Roc Nation Sports "has shaken up the crowded, cutthroat world of athlete representation, generating more anonymous sniping and scrutinizing than even the usually high such level in this arena," according to Ken Davidoff of the N.Y. POST. The agency’s lack of media access "has given it an air of mystery to which this universe is not accustomed, generating curiosity over the principals and their practices." While Roc Nation Sports currently has eight clients, President & Chief Strategy Officer Michael Yormark said, "Within the next 90 days, it'll be over 10." The company will have "about 45 employees to service them and grow the business." Some of those 45 also "spend time with Roc Nation, the parent company that represents 112 artists, producers and writers." Roc Nation Sports President Juan Perez said of Roc Nation Sports Owner Jay Z, "We talked about doing this maybe five, six years ago. It’s just the time wasn’t right. Jay just brought it up to me again. ‘Why not just add the sports to it?’" By putting music and athletics together, the agency believes that it "has leveraged its myriad connections to help athletes with endorsement and charity opportunities." Yormark: "Our job is to take our athletes and create star power around them. That’s the job we do off the field." Yankees P CC Sabathia credited the agency for "improving his apparel agreement with Air Jordan." Mariners 2B Robinson Cano and his new agents "have worked diligently to eradicate the notion the perennial All-Star gave up considerable sponsorship dollars by departing" from the Yankees. Cano has signed an agreement with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, and Yormark said that Cano "has a meeting lined up" with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz." Starbucks "doesn’t use celebrity spokesmen, yet there could be other partnership opportunities there for Cano" (N.Y. POST, 8/3).
