant!!  I can't think of a better way to get people excited about running, than to create a challenge that actually requires them to run!  It certainly beats those Reebok "Run Easy" ads that us NYCers suffered through a few years back.  Nothing seemed easy about sprinting through the NYC streets, seeing your train arrive at the station, running up subway stairs as fast as you could, and barely catching your train.  That's stressful as hell!  But I digress.  What I also love about GRID are the additional elements of the scavenger hunt which gives this competition an Amazing Race feel, coupled with receiving badges and prizes for check-ins.  I'm not into Four Square because of the stalker vibe I get, but I'd still be all over this.  And although you're competing, I don't get the sense that you'd feel like a loser if you came in last.  Like the marathon, I'm sure you feel a sense of accomplishment regardless of what your finish time is.  The idea is to just get out there, run, and have fun!

If Nike decides to implement this idea in NYC, I'd gladly lace up my asics and hit the streets!  Who's with me?

Check out the GRID Facebook Page to see updates from runners! 

PUSH PLAY:  NIKE GRID ANALYSIS, GIRLS VS. BOYS

Related articles

• Nike Grid: forget ads, let's make a game! (wklondon.typepad.com)
• Nike Turns London Into a Game Board to Get People Running (fastcompany.com)
• Nike Grid V.2 (rubbishcorp.com)

The Takeover? Under Armour Launches New Basketball Shoe

Over the weekend, Under Armour launched a basketball shoe line called Micro G., which is promoted by Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks.  With the tag line, I Think You Hear Us Coming, Under Armour hopes to overtake Nike as the leading basketball shoe on the market.  Although no major ad buys are planned, Under Armour did produce a :15 promo w/ Brandon Jennings.  It'll be interesting to see what other plans Under Armour has to make a splash.  I hope they don't expect Brandon Jennings to do all of the heavy lifting by himself.  If so, no one's going to "hear them coming" with this soft, quiet launch.

Since this is Under Armour's second attempt at entering the footwear market, I expected a bit more.  Remember in 2008, they ran an ad during the Super Bowl announcing a new shoe line, which subsequently failed. It would've been nice to see Under Armour find the happy medium between balling out by buying a Super Bowl ad and doing the minimum.  It exists.

Well, despite no major ad buys, Kevin Plank, Under Armour CEO, did return armed with backup.  He recruited three Nike execs to help resurrect Under Armour's footwear line.  You know how the old saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em; but in this case, Plank had them join him.  Smart.  But is that enough to compete with the billion dollar marketing budget Nike has to spend?  Or the roster of professional athletes signed to Nike? Or all of the Nike endorsed teams on the AAU and college basketball level?  Nike is connecting with this market at a young age and building brand loyalty, which is key.

Don't get me wrong, Under Armour deserves a round of applause for redefining performance apparel, but I still think it's going to be extremely difficult for Under Armour to gain a substantial piece of Nike's 95% market share.

Although I'm heavily into sports, I traded sneakers for heels a long time ago and can't remember the last time I bought some kicks that weren't going to be used for running or workouts.  However, I do know style, and these Under Armour sneakers aren't speaking to me.  Maybe it's because Nike has dominated the basketball shoe market for so long, but these sneakers look real generic to me. Like, if I was 12 years old and my mom brought these home, I would feel some type of way.  Maybe it's just me, but there's something about that swoosh that makes your sneaker look official.  On second thought, it's definitely not just me.  Nike has a choke hold on 95% of the basketball shoe market for a reason.

What do you think?  Does Under Armour stand a chance at overtaking Nike, something that long time rivals Reebok and Adidas have been unable to do?

 
PUSH PLAY: UNDER ARMOUR BASKETBALL SHOES

Jack Move!! (from SI.com) Confessions of an Agent

 

Yesterday, Sports Illustrated released its new feature story, "Confessions of an Agent".  Former NFL agent, Josh Luchs, shares many details about his days as a sports agent and confesses to paying players throughout the majority of his career.  Josh doesn't hold back.  He names names and implicates his peers, current and former athletes, as well as a well-known college football expert.  I'll let you read the story to find out who's tied to Josh.

By yesterday afternoon, twitter was abuzz with reactions from people in the business questioning Josh's integrity and motives for sharing his story.  They even went so far as to tell their followers not to believe a word Josh says.  I understand the frustration honest agents have with the shady characters that give them all a bad rep, but the reality is that there are many, many Josh Luchs' out there. And, granted I don't know anything about Josh beyond what was shared in the article, but I do believe that there's some truth to his story.  Is there a possibility that Josh sensationalized things a bit to up the wow factor?  Absolutely!  But, in my opinion, it doesn't matter.  Again, this is just my opinion, but I don't believe that anything Josh shared was so groundbreaking.  So you paid some players.  So some players accepted money from you.  So some players accepted money from you and then burned you by signing with another agent.  Where's the headline?  I've heard it all before.

This is something that's been going on for ages and will probably continue for years to come, unless the NCAA decides to start paying athletes.  Lots of times, athletes' families are caught up in the everyday struggle.  The athletes know it's wrong to accept money from agents or boosters, but nine times out of ten, they'll just opt to deal with the consequences should they get caught.  If the NCAA started to compensate athletes for the work they put in on the court or field, then this wouldn't be an issue, but that's another story within itself.

With the investigation of North Carolina's football team which resulted in player suspensions, the SI article, and Reggie Bush's situation, this isn't a topic that's going to die down anytime soon.  If anything, you'll start to see more and more people close to the situation tell their own stories.  The cat's out of the bag!  Let's see how this evolves over time.  

Check out the story below By George Dohrmann, Sports Illustrated.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

 This story appears in the October 18, 2010 issue of Sports Illustrated.

I will never forget the first time I paid a player.
There are moments you will always remember, like your first kiss or your first home run or the day you met your wife. For me, the first time I broke an NCAA rule to try to land a client is just as indelible.

