From The Desk Of SMWW President, Dr. Lashbrook

Dear Sports Enthusiast,

So you want a job in sports? Whether you have never been to college or you have an MBA, guess what? It doesn't really matter in the world of sports. It's about experience and who you know, plain and simple.

Whether you want to be a sports agent, an athletic director, work in the front office of a team, scout professional talent or color commentate, we have training courses that will take you to the next level.

I've been working and teaching in sports management for over 30 years and there have been many developments since I first embarked on this journey. Sports have achieved a record level of popularity in America and abroad that wasn't foreseeable decades ago. And it's not just men's sports that have grown; Women's sports have expanded and are continuing to grow by leaps and bounds as well.

Another indicator of the profound growth and impact of the industry is the vast amount of sports coverage in the media. Sports consist of one fourth the daily newspaper, cable sports channels operate 24/7 and there are now hundreds and hundreds of AM sports radio talk shows.

But despite this tremendous growth, college professors are teaching from the same tired syllabus, often with text books that are outdated before they reach the classroom. This may be how things have been done in the past, but it doesn't have to be your future!

With today's technology, you now have the opportunity to learn from those in the trenches living the dream as it happens with the skills and strategies used by the top sports venues in the world. Doesn't it make sense to learn sports casting from a sportscaster, baseball scouting someone with scouting experience and the sports agent business from someone who has signed and represented players.

Maybe you're a high school athletic director charged with restructuring your department because of declining educational funding. Then it's imperative your organization be run like a college athletic department, in regards to fan growth, fund raising, and team management. SMWW provides you with hands on training from those on the job.

Thousands of people say they want to work in sports, but they go to a job they don't like and watch sports on the weekend. If you'd rather be in the game than watching the game, these training courses are right for you!

In today's society we wouldn't place a nurse in a hospital or a teacher in a school without on the job training. Why should sports be any different? The competition is tough and the sports world is hard to break into. But if you don't have the experience or job skills required, where are you going to get them? From Sports Management Worldwide!

I hope you choose to take at least one of our online training courses. It will change your career in sports for the better, I guarantee it.

- Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, President of SMWW

To learn more about SMWW's exciting programs, visit:

www.sportsmanagementworldwide.com

Are Agents Spending More Time Negotiating For Their Clients Or Themselves?

Like many sports management firms have done in recent years, Washington, D.C., based SFX has grown itself by acquiring the smaller companies of other agents. The corporate giant, however, is now faced with keeping one of its own from fleeing the coop.

An October 25 Washington Post story spotlights SFX agent Arn Tellem, who sold his Los Angeles based firm, Tellem & Associates, to SFX in 1999 for about $25 million. Tellem's contract expired September 29. Writes Post reporter Greg Sandoval: "If he leaves SFX, which is owned by Clear Channel Communications, many of the more than 20 NBA and baseball agents he oversees - and the more than 200 athletes they represent - could follow him."

Sports Business Daily's Liz Mullen has reported that Tellem will stay at SFX and receive more power. A spokesperson for the company said a formal announcement will be made next month.

Many agents who sold their companies and joined the corporate world in the late 90s appear to be having second thoughts. Agent Bill Strickland, who once worked for IMG, told Sandoval: "The clash between the entrepreneurial spirit and corporate culture was quite evident. One could either endeavor to fit in or endeavor to survive on their own. Given these guys' former lives as entrepreneurs, many of them elected to leave."

Whatever the case, mounting evidence is showing the mergers between large corporations and small sports agencies to be nothing more than failed experiments. The real loser in all of this won't be Arn Tellem or SFX. The collective loser will be the athletes who demand and deserve more from their representation.

Tellem's roster of clients includes NBA stars Tracy McGrady, Reggie Miller, and Jernmaine O'Neal, as well as baseball standouts Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and many other big names. But with so much attention given to negotiations between agents and their corporate employers, how can today's athletes have faith that their representatives are totally committed to them?

