Magic Number >>> by Ben Cramer
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was in a bind. On the day of the event, the Raiders DE didn't have an invite to Allen Iverson's South Beach Memorial Day bash. "My boy from the Dolphins, J.R. Tolver, couldn't get us in, and he lives down there," says Gbaja-Biamila. Tough life, right? Well, it just got easier. Gbaja-Biamila remembered the digits he'd just put into his speed dial. "I rang the number, and just like that they got us in." Who'd he call? Celebrity Personal Assistants, Inc., the newest perk for the NFL's 1,800 active and 5000 retired players.
The Atlanta-based personal-planning company struck a deal with the NFLPA early this year to provide round-the-clock concierge services to busy ballers. "The goal for us," says union spokesperson AnneMarie Snyder, "was to cut down on some hassles and reduce the players' time constraints so they can focus on football." Tough chores like finding a plasma TV, flowers for Mom, backstage passes for Beyonce, wheatgrass juice in Phoenix at midnight - all just a ring away. "No request is too outrageous," says CPAI president Dionne Muhammad. "As long as it's legal and moral, we can do it."
Muhammad guesses that only 30% of NFLPA members have gotten wind of the service, but the six-person firm has already set up several hundred player profiles. Some recent entries? Broncos DB Ryan McNeil calls regularly for dinner reservations in Atlanta. Former Chicago Bears player Todd Burks snagged day-of seats for Sarah McLachlan. "I'm not telling anyone in my family about this," says Burks. "They'd be using this number all the time," CPAI is ready. "Everyone is always on call," Muhammad says. "We literally sleep with our Blackberries under our pillows."
And soon they'll get even less sleep. CPAI has already submitted proposals to concierge for the NBA, NHL and MLB.
