????所有這些舉動也許很難讓球隊的管理者們認真看待卡特。但結果可能正相反。贊助商顯然尊敬Jay Z這位商人，他本人就是品牌的象征。卡特是那種每個行動都會引起人們議論的人，事實上，一些老資格的經紀人說，他們嘗到了卡特的厲害。一位長期浸淫棒球領域的經紀人接受采訪時拒絕公開姓名。這位資深經紀人說：“有人問我：‘你不怕他（卡特）嗎？’我倒是不怕。但有可能一個想請Jay Z做經紀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，這是顯而易見的。他也在利用這一點。”

????年輕一代的運動員們在商量著要加入Roc Nation Sports的時候或許面臨這樣一個關鍵問題：Jay Z是否僅僅是一位利用自己名人光環的體育愛好者？卡特也許能吸引一些迎來個人職業生涯高峰期的明星，那些人已經功成名就?？煽ㄌ啬钦袑ι行璧褡恋男氯藭苡脝?？畢竟，依照傳統觀念，初出茅廬的職業運動員要靠經紀人樹立名望。而且，卡特本人是否希望接納那樣的新手？以冰球為例，不管是從合約價值的角度，還是贊助商的角度，無論怎么看，這都不是一種上了規模的職業體育運動。但卡特表現出了經營的興趣。比如CAA代理的瑟茲?瓊斯。這名后衛球員今年6月才在美國職業冰球聯賽國家冰球聯盟（NHL）的選秀上首次亮相，是選秀賽期間的佼佼者。當時報道稱，卡特希望與CAA合作瓊斯的市場推廣。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，指責卡特插足瓊斯經紀代理的傳聞使NHL聯賽球隊對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的經理人打電話，自我介紹說Jay Z是自己的經紀人，對方就不會看重這名球員了，”冰球界經紀人亞歷克斯?林斯基這樣認為。林斯基是冰球經紀領域冉冉升起的明星。他的客戶是加拿大安大略省和魁北克省青年冰球職業聯賽的球員，都在16歲至20歲之間，是一批最有前途加入NHL的隊員。林斯基說：“我手下有名球員，每場比賽結束后都會給我發信息，告訴我他比賽時的表現。你要說Jay Z會交流那些內容，我可不信。冰球與眾不同，它有自身獨特的文化。安大略是這種運動的溫床，每天晚上都有經紀人會到這兒來。你會發現，大部分經紀人看上去幾乎就是偵察兵。沒人相信那些看起來徒有其表的人?！?/p>

????沒錯，卡特不會在美國棒球明星的搖籃——科德棒球聯盟（Cape Cod Baseball League）的比賽觀眾席上現身，不會去那里搜尋有潛力的新人。實際上，他可能繼續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紀公司。到目前為止，不論是他表露了合作興趣的明星，還是已經簽訂經紀約的大牌，都沒有什么驚喜。因為坎諾和杜蘭特跟卡特本來就是朋友，瑟茲?瓊斯的父親普奧珀耶?瓊斯是上世紀90年代的NBA知名球員，如今在布魯克林籃網隊擔任助教。而經由卡特牽線決定選擇坎諾任代言人的百事可樂公司和碧昂絲也有商業合作。

????可如果卡特希望Roc Nation Sports發展為一家深入開拓業務的多領域體育界經紀公司，就需要證明自己是更有功底的體育行業經紀人。那可能是個挑戰，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，那么職業球隊的經營者們也會欣然接受卡特。那將意味著Roc Nation Sports的合約會滾滾而來，而卡特或許也能就此最終締造一個新一代的經紀帝國。（財富中文網）

????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.