????所有這些舉動(dòng)也許很難讓球隊(duì)的管理者們認(rèn)真看待卡特。但結(jié)果可能正相反。贊助商顯然尊敬Jay Z這位商人，他本人就是品牌的象征?？ㄌ厥悄欠N每個(gè)行動(dòng)都會(huì)引起人們議論的人，事實(shí)上，一些老資格的經(jīng)紀(jì)人說(shuō)，他們嘗到了卡特的厲害。一位長(zhǎng)期浸淫棒球領(lǐng)域的經(jīng)紀(jì)人接受采訪時(shí)拒絕公開(kāi)姓名。這位資深經(jīng)紀(jì)人說(shuō)：“有人問(wèn)我：‘你不怕他（卡特）嗎？’我倒是不怕。但有可能一個(gè)想請(qǐng)Jay Z做經(jīng)紀(jì)人的球員就不再想用我了。他太有名了，那種明星的影響力可以引起年輕球員的共鳴，這是顯而易見(jiàn)的。他也在利用這一點(diǎn)?！?/p>

????年輕一代的運(yùn)動(dòng)員們?cè)谏塘恐尤隦oc Nation Sports的時(shí)候或許面臨這樣一個(gè)關(guān)鍵問(wèn)題：Jay Z是否僅僅是一位利用自己名人光環(huán)的體育愛(ài)好者？卡特也許能吸引一些迎來(lái)個(gè)人職業(yè)生涯高峰期的明星，那些人已經(jīng)功成名就?？煽ㄌ啬钦袑?duì)尚需雕琢的新人會(huì)管用嗎？畢竟，依照傳統(tǒng)觀念，初出茅廬的職業(yè)運(yùn)動(dòng)員要靠經(jīng)紀(jì)人樹(shù)立名望。而且，卡特本人是否希望接納那樣的新手？以冰球?yàn)槔?，不管是從合約價(jià)值的角度，還是贊助商的角度，無(wú)論怎么看，這都不是一種上了規(guī)模的職業(yè)體育運(yùn)動(dòng)。但卡特表現(xiàn)出了經(jīng)營(yíng)的興趣。比如CAA代理的瑟茲?瓊斯。這名后衛(wèi)球員今年6月才在美國(guó)職業(yè)冰球聯(lián)賽國(guó)家冰球聯(lián)盟（NHL）的選秀上首次亮相，是選秀賽期間的佼佼者。當(dāng)時(shí)報(bào)道稱，卡特希望與CAA合作瓊斯的市場(chǎng)推廣。瓊斯最終以第四順位被選中，一些體育界的博客立即口誅筆伐，指責(zé)卡特插足瓊斯經(jīng)紀(jì)代理的傳聞使NHL聯(lián)賽球隊(duì)對(duì)這位冰球新星的興趣降低。

????“我確信，如果一名球員給多倫多某家球隊(duì)的經(jīng)理人打電話，自我介紹說(shuō)Jay Z是自己的經(jīng)紀(jì)人，對(duì)方就不會(huì)看重這名球員了，”冰球界經(jīng)紀(jì)人亞歷克斯?林斯基這樣認(rèn)為。林斯基是冰球經(jīng)紀(jì)領(lǐng)域冉冉升起的明星。他的客戶是加拿大安大略省和魁北克省青年冰球職業(yè)聯(lián)賽的球員，都在16歲至20歲之間，是一批最有前途加入NHL的隊(duì)員。林斯基說(shuō)：“我手下有名球員，每場(chǎng)比賽結(jié)束后都會(huì)給我發(fā)信息，告訴我他比賽時(shí)的表現(xiàn)。你要說(shuō)Jay Z會(huì)交流那些內(nèi)容，我可不信。冰球與眾不同，它有自身獨(dú)特的文化。安大略是這種運(yùn)動(dòng)的溫床，每天晚上都有經(jīng)紀(jì)人會(huì)到這兒來(lái)。你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，大部分經(jīng)紀(jì)人看上去幾乎就是偵察兵。沒(méi)人相信那些看起來(lái)徒有其表的人。”

