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Who do you think is the most powerful person in college football?

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey?

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti?

NCAA President Charlie Baker?

College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock?

Influential ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum?

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong.

You’re not even close.

It’s college football coaching super-agent Jimmy Sexton, the man who has literally and legally convinced college athletic directors to sign away mega-millions, if not billions of dollars, in one-sided coaching contracts to his grateful clients over the years.

Sports agent Jimmy Sexton speaks during the Division I Leadership Council meeting during the annual NCAA Photos via Getty Images Convention held in San Antonio in 2011.  (Getty file)

The retiring Nick Saban may be the most dominant, dynastic figure to ever roam a college football sideline, but Sexton is the most dominant, dynastic figure to ever sit at a college football bargaining table. When he walks through the door, ADs just instinctively curl up in the fetal position and start whimpering, “Please, Mommy, don’t let the mean man in the nice suit take all my money.”

This is not a column of admonishment about Sexton; it’s a column of admiration. We should all be so lucky as to have a representative like Jimmy Sexton protect and enhance our financial success.

“You hear about all of these antitrust lawsuits,” one college administrator said and laughed. “The government should investigate Jimmy Sexton for having an illegal monopoly on the best coaches.”

Sexton doesn’t represent every college football coach, but he represents many of the best ones. He represents three of the four head coaches who were in the college football playoff and 11 of 14 coaches in the SEC last season.

He represents Saban and new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. He represents Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin. In Florida, he represents three of the state’s Big 4 coaches — FSU’s Mike Norvell, Florida’s Billy Napier and UCF’s Gus Malzahn.

Denver Broncos first-round draft pick Tim Tebow, left, talks on his cell phone while arriving for an after-draft news conference with his agent Jimmy Sexton at the Glen Kernan Golf & Country Club in Jacksonville in 2010. (AP file)

Sexton isn’t just the master of working the system that has created these obscenely massive contracts for college coaches; he pretty much created the system.

A perfect example came last week when Alabama’s Saban shockingly announced his retirement. The top candidates to replace Saban were Norvell, Lanning, Sarkisian and DeBoer — all Sexton clients.

I’m just guessing, but this is how I imagine Alabama decided upon DeBoer: After Lanning quickly took his name out of consideration, Sexton organizes a Zoom meeting with Norvell, Sarkisian and DeBoer in which the following dialogue takes place:

Sexton to Norvell: “Mike, are you interested in the Alabama job?”

Norvell: “Are you freaking crazy? No way do I want to follow the Sabanator at Alabama, where the only direction you can go is down. Besides, we’ve got it rolling at Florida State right now. I’m happy in Tallahassee.”

Then Sexton goes to Sarkisian and says: “Well, Sark, how about you? Are you interested in the Alabama job?”

Sark: “Hell, no. I was the offensive coordinator at Alabama under Saban so I know how crazy those Bama fans are. They’ll poison your trees if they don’t like you. And we’ve got it rolling at Texas, too. I’m happy in Austin.”

Then Sexton goes to DeBoer and says: “What about you, Kalen, are you interested in the Alabama job?”

DeBoer: “I’m only making $4 million a year at Washington. If you can get me $10 million or $11 million a year at Alabama then I’ll give it a shot. Besides, it was probably a fluke that we made the national championship game this season. I’ll probably never get this chance again. Let’s do it, Jimmy. I’ll take the Alabama job.”

Sexton (rubbing his hands together): “OK, boys, it’s settled. Coach DeBoer gets a big raise for taking the Alabama job and Coach Norvell and Coach Sarkisian will get big raises for NOT taking the Alabama job! How does that sound?”

Norvell, DeBoer and Sarkisian joyfully and in unison break into a rendition of the old Jim Croce song: “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.”

“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape,You don’t spit into the wind,You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger,And you don’t mess around with Jim!”

Indeed, Sexton got Norvell and Sarkisian big raises for turning down a job that they likely weren’t even interested in to begin with. Norvell, for instance, now has a new 8-year contract at FSU for more than $10 million dollars per season.

Isn’t it ironic that college athletic departments nationwide are shaking down fans and boosters for NIL money to pay players, but at the same time they think nothing of giving a coach a 10-year, $100 million contract?

