Should a Sports Agent Call Out the Media?
When a reporter makes an irresponsible, but not libelous statement about a client, does a sports agent have an obligation to contact the reporter to respond?
This article on NBCSports.com’s usually excellent Circling the Bases blog by Aaron Gleeman contains a ludicrous statement. In reporting about St. Louis Cardinals prospect David Freese’s recent arrest for driving while intoxicated, Gleeman reports that the arrest is unlikely to damage Freese’s chance at making the Cardinals opening-day roster.
Gleeman reasons that the fact that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was once arrested for driving under the influence makes it less likely that the Cardinals will come down on Freese. While this criticism of La Russa stops short of libel, it’s absurd for Gleeman to argue that because La Russa condones driving under the influence simply because he was once arrested for doing so. I do not know this for a fact, but I think it is safe to say that La Russa’s arrest, while embarrassing and not something to laugh about given the potentially deadly ramifications of getting behind the wheel while drunk, does not make him a sympathizer with drunken drivers. If the arrest has no impact on Freese’s shot at the roster, it’s because drunk driving does not impact one’s ability to play third base.
So what is the sports agent's obligation? La Russa will make the hall of fame and probably does not care about this type of smear job by a reporter. Still, should his agent contact the reporter to tell his side of the story? What if instead of La Russa, the manager in question was a substantially lesser-accomplished baseball man? Would that make it more important for the agent to step in and engage in spin control? It's often unwise to engage in serious back-and-forth the media and bloggers, because they can distort your statements. Still, as an agent, I think it is important to treat every instance such as this one on a case-by-case basis, and consider at least a polite e-mail inquiring as to the basis for the reporter's statements.
