Agent brings philanthropy to sports

Tuesday, November 17, 1998

Agent brings philanthropy to sports

CLIENTS: Leigh Steinberg focuses on community service, role
modeling

By Evan Lovett

Daily Bruin Staff

He has negotiated over $2 billion in contracts. He was the
technical advisor and inspiration for the box-office smash "Jerry
Maguire". He has represented six of the last 10 No. 1 overall picks
in the NFL draft. He represents more than 120 athletes in six
different sports.

In an era where agents carry the stigma of being shady,
deceitful and cutthroat, Leigh Steinberg has been called "the Peter
Pan of professional sports" by former Disneyland president Jack
Lindquist.

Yet super-agent Steinberg is hardly the stereotypical sports
agent.

"I spend time and effort in bringing an athlete to a situation
where they will become a role model," Steinberg said. "If they’re
not interested in being a positive role model, they can go back to
the sandlot," he said.

Steinberg puts his clients in a position to get the absolute
most out of a potential deal. The unique aspect is the pre-contract
pact that he makes with each client, not agreeing to represent
their interests until they agree to give back to the community.

"I will not represent an athlete unless he’s willing to retrace
his roots. That way, the athlete will have a positive impact in the
community," Steinberg said.

Thus far, clients represented by Steinberg have donated more
than $50 million to various charities. UCLA alumnus Eric Karros is
an active community member who has endowed a baseball scholarship
for the Bruins. San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young started
the Forever Young Foundation, an establishment that has donated
over $2 million to various children’s charities around the Bay
area.

"I’m fortunate to be in a financial situation where I can make a
difference," Young said. "I try to have a positive impact and be a
good role model."

Quarterback Warren Moon of the Seattle Seahawks has enjoyed a
prosperous, 21-year relationship with Steinberg. He also has funded
more than 100 students’ college educations at various colleges.

"Our lives aren’t the real world. Leigh helps keep us in touch
with what’s real," Moon said.

Steinberg has set up scholarships at Corona del Mar High School
and Los Angeles Hamilton High. He has also endowed money for a
building at the University of California’s Boalt School of Law,
from which he earned his law degree.

Steinberg attributes his core values to his father Warren,
former president of the Los Angeles Human Relations Council, and
his mother Betty, a former librarian.

"My father instilled in us the belief that we could make an
impact. To this day, I believe that to be true," Steinberg
said.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, he was senior class president at
Hamilton High and attended UCLA in 1967.

He transferred to UC Berkeley the following year, and was
elected class president in 1970. He went on to Boalt Law School,
where he was once again class president and had numerous job offers
lined up after graduation. But fate would soon intervene.

During law school, he was placed in the same dorm as the
freshman football team and befriended quarterback Steve Bartkowski.
When the Atlanta Falcons used the first pick in the 1975 NFL draft
on Bartkowski, he asked Steinberg to negotiate his deal.

A career was born. Steinberg negotiated a then-record rookie
contract of $650,000 over four years. He earned the contract by
seizing the moment – they interrupted a Johnny Carson broadcast to
show Bartkowski’s flight landing in Atlanta – and sold fans and
media alike on the star quarterback

In the 23 years following his very first deal, Steinberg has
attained a client list and reputation as immaculate as any in
sports. Aside from Young, Moon and Karros, Steinberg and partner
Jeffrey Moorad have secured the trust of Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Troy Aikman, New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Kansas
City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas, boxer Oscar De La Hoya, New
York Knicks guard John Starks and Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback
Kordell Stewart.

"(Steinberg) is the king of the hill," says rival agent Drew
Rosenhaus. "You have to respect his accomplishments."

Steinberg has outlined his path to the success in his new book,
"Winning With Integrity," co-authored by Michael D’Orso. In the
book, Steinberg shares his insight on life and business and his
"twelve essential rules of negotiation."

Steinberg explains that the rationale behind authoring the book
was that "people are terrified of negotiation, but everybody is
negotiating on a daily basis, whether it be student and professor,
husband and wife, or buying a new car.

"People need to employ regular tactics to be happier, the
negotiating process is important in every facet of life."

Two highlights from the twelve steps include his first rule,
"align yourself with people who share your values," and "establish
a climate of cooperation, not conflict."

Steinberg writes, "Successful negotiation is the result of
comprehensive research, and bridging the gap between your position
and theirs with a persuasive, mutually satisfying proposition based
upon facts, reason and fairness."

The success of Steinberg’s negotiations have led some to blame
agents for the escalating salaries in sports.

He sees the issue a different way, placing the blame on the
development of the television industry. Steinberg is quick to point
out the fact that each football team gets $73 million per year from
the numerous television contracts that the NFL has with networks,
so the owners have no shortage of money.

What is striking, however, is the fact that Steinberg has
advised clients to take a contract cut in exchange for lower ticket
prices. He understands the value of the new generation of fans and
wants them to have access to their role models.

With Steinberg and his athletes doing their best to give back to
the community and become role models, he hopes that younger fans
will notice the involvement and stay committed to sports.

"We need to grow the sport. The fans can be scared directly away
from the sport when they see the growth in ticket prices and
salaries," Steinberg said.

Leigh Steinberg has revolutionized what it means to be a sports
agent. He has shown his merit as one of the premiere agents in the
world of sports, in negotiating as well as donating. When forming a
relationship with a client, he is forming more than a business
relationship – he is forming a friendship.

"He is like an older brother to me. I was able to accomplish
things that I never would have tried in a million years. I don’t
know what I would have done without him," Young said of his
partnership with Steinberg.

Steinberg is speaking on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Korn
Auditorium of the Anderson complex. Admission is free.Jeff
Katz/Villard

Leigh Steinberg, author of "Winning With Integrity" and
superagent, is speaking

at the Anderson School on Wednesday.

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