It was before the 1990 football season, and I flew from Los Angeles to Denver and drove to the University of Colorado to try to meet with Kanavis McGhee. He was a big, pass-rushing linebacker who was expected to be a high pick in the 1991 NFL draft. I was 20 years old -- the youngest agent ever certified by the NFL Players Association -- and had less than a year's experience, but for whatever reason I convinced myself that I had a shot with him.

I figured out where Kanavis lived, drove to his apartment and knocked on the door. No one answered, so I waited. About four hours later, Kanavis finally came home and I bum-rushed him at the door.

"Hey, Kanavis, my name is Josh Luchs. I'm a sports agent, and I flew here from Los Angeles specifically for you," I said. "You're a great player and I came a long way, and I'd really appreciate it if you would sit down and talk to me for a few minutes."

Kanavis said, "Sure, man. Come on in."

We sat on his couch, and I gave him my spiel. I told him about myself and asked him questions, trying to connect with him. After about half an hour, Kanavis said to me, "Josh, you seem like a pretty good guy, can I share something with you?"

"Sure."

"I need some help. My mom lost her job and she's sick and she hasn't been able to make her rent. If I don't come up with $2,500, she is going to get evicted from her apartment."

"I don't know," I said. "Let me think about it. I'll come by tomorrow and let you know."

That night I sat in my hotel room making a list of pros and cons in my head. Sure, it was breaking NCAA rules, but I would be helping Kanavis out. How would I feel if my mom was sick and I didn't have money to help her? I went through this for hours and finally decided to do it. The next morning I went to the bank, pulled out some of my bar mitzvah money, $2,500 in cash, showed up at Kanavis's door and told him, "Kanavis, I gave this a lot of thought, and I want to help you out. I know how I would feel if it was my mom."
"Thank you so much," he said. "You're my boy, man. You're really coming through for me."

I went back to my hotel and for a little while I felt good, but then the phone rang. It was a teammate of Kanavis's calling.

"Hey, man, Kanavis told me you're a pretty good dude," he said. "I got this problem, and I need some help. My father is really sick and he is losing his apartment and I need $2,500.

Do you think you can help me out the way you helped Kanavis?"

My heart dropped. I hung up and got the hell out of there. The whole flight home I was kicking myself. How could I be so stupid?

THE BALL BOY

How does a dyslexic Jewish kid with no college degree become an NFL agent? How does he last in the profession for nearly 20 years? As it did with many others who became sports agents in the 1980s and early '90s, the career found me. This was pre-Jerry Maguire, before football agents became as famous as their clients. It was not a glamorous profession and was full of guys who had fallen into it.

I was born in Brooklyn. My father was a urologist and an acupuncturist, and he treated New York Knicks Spencer Haywood and Earl (the Pearl) Monroe. They would come by the house and play basketball with me on the hoop in the front yard while waiting for their appointments. I saw how magical those athletes were, how people responded to them, and knew I wanted to be associated with athletes in the future.

My family moved to Beverly Hills when I was 10, and my father got Raiders season tickets. It became my dream to be part of that team. In the fall of 1985, during my junior year at Beverly Hills High, I talked my way into an internship with Bud Furillo, who hosted a sports talk show on KABC-AM. After I'd worked for free for several months Bud asked how he could repay me.

"Help me get a job with the Raiders," I said.

Bud talked to owner Al Davis, and a few weeks later I drove to Raiders training camp in Oxnard, Calif., for the first of three summers I would spend as a ball boy.

One of the players I was most excited to meet that first year was Greg Townsend, the star defensive end. When Greg pulled up in his Mercedes for the first day of camp, I ran over to him like some goofball fan, wearing my Raiders-issue, silver-and-black knee socks and shorts, and said, "Hey, Greg, how are you doing?" I offered to help carry his bags, and as we were walking, he asked me where I was from. I knew that Greg grew up in the inner city, in Compton, and I worried that if he heard I was from Beverly Hills he would judge me harshly. I told him I didn't want to say, but he kept asking. "I am from Beverly Hills, but not from the really, really rich part," I finally admitted. "I'm from the rougher part."
Greg laughed his butt off. From that day forward I was his guy, like his little mascot. For Greg and the other players, I would do anything. I sneaked beer up to their rooms; I sneaked girls into their hotel. Once Greg called me at 1 a.m. and asked me to come to his room immediately. I hurried up there, and he answered the door wearing silk pajama bottoms and a smoking jacket and holding a cigarette in one hand and a glass of Grand Marnier in the other. After a long discussion about whether I did drugs (I did not), Greg took out this plastic container, put it on a table and said, "I need some piss I can trust, Josh. Is your piss trustworthy?" He told me he was going to be drug-tested the next day, and if he tested positive, he would be suspended. In my mind, helping him was the right thing to do; Greg was an important player. By giving him my urine, I was doing my part for the team.

Days later, I heard that Greg had been suspended. I couldn't believe it. Had my urine tested positive? Greg had been sent home from camp so I rushed to his house, and again he answered the door wearing that smoking jacket and holding a glass of Grand Marnier. I started babbling about how my urine couldn't have tested positive and he just laughed. He said that the testers made him pee in front of them, that my urine hadn't been used. He appreciated what I had done and that I had come to see him, and then mentioned that he had some girls inside. "Come on in," he said.

In 1988, during my third summer with the team and the year after I'd graduated from high school, Greg told me that he needed a new agent. "Josh, you are a good guy," he said. "You care about the players. You and Al [Davis] are both New York Jewish guys. You should be my agent."

I had never thought about being an agent, but it made sense. I could be close to the players, I could help them, and it would allow me to have a job in sports. I filled out the paperwork required by the NFLPA, just a few forms, and paid about $300. I was 19. I was still living with my parents. I didn't know anything about contracts and negotiating. But it didn't matter. I was officially an agent.

