At this point, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing big leaguers test positive for steroids. It’s become as common as seeing a twenty-something actress “forget” to wear underwear and flash her cooter at the paparazzi. But when news broke that “Big Papi” David Ortiz was among those who tested positive for steroids in 2003, my heart […]
Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon…blah blah blah. All these pale in comparison to the recent death of quintessential pitchman Billy Mays, whose passing went relatively unnoticed in the sports world even though the guy single-handedly carried ESPN’s 360.com promotion. I thought he’d at least get some posthumous article on ESPN.com or a lame shout-out […]
I was horrified by the news that Jeffrey Jordan, son of Michael Jordan, was stepping away from the University of Illinois basketball team to focus on his studies. As an agent who prides himself on guiding young athletes through the difficult decisions facing them, I wish I’d been involved…because this one was a no-brainer. There […]
Donald Fehr’s retirement should come as little surprise to baseball fans. With falling TV ratings and terrible attendance at games, Fehr realizes there’s no upside in sticking around to negotiate the looming agreement with the Players Association in 2011. He knows that baseball could be heading for more difficult times, and for once, it’s not […]
When Jon Gruden, a.k.a. Chucky, joined Monday Night Football’s broadcast team, it signaled a change in the way the media plans to cover the NFL this coming season. Gone is the light-hearted Tony Kornheiser, whose style was soft as two-ply, and in comes Gruden, whose style is a bit rougher, akin to wiping with sandpaper. […]
In my continuing series on why women’s basketball is about as interesting as watching paint dry, I present you with the following: According to ESPN, Elena Delle Donne, the women’s basketball star recruit who left UConn last season after only 48 hours on campus because she had “burned out” on the sport, has admitted that […]
If this isn’t a sign that no one gives a shit about women’s basketball, I don’t know what is: From ESPN: Following the lead of international sports, the Phoenix Mercury have become the first WNBA team to put a sponsor’s name on their jerseys. Sure, the NBA’s tyrannical czar, David Stern, will try to convince […]
// // ]]> With this partnership comes promotional opportunities for LeBron in a country that’s four times the size of our own, and who’s people love basketball almost as much as white rice and the little red book. LeBron’s self-stated goal of being the first billionaire athlete doesn’t seem so far off, now that he’s got […]
With Z-man’s eye for talent, and Isiah Jones’ ridiculous skills, the two are a match made in heaven. And to hear the two of them talk about their string of successes, well, it’s just what they do.
After seeing Mark Sanchez’s recent GQ spread, where he tries on “the timelessly cool beachwear of the 70s,” I nearly vomited in my mouth…and it’s not because I’m homophobic. Sure, Sanchez is a handsome, charismatic franchise quarterback with a bright future. But what moronic agent let this photo-shoot happen? You think it’s easy to walk […]
Like most red-blooded Americans, when you heard the news that Delaware had legalized sports betting, you were probably ecstatic. When I got the update on my blackberry, I chestbumped my social studies teacher — it was a little awkward, but it seemed right at the time. And while the news is fantastic, Delaware missed a […]
This year, Mrs. Russo spent half the semester trying to teach my classmates and I why Romeo and Juliet is one of the classics — a timeless tale, she said, that has never lost its power and impact. Quite frankly, I thought she was full of shit. Let’s face it, the Capulets are a bunch […]
It has often been said that “behind every great man stands a great woman.” And we don’t necessarily disagree. But our own Zachary “Z-man” Rubenstein has his own saying that he’s looking to coin, and he knows from experience that it’s true: an agent is only as good as his assistant.
We’ve all seen the footage of the Orlando Magic fan who got shoved by Big Baby Davis after last night’s game-winner. This morning, it made even bigger news when the father of the young fan, Ernest Provetti, emailed league offices complaining about the shove and going so far as to compare Big Baby to a […]
From the fumblerooski to baseball’s famous hidden ball trick, trick play has long been a part of sports. Let’s face it, these are just games after all… So needless to say, I was very disturbed when I saw this in the AP: Chivas defender Hector Reynoso has been suspended from the Copa Libertadores for pretending […]
I know you’ve been calling him. I know you’ve been showing up at his doorstep early in the morning, late at night, throwing rocks at his window as he tries to get some shuteye. Shit, he even told me one of your cronies did his math homework last night. Not cool, Scotty. Where I come […]
For a talent evaluator like myself, I start licking my chops when the NFL Draft comes around. And like me, some coaches and GM’s also thrive under the pressure, where you can simultaneously make or break a franchise with a single choice. It’s gotta be like Christmas for guys like Belichick and Andy Reid, spending […]
When you’re a globetrotting super-agent like Zachary “Z-man” Rubenstein, you can’t put boundaries on where you look for talent. Just like Boras and the other big leaguers, Z-man knows that the game is growing more international by the day. There are certain places everyone knows about — the Dominican Republic, Tokyo, maybe Venezuela — but […]
In business, the way you look is of the utmost importance. First impressions can’t be altered, and if you go to a meeting looking like a slob, your chances for success are drastically reduced. So while he may not be wearing Bernini shirts and chatting on a diamond-encrusted bluetooth like Scott Boras (yet), our own […]
For all the bad that you hear associated with the Boras name, it’s nice to see a moment like this, when the super-agent himself shows a bit of vulnerability. Let’s not forget that agents are real people, too. Shit, even I cried when Jason Taylor was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars…
