AKA2D '91
04-02-2003, 03:26 PM
BLACK COMMUNITY URGED TO BOYCOTT
COPYCAT LAS VEGAS BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLASSIC
STOLEN FROM BLACK BUSINESSMEN
Los Angeles, California The Silver Dollar Classic, the Black College
Football Classic that was successfully launched in Las Vegas on September
21, 2002, was robbed of the opportunity to do business in Las Vegas in 2003.
Pat Christenson, President of Las Vegas Events, a special division of the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, has taken the Silver Dollar
Classic concept and renamed a copycat event to be held in September 2003 at
the Sam Boyd Stadium According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the name of
the black football classic has been changed to the Las Vegas Classic. This
gives the impression that the Silver Dollar Classic event has been renamed.
It could be viewed as a ploy to manipulate those who attended the Silver
Dollar Classic last year, into returning to attend the same event.
Silver Dollar Classic was created in 2000 out of the vision and commitment
of seven Los Angeles African-American Businessmen, led by Publisher Calvin
Lovick. Most of these businessmen are graduates of Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
This annual event was created to assist in the development of young
African-Americans and to expose them to the historical black college and
university experience, which is primarily in the southeast. These
businessmen hosted the first annual black college football classic west of
the Rockies.
In 2002 the Inaugural Silver Dollar Classic was held at the Sam Boyd
Stadium, under the leadership of Daren Libonati, Director of Thomas and
Mack/Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The official stadium count was 25, 000
at the football game and another 13,000 at the Battle of the Bands event
held at the Thomas and Mack
Approximately 30,000 African Americans traveled to Las Vegas for the
exciting weekend event, which generated substantial revenue for the City of
Las Vegas. The attendance exceeded the expectations of the Las Vegas
representatives, who until that time, were unfamiliar with the traditions of
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, prestigious alumni,
friends, families and fans. It is our belief that prior to the Silver Dollar
Classic, Pat Christenson, Daren Libonati, or the Event Management Leader
were totally unfamiliar with the long-standing tradition and loyalty which
centers around black college football competition or the unique Battle of
the Bands, Calvin Lovick stated.
> Following the Silver Dollar Classic, the City of Las Vegas realized the
potential revenue that could be generated by hosting a Black college
football game in their city, according to Earl Harris, Vice President of
Operations for Silver Dollar Classic. Silver Dollar Classic officials were
informed that the initial financial requirements for hosting their 2003
event at the Sam Boyd Stadium would be ten times the amount they paid in
2002 plus a $2,000,000 line of credit and a letter of reference. These
requirements were not in effect in 2002, when there was no track record. The
new conditional requirements for the 2003 Silver Dollar Classic were
implemented in spite of the Silver Dollar Classic success in 2002.
There are no African-Americans involved in the planning of the copycat
event, the Las Vegas Classic, scheduled for September 2003 at Sam Boyd
Stadium. In fact, the event was planned without the knowledge or
participation of the original African-American creators of the Classic.
Historically Black College and University football is an arena that
African-Americans have always treated with the utmost loyalty, pride,
respect and love. The Silver Dollar Classic is therefore asking those
considering attending the copycat, Las Vegas Black College Football game
scheduled for September 2003 to boycott this event.
COPYCAT LAS VEGAS BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLASSIC
STOLEN FROM BLACK BUSINESSMEN
Los Angeles, California The Silver Dollar Classic, the Black College
Football Classic that was successfully launched in Las Vegas on September
21, 2002, was robbed of the opportunity to do business in Las Vegas in 2003.
Pat Christenson, President of Las Vegas Events, a special division of the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, has taken the Silver Dollar
Classic concept and renamed a copycat event to be held in September 2003 at
the Sam Boyd Stadium According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the name of
the black football classic has been changed to the Las Vegas Classic. This
gives the impression that the Silver Dollar Classic event has been renamed.
It could be viewed as a ploy to manipulate those who attended the Silver
Dollar Classic last year, into returning to attend the same event.
Silver Dollar Classic was created in 2000 out of the vision and commitment
of seven Los Angeles African-American Businessmen, led by Publisher Calvin
Lovick. Most of these businessmen are graduates of Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
This annual event was created to assist in the development of young
African-Americans and to expose them to the historical black college and
university experience, which is primarily in the southeast. These
businessmen hosted the first annual black college football classic west of
the Rockies.
In 2002 the Inaugural Silver Dollar Classic was held at the Sam Boyd
Stadium, under the leadership of Daren Libonati, Director of Thomas and
Mack/Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The official stadium count was 25, 000
at the football game and another 13,000 at the Battle of the Bands event
held at the Thomas and Mack
Approximately 30,000 African Americans traveled to Las Vegas for the
exciting weekend event, which generated substantial revenue for the City of
Las Vegas. The attendance exceeded the expectations of the Las Vegas
representatives, who until that time, were unfamiliar with the traditions of
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, prestigious alumni,
friends, families and fans. It is our belief that prior to the Silver Dollar
Classic, Pat Christenson, Daren Libonati, or the Event Management Leader
were totally unfamiliar with the long-standing tradition and loyalty which
centers around black college football competition or the unique Battle of
the Bands, Calvin Lovick stated.
> Following the Silver Dollar Classic, the City of Las Vegas realized the
potential revenue that could be generated by hosting a Black college
football game in their city, according to Earl Harris, Vice President of
Operations for Silver Dollar Classic. Silver Dollar Classic officials were
informed that the initial financial requirements for hosting their 2003
event at the Sam Boyd Stadium would be ten times the amount they paid in
2002 plus a $2,000,000 line of credit and a letter of reference. These
requirements were not in effect in 2002, when there was no track record. The
new conditional requirements for the 2003 Silver Dollar Classic were
implemented in spite of the Silver Dollar Classic success in 2002.
There are no African-Americans involved in the planning of the copycat
event, the Las Vegas Classic, scheduled for September 2003 at Sam Boyd
Stadium. In fact, the event was planned without the knowledge or
participation of the original African-American creators of the Classic.
Historically Black College and University football is an arena that
African-Americans have always treated with the utmost loyalty, pride,
respect and love. The Silver Dollar Classic is therefore asking those
considering attending the copycat, Las Vegas Black College Football game
scheduled for September 2003 to boycott this event.