Deal to bring Shaq to Tampa was far from sure thing

Days before the basketball superstar was promised to appear, the promoter had no firm deal to get him.

By DAVID KARP, KATHRYN WEXLER and JAMAL THALJI
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 21, 2002

TAMPA -- It was less than a week before the big event, and promoter Darryl Madison was still promising fans that NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal would appear at his celebrity basketball game and clinic.

But even as Madison sold tickets and ran radio ads, he had no idea whether O'Neal would show.

Madison begged O'Neal's agents to get him to attend. He said O'Neal's camp wanted $25,000 in advance. Madison said he offered them a post-dated check.

When that didn't work, other organizers urged O'Neal's agents not to disappoint hundreds of children, and the charities that would benefit.

Once it was clear O'Neal would not show, organizers suggested O'Neal tape a spot apologizing to the kids for being sick and missing the event.

"I really thought he would show," said Nancy Mailloux, an Orlando freelance television producer who invested in the event. "I didn't think it was worth the negative publicity."

When O'Neal did not appear at a dinner, clinic and game last weekend, hundreds of fans -- some of whom paid up to $250 -- left disgusted. The event was supposed to help charity, but at least one non-profit organization actually lost money.

Organizers never explained to fans why O'Neal, who was sick Thursday, did not show.

Many fans assumed they had been stiffed by the Los Angeles Laker, who in 1996 signed what was the richest contract in NBA history and, in 2000, got a three-year, $88.5-million extension.

Actually, O'Neal never fully committed to the event.

A week ago at a charity event in Orlando, O'Neal urged a television reporter with the Sunshine Network not to mention the upcoming Tampa basketball event.

Journalist Bill Fay told O'Neal he wanted to mention the charity event in a news report. According to Fay, O'Neal said, "No, man, don't do that. Don't say anything about that."

On Monday, O'Neal told Orlando-based WKMG-Ch. 6 sports anchor Ryan Baker that he never agreed to lend his name to the event.

O'Neal also said he never signed a contract and didn't get any money from the event.

Madison insists O'Neal did sign a contract and received $35,000. Madison on Tuesday showed the Times a document with O'Neal's signature, but it wasn't clear what the document was.

At a meeting at a Krispy Kreme donut shop in Tampa, Madison showed the Times the last page of a four-page document with O'Neal's signature. He couldn't find the first three pages.

At one point, Madison's investors searched through binders -- and looked through a car -- for the missing three pages.

Madison said the document was an agreement proving that O'Neal had given two companies, Deja 34 Enterprises and Goodlife Entertainment Inc., the authority to represent him.

The charity event got started this year when Madison signed a deal with Deja 34 and Goodlife Entertainment to bring O'Neal to Tampa.

Those companies are run out of Georgia by Mark Stevens and John E. Wardlow Jr.

Stevens declined to comment to the Times on Monday. "Don't ever call my number again," he told a reporter. Wardlow did not return repeated calls.

Madison said the companies wanted $100,000, including $50,000 up front, to get O'Neal to the event.

To pay the costs, Madison encouraged people such as Philadelphia computer consultant Jean Augustin to invest in the event.

Some investors said they mortgaged their homes and spent savings intended for college tuition to come up with money. Mailloux said she persuaded a friend to put $15,000 on a credit card. Stephen Tillia said he used his insurance inspection and appraisal company as collateral.

"I am a working man," Augustin said. "This wasn't free money."

Augustin said he was told that Verizon had pledged $200,000 to the event. But the company said it never agreed to invest that kind of money.

Madison said he was relying on the word of a Verizon employee who claimed to a company vice president. A Verizon spokesman said the employee sold Verizon phone directories, and no longer works there.

Other corporate sponsors also balked. Most called O'Neal's uncle and business manager, Mike Parris, who told the companies O'Neal knew nothing about the event.

Two weeks before the event, Madison said he attempted to negotiate a new deal, this time with Parris.

The two sides never reached an agreement. They couldn't agree on money and other terms.

Even so, Madison hoped O'Neal would show.

On Friday night, in the middle of a dinner with Gov. Jeb Bush, Madison got a call on his cell phone that O'Neal wasn't coming. He didn't tell the audience.

The same night, O'Neal was supposed to appear at Club 901, a night spot in downtown Tampa. Madison was there at midnight, pacing, hoping O'Neal might appear.

"I feel real bad," Madison said Tuesday. "We did nothing wrong."

Even so, he is negotiating with O'Neal's agents now to make amends. He wants O'Neal to fund all money and pay as much as $500,000 for not attending.

"We think that's a good investment . . . for a super star to get his name back," Madison said.

-- Times researcher John Martin contributed to this story.

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