Brendan Sorby’s agent, Ron Slavin, isn’t staying quiet. The agent for the former Texas Tech quarterback went on the offensive this week, telling 103.5 The Fan in Dallas that media coverage of his client’s gambling case was wildly overblown.
What We Know: Sorsby faced a suspension stemming from a ruling by a local Texas judge tied to sports gambling activity. Following that ruling, Sorsby opted to leave Texas Tech and enter the NFL supplemental draft. Slavin appeared on Shan & RJ to push back against the narrative that emerged in sports media. He argued the coverage treated a youthful mistake like a major criminal offense.
What They Said: (All quotes via Shan & RJ – 103.5 The Fan – Dallas)
Ron Slavin on the media getting the narrative wrong about his client: “We won in court. We did our job on our side. But for whatever reason, the world melted down like college football was ruined forever. How many 18 year olds make really bad decisions, and there was never any integrity of the game violations.”
Ron Slavin on the media overblowing a simple story: “Everybody loves to have an opinion. I’m so tired of watching people get on TV and blab their mouth when they have no idea what they’re talking about. Unfortunately, it’s not just in Brendan’s situation, it’s in most situations. Unless you’re Brendan or Brendan’s family or myself and my team, nobody really knows what happened. The opinions out there were, you would have thought this kid committed major crimes and did the horrible things. The reality is, as an 18 year old, he made some bad decisions from his dorm room when he wasn’t traveling with the team in Indiana.”
Ron Slavin says Sorsby making the mistake is understandable with media companies accepting sportsbook advertising dollars: “The predatory world of gambling, where you turn 18 and deposit $5 you get a free $100. Every single show on TV, every single radio show, everything is sponsored by a gambling site. So, it’s a scary world we’re living in. These kids have all been raised now with phones in their hands. So, it’s real easy to get on an app and place a bet.”
What Remains Unclear: Whether Sorsby will find traction in the NFL supplemental draft remains an open question. It remains to be seen how many teams will express interest in his talents and overlook his faults at an 18 year old.
What It Means: There continues to be a blurry line between what is legal and not legal in regards to college football. Surely, the act that Sorsby admitted to in professional sports would never have been allowed. However, no matter how active or inactive Sorsby was, the result took its course where Sorsby decided it was best to move away. Slavin is correct is his assessment of sports networks and sportsbook advertising. Sorsby was just the first incident where we’ve seen it’s effects. However, Slavin’s critique of how sports media took the story and discussed it is his opinion to have.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
