The Business of Sports Agents
Timothy Davis and Kenneth Shropshire, THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS AGENTS, 2nd ed., Univ. of Pennsylvania Press, 2008
Posted: 23 Jun 2008 Last revised: 14 Dec 2011
Abstract
The sports agent industry, one of the most intriguing businesses to develop as sport has become big business, has been glamorized by motion picture, television, and journalistic accounts. The Business of Sports Agents undertakes a serious examination of the business, ethical and legal dimensions of the sports agent industry. The book provides an up-to-date account of the current state of the business affairs of the industry, including a detailed discussion of the recent restructuring of the major agent representation firms. It also examines the history of the sports agent industry and its legal foundations. The book then identifies and critically assesses mechanisms - common law tort, contract and agency principles, uniform state and federal agent legislation, securities law, NCAA rules, and player association regulations - that attempt to ameliorate the myriad problems associated with the industry (e.g., improper recruiting, misappropriation of client funds, agent competence, conflicts of interest, and client stealing). It closes by considering recommendations for reform, including redefining amateurism in college sports and stiffening requirements for licensing agents. Among the chapters included in the book are the following:
Historical and Legal Foundations
Consolidation: An Evolving Industry
The Basics: Competition for Clients
Unscrupulous and Criminal: The Problem Agents
Conflicts of Interest
Ethics: Attorney Versus Nonattorney Agents
Agent Wars
Knights of Columbus Rules? Private Agent Regulations
A Uniform Approach: The Uniform Athlete Agents Act
Keywords: Sports Law
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation