Packers Super Bowl Win Was a Boon for Local Bars

With just a few exceptions, Hudson's Super Bowl parties brought in plenty of Packer Backers, and some of the trappings were still being used last weekend.

Couples could be seen sneaking off to the outdoor tent that was part of festivities at the , and sports bars such as were making up for the usual post-Super Bowl lag in patronage by airing reruns of the game every other day throughout the week. And at Mudd's and Sudd's, workers spent time each day gathering beads from around the bar that when put back together constituted a patron's bracelet, so it could be given back to her a couple of days ago, said server Jo Ellen Steele.

But back on Super Bowl Sunday, the continuation of activities throughout the day and night meant that people were staying around places long enough to bring in the bucks for those establishments.

Patrons started arriving at the Village Inn to get a table about six hours before kickoff, and it was soon standing room only, with only a bit of wiggle room by the front door. Even the overflow parking in the next-door Zappa Excavation lot was full to the brim and spilling out into the other areas in the back.

When the Packers scored, the faithful jumped to their feet and cheered with arms raised in such large numbers you couldn't see any of the 20-or-so television sets scattered around the place. Helping with the overflow was a tent erected in the outdoor patio area, offering warm heaters and cold beer.

People were drawn in to with the special of all you can drink for $50 (including shots and call drinks), or $25 (rail drinks or tap beer). Naturally, there was a full house with most people opting for the $25 special, and some deciding not to partake in any special at all so they wouldn't feel tied to watching the game at one place, bartenders said.

Managers at said they, too, were busy, but it almost didn't turn out to be that way, since they had planned to have their employee holiday party that night should it not be the Packers in the Super Bowl.

At Dick's, the crowd was large and quite rowdy, making the day hectic but profitable for bartenders and the house, since when all was said and done the day passed without incident, said bartender Terry Metzler.

The Super Bowl bottom line? “When's it the Packers, I'm up $200,” he said.

There were only two people in the place wearing Steelers jerseys, one Washington Redskins jersey, and even very few Vikings jerseys, so it was a matter of some Packers fans getting stupid with each other, he said.

Dick's had a special of free shots each time the Packers scored, so you'd think there were some tipsy patrons considering the large number of points Green Bay rolled up—until you factor in that those points were all touchdowns and not field goals. As it was, you couldn't find an empty seat in either of the two rooms featuring football games. That stayed that way before the game, with a chili cookoff, and after, with the Jeff Loven one-man-band.

The offered its own Nerf version of a punt, pass and kick contest, activities under an outdoor tent, a free beer keg at halftime and the music of DJ Dug E Fresh (otherwise known as Doug Minor). As a Minnesota fan, Minor during regular season home games at the Metrodome could be found in the main parking lot as the DJ at the official Vikings tailgate party.