PAY TO PLAY

When I first got into the business, I naively thought that if players just got to know me, they would hire me. It had worked with Greg Townsend, so why wouldn't it work with others? I drove to colleges along the West Coast such as Oregon, Stanford, Fresno State and San Diego State and introduced myself to players. I was about the same age they were, and I could talk to them. I think some liked me. But none hired me.

After Colorado, after Kanavis McGhee took my money and then never answered my calls when it came time for him to pick an agent, you would think I would have sworn off paying players. But in my first year in the business, 1990, I paid Chuck Webb, the running back from Tennessee. I gave him a couple hundred dollars during his sophomore year. I also paid several hundred dollars to Mel Agee, the big defensive lineman at Illinois. As with Kanavis, I didn't land either of them as clients. Mel came to L.A. and said he would sign if I bought a diamond engagement ring for his girlfriend. I would have done it, but the ring cost too much.

It was rough that first year, but I learned valuable lessons. Most of all, I realized I needed someone to show me the ropes. Harold (Doc) Daniels became that person. Doc was a legend, one of the first prominent black NFL agents. Doc, who would die in 2001 after a long illness, was a big dude, like 6'6", and he wore all this gold jewelry and had a shiny bald head. Other agents were afraid of him, and he also had a reputation for paying and giving gifts to college kids. There used to be a joke in the industry that if you saw a college player driving a Datsun 280Z, then you could forget about signing him. It was widely known Doc had a hookup at a Datsun dealership in Southern California.

In 1992 Doc began helping me understand the business. First, I learned that if I was going to keep paying players I had to do it differently. Giving money in one shot didn't build a long-term relationship with a prospect; I had to give smaller amounts each month so the player would stay in regular touch. Doc also taught me to focus locally. A common way for an agent to gain a foothold in the business is by getting in with a single school. How did Drew Rosenhaus become so big? He graduated from Miami and was embedded in the school when Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp & Co. went there. I had UCLA.

I rarely went to Bruins games or practices, but I was hanging out all the time with players, including someone who would become my first UCLA client, receiver Sean LaChapelle. Sean and I got to be good friends. He would come over to my parents' house even when I wasn't there, like a member of the family. He even gave me a dog, Touchdown, a golden retriever. I hoped to represent Sean after his junior season in 1992, but Rick Neuheisel, a UCLA assistant coach at the time, talked him into coming back for his senior year. I was worried about other agents' getting to Sean, so I had him give the agents who contacted him the phone number for my house in Woodland Hills. When agents called him they were actually calling my home phone.

Landing Sean gave me credibility with other players, and after him I signed fellow Bruins Carl Greenwood; Othello Henderson; Jamir Miller, who was the No. 10 overall pick in 1994; Matt Soenksen; and Chris Alexander. I did a lot for Sean, but I never gave him money. I did, however, pay all the others. Doc and I gave them money around the first of every month. We paid quarterback Ryan Fien while he was at UCLA, and when he transferred to Idaho in 1996 we kept paying him. We gave Bruce Walker and Vaughn Parker of UCLA money too, but they didn't sign with us. I did more than just hand players cash. When Bruce was thrown in jail for shooting off a gun in L.A. [he would later plead no contest to disturbing the peace], whom do you think he called in the middle of the night to bail him out?

If you were a good player at UCLA, I made a run at you. I tried to get can't-miss NFL left tackle prospect Jonathan Ogden as a client, but he wouldn't take my money. He did, however, go with me to a Janet Jackson concert. My girlfriend got two tickets, and I told her, "Sorry, I need those tickets for J.O. He's a big Janet Jackson fan." Instead of going to the concert with my girlfriend, I went with a 6'9" guy who weighed more than 300 pounds and who screamed "Janet!" the whole night like a teenage girl.

The lunches, the money each month, the bail, the concert tickets, those were all NCAA violations, of course, but in my mind I wasn't doing anything wrong. Doc would say to me, "We ain't members of the NCAA. We didn't agree to follow these rules." I also justified it by remembering that the schools and the NCAA were making money while the players, many of whom came from poor families, weren't getting anything but an education, which many of them didn't take seriously. Plus, Doc and I knew that if they didn't take our money, they would take it from one of the dozens of other agents opening their wallets. Agents have been giving kids money for decades. It was more open in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, before states passed sports-agent laws making it illegal. Now, agents still do it, but they are more secretive and use middlemen. Anyone who thinks it doesn't go on needs to look at all the schools currently being investigated by the NCAA for contact between players and agents, places like Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. It goes on everywhere.

While most of my energy was spent recruiting UCLA, Doc and I also went after players who had ties to the Los Angeles area. Chris Mims, the Tennessee defensive end who was picked in the first round in 1992, was an L.A. kid Doc and I landed. We paid him about $500 a month during his final season in Knoxville and also paid a guy who was sort of his handler. Michigan State's Tony Banks, the first quarterback taken in the '96 draft, was another client. Doc had known Tony since he was a little kid and had represented his uncle, former USC and NFL linebacker Chip Banks. We paid Tony several hundred dollars a month. Colorado's Greg Thomas, USC's Delon Washington and Phalen Pounds, and Portland State's Darick Holmes also took our money and became clients.

However, there were scores of others we paid but lost out on. Between 1990 and '96 I'd estimate that I paid more than 30 players. Joel Steed of Colorado; Rob Waldrop, the Outland Trophy winner from Arizona; and Travis Claridge of USC all took my money but signed with someone else, as did many others. When I called those players and asked them why they didn't sign with me, they always had the same line: "Sorry, I gotta do what is best for me and my family."