You see, Sexton has all the leverage because a great coach in college football is so hard to find that ADs will agree to anything in an attempt to hire one or keep one. After Norvell went 13-0 this past season, FSU AD Michael Alford wasn’t willing to risk losing him to Alabama even though Norvell had just signed a new contract before the season that paid him $8 million annually through 2029. Instead, in response to Norvell being contacted by Alabama, FSU quickly extended the contract again and gave Norvell even more money.

What makes this such a bad deal is that the coach gets all the money and the school takes all the risk.  ADs typically give a coach a nearly fully guaranteed contract that they must pay off if the coach is fired, but the coach has a minimal buyout if he wants to accept another job. For instance, if Norvell had accepted the Alabama job last week, he would have owed FSU just $12 million. If FSU wanted to fire him, the Seminoles would owe him nearly $50 million.

Of course, I don’t think FSU is going to fire Norvell anytime soon because he appears to be a really good coach; maybe even a great coach.

But I used to think Jimbo Fisher was a great coach, too, after he won a national championship at Florida State, bolted to Texas A&M and had the Aggies ranked No. 4 in the country at the end of the 2020 season with one of the top recruiting classes in the country.

That’s when then-Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork idiotically gave Fisher a raise to $9 million a year and extended his original 10-year, $75 million contract four more years through the 2031 season. Consequently, after Jimbo was fired in November, the Aggies were forced to pay him $77 million over the next eight years NOT to coach at Texas A&M.

Anybody want to take a guess who Jimbo Fisher’s agent is?

That’s right, it’s Jimmy Sexton.

The most powerful man in college football.

Who else can turn college athletic directors — who are otherwise a collection of exceptionally competent, highly intelligent people — into a bunch of desperate, fiscally reckless squanderers of other people’s money?

You don’t mess around with Jim.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

 

In a race seen as a bellwether for Democratic chances in November, Democrat Tom Keen flipped what had been a Republican state House seat in Central Florida in a special election held Tuesday.

Keen, a Navy flight officer who works in the aerospace training and simulation industry, defeated Republican Erika Booth, a teacher and member of the Osceola School Board. Unofficial totals for the District 35 seat had Keen with 51.3% of the vote to Booth’s 48.7%.

“A huge THANK YOU to all our supporters, volunteers, and voters who believed in our vision for a better, brighter District 35,” Keen wrote on social media. “Your dedication, hard work, and votes have brought us to this incredible moment.”

Keen, who made abortion rights and property insurance key issues in the race, got between 65% to 70% of nonpartisan, or NPA, voters to make up for Republicans turning out in larger numbers than Democrats, said Matt Isbell, a Democratic elections analyst.

“What actually clinched the win for Democrats was this massive margin with NPAs and perhaps some Republican moderates as well,” Isbell said. “If anything, this should be concerning for the GOP because it indicates a voter anger that maybe they have not understood.”

The special election for the district in eastern Orange and Osceola counties was triggered when former Republican state Rep. Fred Hawkins resigned last year to become president of South Florida State College in Highlands County.

The district has an almost even collection of Democrats, Republicans and independents.

The election was considered a test of whether Florida Democrats will be more competitive in 2024 following their blowout loss to Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, which swept in a GOP supermajority in both houses of the Legislature.

“This proves that Democrats can win close races in the Sunshine State,” said state House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, in a statement. “Florida is worth fighting for … Our work together has just begun.”

Keen canvassed with local Democratic stars U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost and state Rep. Anna Eskamani, launched an ad targeting the GOP on abortion rights and mailed out flyers attacking Republicans on the property insurance crisis.

Booth, whose website stated that she would “protect our children from indoctrination” and crack down on illegal immigration, was backed by a state GOP campaign slamming Keen as a “radical,” including a website and television ads. Booth did not respond to repeated requests for interviews.

Mysterious text messages also were sent to Democrats from a supposed progressive group claiming Keen agreed with DeSantis on the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act, called ‘don’t say gay’ by its opponents. Keen has been a vocal critic of the law.

The group, Florida Committee for Progressive Values, listed Austin Hurst of Riverlake Boulevard in Bartow, Polk County, as its registered agent, chair and treasurer. According to state records, a Michael Austin Hurst is registered at that address as a Republican.

The Keen campaign compared the texts to the “ghost candidate” scandal of 2020, which involved three independent candidates who ran for competitive state Senate seats.

Candidates of both parties criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for scheduling the special election 10 days into the 2024 legislative session, preventing the winner from attending key meetings and hearings and from introducing new bills. Another open seat in South Florida was filled in a special election in December.

