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Today, let's talk about some of the people you'll meet in D.C. next Thursday and Friday.
The know-it-all: Most of the people who get certified as contract advisors are attorneys. That means most of the people sitting beside you will have completed rigorous schooling followed by a grueling
 bar exam. Some passed the bar several years ago and have built impressive law firms, maybe with branches in other states. This leads to a sense of confidence bordering on overconfidence. You will be amazed at some of them who roll into the Ritz Thursday morning acting like they own the place. Watch those people at the end of the morning session. Then check with them again when you wrap things up on Thursday. See if they still look so confident.
The hustler: Rather than describe this person, here's a story. About eight years ago, we launched our first practice exam. A Houston attorney was the first person to show interest, and in fact, he was so interested that he wanted a copy before we'd even built our online exam. I met him at a Chick-Fil-A in Southwest Houston on Labor Day weekend, and long story short, he was just taking the exam because his brother was a high school football coach. Next thing I knew, I was looking at the SRA list in January and he'd signed about 10 players and was paying for pricey training for all of them. I couldn't believe it. Turns out he had met a guy in D.C. who had lots of connections, but failed the exam. You know the rest of the story. Next time I spoke to my friend, he was asking for a referral on an attorney who could sue the guy for roping him into signing a bunch of kids who had no NFL chances - the only one with a chance had fired him. I guarantee you will meet a hustler next week. Don't become his prey.
The already-an-agent guy: There will be people there who see the test as a mere formality. Maybe they worked with an agency already. Maybe they played in the league. Most of the time, they attended one of the bigger sport management programs (and maybe even got their master's there) and have been told how smart they are for four years. They may even try to give
you tips on how to pass the exam. Try not to laugh. Those are the guys who will be in the next category.
The back-for-more guys: Statistically, half the people in the room Thursday and Friday failed the test last year. These guys will have no delusions on how easy the test is. They'll also have the urgency that comes with knowing if they don't pass this time, they can't try again for five years and they just said goodbye to about $3000. These guys might be useful in pointing out the things on the test last year. On the other hand, whatever expertise they have didn't help a lot last year, so take it for what it is.
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Neil Stratton
