New Legislation Targets Agents: Congress has passed legislation that would curtail the tactics of many sports agents. The bill, which now goes to President Bush for signature, would bar agents from recruiting student athletes by giving false or misleading information or providing anything of value to the athlete or his family before entering into a contract. It is unclear what all would be included in "false or misleading" information. If an agent said, "You will be a first-round draft pick" and the player slips into round 2, can a case be made against the agent? It remains to be seen how such a law would be interpreted, but it seems clear that its intent is to prevent blatantly unethical behavior intended to take advantage of impressionable athletes and their families.



Of course, on a day when the ban against assault weapons lapsed with no word from Congress or the White House, a law concerning sports agents does not seem quite as important.

Posted in: