Jeff Fannell » Sports

Oct 12

by Jeff Fannell & Associates in Career, Events, News, Press Release, Schools, Sports, Sports Issues, Sports Law 0 comments tags: Advice, Career, College, jeff fannell, Sports, sports law, Students

Jeff Fannell to Lecture at Adelphi University

Thursday, October 12, 2017 – On Monday, October 16, Jeff Fannell will serve as a guest lecturer at Adelphi University, where he will speak on current developments in sports law. The lecture, coordinated by Professor Josh Liebman, will commence at 8:00 p.m. on the school’s campus in Garden City, NY. “I’m always excited to speak to students and young professionals about the sports industry,” said Jeff. “I’m particularly excited to speak to a class taught by Josh, whom I’ve known for over ten years. We met when I was lawyer at the MLBPA and he was a young intern. It’s gratifying to see how far he has come in his career, both as a professor and commercial litigator.” Monday’s lecture will cover issues relating to negotiating athlete contracts, grievance arbitration and collective bargaining. “We’ll discuss a little Ezekiel Elliott, a little Colin Kaepernick, recent NBA signings and other things,” said Jeff. “It should be fun.”

KAP MISIR TO TEACH AT ST. JOHN’S LAW

JAMAICA, NEW YORK – August 17th, Kap Misir, Senior Associate at Jeff Fannell & Associates, joins the adjunct faculty at St. John’s University School of Law. Kap will be teaching a first-of-its-kind course at St. John’s Law in Salary Negotiation & Arbitration in Sports. The course takes an in-depth, comparative look at the salary arbitration rules and procedures in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. Kap, and his co-professor, Ryan Lake, of the Denver-based Lake Law Group, will guide students in developing contract negotiation skills, and in the preparation and presentation of salary arbitration cases. Kap has extensive experience in MLB salary arbitration and contract negotiation, while Ryan has similar expertise in professional hockey. Kap received his undergraduate degree in Legal Studies from St. John’s University, his J.D. from Western Michigan University, Cooley Law School and his LL.M in U.S. and International Sports Law from St. John’s University School of Law. He returns to St. John’s to teach the one-credit intensive course, which will run from August 17 through August 27.

Aug 16

JFA SIGNS UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SOCCER COACH

August 16, 2016 – Jeff Fannell & Associates is pleased to announce that it has signed University of Maryland Assistant Soccer Coach, Scott Buete as a client. JFA will represent Scott in all areas of contract negotiation, marketing, and endorsements. “We are excited for the opportunity to represent Scott,” said JFA senior associate Kap Misir. “Among the nation’s collegiate soccer coaches, we believe Scott is a rising star.” Scott is in his third year as the assistant coach for the Maryland Terrapins, which is widely regarded as one of the top Division-1 soccer programs in the country. In 2014, the Terps advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament; last year, they advanced to the Elite Eight. They enter this year ranked No. 4 in the pre-season coaches’ poll and are expected to be in the running to capture the NCAA national title. A graduate of the University, Scott played five years for the Terps (1999-2003), the last three serving as team captain. In 2002, Scott led Maryland to the ACC Tournament title. In his senior year, he was named NSCAA First Team All-American, and was selected to the All-ACC First Team and the ACC All-Tournament Team. Scott finished […]

Jul 12

by Jeff Fannell in News, Sports Issues 0 comments tags: america, black lives matter, crises, dallas, nation, police, protest, shootings, Sports, transcending sports

Transcending Sport: Shootings, Protests and a Nation in Crisis

AP Photo/David Goldman America loves its sports. For many fans, sporting events add to the quality of their lives. For others sports offer a temporary escape, providing a refuge from the challenges and problems life sometimes brings. Yet there are times when even the games and tournaments, as powerfully appealing as they may be, cannot obscure the harsh realities of this thing called life. Such was the case the week of July 4, 2016, when we as a nation endured yet two more fatal shootings by white police officers of African-American men – Alton Sterling, who was selling CDs in a Louisiana gas station, and Philando Castile, who was pulled over for a broken tail light in Minnesota. The shootings spurred protests in various cities across the country, including in Dallas, Texas. The day after the Minnesota shooting, a 25-year-old former Army reservist, reportedly acting alone, ambushed police officers following a peaceful rally organized to honor the lives of Sterling and Castile. Five police officers were killed and another seven were injured in the well-planned, horrific attack. Less than 24 hours later, at least three other officers were shot in separate incidents in Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia, one […]

Jan 29

by Jeff Fannell in Football, NFL, People, Sports Issues 0 comments tags: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, NFL, Race, Sports, Super Bowl

Not Mad at Cam

Brother’s been busy and had been planning to get with you in a minute, but this Cam Newton thing has compelled me to the keyboard. Cam spoke out the other day about being an African-American quarterback who “scares” some people and that he receives some of the criticism because he’s black. On cue, scores of people became uncomfortable, defensive and downright silly, as is often the case when the subject turns to race. Why are you bringing up race? This is about football! This is about the N-F-L!! Well, I’m with Cornell West on this one – race matters. Always has, always will. How it matters may differ, but it always matters, and we should be mature enough at this point to be able to have an intelligent discussion about what remains a sensitive topic for many, particularly in the sports world. Instead, as it relates to Cam, we hear: He dances too much. The theory is Cam gets criticized not because he’s African-American, but because he celebrates too much. He claims he’s all about the team, the argument goes, but he just brings attention to himself. Really? I’m old enough to remember Mark Gastineau of the New York Jets, […]