The corporate atmosphere in which many agents find themselves today presents too many distractions for one-on-one agent-athlete relationships to prosper. Time and again, SMWW has argued that there are simply too few agents representing too many athletes. Our mission is to provide athletes with personal mentoring by trained Agent Advisors. This is something a super agent or corporate agent can't claim to be doing while representing more than 20 clients. Young athletes are faced with many decisions off the field and court which will impact their entire life.

Tellem wields quite a following at SFX and, should he leave, there will be a mass ripple effect. An SFX agent said of a Tellem departure: "Within six months, the entire basketball and baseball divisions would be out the door with him." That's a chaos sure to preoccupy Tellem and the many agents he oversees. And it will no doubt keep SFX clients asking how that corporation can be counted on to represent athletes' best interests when they are constantly consumed with their own.

The sports agent industry should be one of personal relationships, not corporate names. Agents make millions by selling their firms to corporations, but there is no advantage for today's athlete in signing with a big agency. And by doing so, he or she can expect less time and attention from their representation. That is simply not fair.

Whether or not Tellem returns to SFX is really a moot point. Even if a deal is reached, many observers don't expect him to stick around very long. Whether two, three or five years down the road, Tellem's affiliation with SFX will again be the focus of attention, and the many clients he represents will be worse off because of it. The athlete is supposed to be the story, not his agent. By offering Tellem more responsibility and power within the company, SFX will divert even more attention from the every day needs of the individual athletes he represents.

To learn more about about how you can become a sports agent with Sports Management Worldwide, Select This Text

To learn more about Sports Management Worldwide, visit our website at:

 www.SportsManagementWorldwide.com

 Sports Management Worldwide Upcoming Events:

Nov. 1 -  New Era High School Athletic Director Course starts. Graduate and continuing edu. credit available! Openings available, sign up thru Nov. 5th. Select this text for more information... 

Nov. 8th-10th  - Dr. Lashbrook and Tom Leip present at Atlantic League Winter Meetings-(and they are looking for job openings for all you SRM students!) 

Nov. 8th - Sports Revenue Management Course starts (select your favorite team in your local area to do a project with!) Select this text for more information... 

Nov. 15th - Rob Neyer starts his very first Baseball GM and Scouting Course!  No charge for books for those who register by Nov. 5th! (hurry, we will keep classes small so Rob gets to know you, we only have a few spots left). Select this text for more information...

Nov. 21 - Athlete Management starts. (Oct 25th course sold out, make sure to sign up in advance).  Select this text for more information...

Feb. 25th & 26th - NFL Combine and SMWW Sports Management Worldwide Annual Sports Agent Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana (join us for networking and the business of sports).

- Early Registration Starts Dec. 1st For Conference -

For more information, email Bill Kent - bill@sportsmanagementworldwide.com

Kuliga To Take On New Role With Paid, Inc.

Sports Management Worldwide has relentlessly argued that we need many more agents representing fewer athletes to provide a high level of service to each individual client. In today's environment of corporate expansion, we find sports agents taking on multiple roles, often overextending themselves at the expense of their clients.

On September 29, Paid, Inc. announced that it has named Kristen Kuliga to head its rapidly expanding Celebrity Services division. Kuliga is principal of K Sports & Entertainment, a sports marketing and event management firm. She represents numerous NFL athletes, including Doug Flutie of the San Diego Chargers, Patrick Pass of the New England Patriots and Omar Easy of the Kansas City Chiefs. K Sports & Entertainment will become a division of Paid, Inc. Kuliga, one of just a few female NFL agents, currently represents seven NFL players and provides sports marketing services to several athletes, including New England Patriots Richard Seymour and David Givens.

Again, we ask: how can a corporate agent in this kind of culture be 100 percent committed to the individual needs of an athlete while representing this many clients? SMWW believes that a worldwide network of Agent Advisors dedicated to fewer athletes is the only way today's professional athlete will receive the total attention he or she deserves. Watch us make it happen!

