By Shannon Rose
Sentinel Staff Writer

A letter opposing an Orlando ordinance that would ban discrimination against gays has landed one of the Orlando Miracle's top executives in trouble with some of the team's fans.

Pat Williams, senior vice president of RDV Sports -- parent company of the WNBA's Miracle and the NBA's Magic -- sent the form letter to the Orlando City Commission on July 2 to voice his opposition to Chapter 57, an amendment that would add sexual orientation to the City of Orlando's anti-discrimination ordinance.

The letter, mailed by Williams' assistant in an RDV Sports envelope and also stamped by the company's mail meter, has provoked a strong reaction from many of the Miracle's gay fans.

"For Pat Williams to spit in the faces of the fans and the activities of [owner] Rich DeVos over the years, it's just another way of ignoring the fan base," said Marty Chapman, an activist who has been supporting passage of the Chapter 57ordinance.

Williams did not return calls to his home Tuesday night. A call Monday was referred to RDV Sports Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod.

Weisbrod said that even though the letter, which listed Williams' home address, was in a company envelope, it doesn't reflect the opinions of RDV Sports.

"Anyone who knows the DeVos family knows if there is anything they are not, it's intolerant or judgmental," Weisbrod said. "I actually had the conversation with Rich that day this happened. He was real disappointed that anyone would paint him with that brush."

Still, some gays point to the letter as evidence that RDV fails to appreciate the support the Miracle get from Orlando's gay community.

RDV Sports has just recently started advertising in gay periodicals, a marketing move many other teams in the WNBA have been doing for a while. And unlike WNBA teams in Miami, Seattle or Los Angeles, the Miracle have not staged specific functions for their gay fans.

"I always felt that they didn't give us the proper respect," said Paula Beaver of Deltona. "I never quite understood why they choose to be in the [WNBA] business. They aren't going to make money."

Beaver's partner, Mary Abbott, said Williams has a right to his own opinion but shouldn't have used a company envelope to voice it.

"He is happy to take our money, and he is also happy to discriminate against us," Abbott said. "If he worked for me, I'd probably can him for something like that."

Weisbrod insisted the DeVos family is "open and loving" to all people and that the controversy has personally hurt DeVos.

"He basically said to me 'John, you know me long enough to know I love all people and I respect all people, and I respect everybody's right to make their own choices,'" Weisbrod said. "The Miracle to us is about basketball, entertainment, and we want everyone who gets enjoyment out of basketball to be part of it. We're not interested in making it any cultural platform."

That hasn't deterred upset fans from organizing a protest before the Miracle's next home game, Thursday night at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Fliers were passed out at Sunday's Miracle game and e-mails have been sent by organizers asking fans to show their displeasure with Williams' letter by attending the rally, walking in late to the game and wearing purple shirts. About the only thing both sides in the dispute agree on is that they hope the controversy doesn't hurt the Miracle, who are seeing their attendance fall while still battling for a playoff berth.

"Going to the Miracle games brings a lot of enjoyment to this household," Abbott said.

Shannon Rose can be reached at 407-650-6381 or srose@orlandosentinel.com.

By Shannon Rose
Sentinel Staff Writer

August 8, 2002

A top executive of the Orlando Miracle made no apologies Wednesday for a form letter he sent to the Orlando City Council opposing a proposed ordinance that would ban discrimination against gays.

Pat Williams -- senior vice president of RDV Sports, the parent company of the WNBA's Miracle and the NBA's Magic -- issued a written statement, calling a letter sent to the Orlando City Council expressing opposition to the Chapter 57 amendment "a personal action." The original letter received by council members on July 5 urged them to establish objective standards before deciding on whether to amend Chapter 57 and give homosexuals protection against discrimination.

"This was a personal action and had nothing to do with RDV Sports, the Orlando Magic, the Orlando Miracle or the DeVos family [owners]," Williams wrote.

Wednesday's statement, faxed from RDV Sports, came on a plain piece of paper with no letterhead.

Williams' statement said he received the information at his church months ago and was just one of many church members who mailed such a letter.

Williams didn't explain why the original form letter was mailed in a company envelope, which lists his name above the Orlando Magic title and RDV Sports mailing address, or why the company's mail meter was used to stamp it.

John Weisbrod, RDV Sports' chief operating officer, said on Monday that Williams' assistant mailed the letter after Williams signed it and that it didn't reflect the company's opinion.

Weisbrod declined any further comment Wednesday on the situation. He also declined to comment on whether any disciplinary action would be brought against Williams.

Debbie Simmons -- the president of the Metropolitan Business Association, a gay and gay-friendly merchants' group -- discovered the letter through public-record requests last month as she was sifting through letters to gain information on Orlando City Council member Vicki Vargo's political activity regarding Chapter 57. She said she recognized Williams' name and then saw the envelope with the RDV Sports mailing address on it.

"It just kind of dropped in our laps," Simmons said. "I wasn't looking for it."

The letter has created a rift between Williams and some of the Orlando Miracle's gay and lesbian fans, who make up a large portion of the team's fan base. Simmons helped organize a protest before tonight' s Miracle game against the Sacramento Monarchs at 7:30 at TD Waterhouse Centre. She said she hopes at least 500 supporters turn out to show their support for the rally and the amendment to the ordinance.

"It's a Catch-22, isn't it?" Simmons said of wanting to support the Miracle but not wanting to give her money to RDV Sports.

Williams was one of the key figures who fought to bring the WNBA and the Miracle to Orlando in 1998. He has continued to be a supporter of the team, calling himself the team's "No. 1 fan."

"I do not have one prejudiced bone in my body as I have proven over and over in my 40 years of professional sports," Williams wrote. "Hopefully, I have demonstrated that repeatedly in my personal life by adopting children from all over the world and reaching out to people of all backgrounds and lifestyles. My faith teaches me that God loves all people unconditionally and that enables me to embrace people of differing viewpoints without compromising my own convictions."

The statement by Williams on Wednesday and RDV Sports' response on Tuesday made little impression on Simmons and her supporters.

"I can't see myself buying season tickets any time soon," said Simmons, who regularly attends games but is not currently a Miracle season-ticket holder. "What I would like is for RDV Sports to say, 'We need to tell the city council that we don't support discrimination.'"

Shannon Rose can be reached at 407-650-6381 or srose@orlandosentinel.com.