of by unscrupulous money managers and the like.'
'Yes.'
'And it will be my job to help you maximize your return, correct?'
Crispin leaned forward a bit. 'Correct.'
'Very well, then. It will be my task to help maximize your investment opportunities after you earn it. But I
would not be serving your best interests if I did not also tell you how to make more.'
Crispin's eyes narrowed. 'I'm not sure I follow.'
Zuckerman said, 'Win.'
Win ignored him. 'As your financial consultant, I
would be remiss if I did not make the following recommendation: You need a good agent.'
Crispin's line of vision slid toward Myron. Myron remained still, looking back at him steadily. He turned back to Win. 'I know you work with Mr. Bolitar,' Crispin said.
'Yes and no,' Win said. 'If you decide to use his services I do not make one penny more. Well, that's not exactly true. If you choose to use Myron's services, you will make more money and subsequently I will have more of your money to invest. So in that way, I will make more.'
'Thanks,' Crispin said, 'but I'm not interested.'
'That's up to you,' Win said, 'but let me just explain a little further what I meant by yes and no. I manage assets worth approximately four hundred, million dollars.
Myron's clients represent less than three percent of that total. I am not employed by MB SportsReps. Myron Bolitar is not employed by Lock-Home Securities. We do not have a partnership. I have not invested in his enterprise and he is not invested in mine.
Myron has never looked at, asked about, or in any way discussed the financial situation of any of my clients.
We are totally separate.
Except for one thing.'
All eyes were on Win. Myron, not famous for knowing when to keep his mouth shut, knew now.
'I am the financial consultant for every one of his clients,' Win said. 'Do you know why?'
Crispin shook his head.
'Because Myron insists upon it.'
Crispin looked confused. 'I don't understand. If he gets nothing out of it '
'I didn't say that. He gets plenty out of it.'
'But you said '
'He, too, was an athlete; did you know that?'
'I heard something about it.'
'He knows what happens to athletes. How they get cheated. How they squander their earnings, never fully accepting the fact that their careers can be over in a heartbeat. So he insists insists, mind you that he does not handle their finances. I've seen him refuse clients because of this. He further insists that I handle them. Why? For the same reason you sought me out. He knows I am the best. Immodest but true. Myron further insists that they see me in person at least once every quarter. Not just phone calls. Not just faxes or E-mails or letters. He insists that I go over every item in the account personally with them.'
Win leaned farther back and steepled his fingers. The man loved to `steeple his fingers. It looked good on him.
Gave him an air of wisdom. 'Myron Bolitar is my best friend. I know he'd give his life for me and I for him. But if he ever thought that I was not doing what was in a client's best interest, he would take away their portfolios without a second thought.'
Norm said, 'Beautiful speech, Win. Got me right there.' He pointed to his stomach.
Win gave him the look. Norm stopped smiling.
'I made the deal with Mr. Zuckerman on my own,'
Crispin said. 'I could make others.'
'I won't comment on the Zoom deal,' Win said.
'But I will tell+you this. You are a bright young man. A
bright man knows not only his strengths but equally important, he knows his weaknesses. I do not, for example, know how to negotiate an endorsement contract. I may know the basics, but it is not my business. I'm not a plumber. If a pipe in my house broke, I would not be able to fix it. You are a golfer. You are one of the greatest talents I have ever seen. You should concentrate on that.'
Tad Crispin took a sip of iced tea. He crossed his ankle on his knee. Even his socks were yellow. 'You are making a hard sale for your friend,' he said.
'Wrong,' Win said. 'I would kill for my friend, but financially I owe him nothing. You, on the other hand, are my client, and thus I have a very serious fiscal responsibility with regard to you. Stripping it bare, you have asked me to increase your portfolio. I will suggest several investment sources to you. But this is the best recommendation I can make.'
Crispin tumed to Myron. He looked him up and down, studying him hard. Myron almost brayed so he could examine his teeth. 'He makes you sound awfully good,'
Crispin said to Myron.
'I am good,' Myron said. 'But I don't want him to give you the wrong impression. I'm not quite as altruistic as Win might have made me sound. I don't insist clients use him because I'm a swell guy. I know that having him handle my clients is a major plus. He improves the value of my services. He helps keep my clients happy. That's what I get out of it. Yes, I insist on having clients heavily involved in the decision-making on money matters, but that's as much to protect me as them.'
'How so?'
'Obviously you know something about managers or agents robbing athletes.'
'Yes.'
'Do you know why so much of that occurs?'
Crispin shrugged. 'Greed, I suppose.'
Myron tilted his head in a yes-and-no gesture. 'The main culprit is apathy. An athlete's lack of involvement.
They get lazy. They decide it's easier to fully trust their agent, and that's bad. Let the agent pay the bills, they say. .
Let the agent invest the money. That kind of thing. But that won't ever happen at MB SportsReps. Not because I'm watching. Not because Win's watching. But because you are watching.'
'I'm watching now,' Crispin said.
'You're watching your money, true. I doubt you're watching everything else.'
Crispin considered that for a moment. 'I appreciate the talk,' he said, 'but I think I'm okay on my own.'
Myron pointed at Tad Crispin's head. 'How much are you getting for that hat?' he asked.
'Excuse me?'
'You're wearing a hat with no company logo on it,'
Myron explained. 'For a player of your ilk, that's a loss of at least a quarter of a million dollars.'
Silence.
'But I'm going to be working with Zoom,' Crispin said.
'Did they purchase hat rights from you'?'
He thought about it. 'I don't think so.' .
'The front of the hat is a quarter million. We can also sell the sides if you want. They'll go for less. Maybe we'll total four hundred grand. Your shirt is another matter.'
'Now just wait one minute here,' Zuckerman interjected. 'He's going to be wearing Zoom shirts.'
'Fine, Norm,' Myron said. 'But he's allowed to wear logos. One on the chest, one on either sleeve.'
'Logos?'
'Anything. Coca-Cola maybe. IBM. Even Home Depot.'
'Logos on my shirt?'
