All About the Money

            For the players, it’s all about the money.  That’s what it comes down to, and the agent’s job is to do everything in his power to make his clients more money.  While most of an athlete’s income comes from his contract, there is also lots of monetary opportunity in sponsorships, which is what Mr. Simms and I focused on today.  It was really interesting when we were talking about it because while we tend to think of these athletes as all being just super-rich, Mr. Simms explained that even at the highest level there are different socio-economic classes.  For example, players that are making multi-millions each year only tend to take sponsorships or do certain tasks like do a weekly call in to a radio show, for a significant amount of money.  On the other hand, there are many players who are making less than a million dollars a year who are willing to sign autographs for an hour for an extra thousand dollars, anything that will support their income.  Even though all NFL players are paid very handsomely, it’s still interesting to think that a lot of them feel they need to create additional income compared to others who don’t.  Mr. Simms explained that most players get sponsorships at places such as car dealerships or jewelry stores, and since he represents two players on the Cleveland Browns, he is looking for sponsorship opportunities for both players.  He asked me to compile a list of potential sponsorships for these players, which he will then be able to reach out to in the future and see if they can strike up a deal.