Fort Meyers, Fla. — Billy Donovan backed out of his deal.
Sound familiar?
It happened again Wednesday night when the Fort Myers Miracle, a Single-A minor league baseball team in the Florida State League, poked fun at the Florida Gators coach who reneged on his deal with the Orlando Magic by hosting "Billy Donovan Night."
The Miracle were scheduled to have Billy Donovan there - well, not THAT Billy Donovan.
A Fort Myers man who shares the coach's name - and is a Florida State fan - was supposed to throw out the first pitch, but backed out at the last minute.
"Apparently, he has a new job," the public address announcer said.
Indeed, he does. The 'other' Donovan issued a statement Wednesday night through the team, saying he has taken a job as a waiter in nearby Bonita Springs.
"I truly believe the attention I received from the Miracle's promotion helped me land this opportunity," he said. "Unlike the Florida coach, I was going to follow through on my agreement. Go Seminoles."
The Donovan parody night gave fans the chance to strike an "out clause" and negotiate their way out of their ticket purchase, just like Donovan escaped his five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Magic.
The contract, in this case, was the ticket. Prices for the Miracle's game against the Tampa Yankees were $7 and $5, but only a few of the announced crowd of 2,029 - about 1,200 more than the typical Wednesday crowd at Hammond Stadium - planned to ask for their money back.
"I'm not going to do a Billy Donovan," said Tom Walkers, 27, sitting near third base. "I'm going to follow through with my contract."
Some fans sported Gators orange and blue apparel, while others donned Magic jerseys. Waffles, a tribute to the coach's "waffling," were on sale at food stands. And hair gel - to mimic Donovan's slick look - was available.
Between innings, sound bytes from Donovan's last news conference were played over the speakers. Fans mocked the coach throughout.
"What a liar," one fan yelled.
Fans began restructuring their deals after the third inning. The price of the ticket, the seat location and even buyouts were all up for negotiation. If necessary, a free throw had to be converted to make the contract official. A drawing to win free Gators basketball tickets was used as a "bonus option" to entice fans to honor their deals.
The Miracle had Fort Myers defense attorney Michael Hornung on site to negotiate settlements.
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