One of the misconceptions about the agent business is that the kids are victims, preyed on by people like me. When Alabama coach Nick Saban and others rail against the agent business, they don't mention that most of the time the player or someone from his family approaches us. Guys see that one of their teammates has some cash, ask him about it, and suddenly my phone rings. It was rare to find a player who wouldn't take the money. I put $10,000 cash in front of Kansas's Dana Stubblefield, and he wouldn't take it. I tried to pay UCLA's J.J. Stokes and USC's Keyshawn Johnson, and they said, "No." But for every kid who didn't take the money, there were dozens who called me and asked to get paid.

THE WHALE

The maximum commission an agent gets for negotiating an NFL player's contract is 3%. As recently as the mid-1990s it was 5%, but the NFLPA cut it down over the years, and now it is the lowest in any major sport. This makes the competition for the highest draft choices even more ruthless. Doc and I had signed some good players, but to earn real money, I had to land the kind of player every agent covets: a franchise quarterback.
I had spent several years working to get inside the program at Washington State. The school often signed players from Southern California, and I got close to them. Eventually, I was paying several players on the team, including three starting defensive backs from the early 1990s -- Torey Hunter, Singor Mobley and John Rushing -- and also defensive lineman Leon Bender. Word spread in the locker room that if you needed money, you called me.

One guy who needed money was Ryan Leaf, which was why in 1996 I met with the Cougars' quarterback at a hotel near campus. This was before his junior season, and Ryan was on the cusp of stardom. He was a whale. I knew that if I could sign him, it would change my life.

At the hotel, Ryan made it clear that he had significant credit card debt, something like $5,000, and needed help. I knew that if I just paid off his debt, he would forget about me and have no reason to develop a relationship. "But I want to help," I said. "How much do you think you would need each month to make your life easier?" He said he needed around $500 a month, which wasn't much to pay for a player with Ryan's potential earnings. In the bathroom of that hotel, he signed an undated representation contract and a loan agreement for the money. Soon afterward, Doc and I began paying him monthly with money orders, ranging from $300 to $700.

I got close with Ryan in a hurry. We talked two to three times a week. I was 26, and he was 20, so I was like an older brother he could party with. I got as close with him as I had with Sean LaChapelle. I had bought a town house in Studio City, and Ryan and a lot of players knew they could crash at my place when they were in Southern California. I kept the fridge full of beer, soda and steaks, and I had every video game. Ryan stayed there a few nights, and I always showed him a good time. He was from Great Falls, Mont., and he would come out here and party with these amazing L.A. girls, and he loved it.

For all of 1997, Ryan was the main focus of my recruiting. At the time I was losing my parents. My mother died in October 1996, and then two months later my father learned he had an inoperable brain tumor.

Ryan knew what I was going through. One day, he came with me to my dad's house, and while he was there my dad got very upset, talking about how he hated that his illness prevented me from doing my job. Ryan told him, "Don't worry. Josh doesn't need to recruit any other players. He's got me."

My dad died in May 1997, and I was a mess. But a few weeks later I still went on a trip with Ryan to Las Vegas because I knew he was looking forward to it and I wanted to maintain our bond. It was supposed to be just him and me, but at the last minute two other Washington State quarterbacks, Steve Birnbaum and Dave Muir, joined the trip. That pissed me off. They were not potential clients, and yet Ryan expected me to take care of them too.

We spent two nights in Vegas, and when we checked out, I paid for the room Ryan and I stayed in, but I didn't pay for Birnbaum and Muir's room, and that caused a big stir. It was only about $500, and in hindsight I should have just paid for the room, but I was upset at the world because my parents were dead, and for the first time I resented someone expecting me to pay.

After that I was screwed. We drove from Vegas to Lake Havasu in Arizona, and it was very awkward in the car. Even a few days of partying on the lake didn't change that. Ryan started giving me the cold shoulder, and that continued when I tried to call him in the weeks after. Still, I felt that as long as he needed my $500 a month, I could reel him back in.

You know when you are in a relationship with a girl and you can just tell she is about to break up with you? That is what being around Ryan felt like in the months that followed. Before the 1998 Rose Bowl, I talked to Ryan in a bathroom at the team hotel and gave him some cash, and he couldn't even look me in the eye. Then the day after the Rose Bowl, Jan. 2, I watched on television as Ryan announced that he was going pro. Leigh Steinberg was standing next to him.

Losing Ryan, who would end up being the No. 2 overall pick in 1998, hurt, and that will never completely go away. But Ryan also did something I found somewhat redeeming. During training camp of his rookie year with the Chargers, I went down to San Diego. I met him in the lobby of the team's facility, and after coming back with me to my car he ultimately gave me $10,000 in cash -- close to the total amount I had paid him. He never explained why he didn't sign with me nor did he apologize for breaking the promise he made to my dying father, but at least he paid me back.

My parents' deaths and my missing out on Ryan changed how I looked at my life. In 1997 I met the woman who would become my wife, and I wanted to start a family. I was also getting to an age when it wasn't fun partying with college kids anymore.

The last player I went after with Doc was R. Jay Soward, a receiver at USC. At the beginning of almost every month during the 1999 season, I would give him $1,500. R. Jay and I were cool; we got along great. But after the season, when he told his father that we had taken care of him, his dad was so mad that he refused to let R. Jay sign with us.
In 1999 the NFLPA had changed a rule to say that players who were found to have taken money from agents while in college would not have to pay the money back. Before, agents had the threat of litigation, so it was often easier for a player to just let the paying agent do his rookie deal. However, the floodgates opened after the NFLPA changed that rule. Players, their parents, everyone put their hands out because there were no ramifications.

R. Jay's dad knew about the rule change, and he told Doc, "We don't have to repay you s---."

That was the last straw. You would think I would have left the business altogether, but I still loved being an agent and being around the sport and players. However, I knew that to keep going I needed to become a different kind of agent, and to do that I needed a new partner.