Carter To Miss Two Preseason Games As He Fights Lawsuit From Ex-Agent

Toronto Raptors standout Vince Carter will miss at least two preseason games as he is being sued for breach of contract by William "Tank" Black, his former agent, whose agency was Professional Marketing, Inc. (PMI). Not only has Black created a distraction for Carter, but his antics have disrupted the NBA preseason for Carter's teammates and the entire Raptors organization.

According to the Canadian Press, proceedings were set to begin October 26, but the judge was out of town. Black, who was sentenced to a five year prison term in 2002, is seeking $9 million in damages from Carter, and $5 million in punitive damages. Sources say Carter had counter-sued.

The Tank Black case is a text book example of why SMWW believes so strongly in our concept of trained Agent Advisors personally and individually mentoring athletes. A convicted felon who scammed clients and lined his own pockets, Black is the antithesis of what an agent should be and what SMWW strives for.

Carter's problems with Black are just the latest of a litany of grievances former clients have had with the once powerful agent. As Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim detailed in a May 2000 CNNSI.com interview, Black's firm once "had nearly 40 NFL players as clients, and more than half of them invested in his two money-making schemes." Unable to account for some of the money, investigators believed that Black, who had full access to the players' accounts, hid the money offshore.

Black, whose clients included NFL stars Ike Hilliard, Fred Taylor and Duce Staley, had previously asked an NFL Players Association arbitrator to award him over $200,000 he negotiated for seven players between 1997 and 1999. NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen told the Sports Business Journal at the time that he could deny a claim if the agent did not act in the best interests of the players. He also noted that the Black case "is by far the worst victimization of players we have seen in our history, both for the amounts lost by the players and the fraud and deception of the agent involved."

Primarily an NFL agent, Black began representing Carter in 1999. The Raptors star guard signed with Black even though he didn't represent any other NBA players. The two split up in March 2000 after Black was charged with swindling NFL players out of more than $12 million. Carter then signed with IMG, which continues to represent him.

Carter, whose presence will be needed at the Columbia, S.C., trial because he'll likely have to testify, said in a statement: "The timing of this is unfortunate because I want to be with my teammates preparing for the season, but it's something I don't have control over. This has been an issue that has hung over my head for a number of years and I'm going to take care of it once and for all this week."

From the very beginning, SMWW has envisioned a different kind of sports agent. We call ourselves Agent Advisors because we believe that athletic representation is more than just negotiations and contracts. In the early stages of a career, there are many important off-the-field decisions a young athlete faces. An agent has an obligation to be a friend, counselor and confidant to his client. Athletes are looking for more from their agents and want to be able to entrust and empower them. Unfortunately, sharks like Tank Black have taken advantage of vulnerable young stars.

Federal investigators have called the Black episode the "biggest case of agent fraud in the history of sports." Our mission is to ensure that professional sports never see the likes of him again.

Dear Students, Staff and Agent Advisors,

As many of you know, Sports Management Worldwide serves two main purposes.  It is an international full service sports agency, and it is an online education and training resource that helps you break into sports.  I'd like to boast a minute about the growing team at SMWW that is here to help you. 

Matt Brock is a former NFL player of 8 years and he is busy helping our students and agents in recruiting for this years NFL draft.  Matt practically knows everything there is to know about being a player in the NFL and he is a huge resource for our students and staff.  We are lucky to have one of the top defensive lineman to play for the Packers on our staff!

Sports Management Worldwide was thrilled when it added KC Callero, our overseas basketball director, to the SMWW team.  KC has played basketball professionally, coached professonally overseas and has been an agent for the last 5 years. He has represented numerous basketball players and has negotiated contracts in over 10 countries around the world.  He brings to SMWW a vast list of personal relationships with coaches in the international basketball market. 

Jeff Lynch is our go to guy when it comes to Football information and research.  He is a very cerebal individual who has spent the last three years educating himself on the ins and outs of the NFL's collective bargining agreement and issues surrounding football representation.

