U.S. District Judge David Doty ruled yesterday that NFL
player agents "receive benefits from" the NFL's labor
agreement, so they "can't refuse its obligations," according
to Margaret Taus of the AP, who writes that Doty added that
agents "are subject to ... penalties if they make secret
deals." The NFL and NFLPA had asked Doty to "overturn"
arbitrator Jack Friedenthal's ruling on February 18 "in an
investigation into allegations" that the 49ers "made
undisclosed deals to get around the NFL's salary cap." The
league "contended" that the 49ers and agents Leigh
Steinberg, Jeffrey Moorad and Gary Wichard "entered into
secret agreements" in deals with certain players (See THE
DAILY, 3/21). Doty "disagreed" with Friendenthal's ruling
which stated agents "are not part of" the '93 CBA and "can't
be fined or sanctioned under terms of that agreement."
Doty, on player agents: "When third parties like the player
agents silently reap the benefits of contractual agreements
... they cannot later disclaim the obligations those
agreements impose on them." The case "must now go back" to
Friedenthal "for further investigation" (AP, 3/31).
