Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You decide not to represent the player.
Even though he's dissatisfied with his present agent, you turn the
baseball star down.
This is the real-life decision Tim Davies would make.
While you admit this player may have legitimate concerns about his agent
and that you could stand to make a lot negotiating his contracts, you don't
want to use these kinds of tactics.
"As an agent, you're asking people to trust you all the time. If you
show you can't be trusted, you haven't got much going for you,"
says Davies.
You meet with the player and advise him to take his concerns to his agent
before he does anything else. The player asks you if you don't need his
business.
You reply that, on the contrary, you'd love to take him on, but not
at the expense of your friendship or reputation. You tell the player he should
be speaking to his current agent first.
Weeks go by and you don't hear any more from the player, but you do
get a phone call from your friend. He had a meeting with this player and heard
what your response to the situation was. He thanks you for not taking advantage
of the situation.
He and his client haven't been seeing eye to eye for quite a while.
The player has decided to seek another agent. Your friend also tells you if
this player asks for your representation again, he doesn't have any problem
with you accepting him.
A few days later, you get a call from this player requesting another meeting.
This time, you know you can take him on without harming your friendship and
reputation.