RAISING THE STAKES

Whenever some college kid asks me how he can become an agent, I tell him, "Go get tight with a player and serve him up as leverage to get a job [with an agenting firm]." The bottom line is that no agent is going to work with you unless you bring something to the table that he doesn't have.

I had a skill -- I could recruit all the big schools on the West Coast -- and I needed to find an agent who valued that. Gary Wichard was one of the biggest around, the guy who represented Brian Bosworth, Keith Brooking, Jason Taylor and others. But even though Gary's company, Pro Tect Management, was in Pacific Palisades, Calif., overlooking the ocean, he had almost no West Coast clients.

I reached out to him at the 2000 Senior Bowl. Eventually, Gary recognized what I could bring to the table, and we agreed to a contract that paid me 25% of the commission on any player we signed from any school in the Pacific or Mountain time zones except Utah, because Gary had an in at that program. The deal was less than the 50-50 split I had with Doc, but I had gotten married and was looking to provide for my family, and I thought Gary could help me become the agent I wanted to be.

Immediately, Gary told me that he recruited differently and that the Wild West way I learned under Doc wasn't going to fly. He said I needed to be "reprogrammed." There would be no more partying with players, no more paying players. That was music to my ears.

Much of how I recruited with Gary was similar to before: cold calls, going to schools, introducing myself to players and getting close to them and their families. The difference now was that I had something special to sell: Gary and his client list.

Gary was a master in front of kids. If I got him in a room with a prospect and he made his presentation, we had a great shot at signing the player. Gary put together what he called a Game Plan for each prospect he recruited. Each Game Plan came in a large bound book that contained, among other things, information on how Gary had improved his clients' draft stock over the years. Of course, he left out his clients who fell in the draft, but the college players bought it. At one point in our presentation, Gary would hold up the Game Plans for two players from the previous year's draft, one in each hand. One was for a player who signed with him, and one was for a kid who didn't and was drafted lower.

"Next year, what hand do you want your Game Plan to be in?" he would say. It was brilliant.

Gary also used his contacts in the media to help him recruit. In 2000, before a meeting with Stanford defensive lineman Willie Howard, Gary arranged for ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper to call. Gary and I were talking to Willie in Gary's office when Gary's phone rang, and he put it on speakerphone.

"Viper, how are you?" Gary said. That's what he called Mel, Viper or Vipe. "Viper, I'm sitting here with the best defensive lineman in college football. Do you know who that is?"

"You must be with Willie Howard," Mel said.

Gary used Mel like that all the time. In the agent business, people know Gary and Mel are close, and some people suspect that Mel ranks players more favorably if they are Gary's clients.

In my first year with Gary, I successfully recruited Willie and also Adam Archuleta and Todd Heap, both from Arizona State. In the 2001 draft Adam and Todd were picked in the first round and Willie in the second. I'd never had a haul like that when I was with Doc, so even though I was getting a smaller percentage, I was making more money. My wife and I had our first daughter the month after the draft, and I remember that Gary told my wife what a gifted recruiter I was and that we had a bright future.

Gary used his contacts in the coaching community to help him get players. This has recently come into public view, as the NCAA and the state of North Carolina are investigating the Tar Heels football program and whether John Blake, a Carolina assistant coach since 2007, steered players to Gary and received money from him. It's no secret in the agent business that some college coaches steer players to certain agents. I laughed when I heard Gary deny in the media that John ever worked with Pro Tect.

When I was with Gary, John worked hand in hand with us, and Gary called him his "partner." John was the defensive line coach of the Dallas Cowboys when they won Super Bowls XXVIII and XXX, and the head coach at Oklahoma from '96 through '98. He was one of the best recruiters I'd ever seen. He was just electric, and I leveraged him to get clients whenever I could. In '02 two of the biggest clients we got were due, in large part, to John. He went with Gary and me to meet with Fresno State defensive lineman Alan Harper, and Gary and I had John work out defensive end Kenyon Coleman from UCLA before his senior year. That was an NCAA violation, but it wasn't like paying a kid. It was helping Kenyon become a better player.

Alan and Kenyon were talented, but what I remember most about the 2002 draft were the kids we missed. Before the 2002 Rose Bowl between Miami and Nebraska, I brought Hurricanes tight end Jeremy Shockey to Gary's house in Westlake. Shockey is this kid from Ada, Okla., so who does Gary have waiting for him when he arrives? The Boz, Brian Bosworth. The dinner went great, but then Shockey signed with Drew Rosenhaus.

That year I also set up meetings with Cal cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and Washington defensive lineman Larry Triplett, but Gary wouldn't see them. Why would Gary pass on potential first-rounders? It was around that time that Leigh Steinberg sued former partner David Dunn, a young guy who had left him and taken a lot of clients. After that, every big agent started looking at younger employees more warily. I think Gary viewed me that way too. He told me, "What happened with Leigh will never happen to me. I've got my house in order."

In 2003 I helped Gary get Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs, the No. 10 overall pick, USC running back Justin Fargas and others, but I started feeling as if Gary were trying to limit the number of clients I could claim. He turned me down when I asked him to meet with kids, and -- without me present -- he tried to meet with kids I had recruited. He also belittled me in front of people, saying I didn't have a college degree and wouldn't be anything without him.

My wife and I had our second daughter that year, and I was making good money, but it became hell working with Gary. Once, when I told him that we were in danger of losing a prospect and that he needed to call him, he yelled, "You don't tell me what to do. No one tells me what to do."

It took another year, but by August 2004 I had finally had enough. I handed Gary my letter of resignation and then spent an hour listening as he told me I should find a new profession. "Josh, you are a great salesman. You can be successful in any business," he said, and then he offered to call a friend of his who worked at Mattel. I knew he just didn't want me out there recruiting against him.

As I walked out of his office, I thanked Gary. I think I did far more for him than he did for me, but as much as I hated to admit it, Gary had taught me a ton.