Jan 14

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, People, Pioneers of the Game, Sports 0 comments tags: Dr. Frank Jobe, Game Changer, Pioneers of the Game, Sports, Sports Medicine, Tommy John, Tommy John Surgery

Pioneers of the Game: Dr. Frank Jobe

He never threw a pitch. He never stole a base. He didn’t hit a single homerun. Yet, Dr. Frank Jobe left a mark on Major League Baseball that will never be erased. In 1974, Dr. Jobe became the first to perform an elbow procedure that has become famously known as “Tommy John surgery.” The procedure, which involves grafting a tendon from the forearm into the elbow to replace a ruptured ligament, has saved the careers of hundreds of Major League players and has allowed scores of other athletes to continue competing on the field of play. The procedure was first performed on pitcher Tommy John, who at the time was a 12-year Major League veteran. Following the groundbreaking surgery, John went on to pitch another 14 more seasons, including three seasons in which he won 20 games – all without ever missing a single day due to a problem with his surgically repaired elbow. Without the surgery, John’s career would have ended in 1974; instead, he retired from the game in 1989 at the age of 46, having won 288 Major League games (including 164 games after the surgery). Tommy John surgery has now become a common procedure that has […]

Dec 22

by Jeff Fannell in Sports Issues, What's Up With That? 0 comments tags: Athlete Activism, Sports, Whats up with that?

What’s Up With That?: The Return of the Activist Athlete

My favorite athlete of all time is Muhammad Ali. Has been for almost 40 years. When I was about 13-years-old, I read “The Greatest: My Own Story,” by Ali and Richard Durham. I was already a fan of Ali’s, having seen him box and entertain, both inside and outside the ring. However, reading about him – his upbringing, his Olympic achievements, his refusal to be drafted into the U.S. military, his opposition to the Vietnam War, and his resulting conviction on draft evasion charges (which led to the loss of both his heavyweight title and nearly four years of his career at its peak) – led me to realize that athletes can have tremendous influence away from the ring or field of play, and that resonated with me. Still does. It also drew me to other courageous and influential athletes – Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul Jabbar) John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby. Athletes who took a stand and made a difference became the standard by which other athletes were measured in my book. But the activist athlete of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s soon became a thing of the past, seemingly never […]

Dec 10

by Jeff Fannell in Career, Sports, Sports Business 0 comments tags: Advice, Career, Sports, Sports business, Sports Careers, Sports management

Get in the Game Part 5: Tips for Breaking into a Career in Sports

For nearly 15 years I have been blessed to work as a lawyer in professional sports. From 2000 through 2010, I was a labor attorney for the Major League Baseball Players Association. In November 2010, I started my own consulting practice where I continue to work in sports in various capacities. In addition to working on contract issues and other matters for some of the top agents and players in Major League Baseball, I have also assisted the National Hockey League Players’ Association in grievance arbitration and salary arbitration and have worked on a number of high profile sports-related projects. I count myself fortunate for all of the opportunities and experiences that have and continue to come my way. Now, I’d like to help you and others fulfill their dream of building a career in sports. In my fifth and final installment of this series we discuss Tip #5… Tip #5: Get Plugged In If you want to get into the sports industry make the rounds. Develop contacts by joining sports groups and associations. Attend panel discussions, awards ceremonies, trade shows and other events. In addition to paying attention to the scores and highlights, read the sports business pages. Look […]

Nov 26

by Jeff Fannell in Career, Sports, Sports Business 0 comments tags: Advice, Career, Sports, Sports business, Sports Careers, Sports management

Get in the Game Part 3: Tips for Breaking into a career in Sports

For nearly 15 years I have been blessed to work as a lawyer in professional sports. From 2000 through 2010, I was a labor attorney for the Major League Baseball Players Association. In November 2010, I started my own consulting practice where I continue to work in sports in various capacities. In addition to working on contract issues and other matters for some of the top agents and players in Major League Baseball, I have also assisted the National Hockey League Players’ Association in grievance arbitration and salary arbitration and have worked on a number of high profile sports-related projects. I count myself fortunate for all of the opportunities and experiences that have and continue to come my way. Now, I’d like to help you and others fulfill their dream of building a career in sports. See part three of my five part series below…. Tip #3: Develop Relevant Skills When applying for your dream job, make sure you bring the necessary skills and experiences to the table. If you can’t give away free lemonade on the hottest day of the year, then maybe that sales job is not for you. If writing is not your thing, then that public […]

Nov 18

by Jeff Fannell in Career, Sports, Sports Business 0 comments tags: Advice, Career, Get in the game, Sports, Sports business, Sports Careers, Sports management

Get in the Game Part 2: Tips for Breaking into a career in Sports

For nearly 15 years I have been blessed to work as a lawyer in professional sports. From 2000 through 2010, I was a labor attorney for the Major League Baseball Players Association. In November 2010, I started my own consulting practice where I continue to work in sports in various capacities. In addition to working on contract issues and other matters for some of the top agents and players in Major League Baseball, I have also assisted the National Hockey League Players’ Association in grievance arbitration and salary arbitration and have worked on a number of high profile sports-related projects. I count myself fortunate for all of the opportunities and experiences that have and continue to come my way. Now, I’d like to help you and others fulfill their dream of building a career in sports. See this week’s second installment of my five part series of tips to help you GET IN THE GAME! Tip #2: Be More Than A Fan Over the years, I have interviewed a number of students and young professionals desiring to enter the sports industry. As a lawyer working in professional sports, I cannot tell you how many times some eager applicant told me how much they […]