Another Internets Success Story (www.SI.com)

Another Internet Success Story
Written by Pete McEntegart
Monday, June 4th 2007

Even following the Billy Donovan saga dispassionately from afar is enough to give one whiplash. When you're the guy who started the Web site KeepBillyDonovan.com, the he's-staying-he's-going-he's-back! drama can affect nearly every area of your life, down to your wardrobe choices.

Last Friday, Fred Marks wore a black tie to his Tampa office, where the 24-year-old sells commercial real estate, because he was mourning the loss of the basketball coach of his beloved Gators to the deep-pocketed Magic of the NBA. "I was crushed," Marks tells SI.com. "People in the office were laughing at me, but I told them this was a really serious event. It was something that was going to change Florida basketball for the next decade."

Now that Donovan is apparently reversing course and returning to Gainesville, though, Marks will break out his special Gator tie tomorrow in celebration. "I'm shocked," he says. "I'm just amazed that he's staying."

Marks, a third-generation Gator who roomed in college with offensive tackle Max Starks (now of the Steelers), certainly did his part. He launched his Web site the day before Florida beat Ohio State this April for its second straight NCAA title, originally hoping to keep Billy the Kid from taking the Kentucky job. The goal was to convince the Gator nation -- especially well-heeled boosters -- to rally behind their coach. Marks posted the phone number of the Florida athletic office and urged Gator fans to call in to stress how much they wanted the school to pony up whatever it might take to keep Donovan around.

Gator fans withstood the relatively brief Kentucky scare, but last Thursday Donovan appeared gone when he reportedly agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Magic. A dismayed Marks transformed his site into one of "mourning and grieving." He even considered posting a sign outside Donovan's exclusive gated community reading, "Please Don't Do It, Billy," but decided against it.

"I just thought, What can I do to change Billy's mind?" Marks said. "I'm just one person. What's a 99-cent poster going to do vs. $27 million?"

It wouldn't have been an unprecedented move for Marks. After the 2001 season, when it became clear that Florida football coach Steve Spurrier was leaving the Gators for the NFL but before he took the Redskins job, Marks posted a sign outside Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver's home that said: "Mr. Weaver, Please Sign Steve Spurrier." Marks hoped to at least keep Spurrier in the state.

Even without the sign this time, though, Marks was more successful in achieving his desired result. He hopes his site played at least some role in that. “Florida fans really used this Web site as a center of gravity,” he says. “It really helped give fans a voice.”

Full article available below:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/extramustard/10_spot/