HOLLYWOOD, BABY

This is what it was like at the top: It's 2006, and I am sitting in an office in a building in Beverly Hills, and a whole floor is dedicated to the sports-agency division. Huge pictures of clients like Corey Dillon and Rodney Harrison hang on the walls. I am on the phone with Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears. I'm trying to persuade him to switch agents, and I'm telling him to come to L.A. I sense hesitation, so I put the phone out the window.

"Do you hear that, Marcus? Do you hear it?" I yell. "You know what that is? That's Hollywood, baby. Hollywood's calling. You gonna answer the call?"
A week later, Marcus was in my office signing a representation agreement.
The transforming development in the agent business in the 2000s was Hollywood's move into sports. It started when CAA lured Tom Condon from IMG in 2005. The firm that represented Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie joined forces with the guy who represented Peyton and Eli Manning. That deal overshadowed another one: Steve Feldman and I joined The Gersh Agency, another of Hollywood's big talent firms.

After I left Gary Wichard, I teamed up with Steve, who had a small but solid client base that included Dillon and Harrison. Almost instantly we got some new clients, including troubled Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett (for whom we did some of our best work; a player no team should have touched got taken in the third round). But it was nothing like when Steve and I joined Gersh. At our new agency, we had something powerful to sell to players: celebrity. We told them, "Come sign with us and be a star." We put Marcus Spears in a TV pilot; NFL wideout Kassim Osgood made a guest appearance on Jericho; when I was recruiting receiver Steve Smith from USC we got him on an MTV pilot. We were selling TV and movies to athletes, and it was like having the freakin' Golden Calf.

Steve and I got meetings with almost any player we wanted. Tight end Dustin Keller, an eventual first-rounder out of Purdue, paid his own way to come see us. That doesn't happen. In November 2005, Steve and I flew to Ohio State to talk to receiver Santonio Holmes. We met him outside the football building, and he said, "Listen, I want to save you the time. We don't need to meet. I've been taking money from [an agent] the last couple years, and he's been taking care of my family too."

Had it been 10 years earlier, I would have probably said, "Santonio, whatever he's paying you, I'll double it." But now, being at Gersh, I had Hollywood to sell. Let the other agents pay kids.

That first year at Gersh was the best of my career. We were making inroads with all sorts of clients. I was earning a six-figure salary plus bonuses. I had health benefits for the first time. My wife was happy. It was everything I wanted.

Then it all came crashing down.

A year after I left Gary, I sued him for breach of contract because he had stopped paying me the 25% I was owed on the clients I helped him recruit. Just before I filed my lawsuit, one of those clients, wideout Keenan Howry, sent me a commission check for $5,320. I was not sure what to do with it. I wasn't going to give it to Gary so I gave the check to my lawyer, who deposited it into a trust account.

In 2007 I lost my lawsuit against Gary. During the lawsuit, Gary's lawyer sent me a letter that stated that if I didn't settle the case for $50,000, Gary would file a grievance against Keenan over that $5,320 check, which he ultimately did. The union looked into the matter and determined that because I had given the check to my lawyer rather than passing it on to Gary, I had breached my fiduciary duty to Keenan. The NFLPA suspended me for a year and fined me $25,000.

Gary, his lawyer and the union knew where that check was; Keenan was also fully aware that I had given it to my lawyer. There was no intent to do anything wrong, and yet when the suspension came down, it came across as if I had stolen that check, as if I were some sort of thief.

I know people may not believe my version of events. Gary and the NFLPA will have a different view, I'm sure. I should have been suspended 100 times for all the players I paid, but not for what they did suspend me for.

Because of the suspension, I was done at Gersh after a little more than two years there. The agency didn't have much use for an agent who couldn't work for 12 months and who had that on his resume. To survive as an agent after the suspension, with other agents using it to recruit against me, I would have had to start paying players again. I wouldn't do it.

On Jan. 28, 2008, the day the NFLPA declined the appeal of my suspension, I walked into a commercial real estate office near my home in Encino and signed up for a training program.

That was it. I would keep the two loyal clients who didn't leave me after the suspension, but I wouldn't recruit anymore. For all intents and purposes, I was done as an agent.

COMING CLEAN

Why am I doing this? Why am I telling everything? There are a few small reasons and one big one.

People should know how the agent business really works, how widespread the inducements to players are and how players have their hands out. It isn't just the big, bad agents making them take money. People think the NFLPA is monitoring agents, but it is mostly powerless. People should also be aware of all that an agent does for his clients. Catering to their needs can be an all-consuming job.

But those are the small reasons.

Recently, my nine-year-old daughter got an iTouch, and she has figured out how to get on the Internet. My six-year-old is not far behind. At some point, they are going to Google their daddy's name, and before this story they would have found only page after page of stuff saying how I was suspended. I was a good agent and I took care of my players. I don't want my career to be defined by that suspension.

Nobody would care about my version of what happened with Keenan Howry's $5,320 check unless I came clean about everything else. As I said earlier, you have to leverage what you've got to get what you want. What I had to leverage were the stories about paying players and all the other dirt.

Now, maybe, when my daughters Google me, they will see that I worked hard to give them a good life. And for those people who will call me a cheater for paying players and breaking NCAA rules, or who will think I am a snitch for telling how the agent business works, well, I'll just say what so many players said to me over the years:
Sorry, I gotta do what is best for me and my family.

