As you may know, CAA has taken the sports world by storm over the past couple of years, and has built an industry leader, which was recently ranked #2 in the Sportagentblog.com Sports Agency Power Rankings.

Creative Artists is aggressively expanding into areas like sports and corporate consulting. Endeavor says it has smoothed its rougher, frat house edges and is trying to take advantage of ownership deals, in which Endeavor clients take a stake in their work rather than just being paid a handsome fee.

In the future, with proper education of athletes and their entourages we will see more “entrepreneurial clients” that desire to take ownership of their partnerships. Whether in Hollywood or on the “hardwood” these entertainers will begin to realize their true value, and yes, agents will still be necessary to help talent navigate the seas of success.

Does this business model seem similar to LRMR and Lebron James? Lebron and company have been doing their best to make sure that King James gets equity in any company that wants him as an endorser. The days of star athletes just wearing a sponsor’s products and talking about it in adverts is gone. New models are arising that look to have sustainability.

The questions that I have for Endeavor and CAA are 1) Can the Endeavor business model work at a full-service sports agency? 2) Is it ever possible for a small and savvy agency (ie. CAA) to not lose it’s [Lupe Fiasco] cool? 3) Lastly, within 5 years will all leading sports and entertainment agencies begin to realize their similarities and merge, in order to capitalize on one another’s resources? Only time will tell…until then, leave some comments.

“Kobe tell me how my a** taste” Tell me how my a** taste? If I was Kobe I would be

Let’s take a poll, was Shaq drunk? High? Angry at not making the finals? Executing an excellent marketing strategy? Or just trying to revitalize his rap career? Please share your thoughts because this crap publicity stunt still does not make sense to me.

Below are some of the memorable lines from Shaq’s nightclub freestyle:

“I’m a horse. Kobe ratted me out that’s why I’m getting divorced.”

“He said Shaq gave a [woman] a mil. I don’t do that ’cause my name’s Shaquille.”

“I love ‘em, I don’t leave ‘em. I got a vasectomy, now I can’t breed ‘em.”

Chris Paul has recently signed a deal to be an endorser for deodorant maker, Right Guard. Is Paul’s popularity being primarily driven by his basketball ability? His boyish charm? His “clean” image? Or the Katrina Effect? Let’s discuss.

“He (OJ Mayo) played within the rules of the game; and this is the game, runners, agents, shoe companies, other elements, this is the game. He had no other choice but to play it.”

-Louis Johnson, ex-O.J. Mayo (athletes) confidant in regards to the situation involving Rodney Guillory (runners) and BDA Sports Management (representation).

In my last edition of “Short and Sweet” I dropped a post featuring athlete representation legend David Falk. Peep the post HERE If you want a more in depth post on the Mayo saga, Jason Wulterkens has it covered HERE This time I borrow a quote from Louis Johnson’s recent ESPN interview from Outside the Lines. Now first, read the above quote from Mr. Johnson, I mean really look at each word. This is a description of a systemic cancer that has gone on for quite some time in the sports industry.

Critics of the sport business may call the agent/runner/athlete situation a game of pimps and hoes. But what makes this system different than what goes on in other sports? Or even in entertainment? Child actors, singers, and rappers become professional, hire agents/managers, and leave school early without any real punishments or even criticism from most of society. Should the alleged gifts that O.J. received should play a role in his draft stock? Don’t most talented youth recieve benefits and gifts for being special regardless of their area of talent? I really hope the public can put this situation in perspective and keep up those good feelings for Mr. Mayo, because with a name like O.J. he will need all the help he can get…

Free Throw: Which shoe company do you predict O.J. Mayo will sign with?

“The sports agent business has become so corrupt — I would not encourage anyone to try to become an agent right now.”

– Legendary NBA agent David Falk (WSJ.com, 4/22).

Is Falk jealous of the new crop of agents’ successes? Or does he present a realistic view of the current climate of athlete representation?

So the NHL has finally completed their comeback. When was this, you ask? Look no further than the upcoming Mike Myers, Justin Timberlake, and Jessica Alba film. Hockey purists may argue that the NHL has never fallen off but numbers don’t lie. Since returning from the league’s lockout a few years back, attendance and viewership has seen a sharp decline. The marketing alliances that have been created for the launch of “The Love Guru” are a great way to grab attention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ed Horne, NHL Senior Executive Vice President, Communications, Entertainment and Club Business confirms, “This alliance is just another step in our strategic plan to build scale and reinforce the NHL’s position within the entertainment space.”

