Sports Agent Blog continues to cover the case of Andy Oliver.

Mark your calendars for January 5th, because a matter that I once assumed would be settled before ever going to court may now make its way to the bench. If the case is heard, it has the potential to bring the NCAA down a few pegs. The Court has already noted that there is a contractual relationship between the NCAA and its student-athletes. What is left to determine is whether that relationship has been breached and if compensatory and punitive damages should be awarded. If punitive damages end up being granted, it will really hurt the NCAA.

Good. Over the years, I've come to loathe the NCAA. I used to think that they were trying to enforce fairness and ethics, but they're really just trying to keep college players from earning some money from their athletic endeavors in school. On top of that, I bet they've created more jobs on campuses, as alumni are no longer allowed to recruit. I can't even go up to a student athlete at my local high school and suggest Harvard as a place they might want to attend!

The NCAA needs to throw out their rule book and start from scratch. They've added rules and rules over the years, never wondering how they got there in the first place or how schools may work around the rules. It's a nightmare. The NCAA needs to figure out their mission and a way to simply carry out that mission.

Scott Boras and Alex Rodriguez appear to have patched up their differences.

An arbitrator decides the dispute between Gary Sheffield and Scott Boras in the agent's favor. Deadspin offers this excellent commentary:

The relationship between an agent and the player he represents is a sacred one. In fact, on the list of the most sacred relationships, it falls just behind that of "Husband/Third Trophy Wife", and slightly ahead of "Notorious Child Pornographer/Young Criminal Defence Lawyer Desperate to Make a Name for Himself." Which is why it is such a shame when that relationship goes sour. And when the two individuals involved are as balanced and selfless as Scott Boras and Gary Sheffield, it's twice as shameful. But that is exactly what happened when the pair went to arbitration over a dispute involving (double-checks notes)...ah, yes..."money".

Boras makes $550,000 on the deal.

Manny Ramirez retained Scott Boras as his agent. At least someone is talking to Scott.

If the Red Sox exercise their option on Ramirez next year, does Boras get the percentage, or do the agents who negotiated the original contract receive the check?

It sounds like Gary Sheffield isn't talking to Scott Boras, either.

A rare free Rob Neyer column at ESPN.com discusses the wisdom of signing a Scott Boras client to big bucks.

Kenny Rogers becomes the latest player disenchanted with Scott Boras:

He informed the Major League Baseball Players Association of his decision Friday. The union then asked baseball to notify its clubs, and an e-mail was sent to all general managers and assistant general managers.

Rogers, who could not be reached for comment, did not communicate directly with the Tigers on Friday, but the decision to terminate Boras almost certainly is linked to his desire to remain in Detroit.

On Friday morning, Rogers wrote in an e-mail to the Free Press that re-signing with the Tigers was his "first priority."

The statement aligned more with comments Rogers made during the season -- "There's no place I want to play other than this" -- than Boras' assertion last week that Rogers had to be "properly placed in the current market."

Twice now, Boras' pursuit of a high market value for a player and that player's desire to play for a particular team collided. Maybe Scott forgot that he's the employee in these relationships.

I just received an advance copy of Ben McGrath's profile of Scott Boras, titled "The Extortionist." The article appears in tomorrow's New Yorker. McGrath's mostly paints Boras with a negative brush. There are a lot more quotes against Scott than for him. The only player who gets quoted on Boras is Damon:

Boras's controlling style may be better suited for less self-assured stars, like A-Rod, or cheery, guileless players like Johnny Damon, who told me, of his relationship with Boras, "Scott for me was much like a psychologist this year. I was way into my head, and for the first time I had trouble with my legs. He makes you feel like you could play another ten years."

Negativity about Boras abounds, from MLB, from Marvin Miller and from other agents. I come away liking Scott, however, because he pushes the baseball envelope. The story of Tim Belcher show how Scott is willing to challenge the idiotic rules baseball plays by, thereby exposing problems with the game. Boras wants to grow the game, and he's willing to think outside the box to do so. That's something baseball should value.

If the article is on-line tomorrow, I'll post a link.

Update: The article is on-line here.

Scott Boras is playing the Red Sox front office like a Stradivarius. By doing nothing, he's gotten the Red Sox to:

1. Raise their offer to Matsuzaka.
2. Negotiate on his home turf.
3. Negotiate on his terms.

And the Red Sox know it (emphasis added).

Epstein said that he and Lucchino intend to present a new offer to Boras today, even though the club never received a counter offer to its original proposal. The offer, Epstein said, is of "considerable magnitude," describing it as the biggest offer given to a player who has never played in the big leagues and larger than any offer given to a Japanese player.

"It's highly unusual," Epstein said of submitting a second offer without receiving a response to the first, "but it's showing that Matsuzaka is extremely important to the Boston Red Sox. It's normally not a good ploy, but we want to demonstrate to Matsuzaka, and the fans of Japanese baseball, just how important he is to us."

It's not a ploy when you cave. The Red Sox upper management flew to California to get it done. So far, the only people moving in these non-negotiations are the Red Sox. Boras has them over a barrel and knows it. At this point, I would not be surprised if Matsuzaka ended up with a contract worth between $75 and $100 million dollars.

Okay, I know it's his job as an agent, but Jeff Borris is being a little ridiculous here. It's one thing to say Bonds wants to play in 2007, another to predict this:

"I wouldn't rule out DH as a possibility," Borris said. "In fact, if he were a DH, I think 1,000 home runs would be within his grasp. Barry approaches rehab as diligently as anybody. If his knee holds up, I wouldn't put 1,000 home runs past him."

The man can barely run around the bases. I don't really expect his knees to get better; maybe he just does a better job of managing the pain. He's going to play until he's 50 like that?

The other thing is, who would sign Bonds at this point? If the Mitchell investigation does anything to verify the steroids allegations, don't you think Bud will send out the word not to hire Barry? Either because of his health, or because of a lack of interest, I don't see Bonds playing in 2007.

I Want to Be a Sports Agent is a new blog for future sports agents. If you're interested in that part of the sports business, this blog is being set up as a place for you to discuss the profession. Stop by and say hi.

Scott Boras is more than just an agent:

Scott Boras is on a building binge. His company of 40-plus employees is expected to move into a completely redone three-story, 20,000-square- foot building in April. The final cost is expected to surpass $10 million.

After that, he hopes to begin construction on a permanent home for the Scott Boras Sports Training Institute, which he opened in 2003 to better monitor his clients' year-round training regimen.

The fitness institute sprung to life after Chan Ho Park pulled a hamstring muscle during spring training in the first season of his five-year, $65 million deal with the Rangers. Park's hamstring problems and subsequent back problems may have been significant factors in his poor performance with Texas.

Boras realizes that his livelihood depends on his athletes performing their best. Scott does everything to keep them at the top of their game.