Bears' shutout costs store $300K in free furniture

Wheatmaster

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2002
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Freaking hilarious! haha

Link

Bears' shutout costs store $300K in free furniture

CHICAGO -- It all started with a little trash-talking.

Randy Gonigam, a Kendall County furniture store owner and "huge Bears fan," got tired of players bragging about their defense, so he decided to put his money on it.

Over Labor Day weekend, Gonigam's World Furniture Mall in Plano offered customers free furniture -- up to $10,000 -- if the Chicago Bears shut out the Green Bay Packers in their season opener.

Four quarters, 206 customers and about $300,000 later, Gonigam is still a little shell-shocked.

"This is beyond our wildest dreams," he said.

The Bears blanked the Packers 26-0 Sunday, ending Green Bay's 233-game scoring streak and giving Brett Favre the first shutout of his 16-year NFL career.

The idea that it was a long shot didn't keep him from insuring the store for up to $300,000 worth of furniture with a company that specializes in insuring prize reimbursements.

Gonigam got the idea to offer full refunds over Labor Day weekend after hearing Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher brag that the team would have the best defense in the NFL this year.

"As a Chicago sports fan, you get frustrated," he said. "I thought, 'Prove it."'

Customer and expectant mother Kathleen Spayer, 40, went back into the store Monday to make sure her $5,000 master bedroom suite was really free.

"It's the luckiest year of my life," she said.

Plano is about 45 miles southwest of Chicago.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
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Originally posted by: broon
It didn't cost the store $300k. He bought insurance.

yup. additionally, he got a lot of free advertising, and some people say they're going to use their rebate to buy more furniture. great deal for him
 

Born2bwire

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2005
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Ahhh hell, and I just went and bought all my furniture earlier this summer (not from them).
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
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Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: broon
It didn't cost the store $300k. He bought insurance.

yup. additionally, he got a lot of free advertising, and some people say they're going to use their rebate to buy more furniture. great deal for him

And he probably made a lot more on the furniture than the insurance cost him. Isn't the markup on furniture pretty high usually? The guy should do this every year. Jewelry companies do it all the time with their "if it snows on Christmas it's free" deals.

I wonder what he would have done if the Bears didn't shut out the Packers and assholes tried to return $300k worth of furniture for a refund. I hope his return policy had that covered.
 

DanceMan

Senior member
Jan 26, 2001
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Hey, that's my hometown! :)

There were a lot of die-hard Bears fans there (including my brother, who's still there!)

Too bad it wasn't the local car dealer who made that offer...
 

Lucky

Lifer
Nov 26, 2000
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If you goto the website of the company who insured him, http://www.oddsonpromotions.com/, click media, and then winners, there are a bunch of cool videos of people winning mega cash for stuff like 50 foot putts, halfcourt basketball shots, etc. Fun to watch.
 

ta8689

Golden Member
Feb 5, 2006
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Originally posted by: DanceMan
Hey, that's my hometown! :)

There were a lot of die-hard Bears fans there (including my brother, who's still there!)

Too bad it wasn't the local car dealer who made that offer...

You live in Plano?!?