“This company proposes to operate a metaverse”

December 24, 2021 4:59 AM

What The Hell Is This Company The 76ers Just Partnered With? by Maitreyi Anantharaman and Chris Thompson for Defector, is an investigation info basketball team Philadelphia 76ers’ newest partner, Color Star, whose CEO, sir Lucas Capetian, almost certainly doesn’t exist.
posted by Kattullus (22 comments total)

Wow.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:43 AM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Super weird cash grab? Poorly-created ARG? So many questions.

Amazing article.
posted by hijinx at 5:49 AM on December 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

lol?
posted by Glinn at 7:10 AM on December 24, 2021

Any relation to Lady Edith Greensley?
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:17 AM on December 24, 2021

Next week I'm going through my list of Substack and other online subscriptions to decide what to renew, but pieces like this make Defector a given for me.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 7:22 AM on December 24, 2021 [5 favorites]

Next do Doug Ericksen, please!
posted by amanda at 7:26 AM on December 24, 2021

Comment following the Defector article:

OBJ Kenobi
December 24, 2021, 7:03 AM

"the deal was brokered by a company called Red Phoenix Entertainment, which describes its business as bridging “American sports and entertainment with emerging marks.”

Whew, what a relief! All true fans know there’s never been any shady deals in American sports or entertainment.
posted by cenoxo at 7:31 AM on December 24, 2021 [4 favorites]

"President Chris Heck was indisputably Veyo Partners vice president Jarom Heaps" - a Pynchonian turn to these names.
posted by doctornemo at 7:36 AM on December 24, 2021 [9 favorites]

Phillipe Auclair has been writing (french) about similar weirdness in the Premier League.
posted by idb at 8:01 AM on December 24, 2021 [6 favorites]

well that is a really strange story. much more than just the names are Pynchonian here. it's like a conspiracy theory and an MLM had a baby and are trying to sell NFTs of it???
posted by supermedusa at 9:44 AM on December 24, 2021 [5 favorites]

Hark, Watson. The grift is afoot!
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:14 AM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Dig underneath the sixth or seventh corporate layer, and I imagine we’ll see fragmented traces – fossilized arthropoid tracks in the mud – of The Donald’s maze of companies (or some spawn thereof).
posted by cenoxo at 1:07 PM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Donald’s maze of companies

I was expecting the Sheinhardt Wig Company actually. That said, I'd be interested in how many zombie corporations exist as future reverse merger resources in the US. What does it take to remain incorporated in Illinois or Delaware as it were?
posted by DeepSeaHaggis at 2:50 PM on December 24, 2021

And there was in fact a concrete supply company? I am getting those mob-associated vibes cenoxo
posted by DeepSeaHaggis at 2:54 PM on December 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

Great addition to the conversation idb! I think that’s almost certainly the situation.
posted by putzface_dickman at 4:23 PM on December 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

idb > Phillipe Auclair has been writing (French)…

Google Translate (French > English):

PREMIER LEAGUE - EVERTON, SPORTS BETTING SITE TURNED PARTNER AND PHANTOM BOOKMAKER

PREMIER LEAGUE - As he has become accustomed to in recent weeks, our columnist Philippe Auclair, has worked around a new sports betting site that has become a partner of a club in the English Championship, in this case Everton. i8.BET to quote him looks like a few of his Premier League predecessors and does appear to be a phantom partner.…

Money talks in all languages.
posted by cenoxo at 5:37 PM on December 24, 2021

I just kept on having a weird reaction to the Director of Communications name Menelly and then I realized that I kept on thinking about Menolly the Anne McCaffrey Pern character and you know I would actually be interested in a 76ers/Pern crossover with fire lizard themed jerseys.
posted by spamandkimchi at 8:46 AM on December 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

That is - fascinating. What do the 76ers get out of it? Who’s even paying who(m)?
posted by Mchelly at 3:26 PM on December 25, 2021

Lucas Capetian looks like they may be an NFT.
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:27 PM on December 25, 2021

This story was so weird. I had the same questions, who's getting paid, what's the incentive to get your name out there but then have such a terrible online presence? What a bunch of weirdos, I wonder if Douglas Menelly is also getting scammed.
posted by Carillon at 11:54 PM on December 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

“Their CEO does exist,” a Sixers spokesperson insisted. “I believe he’s based in Europe.”

Need I mention who else was based in Europe?
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:26 PM on December 26, 2021

Small update from WHYY and the article author
posted by sepviva at 10:18 PM on January 23, 2022 [3 favorites]