Democrats claimed DeSantis set the election after the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses on Monday so if Democrats flipped the seat it would not embarrass him on the campaign trail.

DeSantis came in a distant second to former President Donald Trump in Iowa, losing by nearly 30 points, and trails both Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in polling for the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23.

The District 35 seat will be up again in November for a full two-year term.

By AL LESAR (Associated Press)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dalton Knecht scored a career-high 39 points and had eight rebounds to lead No. 6 Tennessee past Florida 85-66 on Tuesday.

Jonas Aidoo had 19 points and a team-high 10 rebounds to help the Volunteers (13-4, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) win their 12th straight at home.

Knecht averaged 32 points in two games last week as he captured SEC Co-Player of the Week honors.

The Gators (11-6, 1-3), who haven’t won in Knoxville since 2014, were led by Walter Clayton Jr. with 16 points and Riley Kugel with 12. Tyrese Samuel had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and Zyon Pullin scored 11.

Knecht hit 9 of 10 field goals — including three 3-pointers — and scored 22 points in the first half as Tennessee jumped to a 44-32 halftime lead. A 12-3 run midway through the half gave the Vols some breathing room. Kugel had 10 to lead the Gators in the half.

The game started two hours early because of dangerous weather conditions.

THE TAKEAWAY

Florida: The loss to Tennessee started a stretch of tough games for the Gators. They will play what figures to be four more Quadrant 1 games, considered in the NCAA Evaluation Tool, over the next two weeks. Florida is 0-5 this season in Q1 games and 2-19 over the last two seasons.

Tennessee: The Vols are giving up eight more points a game (66.0-57.9) compared to last season, but they are scoring eight more points a game (78.7-70.8). The focus for Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has been consistency. The Vols have struggled with that all season and it continues to haunt them at different times.

UP NEXT

Florida: The Gators have another road game Saturday night against Missouri.

Tennessee: The Vols will remain at home Saturday for a battle with Alabama.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

General Daily Insight for January 17, 2024

Our friends can help us heal. With the nurturing Moon embracing wounded healer Chiron in fiery Aries at 2:20 am EST, we can expect to do some inner healing on our own, even if it requires offering forgiveness that wasn’t asked for. Additionally, the Moon harmonizes with lovely Venus, adding another dose of compassion, comfort, and healing to our lives — even when Luna squares the ego-driven Sun, leading us to worry we’re making the wrong choice. We can trust our instincts.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You can learn to forgive yourself for what you perceive to be your past mistakes. It may be that you had made the wrong choice in the past — in that the decision made a significant impact on your life, one that could have been difficult and drawn out. Perhaps the lasting complications have left you gun-shy of picking any options, as you worry that your actions will create more problems for yourself rather than solving them. Find a way to trust yourself again.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You can currently forgive someone who is no longer in your life. Whether they are no longer on this plane of existence or just somewhere else in the world, this person likely is no longer around you, but the impact that they had on you may have been continually challenging. You now have the opportunity to forgive this person — not for them, as they won’t be aware of the choice that you’re making, but for you. Let go so that you can grow.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Old hurts can presently be soothed. You’re likely spending time around people that you may have not fully trusted before, as they could have been standoffish or cold the last time that you were around them. Today, though, they have probably changed their demeanor. This might be because they have changed or because their perception of you has shifted — either way, it’s up to you if you let them into your life. You can be cordial without becoming best friends.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your public persona might be getting an update. You may have been holding back from updating others, in person or online, but you’re ready to come out of the shadows and show people who you are! They’ve potentially been wondering where you’ve been and what you’re up to, and reconnecting with old friends can be very beneficial right now. Even if you feel rusty when it comes to socializing, dust off the cobwebs and set up a coffee date with someone you’ve missed.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

The high road has your name on it, Leo. Someone may be attempting to irritate you into acting outside of your character, but you’re unlikely to take the bait. In the past, their prodding could have been enough to get a rise out of you, but you’ve matured since then! Remind yourself that you’re past being petty and engaging the people who seek negative responses. Conserve that Lion energy for the people who really deserve it: you and the ones who love you.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

