Players' Association Impacting Agents' Discipline

While sports have been around for over a century, the concept of sports agents is relatively new. Decades ago, sports agents became an occupation but not a very glamorous or financially rewarding career. The industry has evolved to be more lucrative for agents and has attracted some very greedy individuals. The industry has recently been overcome with scandals, infractions and agents taking advantage of their athlete clients. Professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have been passing new rules at an increasing rate to rein in the unwanted behavior of agents.  The federal government has become involved as well as each individual state. It has now become expensive for agents to become registered in numerous states since agents have to register in every state they wish to do business in. It has become even more difficult for agents to learn and abide by the rules and laws of every state. Most states have recently adopted the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UAAA) making it easier and cheaper for agents. Professional sports leagues and government will continue to pass more uniform laws to help prevent more intentional and unintentional missteps by sports agents but also to make it easier for agents to understand and abide by these laws.

In the last couple of years, it has also become necessary for players’ unions to step in and try to control the epidemic. The NationalFootball League Players’ Association (NFLPA) has even been busy this season discipliningagents for trivial offenses because they are unwilling to truthfully fill out their applications for certification as contract advisers. Agents Ethan Lock, Eric Metz and Vance Malinovic all agreed to pay $5,000 fines before an their appeal hearings due to their alleged offenses. Contract advisor John Rickert was also fined $5,000 and suspended for three months after failing to provide documentation he promised the NFLPA regarding a settlement with another contract advisor in a dispute about fees. As far back as November of 2010, the NFLPA pursued action against contract advisor Ian Greengross for numerous reasons including the actions of his recruiter Kenny Rogers. The NFLPA has been becoming stringent on their actions against agents who do not abide by their rules. This seems to be the new tone of leagues, state and federal legislatures, players’ unions and the NCAA. Dishonest and inappropriate behavior will no longer be accepted from agents and will be attacked from multiple sources and in a variety of ways such as fines, suspensions, and even jail time.