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"Show
Me the Money!"
While Jerry McGuire's now-infamous line has given
sports agents from coast to coast an image that most would just as soon
forget, it did, however, shed some light into the intriguing and –
some might say – sometimes murky world of big-time professional sports
stars and the representatives who handle their business affairs. Minnesota
is one of America's hockey hotbeds, so it should be no surprise that many
of the nation's top agents reside here, close to where the action is.
Three of our state's top agents are Neil Sheehy, Brian Lawton and Ben
Hankinson – all of whom have close ties to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Each of them has carved out his own niche in this market and each carries
a unique perspective on just what it takes to be successful in this dog-eat-dog
world of big-time pro sports.
NEIL SHEEHY
"I think a lot of people get into the agent business for the money,"
said International Falls native Neil Sheehy, who, after starring for Harvard
University, went on to play for nearly a decade in the NHL with Calgary
and Washington. "But I think to be really successful in this business
you have to be motivated to help impact people's lives. I don't talk [with
clients] right away about the money. I want to talk instead about their
love of the game and what it is going to take to make it in the National
Hockey League. In my opinion, that is what's most important."
Sheehy is a partner with Ron Simon in the Simon and Sheehy Law Firm and
takes great pride in the fact that he is an attorney and can offer his
clients a complete legal and financial planning package.
"I always felt that it was very important to become a lawyer because
the agents that I always worked with [when I was playing] were attorneys,"
said Sheehy. "I felt because of this, that they had a distinct advantage
over representatives who weren't. I believe in the old saying: ‘Pick
a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life,'
which is really true for me."
Sheehy has also learned a great deal about the business from his partner,
Ron Simon, who is arguably the most celebrated of Minnesota's sports agents.
Among others, Simon represents Kirby Puckett, Paul Molitor and Brad Radke.
And, while Sheehy is getting more involved with the firm's baseball clients,
his true expertise lies in his ability to recruit and manage some of hockey's
top players.
"I want to be able to help people, so to give back to them by being
able to represent their best interests is very rewarding," said Sheehy.
"Whether it is helping to see kids get into good colleges or fulfilling
their dreams of playing in the NHL, I think it is an extremely gratifying
career."And while it is a rewarding career for Sheehy, it is also
a lot of work. Finding that special player is something that just doesn't
happen – it is an art.
"Our firm wants talent, sure, but we also want quality people,"
said Sheehy. "I also try and emphasize fun. If players are having
fun then it's not really work, and when you love what you do you are going
to have a much higher chance of being successful."
BRIAN LAWTON
Another big-time hockey agent in the Gopher State is the former North
Stars' number one overall pick in 1983, Brian Lawton. Lawton started his
own agency after retiring from his 10-year NHL career and later sold his
practice to Octagon Inc., a worldwide management company. Octagon's clients
include superstar athletes in many sports such as Anna Kournikova, Martina
Hingis, David Robinson, Davis Love III and Tom Glavine, Steve Yzerman
and Sergei Federov. The company, which has branch offices in Minneapolis,
Detroit, Ottawa, Moscow and Finland, offers its clients a variety of services
which, in addition to contract negotiations, includes financial planning
and legal counsel.
Lawton runs the hockey division out of his Minneapolis office and personally
represents about 25 players. Locally, he scouts high school, junior and
college games in that never-ending search for new talent. His idea of
the perfect client is an amalgam of many things.
"For us it is a combination of things," said Lawton, who also
played professionally with the Rangers, Whalers, Nordiques, Bruins and
Sharks. "It's not just scoring or size, it is really the whole package.
The key to being successful, in my opinion, is to find the right kids
who have that complete package and work with them at all phases of their
careers.
"That being said, there are a lot of factors that go into that, and
you need to get lucky with people, as well. You can do your homework,
though, and that is where success is equated with hard work. I need to
see these kids a lot before we can make a determination about whether
or not they can make it at the next level. I want to know if the apple
doesn't fall too far from the tree and what the parents are like, as well
as what type of background they come from. Their character is oftentimes
just as important as their skill level."
Overall, his perspective for those elite kids who might have a shot at
making it into the ranks of professional hockey is solid – not only
for success on the ice, but for life.
"My advice for kids today with regards to their playing careers is
to just get out and play in as many areas of the world as they can. Minnesota
really does a great job stressing the fundamentals, but I think it is
invaluable for kids to learn to play the game in different environments,
against different competition with different players and coaches, to be
more well-rounded. Those experiences will prove to be invaluable for them
and can only help their chances to make it at the next level."
BEN HANKINSON
A more recent entry into the agent business is Edina native and former
Gopher star Ben Hankinson, who played professionally for nearly a decade
with several NHL teams, including the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay
Lightning.
Hankinson currently works with Sports Personnel Services, which has offices
in Minneapolis and California, and is partners with his former agent,
attorney Jeff Soloman. Soloman also served as the representative for Ben's
older brother, Peter, and together they manage Ben's younger brother,
Casey, who is currently playing in the Chicago Blackhawks system. SPS
is headquartered in Wayzata along with the company's financial planning
partner, the Wealth Enhancement Group. The firm currently represents some
40 clients, 25 of which are in the NHL.
Nationally, SPS represents many clients, but for Ben, being back home
amongst his friends and family while working in the business he loves
is the best. "I love it," he said. "Ninety-nine percent
of it is great."
Hankinson knows that it is a long shot for players to make it at the highest
level and is a realist about the odds facing his clients. He also knows
that it is of paramount importance that players have a solid support group
around them to help advance their careers, something that has become a
cornerstone of Hankinson's business.
"One of the things you learn pretty quick in this business is the
fact that guys need to prepare for their futures," he said. "Oftentimes
players, for whatever the reason, will not live up to their potential
at the pro level and they will wind up playing in the minors, where their
agents may forget about them. As a result, guys are constantly changing
agentsas their careers go up or down. So for me, I just want to make sure
that I keep my commitments to all of my players and build relationships
that last for a very, very long time."
"It's an interesting business, and a very competitive business,"
said Hankinson, whose father, John, played quarterback for the Vikings
back in the late 1960s – giving him some valuable insight into the
world of pro sports at an early age. "I am very happy and feel really
lucky to be making my career in the world of hockey. It was a great transition
for me coming right out of playing professionally for so long. I have
relationships with most of the GMs, most of the scouts, and so many of
the guys I played with over the years who are now getting into management
and coaching. So, all in all, it is going very well and I am looking forward
to just learning as much as I can to become a better person, both personally
and professionally."
All three agents are engaged in a very competitive business and are constantly
jockeying for positioning with prospective clients. So what is that common
denominator they are all searching for? While a player's skills on the
ice can be evaluated by simple numbers, all three agents seem to agree
that a player's character off the ice is just as important to the total
package. A detail perhaps summed up best by Sheehy:
"I want players who have an appreciation and love for the game, and
want to be successful in everything that they do in life."
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