Bill Veeck was famous for the wacky ways he engaged fans as a minor and major league baseball owner — you may remember his 1979 Disco Demolition debacle at a Chicago White Sox game — and Kahler said the late NBA Commissioner David Stern encouraged franchises to emphasize entertainment as much as the game itself.
Chris Hamman said a watershed moment for in-game contests occurred in 1993, when Chicago Bulls fan Don Calhoun's overhand throw from the opposite free-throw line swished through the hoop 80 feet away for $1 million.
Esterhai said the claim for Weber's Porsche was approved after IPG reviewed video of the putt and verified conditions were met, such as Weber never having played golf professionally and not having been allowed a practice attempt.
Esterhai said IPG insures about $2 million in prizes for thousands of in-game contests each year and that there are about 250 winners, but only one or two take home a prize valued at $75,000 or more.
At UMass, there was a recent dispute over payment for a $10,000 halfcourt shot, with the school announcing last week it would pay off the winner after the insurance company covering the prize was said to have reneged because the contestant’s foot was over the line.
