Looming NFL Lockout Could Devastate Greater Cleveland Area

Greater Cleveland area

With the future of the 2011-12 Cleveland Brown season hanging by a thread the Greater Cleveland Area is nervously awaiting the news of if there will be a Brown’s season next year.  President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission  David Gilbert had this to say,” Browns weekends are very good weekends downtown, there’s no doubt about it, but the economic impact from sports teams and sporting events is driven by out-of-town visitors, people who come in from out of market and spend their money in market.  The vast majority of fans at games are locals.  So, from that standpoint, I’d say [a lockout] hurts, but is not devastating.” Most local business managers and owners don’t agree with Gilbert.

The general manager of the doubletree by Hilton Leonard Clifton predicts a $250,000 loss and another $100,000 loss for food and beverage sales if the Browns weren’t to play their upcoming season.  The Owner of Karl’s Inn of the Barristers had this to say about the possibility of there not being a season, “We’ll be dead without the Browns”.  So there is more to the NFL lockout than just games not being played,  and the reality of that could hit the greater Cleveland area hard.

Impact on community

 

"CLEVELAND BROWNS HAVE A $79 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT ON LOCAL ECONOMY." The Free Library. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CLEVELAND+BROWNS+HAVE+A+$79+MILLION+ECONOMIC+IMPACT+ON+LOCAL+ECONOMY-a017770705>.

Greater Cleveland Area. Photograph. Clevland. All Clean. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://www.allcleanltd.com/>.