RESPONSES

• When informed of the allegation that he had accepted money from Luchs, Kanavis McGhee asked SI to call back the next day. He did not return subsequent phone and e-mail messages from SI.
• Greg Townsend confirmed the details of his relationship with Luchs.
• Chuck Webb could not be reached for comment (SI left messages for Webb through his family).
• Mel Agee, Harold (Doc) Daniels, Chris Mims, Travis Claridge and Leon Bender are deceased.
• Carl Greenwood, Othello Henderson, Matt Soenksen, Chris �Alexander, Bruce Walker, Jonathan Ogden and Singor Mobley confirmed receiving money or extra benefits from Luchs.
• Jamir Miller, Tony Banks and John Rushing declined to comment.
• Ryan Fien, Joel Steed and Torey Hunter said they did not receive money from Luchs.
• Vaughn Parker said he knew Luchs but had no comment as to whether he took money from Luchs.
• Greg Thomas, Delon Washington and Darick Holmes did not respond to phone messages.
• Phalen Pounds said Luchs was "a good guy" but declined to comment as to whether he took money.
• Rob Waldrop denied that Luchs paid him. He recalled that he had lunch with Luchs and that Luchs offered to pay a friend in an effort to get to Waldrop, but he said that he did not accept any money.
• Ryan Leaf declined to comment on specific allegations. "I remember Josh," Leaf said in a statement. "As I recall, he was an old hometown friend of one or two of my teammates and we all hung out a bit. I don't remember him aspiring to be an agent. We were all about the same age and we were interested in having a good time more than anything else."
• R. Jay Soward confirmed receiving money from Luchs.
• Gary Wichard's lawyer, Howard Silber, said his client declined to �comment.
• Mel Kiper denied that it was prearranged for him to call during the Willie Howard meeting or any other. "I would never have called Gary, but Gary and other agents often call me and ask me to speak to players," said Kiper. "Gary is my friend, but I do that all the time for many different agents. I give players my opinion of them as football players. But I would never promote Gary or any other agent to a player." As for the belief among some agents that he favors Wichard's clients, Kiper said, "My player ratings are not related to my relationship with Gary or any other agent. There are many examples of players Gary represented who I have not ranked highly." (Howard confirmed to SI Luchs's account of Kiper's calling during Howard's meeting with Luchs and Wichard.)
• John Blake's lawyer, William H. Beaver II, said his client declined to comment.
• Kenyon Coleman declined to comment.
• Jeremy Shockey did not respond to messages left through the Saints or his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
• Through a New York Jets spokesperson, Santonio Holmes denied taking money from any agent while in college or telling Luchs and Steve Feldman that he had taken money. Feldman confirmed to SI that Holmes told him and Luchs that an agent was paying him.

Story Credit:  George Dohrmann, Sports Illustrated
Photo Credit:  Robert Beck, Sports Illustrated 

Related articles

• Magazine report says former CU players took agent money (denverpost.com)
• Former agent Luchs' claims create stir (sportingnews.com)
• Report: Ex-sports agent says he paid college football players, including Ryan Leaf, Jamir Miller, Chris Mims (sports.espn.go.com)

Gotta Have It: NBA 2K11 and Def Jam Rapstar!

Last night I went to bed with two things on mind, NBA 2K11 and Def Jam Rapstar.  This morning I woke up with two things on my mind, NBA 2K11 and Def Jam Rapstar.  Yesterday, both of these video games dropped and my mind started racing with ways I could play these games without actually coming out of pocket.

Now, I haven't owned a video game console in over 15 years.  Growing up, I had Atari, Nintendo, and Sega Genesis.  However, somewhere along the way, I lost interest.  But, with the release of NBA2K11 and Def Jam Rapstar, I'm seriously thinking about copping a console and coming out of retirement.  Here's why.

NBA 2K11 has some of the most advanced graphics and simulation you'll ever see.  It looks beyond real.  The player's signature moves are unbelievably close to the real thing.  The player's likeness is uncanny.  The fluidity in which the player's move is incredible.  Oh, and the GOAT, Michael Jordan himself, is the cover athlete for this year's edition.  So you know how you NBA heads debate how Kobe and MJ would've matched up, well NBA 2K11 provides the means for you to explore that scenario.  So the players of the 80s and 90s can face off against today's stars.  I live for this type of  stuff! Anything that will allow me to relive the glory days of my favorite Knicks players from back in the day gives me joy!  The last time I picked up a video game controller to play basketball was about six or seven years ago, but after reading reviews on the game here and here, I'm trying to be all over it without making the full commitment, lol.

If you need further convincing, check out the trailer.



Now, on to Def Jam Rapstar.

This game has me hype because I'm all about my 80s and 90s Hip Hop.  Do you see a pattern here, lol?  I enjoy some of the music of today, but nothing compares to the good ol' days of '90s Hip Hop.  I remember "scratching" my brother's JJ Fad, MC Lyte, and Big Daddy Kane records and thinking I was doing something.  Man, do I miss those days.  I also remember "writing" rhymes with my cousin and "performing" for my brother and his friends.  Wait!  There's more!  In college, my best friend and I renewed our desire to be female MCs and picked up a pen and started "writing" lyrics.  I admit, I was never any good, but I could flow....along with a track, lol.

A few years back, I went to Hip Hop Karaoke in NYC with a group of friends.  We performed a Salt N Pepa song on stage in front of 100s of people.  It was the greatest feeling, rocking the mic and moving the crowd.  It sent chills through the body.  I don't even know if that spot still hosts Hip Hop Karaoke, but I remember thinking it was the best thing ever in life.  I want that ol' thing back.

Well, Def Jam Rapstar is giving us just that!  Although the tracklist is a little thin, it satisfies my appetite way more than pretending to rock out to Rockband or Guitar Hero songs that I'd never heard of before.  If you're a lover of Hip Hop, get up on Def Jam Rapstar.  You won't regret it.  Get your people together, start a cipha, and get it in!

Although I think their trailer isn't as effective as it could've been, check it out anyway.



Update:  So, I actually found someone who's going to buy NBA 2K11 so I can play it.  One down, one to go.  Who's going to hook me up with Def Jam Rapstar?

