Dr. Lynn Lashbrook

It’s funny how sports works. A few years ago, everyone was talking about how Major League Baseball was a dying sport. Each and every time a labor agreement expired there was a strike or a lockout, something that disgusted fans and turned them off to the game.

But, if there were every an opportunity to get in on the ground-floor in sports right now, it may be baseball where the most chances will arise.

The reasons are two-fold: For one, the aforementioned labor strife has been set aside for a more warm and fuzzy MLB. Strangely, the sport that has no hard salary cap to speak of has the least chance of a work stoppage next December when the current CBA expires, and it’s the NBA and NFL that are on the edge of a strike or lockout.

The other change could be here as soon as next season, or in 2012. Commissioner Selig has said he wants, and Michael Weiner the head of the MLB Players Association has said the players are receptive to, expanding the playoffs. Talk is of adding two additional Wild Card teams, and possibly expanding the Division Series to a best of 7, as opposed to the current best of 5.

With the additional chances of teams getting into the postseason, there should be increased fan interest, and clubs will see there’s further opportunity to get into the playoffs. All this means good things for those looking to break into the business of baseball.

Think about it: with clubs seeing more opportunity, they will likely increase scouting. Increase the use of sabermetrics. Increase developing talent.

With this just around the corner, your chance is NOW to get educated through SMWW’s online courses, and better yet, attend our Baseball Career Conference in Lake Buena Vista, FL December 5-6^th. The conference coincides with the Baseball Winter Meetings where off-season activity is at some of its highest meaning your ability to network is all the greater!

Who’s going to be at the conference? Stan Kasten, the former President of the Washington Nationals who is being talked of as being the next commissioner of the league, Jim Duquette, the former GM of the Baltimore Orioles and NY Mets who is currently with MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM, Chaim Bloom  the Assistant Director of Minor League Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays, and many, many more.

Make sure and come out. You can register here. Remember, opportunity is knocking in baseball. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

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Sometimes, the best opportunity in life can come when things seem the worst. While Carolina Panther fans may not see something to smile about, Matt Moore may get a chance to. Off to an 0-5 start, Panthers coach John Fox is sitting rookie QB Jimmy Clausen and giving Moore a shot.

“We have struggled on offense since the beginning of the season,” Fox said in a statement on Monday. “Sometimes it helps to step back and watch, and Matt has had a chance to do that.”

After more than 15 years of being a sports agent, I started SportsManagementWorldwide after seeing the movie Jerry Maguire. My main motivation out of SMWW was to provide an agency that would always strive to have a one-on-one personal relationship with each and every client, during the good time and the bad.  When Moore was benched in favor of Clausen, I kept in touch daily with Matt’s agent advisor Joe Aloisi.  Joe updated me on his conversations with Matt. In our talks, I have been impressed with the relationship Matt has made with Joe.

SMWW’s agent advisor concept depends many times on pre-existing relationships that the agent advisor has had with a client. Joe watched Matt play high school football as a quarterback and then as freshman at UCLA when he made the transition to the colligate level. When Moore was benched, he realized he would need to transfer to continue his play winding up at Oregon State University. I personally watched Matt go through some rough times before he began to settle in at QB and lead the Beavers to an outstanding year as a senior including the upset of USC when they were ranked Number One.

Now that Matt has been named the starter this week for the Carolina Panthers I find myself excited not only for him, but for his agent advisor, and SMWW. During the tough times. I felt we were at our best in supporting our client. And hopefully, Matt Moore makes the most of his situation this Sunday… and beyond.

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Sports Management Worldwide President & NFL Certified Agent of 15 years having represented over 50 NFL Clients, Dr. Lynn Lashbrook is available anytime for any ETHICAL quotes in regards to Sports Illustrated Cover Story.

He can be reached by cell phone: 503-407-2959 till 11pm Pacific Time. He is also available via email at lynn@smww.com

Lynn is available for comment in regards to the agency business:

• NCAA needs more enforcers
• NCAA should consider a sting operation
• NFLPA should ban for life those agents who are caught
• NFLPA should not allow agents to represent college coaches and athletes. (The NHL and the NBA do not.)
• Compliance officer and AD need to be more vigilant
• We need people with integrity as agents since you cannot legislate integrity
• Lashbrook was one of 2 finalists to be Ryan Leaf’s agent…and never paid him a dime.
• SMWW trains Sports Agents the ethical way…trying to change the industry

Sports Management Worldwide is #1 Leader in Sports Business Education with students and faculty from over 125 countries and over 5000 alumni working in sports.

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You don’t have to be a business to feel the crunch of the chilly economy. For that matter, you don’t have to see it in the cuts to services, be it jails, police, or fire staffing. As the world goes, so do sports.

At the collegiate level, the concern has been about how much money pours into athletic programs. One look at the increase in funding that have been used for the Oregon athletics program (one, mind you, that had been saying was self-sufficient), it’s clear that, at least for now, it’s costing more to run athletics than the revenues they pull in. Look no further than Cal who is seeing baseball, men’s and women’s gymnastics, ruby, and lacrosse axed from their program in order to cut $4 million and keep Cal in compliance with Title IX gender equity requirements.

With every university in the country feeling the turmoil of an economy as chilly as the winter snow, the funding of college athletics becomes an easy target for faculty and the media.  As a longtime faculty member with over 40 years experience, as well as a former academic advisor and director of athletics, I feel college presidents must stand up to the pressures that their faculty continue to pile on college athletics.  The issue is one of bureaucracy, as much as anything.

Simply put, when academic departments drop their  tenure policy and are willing to evaluate each professor on their latest accomplishments and terminate those who have become complacent and ineffective then they will realize how a strong vibrant athletic department has be accountable to their performance and an annual basis.  Maybe it is time for Professors to Face the Scrutiny Coaches Face Every Weekend!  Talk about Pressure!

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Each year, there’s a clamor for it. The logic (unfounded as it may be) is that a playoff system in Division 1 NCAA football would kill off the Bowls and Conference Championships that are a cash cow for the universities and their programs.

As if!

As the founder of BCSbusters.com website for years I have come to the conclusion the only way we will get the college football coaches, Athletic Directors, and Conference Commissioners to install a true playoff system with a national championship game outside the BCS system is when the students demand it. Simply put student fees around the country are significant enough on each campus to classify a student association as one of the largest boosters in the program.  According to USA Today, the amounts going to athletics are soaring, and account for as much as 23% of the required annual bill for in-state students.

Once students realize how much they are collectively contributing through fees they will begin demanding a playoff to recover much of the lost revenue.  Like the Tea Party once the idea catches on I predict a playoff sooner than later.

Visit bcsbusters.com today

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