Thank you Birmingham!

[USF03]

They won't do anything.  The bowl will stay in Bama.

They had better than expected attendance, the bowl was run "OK," and they will just say any lack of success was due to "unknown" or small time teams and it being the first year of the bowl.

It was our first bowl win, so our "small time" title will go away after Grothe and others whoop even larger teams.  But the PJ.com bowl will stay in Bama.

If you want a Tampa bowl... go to the Outback bowl.  If it's pack every year, maybe St. Pete will get one or something.

[___ Eats It]

Jim and Nicks ran out of ribs Friday night too.

I was handing out beads and then buttons for the Alumni Association at the place.  The beads ran out and all we had was buttons.

Jim and Nicks was out of Pork, Beef, Ribs and several types of draft beer by the time our group sat down.  The restaurant did more business in 1 night (like $18,000) then they do most weeks.  If that provides a sense of scale for economic impact.  

Granted, there were issues with the Dart bus, the Sheraton ( and lack of hot water ), one ATM in the hotel and other little issues, I found the bowl experience enjoyable.  So what if there was no portajohns, no papajohns, and the beer ran dry early in the game.

We went to the bowl, we won the bowl and the town of B'ham knows who the Bulls are now. This vs the ECU incidents and BPD paddywagons.  "How do you plea?"  "Aaaaarggghhh !!!  Your Honor"

Dreamland didn't run out of anything!  

[USF03]

How was Dreamland?  I think it was a sin I missed it...

[Economics_Nerd82]

USF doesn't bring in a billion dollars let alone three.

Sorry, sir, but I gotta call you on that one.

http://usfnews.usf.edu/page.cfm?link=article&aid=1146

Having read that article (and not the actual study, which I'll get to later), I'll repeat myself. USF doesn't  bring in a billion dollars let alone three. I'm sure that number does not include the money taken OUT of the local economy. That numer is just like many other numbers. The NFL says a couple of billion people watch the super bowl. That's not true. They say the super bowl brings in million and millions of dollars to the local economy. Also not true.

I just don't believe it. If it was true, then USF is .40% of the Florida economy. I just don't buy it.

Says the person who admitted to NOT reading all the supporting documents and the actual study itself..all listed on the front page of the article.

Here they are again...and after reading them, please post your own supporting documents and study.

http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ur/econimpact/EconomicImpactbrochure.pdf

http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ur/econimpact/EconomicImpactNarrative.doc

http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ur/econimpact/FinanicalStatements.pdf

http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ur/econimpact/NASULGCStudy.pdf

http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ur/econimpact/default.html

It's ok if you don't believe facts...I'm sure USF and the Tampa Bay Economy will get "over it".

KL.

Having now had time to read those supporting documents, I still don't believe it. I don't have support documents for that, it's just common sense. Just because a student goes out to eat in the Tampa area does not mean USF has generated that money. That student and/or professor could already live here regarless of USF being here. 95% of USF's students are from FL (Mostly the local area here). Supoose that student(s) went to Steak n' Shake and ordered $20 worth of food they are counting that $20 but do you really think all that money STAYS in Tampa? Not a chance. People come and visit USF (say for graduation) and they stay at the local Merriot hotel, do you think all that money stays in Tampa?

Buying a pack of pencils at the local store generates money for the local area, but not buying a high powered telescope from Texas is not generating money for Tampa.

I have no doubt that USF, UCF, UF, et al generate plenty of money for their respective areas, but it's not $3,187,610,552 in my opinion. They're not facts just because they state them.

It's the difference between reporting tickets purchased and actual attendacne. It's fudging numbers. Anybody who has worked with numbers know you can make them say whatever you want.

[Economics_Nerd82]

The Jim and Nicks I went to have plenty of food. I left way too full... in fact I still am full!

[USFootball]

All I have to say was that the Sheraton was probablly the worst hotel the bowl could have selected as one of the hosts for the team. The entire place was under renovation (Not so good being woken up EVERY morning at 730 by drills and hammers) Plus, there wasnt a single place within a safe walking distance from our hotel, you had to get a cab or get on the trolley. Mainly the reason Im complaing about this is bc ECU was lucky and stayed in the hotel that was adjacent to the Mall. I just figure its a lot easier for people to get into trouble when you have a farther distance to travel.

[usfbullgirl30]

well also if we are given hotels that are "Big East" or "USF" hotels...why are they swarming with ECU people? I thought that was a double tree thing until we went to Sheraton for the brunch...

just thought it was odd....

[Gooner For Life]

Granted, I was only in the city for about 10 hrs, but I will back up the "no buzz" statement. The people at the hotel were asking me things like "what time does the game start?" and "who's playing?" and other things that you should probably know if you're hosting 100s of guests attending the same event.

I agree.  At least the Airport staff were well informed and the crew on Southwest seemed to know what was going on.  I'll always go to any bowl game that the Bulls are in, I just hope that B-Ham improves the stadium concession situation (long lines and too few beer vendors)

[Knight_Light]

Why on EARTH would you think would move to St. Pete or Tampa?  You again don't seem to realize that the entire reason these particular bowl officials made this game in Birmingham was out of their love for Birmingham and for UAB... not strictly about the bottom dollar.  32,000+ for two teams that frankly don't bring a whole lot of street credibility is pretty darn good.  32,000+ is better than many of the other bowls will do and this is just its first year with limited organization.  Again, if it were UAB, Memphis, or Southern Miss as opposed to ECU, there would have been about 40,000 there.  Also, had it been Louisville or West Virginia or something vs. USF, again, there'd be alot more than that.  So again, if you're lobbying for a bowl, you'll have better luck going after another one.  There's no reason they'd move this one when the reason was to support THIS community and the fact that it was more successful than a number of other long-standing bowl games.

Did you know that the PapaJohns.com Bowl was the lowest attend bowl game ever in Birmingham?

Even the low Hall of Fame Bowl...that played in Birmingham from 1977 -1985 had larger crowds for ALL of their games...compared to this year's Pizza Bowl.

Even with PERFECT weather on the day of the game...Bowl games 20 plus years ago...some in TERRIBLE weather, all drew larger crowds.

Oh...you must not know much about bowls...as they ONLY take place BECAUSE of the bottom line.

ESPN won't settle for LOSING money...if the locals or visiting fans won't support this bowl.

Which is why the Hall of Fame Bowl moved from Birmingham to "sunny" Tampa, Florida in 1986..which obviously is now the Outback Bowl game...played to regular sold-out crowds.

Birmingham lost their previous bowl game....they can easily lose another.

[BullDoug]

It seems to me this bowl would still be better in Tampa as a second bowl game before Christmas.