When sports agent Drew Rosenhaus says the NFL would fall apart without him, he says it rather convincingly. His interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday got people’s attention. Just hours after the show aired, his Twitter following grew substantially and is still growing. Check for yourself. The website for his company Rosenhaus Sports Representation was inundated with hits, and bloggers are voicing their opinions on sport sites across the nation. Jerry Maguire just hit upon a social media payload.
Rosenhaus loves his job, which he’s dreamed of doing since the age of eight. Not many people have been so committed and dedicated to their career. He’s available to his players 24 hours every day. The man’s tenacity just doesn’t seem to stop. He has many fans and apparently lots of haters. Some people see his ego as a problem and think he’s displaying some sort of misplaced hubris. Can a man be proud of what he’s accomplished? Has everyone seen the number of players he counts as clients? The list is long. If he’s “stolen” any other agent’s men from them, then perhaps they weren’t working at it hard or fast enough. It’s football. Someone has to end up the victor and Drew Rosenhaus is enjoying a moment in the sun just as much as any championship-winning player. If he can’t play wide receiver himself, he knows someone that can. And the list keeps growing.
If we take a second to remember the attitude adopted by Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, who passed away recently, we have to remember that football is a take no prisoners sport. That is why it’s entertainment and that is why millions of people are watching. If someone has a problem with a man who orchestrates behind the scenes then the suggestion could be made to stop watching movies, because movies have directors. Drew Rosenhaus is channeling his inner Steven Spielberg and carefully helping to maneuver the entertainers to create a dynamic display. How many men watching from their couch or in the stands wouldn’t love being in that position? Maybe Rosenhaus isn’t the quarterback, but he definitely knows how to be a director.
He also knows how to be an actor, which is not to say that he’s putting on an act. There’s a difference there, a sense of being truly genuine in his passion for the game. The man wears a Batman shirt. He’s not hiding some sort of alter ego back at the bat cave and he’s not sitting behind a news desk like Clark Kent nervously adjusting his glasses pretending he’s not Superman. Who wouldn’t want to be Superman, Clark?! Let’s not get started on Spider-Man. That’s a whole other can of…er…spiders. If Drew Rosenhaus wants to be a superhero, then the NFL could let him be just that. It’s a nice shirt. And he is a hero to his fans and, more importantly, to his players. These guys depend on him for a lot and he’s there for them a great deal more than his 3% requires of him. Otherwise, he would be sitting back in shock like other agents wondering where their guys are, thinking they should’ve played differently. He’s not stealing their players. The players want him on their team. So sue him. And it seems that some have, but with little avail if you judge it by his smile.
Drew Rosenhaus seems happy. He loves his job and he loves the sport. He’s also juggling two phones while texting, talking, emailing, surfing the net, driving a motor vehicle, and laughing while admitting that it’s illegal. Who doesn’t appreciate an enthusiastic multitasker? And it’s nothing we haven’t seen the average Joe do with far less success and unfortunate tragic consequences. We could recommend he get a driver, but Batman usually drives the Batmobile. That’s part of the gig. If technology would just catch up to this football fanatic he wouldn’t even need sleep. Or at least he could add video chatting and chewing gum to the mix. Whether you love or hate the man, it doesn’t matter. He can’t be ignored. Not if you’re watching football, because it’s in his blood.