Root for Bigelow to deliver $10m

Published online on Tuesday, Jun. 30, 2009

Root for Alphonso Bigelow. One more time: Root for Alphonso Bigelow.

The best sports tales are underdog stories -- this is a known and provable fact -- and Alphonso Bigelow delivering a check to the Fresno State athletic department on July 10 would be Danny Manning and the Miracles or at least Doug Flutie's Hail Mary.

Bigelow is 35 years old and a former college football player who grew up humbly in Los Angeles. He was the son of a single mom. People often thought Bigelow was adopted because his mom is white and he is dark enough to look, in his words, "full-African American."

He still has a football build, stays in great shape. A woman who works at a local hospital says she sees Bigelow every morning at her gym. At the news conference announcing Bigelow had pledged $10 million to Fresno State athletics, the only things more filled than seats were his gray suit-jacket sleeves.

In the early '90s, Bigelow came to Fresno State and played well at times. He got hurt, and then he earned a bachelor's degree in business.

Bigelow says that on July 10, he will drive to Fresno State with the first check. He hasn't said exactly what dollar amount will be written on the check, or whether it will be a printed check, or perhaps one of those big golf-tournament-winner checks for special occasions.

He is friendly and articulate and funny and enthusiastic to the point that it is contagious.

But let's just say it: Not many people believe Alphonso Bigelow will deliver. Not even one check, let alone the whole $10 million. Partly, it's that he's young. Partly, it's that he's new to philanthropy and that no one has heard of his company. Partly, it's that he's a former football player and former football players aren't supposed to find success with their heads unless it involves a helmet.

Partly, it's that his story is impossible to check and so fantastic it should be a TV movie. OK, that's a lot of it.

And partly, it's that we live in a skeptical world where a golf course called Running Horse appeared to be a godsend, and ended up one deep sand trap, developers selling the same lots to multiple investors, everyone losing everything.

Softball players all over town would love for Granite Park to include the grand recreational facility that it could, but now the latest developer to take a swing at that project is in jail, accused of domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon. Oh, and Vegas prosecutors say he passed a quarter-million in bad checks in Sin City.

Yeah, it's easy to doubt these days. A young guy like Bigelow comes along with big promises and it was inevitable. Other boosters would be jealous. People would start rumors. Even at Fresno State, there are a lot more crossed fingers than true believers. (The university's universal "no comment" is not building further confidence.)

"I'm just trying to do right by people and help the community," Bigelow said. "That's the only thing I'm trying to do."

You have to root for the guy. At this point, there are a lot of people whispering "I've heard," and no one with proof Alphonso Bigelow won't deliver. You have to hope that the man walks from obscurity into the story of the year. Because the alternatives are all awful. ... That he's making it up. That he's been duped in some sort of scheme.

Fresno State has as much on the line, because if it turns out Bigelow can't produce the money, it either means a lot of smart people got fooled, or a lot of officials went along with something they didn't confirm.

Or worse, Fresno State officials suspected or knew the pledge wouldn't materialize and went along with it anyway for the publicity and possible boost in donations.

Remember, the school brought student-athletes to the news conference. Quoted them. Had them pose with Bigelow. President John Welty did, too. This was a celebration extravaganza, not something that will be easy to dismiss.

Whether right or not, an embarrassing end to this story would get a lot more publicity than the feel-good one, especially on a national level.

All the doubt and theories go away, though, if Bigelow simply delivers a check.

"Just give me an opportunity to perform," Bigelow has told me again and again. "Give me the opportunity to perform."

It would be quite a story if he proved the doubters wrong, if he walked up to that school like the late Ed McMahon used to and presented the unexpected.

It's the underdog tale that helps the community, that inspires others to give, that boosts a financially sagging program.

It's the story you have to root for. As a sports fan, or just a human being.