Creative Artists Agency has just suffered a major blow. I’m told that Matt Leinart, the Hollywood handsome Arizona Cardinal quarterback who was a USC star and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, has fired CAA. I first heard a rumor there was trouble in their marketing relationship early this month, but at the time I was assured by sources close to Leinart that he was still in the CAA fold. Today, I received confirmation that Leinart has severed future marketing ties with the Hollywood agency. Interestingly, this is almost a year to the day that I was the first to report that Leinart signed with CAA’s then brand new football agent Tom Condon and, in the process, left Newport Beach sports agent Leigh Steinberg. Stealing Leinart was the first official act of CAA Sports, intent on entering the sports contract business in a big way. At the time, CAA already repped Leinart for marketing deals, but Leinart’s move to Condon brought all of Leinart’s representation, his football contract and all his marketing pursuits (like off-the-field endorsements, licensing, autograph shows and public appearances), under the CAA umbrella. READ MORE »