Believe it or not, No Limit Sports didn't seem like such a crazy idea 15 years ago.
Before Ricky Williams signed his incentive-laden rookie contract that is widely believed to be one of the worst contracts ever signed by a professional athlete, Master P's sports representation agency seemed like it could provide young athletes with the support they needed in order to be successful. In Williams' case, he worked directly with sports agent Leland Hardy—who once served as an advisor for Venus and Serena Williams—and appeared to enjoy all the perks that came along with being associated with a rapper's sports agency. No Limit Sports' commissions were much lower than other agencies' commissions. Their family atmosphere was great. And, of course, being associated with a rapper was seen as a good thing for Williams, who wanted to get attention from all of the young kids out there who listened to P's music.
But then, Williams signed his rookie contract and failed to make as much money as he should have during his first couple of years in the league and, well, No Limit Sports collapsed. It went from being a pretty good idea to a complete flop in a matter of months. And, young athletes shied away from signing with P's sports agency, which ultimately doomed it.
As of right now, Jay-Z's new venture Roc Nation Sports is where No Limit Sports was at 15 years ago. With Hov's background and pedigree, it seems like a great idea. It also sounds like it has the potential to change the way that young athletes negotiate contracts. But, if Jay wants to avoid falling victim to the same pitfalls that Master P did, he should watch this OTL clip immediately. Otherwise, we might be saying the same things we say about No Limit Sports now when we talk about Roc Nation Sports in 15 years.
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[via YouTube]