Two years ago the NHL signed with the Williams Morris Agency, a move that led to new relationships with Warner Brothers, Sundance Film Festival, and two acclaimed Hollywood producers. There are a ton of NHL/”The Love Guru” tie-ins that I will not discuss in this post, but you can find them by visiting NHL.com and watching the Stanley Cup playoffs. Why not support Canada’s (winter) national sport, eh?

Here is some background on the film, “The Love Guru” :

In the comedy “The Love Guru,” Pitka (Mike Myers in his first original character since Austin Powers) is an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He moves back to the U.S. to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality. His unorthodox methods are put to the test when he must settle a rift between Toronto Maple Leafs star hockey player Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) and his estranged wife. After the split, Roanoke’s wife starts dating L.A. Kings star Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake) out of revenge, sending her husband into a major professional skid – to the horror of the teams’ owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba) and Coach Cherkov (Verne Troyer). Pitka must return the couple to marital nirvana and get Roanoke back on his game so the team can break the 40-year-old “Bullard Curse” and win the Stanley Cup.

The cross promotion for this movie is a unique opportunity to leverage the excitement of the NHL championships, (the comeback of) Mike Myers, and the star studded theatrical release. Myers gets to pay homage to his beloved team, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL and its properties get a boost from Myer’s brand equity. Overall, regular season attendance for Toronto has seen a decrease by approximately 2,000 between the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The NHL has granted Myers unprecedented use of trademarks and overall access because the Myer’s brand is a winner that has global awareness. The positive association of the NHL with the film will benefit the league years after the film makes it to HD DVD and Blue-Ray. Look to see a Maple Leafs’s attendance jump for the 2008-09 season, but too bad the team could not make the playoffs this year (note: the Toronto Maple Leaf’s statistically were the worst NHL team in Canada for 2007-08). However, next year the Maple Leafs with be able to capitalize on their added exposure similar to the old Mighty Ducks (the Flying V and Knuckle puck might have helped this season). If Mike Myers is a betting man he might need to roll with America for this year’s playoffs.

With America’s economic recession, weak dollar, and trade deficit we all need some Canadian comedic relief. Not since 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and the original Austin Powers have I anticipated the nationwide release of a comedy. “The Love Guru” promises to be the perfect dessert to the Stanley Cup Championship series and a way to keep fans engaged in the best show on ice. You can tell Disney on Ice I said that!

In case you cannot wait until the June 20, 2008 release, be sure to visit “The Love Guru” Youtube channel and NHL.tv for more special footage.

In a report that sounds like the set-up to a Longest Yard joke but is apparently completely serious, Gary Myers of the New York Daily News writes that Michael Vick is playing football in prison.

Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who pleaded guilty to felony charges related to his Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting ring, is in a minimum security satellite prison camp at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. And Myers reports that Falcons owner Arthur Blank has received letters from Vick that detail his prison football games

What happens when you are a celebrity that is not wanted in your previous profession? You become a Hollywood actor. Don’t get it twisted, I still have faith in Vick and his abilities but it may be time that Vick starts examining other ways to capitalize on the brand that he created (before the dog fighting allegations). Vick can be a marketer’s dream when he gets out of prison in 2009. There are a lot of products that could be sold using Vick’s image.

Acting could be the ticket for the athlete his father nicknamed “Bullet” early in childhood. How about professional wrestling? Zab “Money” Judah made some decent bank. The music industry? Microphone Mike Vick is kind of catchy. We all know troubled NFL legend, OJ Simpson made some great film appearances in his day. Yes, this post is half tongue and cheek, but really, what do you do when you can’t come back home (to football)?

“In efforts to woo China’s consumers, Nike Inc., the country’s market leader in sportswear, and Adidas AG are both aggressively promoting apparel and shoes with designs incorporating Chinese elements — a departure from the mostly Western-influenced styles they have marketed in the past.

They are betting that the Beijing Olympic Games in August will be a prime opportunity for sportswear to ride a wave of Chinese national pride. At an Adidas fashion show in Beijing in January, costumed Peking Opera performers provided a backdrop for models showing uniforms for Olympic staff and volunteers, featuring polo shirts decorated with ancient Chinese swirling “lucky cloud” patterns.”

Will savvy Chinese customers be able to see right through this marketing campaign or will they fall for the “cutting edge” marketing by Nike and Adidas?

“Already this year, Nike and Adidas will each surpass sales of $1 billion in China, their biggest market after the U.S. From 2002 to 2006, sales of athletic shoes and clothing in China by volume doubled, according to market-research firm Euromonitor International.”