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NY Yankees Pop Champagne! and more

I'm baaa-aaack and so are the Yankees!  But, before I get into that I have a short PSA:  Sports heads, please know that I've missed delivering the goods.  I've been a busy little bee the past month.  However, I'm finally getting a grasp on things (I think) and can return to blogging with some type of regularity (I hope).  

With that said, there's no better time to jump back in than the present!

My beloved NY Yankees are in the playoffs...AGAIN!!!  There was never a doubt in my mind that I'd see Yankees Stadium open for business in October.  Despite injuries to Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, we managed to keep it together.  Our ace CC Sabathia reached 21 wins for the first time in his career (congrats!) and Robinson Cano is making a strong bid for MVP.  Nick Swisher has also been pretty consistent all year.  Newbie Curtis Granderson got off to a slow start, but was finally able to locate his swing.  And although Captain Derek Jeter's batting average isn't where we're used to seeing it, you know he'll step up when needed i.e. now.  So, expect Mr. November to produce like he usually does.

But I must admit, I'm not as confident as I was last year this time.  Last year, the Yankees were so dominant that it was a no-brainer that we'd get our 27th World Championship.  However, this year's suspect pitching rotation makes me slightly nervous.  I just hope that Joe Girardi makes the right decisions, the team starts hitting again, and our defense is on point.  Since our pitching is the biggest question mark (including Mariano Rivera's ability to get four outs), we need to make sure we're gelling everywhere else.

The other thing that makes me nervous is the possibility of facing the Texas Rangers.  Dare I say that I'm quietly hoping the Yankees land the wild card spot because I like our chances against the Twins more? The Rangers seem to have our number this season.  Plus, it's such a slap in the face to see us struggle against Cliff Lee when we were rumored to get him before the trade deadline.  I hope that doesn't come back to bite us!  No matter what though, I'll be focused during the postseason.  Go Yankees!  Let's win it for the Boss!

Another thing that I love about this time of year is the overlap between the NFL, NBA, and Yankees Postseason. Forget Christmas, for me, this is the most wonderful time of the year!  The NFL is always enjoyable, but when your team is playing well, that feeling is multiplied by 100.  With my Jets scheduled to face the Bills, Vikings, and Broncos before their bye week, I expect this blissful feeling to continue for a while.

Now the Knicks are a different story. Tonight my Dad and I talked about the Knicks and I'll tell y'all like I told him, don't believe the hype.  Knicks fans have suffered too long and I'm not convinced that the dark days are behind us.  In the past, I devoured reading material about the Knicks early in the season, but this year, I've decided it's not worth it.  I can't even tell you who their starting 5 is.  Admittedly, it's pretty pathetic, especially since I consider myself a ride or die fan.  But recent history has proven that I shouldn't invest too much time and energy in them this early in the season.  Yes the Knicks made some moves, but is it really enough to make a push toward the playoffs? I'm not sure.  And, my uncertainty is causing me to be proceed with caution.  I'd be more hopeful if I knew Carmelo Anthony or Chris Paul were on their way to form the NYC version of "Superfriends" with Amar'e Stoudemire, but that doesn't seem likely.  Now don't get me wrong, Amar'e Stoudemire is a good player, but he's injury prone and I just have nightmares of our other $100 million man, Allan Houston.  I'm definitely not wishing that on Stoudemire, but it's real.  Microscopic knee surgery is a beast.  Just ask Allan Houston, Grant Hill, Chris Webber, and Tracy McGrady.

Since my Yankees and Jets are still holding me down, I prefer to ride that wave for as long as possible.  Truthfully, last season when the Jets lost to the Colts in the AFC Championship game, I wasn't only disappointed because the Jets' season was over.  The most painful part was facing the harsh reality of giving the Knicks 100% of my attention.  Since I've finally learned the hard way, I'm going to let the Knicks' regular season record do the talking. Show and prove Knicks.  Show. And. Prove.

P.S.  Yes, I'm aware that when referencing the Yankees and Jets it's all about "my", "we", and "us", but when referencing the Knicks, it's all about "them".  The Knicks will get back to "my", "we", and "us" status when they earn it.

New Era Launches New Ad Campaign

Today New Era is launching a new brand campaign called, "Fly Your Own Flag." The campaign, by a New York agency named Brooklyn Brothers, promotes self-expression and individuality.  It tips its cap (pun intended) to New Era's incredibly diverse market.  No typecasting allowed.  In print and online ads, consumers will be urged to “Start your own movement,” “Raise your own game,” “Blaze your own trail,” “Create your own world,” “Sing your own song” and “Make your own grand entrance”.
Once upon a time, people wore sports paraphernalia to strictly represent their fandom.  However, times have evolved beyond that.  Fans now don caps to rep their favorite team, a particular player, city, or simply because they like the colors, all judgement withheld.  But, despite New Era being an inherent part of our sports culture, they're still working on increasing their recognition as a global lifestyle brand outside of caps.  

“It’s about building credibility as a global lifestyle brand,” said Christopher Koch, chief executive at the New Era Cap Company in Buffalo, after being “a headwear brand for 90 years” and a clothing and accessories brand for five years. 

Here are a few print ads featuring their brand ambassadors, NY Yankees Curtis Granderson and jewelry designer, Osamu Koyama.

New York Yankees center fielder, Curtis Granderson

A jewelry designer, Osamu Koyama

The campaign, which bears the slogan "Fly your own flag," will include a two-minute video.

I like New Era's attempt to try and break out of their niche market of caps.  Also, redesigning their site to encourage fan engagement is a no-brainer, especially since consumers have been doing it on their own for years.  BUT! I also think if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!  No one is messing with New Era when it comes to this category.  I remember delivering 5-10 Yankee fitteds to my brother and his crew when I visited him in Paris.  The passion and loyalty people have for the New Era brand is untouchable.  New Era has 90 years in the game for a reason!