Category: Sports

John Scutellaro:

First, can you let reader know about Player Protect – how the business got started and how you got involved?

I am a retired Hoboken NJ motorcycle Police officer, I had always wanted to find a way to bring the law enforcement community and professional athletes together in a positive way.

While I was an active officer several NY Giant Players owned a night club in Hoboken and I had many occasions to see how the public reacted to athletes in social situations. I as a police offer learned early that the athletes were just normal people like the rest of us but held to a different standard by society. It was through this reality that I wanted to help professional athletes to live their lives as normal as possible.

What are the various services you offer players and what are the most frequently requested services you provide? 

We provide all aspects of security from the most obscure to the obvious. We also provide our services for players family, coaches and their family as well as owners and front office of the teams we work for.  

What constitutes a security risk to you?

Anyone can be a security risk.  In this day and age you never can tell.  Remember part of why we are in business is because athletes were getting robbed leaving clubs.  Sometimes being followed home and accosted right in front of their homes. 

Hangers on can be a problem.  Everyone wants to party with the athletes.  Men want to hang with them.  Women want to hang with them.  Watching out for these people is the hardest.  If they have ulterior motives to getting up close to the athletes there can be all kinds of problems.  Plus if they are treating the athlete nicely it’s hard to tell them that they are in potential danger. 

Which brings us to the most important security risk…  The athlete themselves.  Sometimes our most important job is just saving this guy from himself.  

What are the biggest mistakes you see athletes make in terms of personal security and protection, and how do you help prevent such occurrences? 

Some of the biggest mistakes are just ignoring personal security and protection altogether.  They feel they don’t need it.  They don’t want to hang with “cops”.  We are under contract to several teams and not all the players from the teams use our services.  Even though the team reimburses for them all or part of the service they choose not to use us. 

Sometimes it takes an incident for these guys realize that they need security.  

Without naming names (unless you can), what have been some of the more unusual/dangerous situations you’ve been involved in? 

As a matter of confidentiality and security I must refrain from giving any particulars or names, but I can tell you that many things we have encountered since starting this company only prove to me that you are never too old to see something new!

Most of the things that have surprised me actually come from the women who attempt to gain favor with our athletes. We have overheard many unbelievable and outrageous statements from some of the most unassuming of individuals. We have also intervened on behalf of athletes when wrongfully accused by women seeking to obtain a payday from false accusations.

On most occasions only the athlete knows we are security and the people who try and tag along are shocked when they are told we keep track of everything that happens to protect our clients from any unforeseen situation that might arise.

How do you go about protecting an athlete that is “out on the town”. What steps do you take to ensure they others don’t try to cause trouble for them?

As you know sometimes when you are out you aren’t really paying attention to your surroundings.  Our agents are there to watch the goings on around the athlete to make sure that no one is going to interrupt their time out.  This can include people who want to get friendly with them for good or bad reasons as well as the guy that lost a couple hundred bucks because our athlete fumbled, dropped the ball or made the play to beat a team.. 

First things first is the security getting out of the vehicle on the street.  Is it an event where people know in advance that athletes are going to be there.  Here you might have people looking for autographs or pictures.  We let the athlete dictate what they are comfortable with doing and our agent gets out, checks out the street scene and then and only then does he open the door for the client to get out and move.  Same thing happens leaving   

How do you deal with an athlete who is just starting trouble on their own – of their own accord? How do you intervene in those situations?

Luckily KNOCK ON WOOD the incidents of this are few and far between.  All of our athletes treat our agents with respect and most of them realize that we are on their side.  They embrace having their “own guy” with them. 

The best intervention is to remind them who they represent.  Remind them that they DON’T want to end up on the back or worse the front of the next day’s newspapers and finally if all else fails mentioning the fact that you are going to have to advise the team of the problem if it winds up on a police blotter or in the media usually ends any problem. 

That being said we have NEVER had to go that far.  KNOCK ON WOOD!!  

How do you handle situations that are not physically threatening but might not be “good ideas” for players. For example, if a player has too much to drink and women approach them. Would you ever determine that to be a “security risk” – if so, under what circumstances?

Huge security risk.  Tom Coughlin is famous for saying that nothing good ever happens after 1AM.  Nothing good happens when a player is “feeling good” and a woman approaches him.  She could be looking to make a big score off an athlete. 