????沒(méi)錯(cuò)，卡特不會(huì)在美國(guó)棒球明星的搖籃——科德棒球聯(lián)盟（Cape Cod Baseball League）的比賽觀眾席上現(xiàn)身，不會(huì)去那里搜尋有潛力的新人。實(shí)際上，他可能繼續(xù)追求與成名的球星簽約，用那樣的方式打造一家受人尊敬的經(jīng)紀(jì)公司。到目前為止，不論是他表露了合作興趣的明星，還是已經(jīng)簽訂經(jīng)紀(jì)約的大牌，都沒(méi)有什么驚喜。因?yàn)榭仓Z和杜蘭特跟卡特本來(lái)就是朋友，瑟茲?瓊斯的父親普奧珀耶?瓊斯是上世紀(jì)90年代的NBA知名球員，如今在布魯克林籃網(wǎng)隊(duì)擔(dān)任助教。而經(jīng)由卡特牽線決定選擇坎諾任代言人的百事可樂(lè)公司和碧昂絲也有商業(yè)合作。

????可如果卡特希望Roc Nation Sports發(fā)展為一家深入開(kāi)拓業(yè)務(wù)的多領(lǐng)域體育界經(jīng)紀(jì)公司，就需要證明自己是更有功底的體育行業(yè)經(jīng)紀(jì)人。那可能是個(gè)挑戰(zhàn)，但不要低估Jay Z吸引新老球員加盟這家新公司的能力。如果球員與品牌商家都買賬，那么職業(yè)球隊(duì)的經(jīng)營(yíng)者們也會(huì)欣然接受卡特。那將意味著Roc Nation Sports的合約會(huì)滾滾而來(lái)，而卡特或許也能就此最終締造一個(gè)新一代的經(jīng)紀(jì)帝國(guó)。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：若離

????All of this might make it hard for team executives to take him seriously, but it might do just the opposite. And sponsors clearly respect Jay Z as a businessperson and brand name. He is a man whose every move gets discussed, and indeed, veteran agents say they are getting a mouthful. "People have asked me, 'Are you afraid of him?' I'm not afraid, no," says a longtime baseball agent who declined to be named. "Odds are a guy who wants to hire Jay Z is not going to want to hire me anyway. Obviously he's a huge name and his star power resonates with young athletes, and he's taking advantage of that."

????That may be a key question for young athletes debating joining Roc Nation Sports: Is Jay Z just a sports enthusiast taking advantage of his celebrity? He may be able to lure established stars in the prime of their careers, but will it work with recruiting young prospects -- the traditional way that an agent makes his name? Does he even want to go for those kids? Take hockey as an example -- not by any means one of the major sports in terms of contract values or sponsorships, but one Carter has shown interest in. (Seth Jones, repped by CAA, was expected to go first in the NHL draft in June. Leading up to the draft there were reports that Carter wanted to work with CAA on Jones' marketing. When Jones was ultimately selected fourth, some sports blogs railed that Carter's rumored involvement weakened teams' interest in the young star.)

????"I'm convinced that a general manager in Toronto is not going to care if a player calls him and says Jay Z is my agent," suggests hockey agent Alex Linsky, suggests Alex Linsky, a rising hockey agent who works with "major junior" players—16 to 20-year-old top prospects to enter the NHL—in Ontario and Quebec. "I have one player that texted me after every single game to talk about how he did. You can't convince me Jay-Z will field those texts. Hockey is unique, its culture is different. In the hotbed of Ontario, the agents are there every night. Most of the agents you see almost look like scouts. The ones that look flashy aren't trusted."

????Well, of course Carter isn't going to be at Cape Cod Baseball League games looking for new prospects. He could in fact continue to poach only established stars and build a very nice, respected agency that way. The names he's shown interest in so far, and the deals he's landed, haven't been surprising: he already had friendships with Cano and Durant; hockey prospect Jones is the son of Popeye Jones, an assistant coach for the Nets; Pepsi, which Carter connected with Cano, has a deal with his wife, Beyoncé.

????But if Carter wants Roc Nation Sports to grow into a deep and multifaceted agency, he'll need to prove himself more thoroughly as a sports agent. While that could be a challenge, don't underestimate the ability of the Jay Z empire to woo both veteran and rookie players to the up-and-coming agency. If players and brands buy into it, then in turn, team executives will, too. That means stuffed contracts and, eventually, maybe the next agency empire.