THE NEGOTIATORS:Steinberg still big on green

dpt-steinberg20Text0B29588Fsteinberg featureDaily Pilot Once known for his stable of NFL quarterback clients, he now calls attention to environmental issues. TODAY: Leigh Steinberg

OTHER INSTALLMENTS:

*Up and coming sports agents: Steinberg's protoges have been learning fast and inching toward becoming on their own. This installment focuses on a couple of interns working in a Newport Beach office.

*Athletes' point of view: Professionals and local athletes sound off about what they think of sports agents.

*Scott Boras profile: The man has been gaining the biggest contracts ever for his Major League Baseball clients, including Alex Rodriguez and Barry Zito among several others. With an intimidating presence and a flair for being aggressive, he usually controls the flow of his negotiations.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Part one of a four-part series

Super sports agent Leigh Steinberg is back at it.

Show me the money!

This time it's a different kind of green Steinberg is chasing. Not in the form of cash in which in the hit 1996 film "Jerry Maguire" Tom Cruise's character, based on Steinberg, is heard yelling, 'Show me the money!" on the phone back to his lone athlete.

This green deals with global warming.

At 58, Steinberg has changed course. It's hard to fathom that he has moved away from representing NFL players to protecting Mother Nature.

This is the man whose first client was No. 1 draft pick and quarterback Steve Bartkowski in 1975. The first-year agent not only stunned football, but himself. He negotiated what was then the largest working contract — $650,000 for four years, including a $250,000 signing bonus.

The money grew as did the number of quarterbacks who signed with his firm. In 1998, 13 of his clients were among the league's 30 starting quarterbacks.

Steinberg made general managers trust his quarterbacks to lead their teams.

Now Steinberg's goal is to make believers out of people on the current projects in the works at Leigh Steinberg Enterprises in Newport Beach. They range from sports' impact on the environment to the repercussions of concussions and supporting a candidate during next year's U.S. presidential election.

A lot of developing plans, which also include forming a jockey league to marketing leagues to developing sports movies to bringing professional franchises to different cities to building a sports academy in China.