The folks
at Merriam Webster define an iconoclast as a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions;
and while he may not have “attacked” traditions, Leigh Steinberg certainly
changed and had a major impact on the business of, most notably, professional
football, but also sports management in general.
In his new
autobiography, The Agent: My 40 Year
Career Making Deals and Changing the Game, Steinberg details his
astonishing rise to become one of the most highly respected and highly sought
after figures in sports representation.
Said to be
the inspiration behind the movie Jerry
McGuire, the reality is Steinberg’s story makes the Tom Cruise flick seem
like for a caricature, than a realistic portrayal of the inner workings of high
stakes deal making in professional sports. While the book certainly serves of
some interesting inside baseball on the front office dealings, it is the story
of Steinberg’s youth and his calamitous fall from grace that makes for the most
stirring reading.
The Agent ends up being an all-to-familiar
account of a respected business powerhouse, who’s rise to power is eclipsed
only by his precipitous downfall and serves as a lesson that even those who try
to deal in an above board fashion, can fall victim to not only their own
devices, but of insider backstabbing. The harrowing story paints a portrayal of
a man whose comeback you can certainly get behind and root for.
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