Near the end of the negotiation, basketball legend Michael Jordan’s mom drops a dealbreaker on Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro when she says we are good “except for one minor provision – Michael gets a percentage of the revenue of each shoe sold.” This move, from the...
I’m a big sports fan. Phoenix Suns. Pro tennis and football. March Madness. Not a fanatic. But I really enjoy watching elite athletes compete. I also fully appreciate the behind-the-scenes element in sports, especially at the pro level. Other than these...
Here’s my annual list of lessons learned and a reminder to put these strategies into practice in 2023. You won’t get better results if you don’t implement them. Each also has a link to my column with more detail. Negotiating with the elderly requires specialized...
I recently watched the movie “Bridge of Spies” in which Tom Hanks, playing an American lawyer, negotiated the release of a U.S. spy pilot shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and a U.S. student unlawfully detained in East Germany in exchange for a convicted...
NFL star quarterback Kyler Murray recently signed a $230.5 million, five-year contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals. On its face, this deal appears great for Murray – making him the second highest paid quarterback in the league behind only the Green Bay...
My friend said, “This NBA strike is ridiculous. The players are already making tons. Why don’t they just quit whining and play?” I can’t say I disagreed. Only one problem. The NBA players never struck. Instead, the owners created and publicly defined the issues in...
The negotiation lasted almost 20 years. The buyer had a clear goal: ownership. But in 1968, when the negotiation started, he admitted he didn’t have “two nickels” in his pocket. In 1987, he had more, but not nearly enough. The cost? $44.5 million. The sale item? The...
Thousands of fans sat on pins and needles as negotiators met late into the night trying to avert the ninth work stoppage in baseball history. And they succeeded. “Who succeeded?” you ask. The owners? The players? Neither? Or both? In my opinion, there were only two...
The deadline to complete a new deal is Sept. 15. That’s when the National Hockey League’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. It’s also when, absent a deal, the NHL appears willing to institute a season-threatening lockout of its players. The...
