In Australia, sports agents have recently been on the receiving end of some bad press. There have been stories of indiscretions in both AFL (Australian Rules Football), involving Ricky Nixon, and NRL (Rugby League), with Sam Ayoub. The reports have tainted both the respective sports as well as the reputation of sports agents. I won’t dwell on the alleged abuses of power, but will take this opportunity to explore some of the more ground breaking sports agent-player relationships.
Agents have played an increasingly prominent role in professional sport since the 1970s. In Australia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, the sports of Rugby Union, Rugby League and Australian Rules Football have 65, 89 and 61 agents, respectively, while soccer has 39. On a global scale, soccer has over 5,482 agents accredited by FIFA (the governing body). In America, football has almost 700 NFL accredited agents.
Sports agents are imperative to any athlete and their role is diverse and varied. A good sports agent will essentially manage any activity that boosts the value of the athlete’s career. The most important aspect is negotiating contracts, but agents will also handle public relations, legal issues, investments (creating an income stream for the athlete post-retirement) and public appearances. [click to continue…]
About Chris Conway
Chris is a strategic programs analyst at the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) focusing on, amongst other things, sponsorship research, analytics and acquisition. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Business (AGSM). Chris took part in the school’s exchange program by completing a semester at Stern business school, NYU where he studied sports marketing and sports economics. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Graduating from your undergraduate institution in April or May and want to 
Tiger Woods delivering his 13-minute speech was finally what hundreds of millions of people were waiting to hear. “I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you,” said Woods. “I have made you question who I am and how I could have done all the things I did. I am embarrassed I have put you in this position. For all that I have done, I am deeply sorry. I have a lot to atone for.”
(This is a guest article by Cabe Flesher)
When someone has decided to call us back before making a buying decision, there’s a good chance (despite all their good intentions) they won’t follow through. It doesn’t make them liars or bad people. It’s just the law of averages. We know people get busy and have other priorities come up in their lives.
Most amateur athletes have recurring dreams about that future big payday. They assume that the money will start pouring in once they sign a contract with a professional organization in a large American sports league. For many, that day never comes. For those who do “go pro” they will quickly realize that the first contract does not pay much. The second and third contract will garner the big bucks. In all actuality, though, if an athlete wants to truly strike it rich, he will be the best at his trade, and command most of his earnings off of the field of play.
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