Who the F is Brandt Andersen, you ask? He’s the owner of the Utah Flash, an NBA D-League team. After pitching a rematch between Michael Jordan and Bryon Russell for months, Andersen misled fans by hiring a Michael Jordan impersonator and releasing viral video of “Jordan” eating at a restaurant in Orem. Over 7,500 fans showed up to a Flash game expecting to see the rematch. When fans saw the impostor walk on court, they started booing and leaving the arena.
Here is Andersen’s non-apology apology (from his blog):
“This was done in fun. If you did not see it as fun or you feel we went over the top I am sorry…Since putting out the challenge to B Russ and MJ and the charity of their choice we have tried to put the pressure on MJ to join us…I knew I would not know if MJ was going to attend until a few hours before game time. I never received the call indicating he would not attend…In every interview I said if Jordan did not show we would have a backup that would be entertaining. I promised it would be worth attending…So as a backup, we hired a Michael Jordan lookalike…Like you I was let down. I wanted MJ to show up.”
— Brandt Andersen
Is this guy for real?
He starts off with the non-apology apology, basically saying that the whole thing was a joke and if fans don’t have a sense of humor about it, then he’s sorry. Next up is his spiel about how the promotion came about, but what I don’t get is the line about not knowing if Jordan would show until “a few hours before game time.” What? He’s basically promoting a Jordan/Russell rematch not knowing if Michael Freaking Jordan is going to make it until just before game time? Give me a break.
Then he puts the blame on Jordan for not showing up, when he was the one that created the whole situation in the first place. He talks about how easy it was to disprove the hoax, but in viral or word-of-mouth marketing, credibility is out the window, especially in such a small time frame. Why else would 7,500 or so fans show up actually expecting to see MJ?
To top it all off, he doesn’t even offer disgruntled fans a refund, just two tickets to a future Flash game, which is something that doesn’t really cost him anything. Sweet.
This cat is a piece of work. I’ll give it to him, though — he has giant balls.
After losing to the Grizzlies the night before, I fully expected the Cavs to come out sharp and focused in Houston. But the Rockets jumped out to a 33-19 lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to win, 95-85. A big reason for the win was the fine play of Aaron Brooks, who thoroughly outplayed Mo Williams at the point. Brooks posted 27 points, six assists and three rebounds. He wasn’t great from the field (7-17) but he nailed 12 of 13 free throws on the night.