Same as the guy who sees the athlete out and wants to fight him just to show that he is stronger.  We don’t know what’s in her mind.  Our guys can only keep a close watch and look out as best they can for that player.   It’s a slippery slope but the best way to handle it is to keep an eye on them and not let the player go off with the woman if it’s deemed that he is not thinking straight. 

But they are adults and things happen between adults…  You’re young.  You’re famous.  You have needs, wants and desires.  It’s a scary situation but sometimes people are just doing what people do. Our athletes will always let us know what their intentions are and ask our opinions.

We have built the trust that is needed to help our players in any situation.

Who are the typical types of people that work for your organization – and how do you find these employees?

Our employees are all security personnel. Our pool comes from both current and former law enforcement. Every employee must be certified by their respective state to perform security. Our agents are hired from local departments where our athletes live and work. This ensures that our agents are familiar with the areas for which they are providing protection details.

How do you work with authorities and how do they perceive your role when issues occur that call for law enforcement to get involved?

Our agents cooperate with law enforcement.  All of our agents are prior law enforcement and know when the situation calls for L.E. involvement they have to cooperate. Any current law enforcement who is working a detail for us is always acting as an active officer and bound by law to respond as such when a situation calls for it. 

Have you worked with any Pittsburgh athletes? 

 The most important aspect of our business is the confidentiality.  Players have to know that they can trust us not to speak to anyone about what they do, who they do it with or where they do it.  If we didn’t have this level of trust then this business would never work.  Our business spreads with word of mouth and one breach of that confidentiality could kill our business.  The player HAS to be comfortable with our agents to allow us to do our job properly.  So to answer your question…  Yes.  and then NO…

We are based in the New York/New Jersey area but we have people all over the country and in Canada that have worked with us.  We get calls for service in many different cities.  Athletes from many different teams from many different sports have used our services.

 Any last thoughts for readers?

We would just like your readers to know that when you see a professional athlete out in a social setting, try and put yourself in their shoes. They are people just like you and me; they are usually being hounded for photos and autographs. Sometimes they would just like to let loose and have fun without being critiqued or criticized.

Living under a microscope isn’t easy, especially for someone who can’t celebrate their 23rd birthday without being picked apart for every movement, every person they talk to, or every drink they might have while out with friends.

 Give these athletes some private time and they will show you that they are people too. Instead of asking for a photo or autograph, try striking up a conversation and seeing if they have any good stories! They might just surprise you!

Ed Kaminsky:

First, can you let readers know about your business – what does SportStar Relocation do, and how did you get involved in this business?

Sportstar relocation is a company dedicated to the needs of athletes when they are traded, become free agents or are drafted. We help them find a new home, sell their existing home and all of the details related to a move including helping them coordinate with a mover, utilities turned on and off, coordinating with sound companies , furniture companies and as little as helping them get their refrigerator stocked with food.

I have worked in Real estate for twenty-five years in Manhattan Beach ,CA which has become a haven for athletes. Both current and retired players from all four major sports, plus soccer, tennis and golf. Even Tiger Woods held residence here at one point.

I had constantly helped them throughout the years as they transitioned in and out of Los Angeles. After a while I often heard concerns that the process elsewhere was very difficult either running into incompetent handlers or real estate agents. Often times they are referred to a friend or a friend’s wife or girlfriend who may have never sold a home before or not very often. When they try to do someone a favor sometimes it backfires into a very costly transaction. I knew I could set up a company that could provide premium and concierge type service no matter where they move to. 

You deal with players across a wide variety of salary levels and needs – how do you deal with that diversity in income when it comes to meeting everyones’ needs? Do you have those that specialize in certain income levels/levels of want?

Our agents across the company have one common trait, they are committed to meeting their clients’ needs regardless of their price point. There is not one player that is treated differently than another as it relates to the quality of service provided.

The fact is there may be one player barely making the roster one year but could be a superstar next year, and you can have a superstar this year be out of the league the next year. We never look at their income level, all we try to do is analyze exactly what they need and help minimize the stress to get it. Even if it means finding a small one or two bedroom apartment, we are here to make their life easier.

The agents in our network are known as the best in the business and they understand confidentiality issues and they know they need to look out for the players best interest not their own. So if that means recommending they rent instead of buy because they are on a short contract then that is what they are advised to do.

How do you work with athletes to meet their needs – especially those that need quick turnarounds due to trades/free agency signings, etc.?

The most important thing we do is assess their needs and confirm what their team will be doing for them or not doing for them. With most teams they leave the relocation to the player. Some team personnel try to help or guide the players but because of the high salary level of players, most teams feel they have the resources to get settled.

