| Free agency has been called the ruination of | | | | Management agencies and individual agents are |
| professional sports, though it has done little to | | | | the power brokers of the sports world. Ever |
| curb our nations appetite for all things athletic. If | | | | wonder how an athlete's stats match up to |
| anything, free agency has managed to attract | | | | others in his or her salary range? Just ask an |
| more attention to the team sports we love, with | | | | agent. Sports management has become such a |
| individual salaries and performance being | | | | popular field that there are now college degree |
| scrutinized almost as much as team play. | | | | programs devoted to it, which says something |
| There was a time when baseball writers would | | | | not only about its popularity within our society but |
| praise the opposing team instead of lament the | | | | about the financial gain that can be garnered from |
| performance of individual players. Bill | | | | the field as well. |
| Buckneresque errors aside aside, if the home | | | | Some agents are as popular as the clients they |
| team was behind a run with a man on in the 9th | | | | represent and through their savvy deal-making |
| inning of a baseball game or down by three on | | | | abilities, have become household names in their |
| the opposing teams 40 yard line in the in the | | | | own right. Sports management agents are like |
| fourth quarter of a football game, the onus | | | | any other talent management agents or business |
| wasn't on who failed to drive the man on base in | | | | representatives, yet are separated by the |
| or kick the tying field goal. | | | | variables that surround their clients. Age, previous |
| Free agency put an end to those days, and now | | | | performance, projected stats, injuries, the status |
| the media and consequently we, the public, | | | | of comparable player's salaries and the market |
| demand to know why high paid players aren't | | | | for their player's position are the tools of the |
| capable of producing when they're needed most. | | | | trade. When those variables favor the athlete, |
| If one ever wonders how or why free agency | | | | they're all that matters. When they don't, agents |
| changed the way we view players involved in | | | | are the first to tout the intangibles such as |
| team sports, the first point of investigation | | | | leadership, a team oriented attitude, media |
| centers around the lucrative business of sports | | | | presence and personality. |
| management. | | | | |