NFL, NBA Lockouts Leave N. Texans At A Loss
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - So let's get this straight. We get a parade and now it's over? No Mavericks basketball? No defending the title?
"I think it's a pretty big bummer that the Mavericks just won their first championship and now we're talking about locking out for the next year," said Mavs' fan, Scott McGarity.
Whether NFL or NBA, "lockout" seems to be a dirty word these days, especially to Dallas sports fans such as Clif Baker. "It's a shame that you have owners and players with all this money and they can't get in agreement."
If Cowboys and Mavs' fans feel bad, think about Randy Ford and all the other bar owners who rely on football and basketball. "I want the lockouts to end soon," said the owner of J. Gilligan's in Arlington.
When the Dallas Cowboys play at home, Ford's bar provides shuttle service to and from the stadium. That means big crowds and big business. "On an average game day, we'll take a minimum of 300 to 350 fans to the stadium. That could be as much as $7,000 in additional revenue," said Ford. That revenue is on top of what fans who remain in the bar spend on food and drink while watching the games on TV.
Ford says the Mavs' playoff run provided a nice boost as well, bringing in up to $3,000 every time they played.
Dr. Joshua Price is a sports economist at UT Arlington. Dr. Price agrees that bars will take a hit, but he's not so sure the rest of the economy will. "When teams disappear, there's very little impact on the overall economy, said the associate professor at UTA.
Dr. Price says if people don't spend money on sporting events, they'll spend it elsewhere. "If they can't go to a basketball game, they may spend it on another form of entertainment such as theater, an amusement park or other ways where they find entertainment."
Mavs' gear is likely to be a feast or famine business in the wake of a lockout. Fans are feasting on it now after winning an NBA title. But memories fade and so might the sales of merchandise.
