First Artist Corp., a publicly traded London-based company that represents about 300 soccer players worldwide, has hired MLS soccer agent Patrick McCabe as director of U.S. operations to lead its efforts to expand into North America.
McCabe, who represents 20 MLS players, including Ronnie O'Brien, Ryan Suarez, Damani Ralph, Steve Jolley and Jaime Moreno, merged his Laduma Sports Group into First Artist as part of the deal. McCabe would not provide financial details of the agreement.
McCabe has imported about 12 foreign players to play in MLS. He said linking with First Artist will help him attract more top American players and broaden his ability to place players with professional soccer teams across Europe.
Top European soccer players generally earn 50 percent to 100 percent more than their U.S. counterparts. The top MLS salary is believed to be about $270,000 a year.
First Artist wanted to establish a U.S. office because the quality and quantity of talented soccer players is "improving rapidly," said Phil Smith, chief operating officer of First Artist.
"What we want to do is help hone the best talent in the United States," he said. "We want to be able to maximize the best players and give them the best possible opportunity to play in Europe if they wish."
Noting that First Artist and McCabe have placed European players in MLS in the past, he said the company wants to help develop MLS.
Sometime in the future, Smith said, First Artist, which is traded on the London Stock Exchange, may want to expand its U.S. presence beyond soccer. The sports being looked at include basketball, hockey and football, he said.
"We will be looking to expand into American sports as well, in good time, either by acquisition or by some sort of organic growth," Smith said.
JOHNSON PICKS WEST: Andre Johnson, the University of Miami wide receiver who was the No. 3 pick in this year's NFL draft, has hired agent Don West after considering 30 to 50 candidates.
West is the third agent to represent Johnson, said Andre Melton, Johnson's uncle and mentor, who has been advising him on his agent search.
On Melton's advice, Johnson first signed with former Jacksonville Jaguars executive and current agent Michael Huyghue, Melton said. But Johnson didn't feel comfortable with Huyghue and moved to agents Jeff Moorad and Eugene Mato.
Melton, however, didn't like that choice, and he and Johnson decided to hire West, who formerly worked for agent Leigh Steinberg before setting up his own agency, Revolution Sports Management, in the Miami area.
West, who co-represents the Atlanta Falcons' Warrick Dunn with Steinberg, said he was introduced to Johnson by Rodney Brown, Johnson's financial planner.
He called the signing "a defining moment" for his new company." "It puts the company on the map," he said.
Melton said he spoke to 30 to 50 agents in the last several months. Ever since Johnson declared for the draft, "My life was turned upside down because I saw an agent every day from then on," Melton said. "Every single day."
He said the agents don't have anything positive to say about each other.
"They go and they bad-mouth the other agents," he said. "As soon as you pick someone who isn't them, they say it is a bad choice."
Huyghue could not immediately be reached for comment.
David Cornwell, counsel for Moorad Sports Management, said, "Andre is a fine young man and likely to have a stellar NFL career, and we wish him all the best."
CSS STELLAR/HAMBRIC HIRE EUROPEAN GOLF AGENT: CSS Stellar
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| Duck |
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Hambric Sports Management hired former Augusta State All-American
Robert Duck as European golf player manager.
"We have been looking for the right guy to be our first player manager on the ground in Europe for almost a year now," said Rocky Hambric, CEO of Hambric Sports and head of CSS Stellar's golf division.
Veteran agent Hambric sold a stake in his Dallas-based company to London-based sports and entertainment firm CSS Stellar last year.
Duck played on England's junior and amateur teams and has extensive contacts with European golfers.
Duck will split his time between London and Dallas.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
