THIS is interesting...Shaq denies ties to youth basketball camp

Like I said in the other thread just because they use a player's name doesn't mean they will be there.
The people needed to read the fine print and see what they got for $250.

 

Wow. So they used his name to promote the event and so hyped it up as a "Shaq thing" that they made The Big Aristotle (chortle) look bad when he didn't show up?

 

It's seems like more crap on this little shin dig(obviously not little to the kids but...) in Florida is being "uncovered" by the day, so I'll keep my mouth shut for now.

But if the guy was recovering from a fever that had sent him to the hospital, he cannot be expected to continue on with all of his prior commitments(whether this was one or not) that he had made before he was ill. Also, I heard that his people did contact the event coordinators that he was not going to be able to make it.

 

True, LakerMania. Honestly, from simply a business standpoint, I think Shaq is too shrewd a businessman to just no-show on kids. He's close to Jordan in terms of visibility, why would he tarnish his image like that?


Piecing the story together:

1. Promoter contacts Shaq about 'hosting' celebrity game & weekend, offers him $50,000 cut.

2. Shaq says 'No' to 'hosting' but says he'll try to make appearance at game.

3. Weekend is promoted as a Shaq event, anyway.

4. Shaq becomes ill, cancels on promoter.

5. Promoter raises a ruckus to deflect blame from himself (not the first promoter to do that), mentions that Shaq had 'contract' for $50,000, uses the whole 'he wanted more money' excuse.

6. Shaq fires back and blames promoter, i.e. (To the parents) 'Don't go trying to sue me for money, the promoter has your money, hit him up for a refund.'

7. To be continued...

 

I don't know what to really say because this seems like one of these "it's my word against theirs".

I will say that Shaq should have better business sense than to lend his name to this thing if that is what he did; however, it is likely an attempt to cash in on his name. There was probably miscommunication and a misunderstanding on both parties & now it is time to drag Shaq's name in the mud.

 

Laker Mania, link please: "Also, I heard that his people did contact the event coordinators that he was not going to be able to make it." To me, this is the biggest, if not the only, issue.

But, to me, if he didn't notify him, then his recent comments only make Shaq look worse.

Quote from the article: "But this wasn't even a camp. It was a charity basketball event and I was just a specially invited guest. And I say, yeah, I'd show up. And then they tried to make it a Shaquille O'Neal weekend and you can't do that.''

He told them he'd be there. At the least, this was a verbal contract, which is legally binding. Usually, they're unwise because they're hard to prove, but this one's proven.

They have every right to use his appearance in marketing the camp. People would pay a lot of cash for their kids to see Shaq, even for only 30 minutes. It sounds that in Shaq's opinion that the marketing went too far. But then, is he using this as the reason for his non-appearance, or his illness?

 

"I will say that Shaq should have better business sense than to lend his name to this thing if that is what he did"

Lot's of people lend their names to events they don't partipate in...

Have you ever been to Richard Petty (NASCAR) driving school? Well that's not Richard teaching the class. Richard helped develop it and he gives it his name and people really do think the King of NASCAR will be in the vehicle showing them how to drive?

I also went to Bucky Dent baseball camp when I was younger. One summer he made an appearance, the next he didn't show up. Tey use his name and his picture but no wher ein any brochure does it say "Bucky will personally teach you to play"

What's the silly little league baseball video which Fred McGriff endorses. Do people really think Fred will teach them just because he said it worked?

People sell of their name for many products. Just because one guy try to take advantage of the situation by exploiting Shaq, doesn't mean Shaq did anything wrong. Shaq (as others have mentioned) has a great PR sense so no way does he blow off those kids. He said he would be here for the game and that sounds like it. THe marketer tried to take advantage of it and it blew up.