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Dayton
Business Journal...
Retailers,
sports bars upbeat for
Urban Meyer era at Ohio State
by Ginger Christ, Reporter
Monday, November 28, 2011
On
Saturdays, throngs of scarlet and
grey clad football fans crowd bars and restaurants across Ohio to cheer
on the
Buckeyes.
The
fervor reaches the far corners of
the state, from Dayton to Ashtabula — the home town of new OSU coach
Urban
Meyer — creating a revenue stream that ebbs and flows with the team’s
wins and
losses.
The
Buckeyes, known not only for their
decorated helmets but also for their prowess on the field, this year
have
struggled after a tattoo-parlor scandal led to the forced resignation
of
longtime coach Jim Tressel and the suspension of several key players
this fall.
But, with the addition of Meyer, who last year retired as head coach of
the
Florida Gators, OSU fans have hope their 500 season days are behind
them.
Dayton-area
retailers are looking to
cash in on that renewed sense of Buckeye pride.
Kevin
Kuntz, manager of the Dayton
Mall Cardboard Heroes store, said he expects to see a bump in sales of
OSU
gear, which have lagged this season.
“I
think it will improve right away,”
said Kuntz, who already has Meyer merchandise ordered.
While
he doesn’t think Meyer will
bring in the same kind of individual sales as Tressel, whose iconic
Nike
sweater vest cost roughly $70, Kuntz does predict team sales will pick
up.
Likewise,
Sarah Dobson, manager of the
Dayton Mall Hibbett Sports, said she expects sales of Buckeyes
merchandise to
pick up by this weekend.
OSU
gear, typically a big seller, now
primarily is being purchased as holiday gifts, she said.
“The
only time we sell it now is when
it’s on sale,” Dobson said.
The
sale of OSU merchandise represents
about 40 percent of total sales at both Cardboard Heroes and Hibbett
Sports,
according to the local store managers.
For
area sports bars, OSU games bring
in a regular stream of customers.
At
Chammps in Centerville, usually up
to 12 tables at the restaurant are filled with Buckeyes fans, according
Adam
Harkless, manager of Chammps in Centerville. Chammps has an affiliation
with
the Nebraska Huskies football program, regularly attracting 40 to 60
tables of
Nebraska fans each Saturday.
“Most
of the local fans belong to one
alumni association or another,” Harkless said.
Other
local eateries such as Buffalo
Wild Wings are
packed each Saturday
and on Sundays for the NFL, as football has become a big revenue driver
for
many sports bars in the Dayton region.
Meyer,
a graduate of the University of
Cincinnati, comes to OSU after a year-long coaching hiatus, during
which he
served as an analyst for ESPN. Prior to his retirement, Meyer served as
head
coach of Florida, Utah and Bowling Green, establishing a 104-23
coaching
record.
He
replaces interim coach Luke Fickell
as head of the Buckeyes football program.
Ric
Moody, a Broker/Auctioneer for
Dayton Commercial Realty LLC who heads up fundraising for Ohio State in
the
Greater Dayton area, said Meyer’s ties to the state and the school are
a big
plus.
“Of
all the available coaches,
including the ones that currently are coaching somewhere else, this is
the best
fit for the program,” said Moody, who sits on several committees for
the school
including the Presidents Club Executive Committee.
Read
this and other articles at Dayton
Business Journal
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