Jeff Ward is our hockey guru who continues to make in-roads and develop relationships around the world of hockey. He is an outstanding resource for us as a tax and accouting specialist and we can't say enough about how strong he makes us in more ways than one.

Congrats to John Print, our FIFA expert, who is heading up our soccer division from London. He has recently launched a new website and joined focus with a long time agent in the UK.  He continues to help SMWW grow and get stronger worldwide. 

Tom Leip, who co-teaches Sports Revenue Management, must have a friend at every major league team and minor league team on this continent.  We feel blessed to have him and his knack for the sports business world. If you want to work in the front office of a team, Tom probably knows somebody who can open a door.  

Follow that up with our new facilitator Rob Neyer.  Rob is best known as a ESPN Senior Analyst in baseball.  This month he starts the Baseball GM and Scouting Course.  He is another superstar professor whose work is widely acclaimed and we are thrilled to have aboard. 

Sally Sullivan, transfers to Portland in November, to assist both our sports agency in representation as well as Dr. Lashbrook's Master's Degree Program through Nova Southeastern University. Sullivan brings a legal background and a great former client list of Venus and Serena Williams and NFL player Lincoln Kennedy as former clients. 

Jon Monk, New Director of Tennis, is an big addition to our team and we have a lot of confidence in his eventual success.  As a former professional tennis player, John brings an understanding of the game and a tremendous resource to our agency.   

Rick Burk is our new Sports Broadcasting facilitator.  Rich has been broadcasting baseball for years and will be a big help to anyone wanting to break into the business. We know that our broadcasting course is going to change the opportunities of people getting into the sports all over the country. 

Thank you to all of our agent advisor who are a very important part of Sports Management Worldwide.  There are great athletes all over the world and we utilize our agents for recruiting every day!

Thank you all for your hard work,

Sincerely,

Dr. Lashbrook, Bill Kent and the rest of the SMWW staff

To join our staff, call us today at 877-SMWW-NOW

Dissent Within The NHL Players Association?

Unfortunately, little progress has been made since the NHL lockout went into effect September 16. The NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) has decided to meet with players reps from all 30 teams November 2 to update them on the dispute. The verdict is still out on whether the players are free to speak their mind on the matter.

From the moment the NHL lockout began, SMWW suspected that all was not well inside the players' union, and that union control was keeping the players from speaking openly and honestly about the strike. Over the course of the last couple of months, we've wondered if there really is a democratic process by which the players can discuss or dispute the union's leadership and approach to the collective bargaining agreement. It appears that no such forum exists.

Finally some in the media are now questioning whether the players and their union are on the same page and share the same motives. FOXSports.com hockey columnist Lyle Richardson cites retracted comments from several hockey players (Jeremy Roenick, Steve Thomas, John Madden and Jurai Kolnick ) as possible evidence the union is controlling what they say. And in an article for ESPN.com, Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox recently wrote that there are "fissures being created within the union over certain issues that could grow larger over time."

While some of the openly critical players have either revised their remarks or claimed to be misquoted, Andrew Ference, a Calgary Flames defenseman, lambasted both sides of the dispute for not coming to the bargaining table, telling the Calgary Sun: "It's asinine and it's both sides. How are you going to solve a conflict without communication?"

And as late as last spring, Richardson reports, Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Ribiero was calling for something the union is uniformly against: a salary cap. Noting that $11 million salaries were ludicrous, Ribiero suggested a cap of $6 million per season.

While most of the attention has been placed squarely on the league and the union, SMWW would like to know what role agents are playing in the dispute. Are they absent from the negotiating process, or are they educating their clients on the issues?

Should a player revolt eventually develop, the advising role of agents will become even more valuable. The suspected frustration that the players - particularly lower profile players -- have been having with the NHLPA is now visible. Agents have an obligation to encourage their clients to move to the bargaining table, no matter what kind of gag order the union has on them.