BLITZ Magazine Demo

borrowed photos of Steinberg with different athletes and celebrities, superimposing Tom Cruise’s face overtop. Various awards in Steinberg’s office were emulated, the facsimiles emblazoned with the name Jerry Maguire, and the movie’s set was even modeled after Steinberg’s headquarters in Newport Beach, CA. More to the point, the famous Jerry Maguire moment when Cruise’s character is robbed of his clients and fights tooth and nail on the phone to retain them actually happened to Steinberg in the mid 80s when an agent left his firm. In 2001, the scenario essentially repeated itself when the agency of Steinberg, Moorad and Dunn was purchased by Assante, a Canadian firm. Some agents working for Steinberg were angered by the buyout and left, taking several clients with them. The agents were sued by the Canadian firm for breaking binding non-compete, non-solicit documents and lost a contentious lawsuit worth over $44 million, $22 million of which were punitive damages. During the trial, some media outlets took the “hostile environment” defense as a damning blow to the agent’s Jerry Maguire image. But the defense didn’t hold water in the courtroom and Steinberg’s firm won. Former partner David Dunn has since been forced to serve a year-and-a-half suspension from the players union. Through it all, Steinberg has maintained that big money, a huge client list and a powerful firm are low on his list of priorities. “I was raised by my father to make a fundamental difference in the world,” Steinberg said. “If I weren’t an agent, I probably would have been involved in some political cause. Right now, one of my big missions is fighting global warming.” Steinberg’s annual Super Bowl party—which attracts everyone in Hollywood from Jay Leno to Ludacris—was carbon neutral this past year. Guests perused artist renderings of windturbine powered stadiums that feed into the grid. It’s a perfect cause for Steinberg, who has always believed that athletes and professional sports as a whole should give back to the community. His position as an agent to some of the world’s greatest athletes allows him to give back on a level he never dreamed possible. Charity isn’t just Steinberg’s passion, it has become a trademark of every athlete he represents. The Crescent Moon Foundation, the Forever Young Foundation and the Aikman Foundation have more in common than the financial assistance they provide to young people in their respective communities. Steinberg helped plan the charities, each named after a Hall of Fame client: Warren Moon, Steve Young and Troy Aikman. “One of the things we’ve always required at our practice is that an athlete retrace his roots,” Steinberg said. “That he go back to the high school, collegiate and professional community and set up programs that enhance the quality of life.” All three men also run successful businesses and have enjoyed lucrative broadcasting careers. Moon works as an analyst on Seattle Seahawks broadcasts, Young works for ESPN, and Aikman works for FOX. It is this aspect of representation, typically called “second career,” which the legendary agent finds far more important than securing a big contract or any other part of his job. An athlete’s success after football, he said, needs to be the ultimate goal of any agent worth his salt. “We know that football is the most brutal of sports,” Steinberg said. “And it will not last forever.” Full All Out BLITZ 91

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of BLITZ Magazine Demo

BLITZ Magazine Demo Publisher’s Letter Legends of the Fall: Jim Brown Pre-Game Safety Warning The History of Fantasy Football Phoenix Rising Miracle Worker The Real Jerry Maguire: How Leigh Steinberg Revolutionized the Role of Football Agents Who Is the Big Kid? Post Game

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