Boycott of football game sought
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Apr-10-Thu-2003/sports/21079782.html
Silver Dollar promoters upset over losing rights to black college event
By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Promoters of last year's Silver Dollar Classic football game, played at Sam Boyd Stadium between historically black colleges, want fans to boycott this year's game after losing the right to organize the event.
However, stadium director Daren Libonati said promoters were given ample opportunity, and the venue had to put in more stringent requirements because of problems he said occurred leading up to last year's game.
This year's game, on Sept. 13 between Southern and North Carolina A&T, will be called the Las Vegas Classic. The promoter is Urban Sports and Entertainment Group, which is based in North Carolina and handled television and game-day management of last year's game between Grambling and Tennessee State.
Earl Harris and Calvin Lovick promoted last year's game and have used their public relations firm in urging the boycott.
"Everybody made money," Harris said. "Micah Fuller of Urban Sports made money. The hotels made money. It was one of the best-controlled crowds Las Vegas ever had. Sam Boyd made money. It was successful by all indications to us."
Libonati said the stadium netted a little more than $150,000, but added that other factors influenced the decision to not automatically re-hire Harris and Lovick.
"There were a couple of scenarios where we ran into trouble," said Libonati, who would not get specific. "We're the venue, and the promoters' part is to recognize what needs to be done. We would've hated to see 25,000 people disappointed because the event didn't come off because of a few things."
Harris said the game was never in danger of being canceled, and any difficulties were minor and fairly typical of putting on such an event.
"We had some advance ticket sales two or three days before, and we asked them to assist us with a charter flight," Harris said. "It was our money."
However, Grambling athletic director Al Dennis said he feared last year's game would not be played when he was told the charter flight for the team had not been paid for shortly before it was scheduled to leave.
"We wouldn't have gone out there if they hadn't worked it out," Dennis said. "So there were some contentious times before the game."
After last year's game, Libonati said he sent a letter to Harris, Lovick and Urban Sports listing the criteria for this year's game.
A $50,000 deposit was required, 10 times more than the year before. The new criteria included a $2 million letter of credit, television contract, commitment letters from sponsors, an advertising and marketing plan, and reference letters from the competing conferences and universities' presidents.
"We did it to protect (UNLV), as well as the two universities," Libonati said.
The letter was dated Oct. 18 with a Nov. 1 deadline.
"How do you do that with a two-week turnaround?" Harris asked. "Even the so-called company now doing the promoting was late preparing letters from the schools and conferences."
Fuller, vice president of business development for Urban Sports, said his company met all deadlines.
"We were given the same notice as the other promoters," Fuller said.
Urban Sports, Fuller said, has a history of working with historically black colleges, specifically with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Bayou Classic and Heritage Bowl.
In the news release urging a boycott, one of the complaints was that there was a lack of black organizers involved in putting together this year's game. However, John Simon -- the game's executive director -- owns New Creations Productions, an entertainment and media company that caters to black clientele.
Fuller said each school will receive $375,000, and $10,000 will go to Clark County high school seniors for minority scholarships.
Libonati said race was not a factor when selecting the promoter.
"It's a shame that (Harris and Lovick) even played that card," Libonati said.