The weight of emotions shouldn’t be discounted at this time. Even if you aren’t immediately connected to any sorrow or stress currently in your midst, the echoes of their pain can still affect you. Try to be a force for good by providing those more directly impacted with a listening ear or supporting them with food or other aid. In addition to the direct satisfaction of giving others a hand, they’ll probably be eager to return the favor by helping you in the future.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Past injuries, physical or emotional, don’t have to damage your current life. Being involved in a similar situation to one that hurt you isn’t fun, but it does present you with an opportunity to alter what you’ve done in the past and break the cycle. This situation will already be unique to some degree because it’s likely taking place with different individuals, but how you choose to respond will be what makes the biggest shift. Most of all, remain firm on your boundaries.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You might be forgiving someone that you don’t really want to forgive. Even when you know it would be healthier to forget this person and move on, the hurt that they caused you might still be lingering. Centering your anger toward them may sound tempting. No matter how justified your rage is, you’ll be better off if you shift your focus to something more positive. Remaining in the hurt is like picking at a scab — you’ll just keep bleeding until you let it heal.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Laughter can be the best medicine. In particular, if you’ve been struggling with a past event that’s possibly connected to an embarrassment that you carry with you, it could be causing insecurity for you in other areas. Learning to joke about the situation, even if it was painful at the time, can allow you to get past this. You are someone who has the power to turn tears into joy! Once you put this power into action, you’ll start seeing the benefits right away.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Opportunities to heal are presently all around you. You could be dealing with a fresh hurt, one that you may not want to admit to others, and so you are self-soothing through isolation. “Emotionally guarded” might be how you describe yourself, but sometimes those defenses can cut you off from valuable connections. Instead of retreating into yourself, you may want to contemplate who you find most maternal and nurturing, then go to them for comfort. They might be happy you opened up.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Caring about anything is a choice. At the moment, it might seem easier to pretend that you don’t care, when in reality, you’re hurt over the things that others say and do. They potentially believe that you’re tougher and so you can handle more rejection or harsh criticism, but these things hurt you just like they hurt everyone else, even if you try not to show it. Be honest about how you feel — you could find that they begin to respect your feelings more.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Others may mean well, but the road paved with good intentions isn’t a good path right now. Peers are potentially warning you to avoid pursuing unfamiliar endeavors or chasing risky dreams that you’re trying to achieve. This might just feel discouraging, but keep in mind that they’re likely trying to protect you in a misguided way. Try to understand where their words and emotions are coming from while releasing their fears from your mind. You don’t have to let them weigh you down.

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE (AP Technology Writer)

Apple is prepared to remove the blood-oxygen sensor from its internet-connected watches if a court doesn’t give it more leeway while it pursues a bid to overturn a ruling that has blocked its use of the technology.

A potential redesign of two Apple Watch models, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, that would exclude the blood-oxygen sensor has been approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a Monday court filing by Masimo, a Southern California company pursuing a patent claim against Apple.

The document didn’t disclose how Apple plans to remove the blood-oxygen sensor, although analysts have speculated the change could come through a software update.

Masimo won a favorable ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission in late October that prompted Apple to temporarily halt sales of the Apple Watch models with the blood-oxygen sensor just before Christmas. But Apple then filed an appeal of the ITC ruling that resulted in a order clearing the way for the two Apple Watch models to return to stores shortly after Christmas while the appeal is under review.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington is expected to decide whether it extend the stay later this month. If it does, the Series 9 and Ultra 2 can remain on sale with the blood-oxygen sensors intact.

It will probably take at least a year for the appeals process to unfold, meaning Apple will need an extended stay to continue selling the watches with the blood-oxygen sensors as part of the company’s effort to position the products as health-monitoring devices.

Apple declined to comment on the court filing disclosing its plans to remove the blood-oxygen sensor if the stay isn’t extended.

In their arguments filed so far with the appeals court, Masimo and Apple have been painting dramatically different pictures of the technology involved in the dispute.

Masimo has depicted itself as a pioneer in the making of blood-oxygen sensors on wearable devices, prompting Apple to begin luring away some of its employees as far back as 2013 — a year before the first version of the Apple Watch was unveiled.

When Apple finally introduced a watch with a blood-oxygen sensor in September 2020 during the throes of the pandemic, Masimo alleged the technology was so unreliable that it threated to taint its reputation and hurt sales of its W1 medical watch. Masimo says its pulse oximeters are used by hospitals and other professionals that treat 200 million patients annually.