The reality is they often have family and the move can be quite dramatic, taking kids out of school, losing solid friendships and relationships with sitters, doctors etc. We work to find out what their immediate needs are from securing their old home to getting them quickly settled into their new city even if it is just a temporary residence.

What have been some of the more interesting and humorous request you have received from players and teams over the years?

Well what I find interesting is sometimes players are choosing homes to live in that they don’t have time to come out and see. We have to survey the property send some pictures draft contracts and hope and pray that they like it when they show up.

On the humorous side , we once moved a Phantom Rolls Royce for a well-known music star. Somehow during the trip someone stepped on the “Mink floor Carpets” with muddy shoes. We had to find a fur cleaner to clean the client’s car. It certainly wasn’t humorous at the time but we can laugh a little bit about it now. 

How involved do agents and teams get in the process, and how so?

The higher the profile the player the more agents and teams get involved in the process. I have been personally called by the GM of a team to make sure that a new high-profile player was well taken care of for his move into Los Angeles. He wanted the move to go perfect so his first impression of LA was all that the GM presented.

Many agents can hold a pretty heavy part of the decision for a player when they are deciding to spend money. There are many people trying to get to players and part of the agents job is to protect the player and respectfully so. We have to respect the team and the agents demands. The player holds the ultimate card in making decisions but many players do listen to the advice of those in their sphere.

What do you find are the biggest misperceptions and/or frustrations athletes have during the whole relocation process, and how do you work with them on these?

The biggest misperception is that players are excited to get a big contract and go to a new city. I would say nine out of ten times it is stressful , frustrating , expensive and time-consuming. It is stressful on their friends their families, their children. They have to learn a new play system learn to work with new players and at the same time find a home that keeps their significant others happy and their financial status safe. This is a lot to juggle no matter who you are.

Who tend to be the easiest athletes to work with, and what makes them so?

The easiest athletes to work with are those that you gain their trust. If they know you have taken great care of other players they put more trust into what you do. It certainly is easier if you also gain the trust of their advisors including their financial advisors, their agent, their business manager and /or their parents.

If I had to pick a sport I would say hockey players typically seem the most down to earth, easy-going athletes that I have worked with although I found players in all major sports who exemplify the same characteristics show tremendous respect to what we do for them and appreciate it as well.

Do you think athletes take livability and living costs into account when they make their choices on where to live? How important is that usually to an athlete, from your experience?

We all read about the big contract players and it is certainly easier for them to make decisions with little regard to financial cost, however most players take a very serious look at how their real estate purchase will affect them financially.

Unfortunately you read all too often that most players end up broke after retirement and had they been more studious about their finances they would not have ended up in that position. Knowing that , we as a company try to explain what we know about protecting their financial status and suggest they speak to their related advisors.

Many of the players moving around are the middle-of-the-road players and what may look like a lot of money on paper doesn’t always add up to what may appear as an endless budget. There are plenty of players that earn $1,000,000 a year and after you deduct taxes, agent fees, a car payment or two plus usually two house payments there is not as much left as you think.

Most have one home where they play and one home for the off-season many times where they grew up. Careers are more often shorter than you think averaging three to five years depending on the sport. It’s not hard to burn through that money and for the low-level players, they often feel compelled to keep up with “The Joneses” and unfortunately “The Joneses” make about 10 million a year.

Do you deal much with the Pittsburgh market – and if so, what stands out most to you about working to place athletes in the Pittsburgh area?

A few notable names we have helped from Pittsburgh are Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and James Harrison although not necessarily with their Pittsburgh needs.

There are a few other hockey players including Taylor Pyatt, Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen we have helped transition to or from Pittsburgh. And from Pittsburgh’s downline we have helped the Son in law, Kevin Westgarth, of the great coach Bill Cowher who is a hockey player in Los Angeles get settled into his first home in LA who then married Coach Cowhers Daughter. He is commonly seen at the hockey games and is always a gentleman.

One thing we always hear from the players about Pittsburgh is that they love the layout of the City and they love the fan base, they are hardcore passionate fans and there is no better way to show up for work than to have people cheering for you. 

Any last thoughts for readers?

Players love coming to winning teams and never like leaving them.

Pittsburgh has always been known as a city that strives for championships and achieves them. However as much as players want to win they want their home life to be as rewarding, finding that balance is tough, their jobs are demanding, their time is limited and being in the spot light is not easy. They may make a lot of money but most of them are just normal people like you or me just with better athletic abilities.