HORRY COUNTY -- As the NFL and its players' union battle back and forth to come to a collective bargaining agreement, restaurant owners on the Grand Strand battle with the fact their busiest season of the year may be lost.
Owners pay for televisions, NFL preseason packages, NFL season packages, and wifi connections all to lure customers to their place. But they may not be able to recover those expenses this year and a lockout jeopardizes the future of their businesses.
"It's our biggest season," says Overtime Sports Cafe' manager Andy Frey. "It's a concern for us that some kind of an agreement won't be met."
ESPN reports the great divide comes from how to spend league revenues, such as the cuts team owners should receive up front to cover certain cost like stadium construction. Right now, owners get about $1 billion dollars off the top for those costs. They're seeking a deal that would allow them to get $2 billion instead of one.
Other places the owners and players don't see eye to eye are rookie wage scale, an expand on 16 to 18 games which reduces the preseason by two games, and retired players benefits.
"The NFL is huge," adds Frey. "The only reason we have over 150 televisions is to accommodate all the fans who want to watch their team on a certain TV."
For Spencer'z Sports Pub and Restaurant, a lockout couldn't have come at any worse of a time.
"It'd be terrible for us," says manager Deanna Fedorko. "We're opening our new bar in August. Without football, I can't see Spencer'z doing anything."
Fedorko has worked at the bar for six and a half years. She says tourist bring in steady business during the summer, but it doesn't compare to the clientele for the NFL. "It's our busiest time of the year. We have to staff more people just to be able to serve our customers."
If a lockout does come about, she worries what that could mean for fans. "It's disturbing to this is about money. Fans stand by their teams no matter what, and this could really have a backlash on their loyalty."
What does the lockout mean to you? Are you hopeful an agreement will be met? Will you keep being a fan if the entire year is lost? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below and take our online poll.
