Yesterday, I read a piece over at NFL Fanhouse that looked into whether or not Larry Johnson will hold out from being involved in any plays with the Kansas City Chiefs until his rookie contract is re-evaluated [So Will Larry Johnson Hold Out?]. He still has three years left on his rookie contract, a contract negotiated on behalf of Johnson by none other than Percy “Master P” Miller. The same Master P. of No Limit Records created a sports agency called No Limit Sports, and Larry Johnson was not the only client of the agency.
What has happened to the legend, the captain of the tank, Master P? The guy started off strong, signing Ricky Williams to a record $8.8 million signing bonus and a $68.4 million overall contract with the New Orleans Saints. Oh wait…that $68.4 million contract was almost entirely based on incentives, and Williams only satisfied one of those incentives, leaving him with a whopping $3.8 million from that original contract [Williams Quits No Limit Sports]. If only Williams had also quit his drug addiction…but I digress.
Louis XV, King of France from 1710-1774 famously said, “Après moi, le déluge” (“After me, the flood”). Ricky Williams, seemed to be a fan of Louis XV. He opened up the flood gates for many other No Limit Sports clients to follow his lead. Soon after Williams left, Ron Mercer (currently with the New Jersey Nets) and Ricky Davis announced that they would be leaving Master P.’s company and that all other clients would probably be gone in no time [Master P Loses Clients]. Maybe it was because Master P. wanted to be an athlete himself, maybe it was because he was terrible at negotiating contracts (Ricky Williams and now Larry Johnson are of note), or maybe it was because he really did not have that big of a tank. No matter which reasoning you prefer to follow, the ending is the same. Master P. lost his clients and his agency ended up having a limit.
-Darren Heitner
One reply on “Agent Spotlight: Master P.”
Nice historical reference. I would argue that his clients just saw his star power and celebrity status and money and were drawn to that rather than examining whether he was qualified or able.