Cashing In On Sports
Friends And Money
By Guy Junker

There is an old saying that warns never to mix money and friendship because you will surely lose one or the other. - Apparently LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers has either never heard that or simply doesn't believe it. - Earlier this year James fired his agent and hired three friends, including former high school teammate Maverick Carter, - to handle his affairs. -

It's not as if James' - original representatives didn't do him well. - Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports - Management brokered $135 million in endorsements for James before he ever pulled on a uniform. - Then again with a player like James, - you or I could - do the same. - It's not exactly rocket science. - He sells himself.

"LeBron James is mature beyond his years," - says agent Eric Metz, - a Monroeville native now living in Arizona, where his LMM - Management - firm has represented 26 first round NFL draft picks over the last 20 years. - "He's a bright guy with good business sense and it's hard to argue with a decision like that. - A lot of what goes into a contract has been collectively bargained anyway. - It's just filling in numbers, and with James you ask for the max. - That negates the importance of having an agent."

NBA guard Baron Davis did something similar a few years ago, - switching from his agent to former UCLA teammate Todd Ramasar for representation. - He still has both his friendship and his money. - And Ramasar, - who dropped out of law school to work with Davis, - now has his own agency and a growing list of clientele.

That doesn't mean this is the wave of the future. - "I understand why it happens," - says Ralph Cindrich, - the Pittsburgh based attorney who represents many NFL players including the Steelers' James Farrior. - "Athletes are attracted to youth, they like to surround themselves with young guys to pal around with and party with, even though they might not have a clue." -

Cindrich has reasons not to like the idea. - "You have to be - prepared to fire a friend. - A friend doesn't have the same objectivity as a professional that remains detached." -

Like the line in the "Godfather" - "it's strictly business, - nothing personal." - And it's tougher to take that attitude when dealing with friends. -

Cindrich thinks it is easier to do in the entertainment business, citing the example of Jimmy Miller. - He's the brother of Pittsburgh native Dennis Miller, the comic and former Monday Night Football commentator. - Jimmy - latched on to one big client - actor Jim Carey - and, combined with street smarts, he's done well. -

But Cindrich feels, "the sports world has too many legal implications for someone without the background to deal with them." -

Agents are required to be certified, but there are no requirements for a law degree. - That invites all types to get into the business, including some who taint the image of the profession, which can cause athletes to look elsewhere. Some have bad experiences with professional agents and look toward friends or family. -

Neither Cindrich nor Metz sees a trend developing, though. - There is no right or wrong. -

"Choosing representation is a highly personal thing," says Metz. "Brett Favre uses a divorce lawyer from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. - But that's who he's comfortable with." -

And anytime someone else is going to represent you in anything, - comfort level is extremely important. - No matter how the old saying goes. -

Guy Junker co-hosts the "Junker & Crow Show" weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1250.