Apple has denied infringing on a Masimo technology that has limited availability to consumers. Masimo’s W1 watch wasn’t even available on the market when the dispute started in 2021 and the device still has negligible sales, according to Apple. In contrast, Apple accounts for roughly one-third of smartwatch shipments — a business that generates an estimated $18 billion in annual sales for the Cupertino, California, company. That represents about 5% of Apple’s annual revenue.

The U.S. 1 tunnel, a popular route for commuters traveling through downtown Fort Lauderdale, has been ground zero for gridlock for 28 months and counting.

Drivers have endured detour after detour for more than two years, ever since construction began on a $28.4 million upgrade in September 2021.

Several times, the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel has closed in both directions, as it did on Tuesday at 7 a.m. This time, the tunnel will remain closed for five days, reopening on Saturday at 5 p.m. as long as the work crews stay on schedule installing new air handlers.

This latest closure should be the last one related to the construction upgrade, says Billy Canedo, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation.

The work was expected to take two years but is taking longer than planned due to delays caused by rainstorms and supply shortages, Canedo said.

When will the job be done once and for all?

“We’re looking at late spring,” Canedo said. “It’s hard to to predict. That’s assuming no weather delays or unforeseen circumstances.”

State transportation officials are planning no ribbon cutting, but admit it will be a day of celebration when the work is finally done.

“I think everyone will be relieved,” Canedo said. “It’s obviously very inconvenient to have this sort of disruption.”

The work on the tunnel has taken far too long, says Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.

“We need that tunnel open,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday. “The people of this city are losing their patience. Ask anyone who lives in Rio Vista. Anyone who is racing to get to the airport. It was an unnecessary interruption with the flow of city life. It was unnecessary for them to take this long. We could have built the tunnel from scratch in that amount of time.”

Complaints have been flowing in ever since the work began to both City Hall and DOT’s project team.

“We get complaints every single day,” Trantalis said. “The community is completely frustrated by the lethargic progress on the tunnel restoration. We do not see an army of workers at the site. You see occasional workers who from time to time change some aspect of that tunnel.”

Carline Jean / South Florida Sun SentinelCommuters drive through the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel in Fort Lauderdale on March 27, 2023. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

David McCarthy is one of those residents who has lost patience.

A longtime resident of Rio Vista, McCarthy has doubts the project will be done by May, as the state predicts.

“The Golden Gate Bridge took only four years to complete,” he said. “At (nearly) three years and counting, the Kinney Tunnel (project) will likely end up taking longer. I passed through at 8 and 8:30 (Tuesday) morning and there was no one in sight.”

Bob Casullo says he’s content to just stay in his condo on the beach.

“We avoid going anywhere,” he said. “It’s not like you head to the mall at 1 p.m. You just don’t do it. You stay home. It doesn’t matter what direction you go. You can’t get anywhere.”

Canedo says state officials understand the need to vent.

“We’re trying to get this work done as soon as possible,” he said.

State DOT workers are forced to take the same detours, just like everyone else, Canedo added.

“I have to take the detours too,” he said. “I don’t have a special pass.”

During this week’s closure of the tunnel, commuters moving downtown can expect to see take detour signs as they approach the tunnel.

Northbound traffic will be detoured via Southeast Seventh Street, Southeast Third Avenue and Broward Boulevard.

Southbound traffic will be detoured via Broward Boulevard, Southeast Third Avenue and Davie Boulevard.

Here’s what we’re getting for $28.4 million:

Ventilation fans were replaced to improve air flow; new LED tunnel lighting; delaminated tiles were removed; electrical equipment was upgraded; stormwater pumps were replaced; bicycle-friendly drainage grates were installed; fire lines and equipment were upgraded; emergency signing and lighting were upgraded; pavement was resurfaced.

In addition, crews installed an Intelligent Transportation System that will allow DOT to monitor the tunnel from a remote location.

The upgrades include dynamic message signs; CCTV cameras, including in the tunnel; warning gates and signals at each tunnel entrance; vehicle sensors to warn vehicles that are too high to enter; and upgrades to signalized intersections with Adaptive Traffic Signal Control for enhanced mobility along the U.S. 1.

The new pump systems will help keep the tunnel from flooding, but they likely won’t be able to stop it altogether during intense storms.

“Water is going to come in,” Canedo said. “The pumps are there to keep the tunnel dry. But I can’t tell you it’s never going to flood.”

When the tunnel does flood, the state will now have special gates to block the entrance on both sides to keep cars from entering. It’s all part of the $28.4 million upgrade to make the tunnel safer and better, state officials say.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan