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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Sources: MLBPA Hires Lawyer To Investigate Agent Conduct During Biogenesis Scandal

The MLBPA is "conducting an investigation into the role some agents might have played in the Biogenesis doping scandal that rocked the sport last year," according to sources cited by T.J. Quinn of ESPN.com. Sources said that the MLBPA retained veteran attorney Robert Muse to "run the investigation several months ago," and he and his staff are "expected to issue a report within the next few weeks." Sources said that the "two primary subjects of the investigation" have been L.A.-based CAA, where agent Nez Balelo represents Brewers RF Ryan Braun, and N.Y.-based ACES, run by longtime agents Seth and Sam Levinson. Sources said that at least "two other agencies are part of the probe as well." Sources added that the investigation also has "looked into charges of client poaching." MLBPA General Counsel David Prouty "declined to confirm the existence of the investigation." However, sources said that Muse's investigation is "looking into whether the Levinsons were indeed aware" of ACES agent Juan Carlos Nunez' work "as a leg man" for Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch or his part in Blue Jays LF Melky Cabrera's fake website to explain a failed drug test (ESPN.com, 7/3). MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark on Thursday said, "The great thing is that in any number of conversations I've had with our agent community, 99.9 percent of them are committed to the same thing, and that's the best representation of the players. We are looking into any ways that we can continue to provide the best support and best representation we can for guys." YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Passan cited a union official as calling "the community 'the wild, wild West,' with daily allegations of agents trying to buy clients with cash or other inducements." Passan noted how Muse intends to "tackle client poaching -- a scourge not just in baseball but across the professional-sports landscape -- is a bigger question." Parsing "he-said, he-said arguments is not easy, especially when the players themselves -- particularly minor leaguers who are paid a pittance -- are willing participants in the impropriety" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/3).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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