"Enter the world of unscrupulous sports agents and watch as they bribe unsuspecting student athletes, mismanage their contracts, violate NCAA regulations, and leave scandal- and probation ridden universities in their wake. Although he relates many such tales of greed and woe, Shropshire is not only interested in bashing sports agents. His straightforward and evenhanded analysis also provides some sound solutions to the problems surrounding the recruitment of college athletes into professional sports. Shropshire calls for a restructuring of the 'amateur' college athletic program of the NCAA, which often leaves undercompensated athletes highly susceptible to the pre-signing bonuses and bribes of soliciting agents." --Harvard Law Review

Winner of an Outstanding Book Award--Choice Magazine "The chapter on amateurism is extremely well written and presents a different point of view regarding its origins concerning sports. . . .Shropshire presents his recommendations for reforms and ideas on the future and the industry in a well-defined manner." --Choice  

Power, prestige, and millions of dollars--these are the stakes in the sports franchise game. Rigorous research, fascinating interviews with the major players, stories behind the headlines, and an insider's perspective converge in this rare view of the business side of professional sports. In its meticulous detail and informed analysis, The Sports Franchise Game provides a startling and memorable study of the business aspects of our national pastimes. The book will be of particular interest to policymakers, sports management professionals, and students of law and management.

"The case studies are expertly used, as each case highlights a different aspect of the workings of relocation so that, taken as a whole, they provide a strong presentation of the spectrum of issues involved. . . .The lessons provided by The Sports Franchise Game are a must for any planner or policymaker. . . ." --Journal of the American Planning Association

"Sport historians will be much indebted to Shropshire for his clear exposition of the franchise game's legal side. . . as will civic leaders who can consult his concluding chapter for negotiating advice." --Business History Review

Informed by Frederick Douglass's belief that "power concedes nothing without a demand," In Black and White dissects claims of colorblindness and reverse racism as self-serving, rhetorical camouflage, scrutinizing professional and collegiate sports, sports agents, and owners alike. No mere critique, however, the volume looks optimistically forward, outlining strategies of interest to all those who have a stake, professional or otherwise, in sports and racial equality.

Winner of an Outstanding Book Award--Choice Magazine Winner of the Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in North America

"A prominent sports-law specialist sends down an indictment of racism in sports that is impossible to ignore. Anyone desiring to be informed about race issues and sports should read it." --Kirkus Review "

"Too many owners still believe that blacks can play the game but not run the front office or manage the teams. Too many exclusionary hurdles to ownership of major franchises still exist. Shropshire offers history, analysis, and a plan for action to bring equal opportunity to the professional sports decision-making field." --Mary Frances Berry, Chairperson of the United States Commission on Civil Rights "

"A new standard of excellence in writing about sports in America begins with this book. Shropshire has approached his task with unique skill, passion, seriousness, and intelligence." --Houston A. Baker, Jr., University of Pennsylvania

"In Black and White hits harder than Lawrence Taylor. . . .A how-to manual not only for sports but society as well. . . .Should be required reading for every incoming freshman." --James Lofton, Former NFL All Pro, CNN Broadcaster

The legendary Charles C. "Cash and Carry" Pyle, considered by most to be the first sports agent, negotiated a $3,000-per-game contract for Red Grange to play professional football for the Chicago Bears in 1933. Today, salaries in the tens of millions of dollars are commonplace, and instead of theatrical promoters and impresarios, professionally trained businessmen and lawyers dominate the business. Successful sports agents are comfortable with high finance and intense competition for the right to represent talented players, and the most respected agents are those who can deal with the pressures of high-stakes negotiations in an honest fashion. But whereas rules and penalties govern the playing field, there are far fewer restrictions on agents. Incidents of agents manipulating athletes, ranging from investment scams to outright theft of a player's money, are far too commonplace, and there is growing consensus for reform.

In The Business of Sports Agents, Kenneth L. Shropshire and Timothy Davis, experts in the fields of sports business and law, examine the history of the sports agent business and the rules and laws developed to regulate the profession. They also consider recommendations for reform, including uniform laws that would apply to all agents, redefining amateurism in college sports (a point Shropshire and Davis suggest may be essential to rooting out corruption), and stiffening requirements for licensing agents.

Whether an aspiring sports agent, a lawyer, an athlete seeking an agent, or someone simply interested in understanding the world of sports representation, the reader will find in The Business of Sports Agents the most comprehensive overview of the industry as well as a straightforward analysis of its problems and the proposed solutions.