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CAA Reportedly Pays Up To
$30M To Hire Condon, Others |
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has hired sports agents
CASEY CLOSE,
TOM CONDON and
KEN KREMER, but the “larger question” for the company is “whether it can turn sports into a significant moneymaker,” according to a front-page piece by the L.A. TIMES’ Johnson & Hoffman. According to competitors who considered hiring Condon and Kremer, the pair “wanted as much as $30[M] to relocate their business,” meaning CAA “won’t reap the benefits immediately.” But agent
LEIGH STEINBERG said, “Access to a superstar athlete can be invaluable for an entertainment agency. So I’d expect to see more of these deals.” Former USC QB
MATT LEINART, who left Steinberg earlier this week, is said to be considering signing with CAA, which already handles his endorsements. Wasserman Media Group Chair & CEO
CASEY WASSERMAN said that Condon “is not a better football agent simply because he is working at CAA, nor are his clients necessarily more marketable.” Wasserman: “Put it this way —
KOBE BRYANT is a good rapper or he’s not. That isn’t going to change because of who represents him.” Meanwhile, the NFLPA “maintains that the intersection of Hollywood and sports -– and the endorsements and celebrity deals powerful agencies can bring –- won’t change what it expects” from agents. NFLPA Dir of Salary Cap & Agent Administration
MARK LEVIN said, “What we want is evidence that an agent is representing a player properly by protecting his rights. All the other stuff is not important” (
L.A. TIMES, 4/13).
YOUNG’S GUNS: USA TODAY’s Jarrett Bell notes former Univ. of Texas (UT) QB VINCE YOUNG’s agent, MAJOR ADAMS, is a criminal lawyer who also represents his sister, gospel singer YOLANDA ADAMS, and rapper MIKE JONES. Adams’ only other NFL client is Eagles S MICHAEL LEWIS. Young’s uncle, KEITH YOUNG, “has traded his job as a middle school teacher to become his nephew’s full-time business manager.” The pair is “mulling endorsement proposals and other business arrangements,” and Adams said that he will “rely on assistance from the [NFLPA] and a network of [UT] boosters before finalizing Young’s first pro deal” (USA TODAY, 4/13).
