'Jordan vs. Russell charity game' hoax angers fans

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'Jordan vs.Russell charity game' hoax angers fans[/h2]
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Apparently, Mark Cuban wasn't the only one playing make-believe on Monday.

Utah Flash owner Brandt Anderson pulled off a WWE-like scripted hoax last night to the disappointment of 7,500 fans who believed that Michael Jordan and Bryon Russell, the former Utah Jazz forward, were about to play a one-on-one game during halftime of an NBA Development League game.

As you might recall, Russell challenged Jordan to a battle after remarks that MJ made about Russ during his Hall of Fame speech in September. Always one to see dollar bills and free publicity in a situation, Andersen said he would pay the winner of the challenge $100,000 for the charity of his choice.

And then things got wacky.

According to Deadspin, the Flash went so far as to hire a Jordan look-alike to walk around Provo on Monday - and even uploaded a YouTube video of "Jordan," flanked by "bodyguards," eating at a quiet local restaurant - to build some buzz.

It worked ...

... and then completely backfired.
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During halftime the lights were turned off and Russell came out asking for Jordan. Then from the other side of the court a Jordan impersonator came out surrounded by bodyguards. A few moments later Russell announced it was an impersonator and then left the court while the fans booed loudly.


Well, that didn't go as smoothly as some had hoped. Quick! Give 'em free swag!
The Flash employees tried to cheer the crowd up by throwing out free t-shirts, but the boos continued, and some people even threw the t-shirts back. Most left after halftime.


Damn.

"This was done in fun," Andersen wrote on his blog after the Flash beat the Dakota Wizards by 10 points. "If you did not see it as fun or you feel we went over the top I am sorry."

As part of his apology, Andersen offered tickets for a future Flash game for fans with tickets from Monday night's game.

He promises Orien Greene will be in attendance.


sorry if this has been posted already.


i know there was alot of
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ppl.
 
SMH at the whole situation.
Did anyone really expect MJ to show up? He never gave even the slightest indication he was considering doing it. And using an impersonator was just a dumb idea
 
what were they thinking? "OK guys i got an idea...bring in a fake MJ to fool the crowd!"....how did they let this happen?
 
Hahahahaha... this is sooooo ironic... As if Fake Air Jordan's won't cut it these days, they're faking a real-life Michael Jordan
 
Originally Posted by ssgefiestoakagerger

Hahahahaha... this is sooooo ironic... As if Fake Air Jordan's won't cut it these days, they're faking a real-life Michael Jordan

But, just like the shoes, the impersonator was of better quality.
 
I can't get my eyes off those XIV"s

Anyway..they killed it with the security and crap. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 
What I want to know is did the Impersonator look like this:
Michael-Jordan-acrylic.jpg


Or this?


Im just saying.
 
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you guys don't know that half of it... i live in provo utah and i was there.
i've never seen an angrier crowd in my whole life. basically 3/4 of the people there
left after they found out it was a hoax.

plus, the owner of the FLASH is my neighbor and a good family friend. He's getting
SO MUCH HEAT for this... i feel really bad for him, but at the same time, i'm desperate
to ask him, "WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?"

i'm actually going over to his house tonight for a service project that the FLASH have, so i
might work up enough courage to ask him what he was doing.

and btw, the Jordan imposter was actually pretty good. He had me, and everyone else in the arena thinking
he was legit.
 
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