Confessions of an NFL Agent's Attempt to "Do What is Best for [Him] and [His] Family"

I'm sorry, but I am beginning to abhor a lot of the middle men in this world. Health Insurance companies get paid tons and all they do is line their pockets thus killing the natural laws of supply and demand between the patients in need of medical attention and doctors providing services. The doctors and the patients lose out financially. Same goes with auto insurance companies handling of claims toward auto mechanics and body shops. There are middle men everywhere trying to make a living by snaking money from a truer transaction between two parties. Sports agents are the worse... or they are getting worse... I doubt they can have the impact that health insurance companies have.

Josh Luchs tells all in the latest Sports Illustrated magazine. It's an intriguing story. It is a gut wrenching story. It is one that is begging to make me sick. I'm not an NCAA football fan nor am I one who is bothered by the materials that point out rule breaking in the College football scene. I'm ok if players get paid. They work hard. I'm ok if schools and professional sports teams get paid. They directly provide entertainment.

What makes me sick is that this sob story is an attempt to make one sympathetic toward a sports agent. I am sorry but sports agents are a middle man that harms the fan and sport. Just look at Scot Boras's clients and how much they get paid in the MLB. It is ridiculous. Outright astonishing. One beer costs $7 at a game where the ticket to sit and watch costs $15 in a cheap section. A $7 beer is stupid. So is a $7 nasty burger that tastes fishy. Sports consumers line the pockets of sports agents. Not their clients. Who pays the clients? The owners do. Who pays the owners? The fan.

Pure and simple I'm done with sympathizing for middle men who are telling their sob stories so they can "do what is best for me and my family." How selfish. Don't fall for the trap. They're ruining the fan experience when folks like V Jackson WR sit for a season. They are ruining it when your favored pitcher leaves to pitch for the dreaded arch rival NY Yankees (yes you Mike Mussina!). It's not good for the fan's wallets either. Think about it before you think about what to think of Josh Luchs and any other sports agents for that matter.

10/13/10 UPDATE: Jack Bechta, an informative agent himself, has a column at National Football Post discussing Luch's SI.com article.