Neville claims agents 'should be removed from football'

Manchester United captain Gary Neville wants agents to be removed from football, claiming he does not know many good ones.
The role of representatives has been under the microscope for some time thanks to the large amounts of money being charged for brokering deals between players and clubs.

Neville, who has been with United for his entire professional career, believes their influence is now too great and wants to see a backlash.

He told Sky Sports News: 'I'd like to see the removal of agents from the game - make players not so reliant on them.

'We've got the PFA - and they want to give, not take.'

Asked if there were any good agents, he said: 'I don't know many. There is a concern for me, and it always has been.

'Our guy can go in [to a deal] and expect to be giving hundreds of thousands or, in this day and age, even millions [to an agent] - and that money is going out of the game.

'The clubs should keep that money - or, if they're earning it, the players.'

Neville admits, however, change will only come about through the direct action of the players themselves.

He added: 'It won't change until players become more responsible for their actions.

'They think they need them - but it's not the case.

'They need good advice and good accountants - but they don't need people taking hundreds of thousands off them.'

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, appreciates Neville's frustrations.

Speaking at the launch of Profile, the official PFA community magazine, Taylor said: 'Gary always speaks his mind. He speaks as he finds - and he is entitled to his opinion.

'It's one of the reasons why the PFA have always been keen to make clear to our members that we've the best experience in the world - and we're happy to help them all with contracts and negotiations.

'That's what we're about - but having said that, there are a number of players who have agents we work with on different issues.'

Taylor agrees with Neville that some agents do not look after the best interests of their clients.

He continued: 'I worry they trawl their nets too wide sometimes for youngsters in the hope they can pick one up - and then don't give enough care.

'Of the 600 youngsters who enter the game at 16, five out of six will be out of it by the time they are 21.

'So I'll be interested to see how many agents help young players to get through university, or job re-training, or look after their operations in later years.

'Obviously there are players who need a 24-hour service, and that is not always possible for us to provide - because we do have 4,000 members.

'But certainly that side of affairs is developing and building up (within the PFA).'

Current pros make good prospect comparisons

One of the easiest and best ways a front office can determine how a prospect's skills translate to the NFL level is to compare him to a player in the league. Is Cal DC Daymeion Hughes the next Champ Bailey or the next Ronde Barber? Is Fresno State WR Paul Williams the next Chad Johnson or Ashley Lelie?

In Williams' case, Minnesota Vikings WR Travis Taylor immediately comes to mind because Taylor is a poster boy for unrealized potential. Both possess a rare blend of size, athletic ability and speed that they just haven't taken advantage of on a consistent basis. They round routes off, give up on plays to the opposite side of the field and fail to come down with what should be routine catches. The good news for Williams is he is considerably younger so he has more upside.

Of course, prospects aren't clones. While they share key traits they aren't exact matches. Houston QB Kevin Kolb is an excellent example. Kolb compares favorably to Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck. Both show good pocket presence, can lead receivers when throwing underneath and are leaders on the field. It's also worth noting that Hasselbeck didn't start a game until his third season in the league because Kolb should need some time to get acclimated to the NFL. The differences are that Kolb loses the strike zone more than Hasselbeck but is slightly more athletic.

Illinois' Carlwell should be released by the weekend

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- An Illinois basketball player injured in a traffic accident earlier this week is expected to make a full recovery.

Freshman center Brian Carlwell, 19, suffered a severe concussion Monday night when a car driven by teammate Jamar Smith struck a tree in heavy snow. Carlwell, who is from Maywood, remained at an Urbana hospital Thursday in fair condition, according to university officials.

Coach Bruce Weber said in a statement that Carlwell should be released from the hospital by this weekend.

Smith, a 19-year-old sophomore guard, suffered a less severe concussion in the accident. He drove the car from the accident in Champaign to the apartment complex where he lives, about a mile away, before authorities were called, university officials have said.

Two women at the apartment complex who saw the wrecked car called 911, Brown said.

Police cited Smith for improper lane usage, but have said further charges are possible depending on the outcome of the investigation. They have declined comment on details.

The Illini are off until they host Northwestern on Sunday.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Doan signs five-year deal with Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes signed their captain, Shane Doan, to a five-year contract Thursday.

Financial terms were not disclosed, although a source familiar with the negotiations said the deal will pay the 30-year-old Doan an average of $4.5 million per season.

Doan, the only member of the team who was with the franchise when it moved from Winnipeg to Phoenix after the 1996 season, could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

A gritty, talented forward, Doan was highly coveted by a number of teams, either as a rental player for the balance of this season or as a potential long-term signing. But the Coyotes have long insisted they believe Doan is an important part of their team moving forward.

"He's skilled and physical and a very good person," the source told ESPN.com Wednesday afternoon. "He's a very dedicated guy."

Doan, the seventh player chosen in the 1995 draft, has 35 points in 48 games this season, although he's been hampered by injury. He had a career-best 30 goals last season and was named to Canada's Olympic team.

Information from ESPN.com NHL writer Scott Burnside was used in this report.

Hopkins, Wright to fight at 170 pounds in July

Former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins is coming out of retirement to fight former junior middleweight champ Winky Wright on July 21 at 170 pounds. The site has not been determined.

Hopkins (47-4-1, 32 KOs) last fought against Antonio Tarver in June, dismantling him in what was at the time Hopkins' retirement fight.

Wright (51-3-1, 25 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision over Ike Quartey and a controversial draw with middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. According to media reports the fight was signed last week and will be shown on HBO PPV.

Hopkins, 42, had said his fight against Tarver last June would be his final bout, win or lose. But having bulked up with the help of fitness guru Mackie Shilstone, Hopkins decided he still felt fit and that he still had fights left in him.

Hopkins said he originally pondered moving all the way up to heavyweight to challenge WBC champ Oleg Maskaev. When that didn't pan out, he asked Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, to get him a fight against as big a name as possible. Bouts with super middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe, cruiserweight champ O'Neil Bell and Roy Jones Jr. were considered before the Hopkins-Wright match was made.

"At the end of the day, I think things worked out better for me. Almost everyone has Winky ranked up there among the top three or four pound-for-pound fighters. Beating him puts me right back there again, and at 42 years old, too," Hopkins said, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

"I can still compete at a high level. Time beats every athlete eventually, but it hasn't beaten me yet. I'm the Jerry Rice of boxing. My best fights are yet to come. I'm not saying I got 10 or 20 fights left in me, but I'm ready to fight the fights that matter and that need to happen."