We recently learned that Michael Vick could be facing a possible lawsuit over his Memorial Day weekend no-show at the MI-VI nightclub at Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach.
The protesters outside the club that night wondered why they never saw his entourage or never saw any news coverage of the controversial quarterback's appearance.
Now they know, and they are elated. "I'm not the least bit surprised. Who would be?" says protest organizer
Sharon Athanasiou of Hollywood. "This is poor judgment on the
promoter's part, for sure. Vick isn't exactly a man made famous for his
integrity."
The local 23-year-old promoter who threw the party, Darnell Aponte, president of the Coral Springs-based Black Tie Group, agreed to pay Vick $10,000 to appear at the party. He gave him $5,000 up-front and paid another $5,000 for travel and accommodations for Vick and his entourage. Then he spent $10,000 more on advertising.
The invitation included guest names like T.I., 50 Cent, and Dwyane Wade. None was there.
Vick missed a connecting flight to Fort Lauderdale that night. His contract stated he had to be in attendance by 1 a.m. That's when the crowd began dispersing. The club is still debating whether to reschedule the event.
Athanasiou says this just shows Vick's behavior is consistently bad: "His lack of responsibility to follow through on an agreement
that is now costing that promoter about $20K in losses -- and the fact
that he was even rude about it -- further shows how Vick has no
consideration for anyone but himself," she says. "I'm certain he won't be invited
back to Hallandale any time soon to host something else. But if he is,
now that he's made a few more enemies, I guess I'll have even more
people joining us for a protest."