But myopic numbers aside, what Nike and Adidas do not understand is that you can not market to Chinese people from a Westernized prospective. There are a lot of dollars in the East but the people with the purchasing power are aware of the contrast between authenticity and fraudulence. For example, Li Ning, the largest sportswear brand in China, founded by the Olympic gymnast of the same name, who won three gold medals for China in 1984 is loved and supported by the people because it stays true and does not try to market based on old and outdated trends. Although Li Ning is using Olympic subjects in its ads, its athletic wear does not integrate traditional Chinese components. Despite all their money and power, Nike and Adidas should grab a seat in Beijing and take notes from their Chinese brother.

What do you think?

Wait I thought LT was a Nike athlete? Darren (not Heitner) Rovell of CNBC posted an interesting article on whether consumers are feeling conflicted by the current Nike and Under Armour war. His main case being that LaDainian Tomlinson is a Nike endorser while his trainer, Todd Durkin is sponsored by Under Armour. This case is unique because LT is a part of an overall training system marketing campaign rather than just footwear or apparel. This conflict can cause cognitive dissonance in a consumer that knows LT uses Nike gear but finds out LT uses Under Armour gear while training with Durkin. Under Armour’s vice president of marketing Steve Battista points out, “Everyone knows this guy trains L.T.” “We’ve seen it first hand. When we bring him to speak to kids, we don’t announce who he trains, they all know it and that’s the best way to do it.”

Darren poses an interesting question about the ongoing fight for the cross training “turf,” an issue which will be discussed heavily in the coming weeks and months.

Do you go out and buy Nike SPARQ shoes because the athlete doing the workouts is sponsoring them–or do you buy the new Under Armour cross trainers because the trainer devising the workouts for that high profile athlete is sponsored by Under Armour?

Celebrity and soccer player, David Beckham has recently inked (another) endorsement deal; this time a two-year deal with permanent marker company, Sharpie. The deal was negotiated by BrandBuzz, NY, a division of Young & Rubicam Brands, a fully owned subsidiary of WPP Group plc. (WPP is the world’s second-largest advertising and marketing conglomerate).

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it marks the largest global integrated campaign in Sharpie’s history. The former Manchester United star will become the brand’s global ambassador and will star in a global marketing campaign supporting two of the brand’s new products, the Ultrafine Retractable marker and the Sharpie Pen.

I know you’re asking, “What does David Beckham have to do with markers?” Well not much on the surface, but when you dig deeper you see that Sharpie is launching a global campaign and DB is a global icon. Beckham is the prime example of an athlete that has branded himself. This effort has paid off huge for DB as he has racked up sponsorship deals with Adidas, Georgio Armani, Pepsi, Motorola and Coty. These brands also love Beckham because he is a great vehicle for reaching their target market. The consumers that the aforementioned companies want to reach are the same people that identify with the David Beckham experience. If you are thinking, “How can I become as popular and rich as David Beckham?”, then take note of the following 5 steps that every athlete that must follow for Beckham-like success. Agents pay attention, you may learn something too:

Step 1-Form a romantic relationship (marriage is ideal) with some one more famous than you (Marry up!). At the time when Beckham married Victoria “Posh Spice” Adams, Victoria was one of the most famous women in the world as a member of the Spice Girls.

Step 2-Improve your public speaking. DB does interviews and appears on TV all the time. Companies want endorsers and fans want celebrities that can communicate well. Think about how many more endorsements Shaq would have had if he didn’t speak in a monotone.

Step 3—Serve your community. Become a humanitarian. Beckham has won awards for his service to the world. People and corporations love someone who gives back. Find a charity or organization that you can start supporting now! Also if you have been doing service, begin to make it public.

Step 4–Start an official website (and Myspace page). Beckham is a brand with a state of the art site where his fans can visit and discuss the life of Beckham. Take the next step from obscurity by getting people to talk about you in a controlled environment (a site you moderate). The point is to create a pull on the consumers that will subsequently get the attention of sponsors.

Step 5—Dress the part. Beckham is as recognized for his fashion sense as he is for scoring goals. Dwyane Wade was named as one of the world’s best dressed men by both Esquire and GQ Magazine, and look at the wealth and fame that has accompanied young Flash.

Last but not least is skill. I did not list this as a step because it should be a prerequisite. Tiger, Beckham, Lebron, ARod, and Venus are arguably the top competitors in their respective sports and this plays a huge reason why everyone is infatuated with them. But if you are a young athlete or agent with something prove, let the branding process start now! Do not let the window of opportunity pass you by!

Of course becoming a megastar is more complicated than this but if you follow these steps I guarantee you will be off to a good start. In the words of my deceased neighbor Biggie Smalls, “Follow these rules you’ll have mad bread to break up.”

Notes: Other steps that were honorable mentions were 1) A hot nickname 2) Celebrity entourage (Ari Gold included)

I want your opinion, “What else do you think an athlete needs to become a recognizable brand to fans and corporations?”