Legends sued by promoter

Remember the Bad Boy basketball tour, starring Dennis Rodman, in Cebu and Manila last month?

Bad Boy tour promoter Mario Whitmire, who lives in Dallas with his Filipina wife and their three children, said Rodman wants to do a repeat performance–without the geriatric National Basketball Association (NBA) legends.

Rodman was accompanied to the Philippines by legends Darryl Dawkins, Calvin Murphy, Alex English, Otis Birdsong and Sidney Moncrief. While the ‘Worm’ played over 30 minutes in each of the two games during the tour, the legends hardly raised a sweat. Birdsong and Moncrief, in fact, didn’t even play a single second.

Whitmire said his lawyer has sent demand letters to Birdsong and Moncrief to return the money they were paid to play in the Philippines. Birdsong was paid $20,000 and Moncrief, $25,000 as playing coach.

"Their contracts stipulated they would play," said Whitmire in an interview during the recent NBA Finals in Dallas. "If they don’t return the money I paid them, I’m going to court. Birdsong showed up for our first practice in Greenhills and as soon as he stepped onto the court, he cried out in pain. That was it. Either he was hurt even before he flew in or he just didn’t want to play. He complained of pain in his knee."

Birdsong and Moncrief tried to make themselves useful by coaching the Bad Boys who won one and lost one during the financially-disastrous tour. Whitmire said he lost about $200,000 in bringing in the players.

"Dennis doesn’t like to lose and he didn’t like it when the Bad Boys lost to the Philippine team," said Whitmire. "He told me he’d like to do it again but next time, without the legends. He’d rather play with guys who want to win."

But Whitmire said he’s not bringing back Rodman whose father Philander has lived in Angeles City for over 30 years. Rodman’s bodyguard Craig Balkam caused a commotion when he verbally tussled with Philander in restraining him from approaching the former NBA star on two separate occasions.

Rodman was seen barhopping with several women around Makati late at night. Once, he was stopped by security guards when he tried to bring in women in a hotel spa for males but forced his way inside, saying if he can do it in Las Vegas, why not in Manila?"

Whitmire said he recently contacted Karl Malone’s agent if the Mailman could play an exhibition in Manila with John Stockton.

"Malone isn’t interested even if his wife is half-Filipina," said Whitmire. "Now, I’m thinking of forming a selection of Development League players and putting up a four-team tournament in Manila with a first prize of $10,000. The D-league players would play as one team. The other teams could be from the Philippines, Australia and Japan, Korea or China."

Whitmire said he’d like to bounce back from the Bad Boy fiasco and promote a successful project in the Philippines.

"I made a lot of mistakes in the Bad Boy tour," he said. "I won’t make the same mistakes again."

Whitmire and his wife Terry Magistrado of Iriga City recently became first-time grandparents. Their oldest April gave birth to a girl, Sophie. The Whitmires have two other children, Eric and Shayna.

Whitmire makes a living as a sports tour organizer and ticket seller to big sporting events like the US Masters, the Super Bowl and the Dallas Cowboys games.

"I think I made history in the recent NBA Finals because I was with two commissioners," said Whitmire. "I sat beside PBA commissioner (Noli) Eala in Game 2 in Dallas and right behind NBA commissioner (David) Stern in Game 5 in Miami."

By the way, one of Eala’s most memorable Finals moments during his brief visit to the US was shaking hands with his all-time favorite Julius Erving.

"I introduced myself to Dr. J in the back corridor of the arena before Game 3 and he asked me to join him," said Eala. "Maybe, we could invite him to open the next PBA season in October."

Eala said his favorite NBA team was the Philadelphia 76ers squad that won the title in 1983 behind Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones under coach Billy Cunningham.