This past Saturday evening, I went out for a friend’s 40^th birthday party. We were standing around talking and a few of us decided to go elsewhere and try to catch the Pacquiao – Margarito fight from Dallas Cowboys Stadium. We decided to go to the Sports Bar in Birkdale Village in Huntersville and watch the fight. As we walked in, there were a lot of guys in the dining room and on patio watching the fight and we walked thru the main area where the fight was not on. We walked into the back room and stood there for a second before a very rude employee came over and asked if we had wristbands. We said no and he proceeded to say there was a $10 cover to watch the fight. We laughed and walked into the main area and grabbed a bite to eat and talked. We kept coming back to the same question and no one could give us an answer: Why is there a cover charge at a sports bar to watch sports?

            I am guessing I am mistaken, but I thought sports were shown at a sports bar and cover charges were for nightclubs. Speaking to friends that own a different bar about this Sunday, they said it is expensive to get the fights. The NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice and other packages all cost a great deal, but they don’t charge covers to come watch these events. I do not understand what makes this boxing card and UFC events different from the NFL and others. While I do understand that the service providers charge bars individually based on seating capacity, these events still draw people in, just as football. How do you think people would have reacted if they had charged $10 to come in and watch the South Carolina-Florida game Saturday evening? That game cost them money as it was on ESPN and the last time I checked, it cost money to get ESPN. Want to go watch the Packers-Vikings or Raiders-Steelers this Sunday since the Panthers are on at 1PM, well it will cost you $10. Sunday ticket is not cheap for a homeowner ( I Know) so I can only imagine what it costs a sports bar to carry it, but to be successful on fall Sundays, you have to. How many people are going to watch the event there if they charge you a cover? My guess is many will look around to find another option.     

            If a sports bar wants to recoup some of their expense on these events, why not institute a minimal hourly amount for individuals or tables in these locations? I recall sitting in an ESPN SportsZone several years ago in Washington watching the baseball All-Star game and having to spend $10 per hour per person to keep the table. No one really minded doing this and I am sure they made more money that evening by handling it that way versus a cover charge. The Rusty Rudder in Cornelius has great bands playing there on weekends and NEVER charges a cover. I do not mind spending more money on food and drinks since I do not have to pay cover charges. The Rudder is routinely packed with loyal patrons, many because there isn’t a cover. Some other bars may get packed for a great band once in a while, but many lack the consistency  that the Rudder experiences with its customers.

            These new cover charges to watch sports, specifically UFC events, have forced myself and many friends to just order the events at rotating homes. We routinely have 10-15 people get together to watch any given UFC event. Going out to the location mentioned above would cost our group $100-$150 just to get in before having any food or drinks. If each person has some food and a beverage or two, that is at least another $20 per person. We can get together and have everyone bring some food over and their favorite beverage and it wont cost anyone nearly that much. While it is nice to get out and see some friends we normally may not see in our circle, the comfort and cost of watching in the privacy of our homes will win out every time. We look at it as having a party once a month with our friends, much like a certain NFL event in February. Our friends get to have these get togethers at least once a month now thanks to some of the sports bars in the area. If you know of a place or places that show these for free, let us know and we will pass the word out to everyone here next week.        

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