Here's a positive...

[VA_Bull]

At least we had a win in one area. 

http://www.elpasotimes.com/business/ci_7851385

From the El Paso Times:

Sun Bowl economic impact down

Business leaders note difference from past years

By Vic Kolenc / El Paso Times

Article Launched: 12/31/2007 10:04:54 PM MST

University of South Florida fans proudly displayed their team's colors during Monday's Sun Bowl game. Hotel and restaurant officials said this year's game delivered fewer out-of-town supporters than usual but still helped boost their sales for the month. (Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)

It was the year of the Bulls.

At least it was fans of the University of South Florida Bulls who brought the most business to El Paso hotels and restaurants for a Sun Bowl some business operators said had a smaller economic impact than in past years.

"We've mostly been seeing some (South) Florida fans. It's been 3-to-1 (South) Florida fans" at L&J Cafe, a Central El Paso Mexican restaurant, said Leo Duran, L&J owner and president of the El Paso Restaurant Association. Sun Bowl business "has been good, but not as great at my restaurant" as in past years, he said.

Rich Cane, new president of the El Paso Hotel-Motel Association and a partner in five El Paso hotels, including one not yet in operation, said El Paso hotels were not seeing "quite the impact we had the last couple of years. My hotels were seeing maybe eight to 10 percent of reservations related to the Sun Bowl."

About 7,000 out-of-town fans for South Florida and the University of Oregon were expected for the game played Monday, based on the number of tickets distributed by the two teams. The game drew about 50,000 people, most of those from the El Paso area.

The 2006 Sun Bowl, which drew an estimated 8,000 out-of-town fans, had an estimated $10.56 million economic impact on El Paso, including the value of national TV exposure, according to a study by the Institute for Policy and Economic Development at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Oregon alumni canceled some room blocks and "brought very few people," said Mike Shoffit, who Monday ended his term as president of the El Paso Hotel-Motel Association.

University of Oregon officials said Monday that the school sold more than 2,000 tickets for the game. It also had planned to give away 1,000 to 1,500 tickets to athletic department personnel, a school official reported in early December.

South Florida sold 3,400 Sun Bowl tickets and gave away 1,000 tickets to students, said Chris Freet, sports information director for the school.

The 111-room Hyatt Place El Paso Airport Hotel, one of the hotels used by the Oregon Alumni Associ ation, had 21 rooms booked by Oregon alumni, but "we were expecting more," said Roger Gonzalez, assistant general manager. But the Sun Bowl gave the hotel a boost, he said.

"We sold out last night (Sunday)," and the hotel was close to sellouts Friday and Saturday due to the Sun Bowl and Mexican shoppers, Gonzalez said. "We're busier than last year," but the hotel in 2007 changed to a Hyatt hotel, which helped, he said.

Gary Helsten, owner of Jaxon's Restaurants & Brewing Co., which operates four El Paso restaurants, said his restaurants on Airway on the East Side and on Remcon on the West Side had strong Sun Bowl-related sales similar to other years.

"We've seen a lot of USF (South Florida) people and some from Oregon. We had a party for 100 USF people last night at our Airway location," Helsten said. The Sun Bowl "makes a difference on our (December) profitability. It depends on how the teams (fans) travel. But they (out-of-town fans) spend a lot of money because they are on vacation. It's tourism."

Vic Kolenc may be reached at vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; 546-6421.

For more information: www.sunbowl.org.

Sun Bowl impact

$10.56 million was the 2006 Sun Bowl's economic impact on El Paso, a University of Texas at El Paso study found.

The 2007 game between the University of South Florida Bulls and the University of Oregon Ducks will probably bring less money into El Paso's economy because of fewer out-of-town visitors.

An estimated 8,000 out-of-town visitors came to the 2006 game. About 7,000 out-of-town visitors were expected for the 2007 game, based on ticket distribution by the game's teams.