Journal & Topics Media Group

Bahamas Bowl A Blow Out

Real Time Sports Packed For Local Watch Party

A big crowd fills Real Time Sports on Devon Avenue in Elk Grove Village at the official watch party for the village-sponsored ESPN Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Friday, Dec. 20. The big screen shows the village’s Makers Wanted logo filling the field between the 20 and 30 yard lines. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

The Bulls from the University of New York at Buffalo, blew out the 49ers from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, by a score of 31-9 in the Elk Grove Village-sponsored Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Friday, Dec. 20. 

Colleen Heniff, a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte (right), home in Lombard on winter break from school, sits with her father Bill to cheer on UNC Charlotte 49ers at the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl official watch party at Real Time Sports Friday, Dec. 20. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

The game kicked off the ESPN bowl game series, but those in Elk Grove Village were more interested in the commercials featuring the village’s business park than the action on the field.   

Besides four commercial spots played during the game, leads in and out of commercials featured “B-Roll” from Elk Grove sponsored events such as a pinball tournament sponsored by Elk Grove’s Stern Pinball, and a beach dance off.  

A screenshot of a village commercial airing during the Elk Grove Village-sponsored ESPN Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl shows an artist’s rendering of the Elk Grove Technology Park, including elk statues in the park.

A few hundred gathered at Real Time Sports in Elk Grove Village for the official watch party, although the crowd thinned after halftime when the Bulls were up 17-0. Still, Real Time manager Ben Cirrincione said the bar was two to three times busier than normal and said he expects the Bahamas Bowl to be the busiest of all the ESPN college football bowl games.

Elk Grove Village Public Works workers enjoy the Bahamas Bowl at Real Time Sports on their off days Friday. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Even the Bahamas Bowl could not escape the reach of Elk Grove Village’s retroactive term limits referendum debate. Concerned Citizens of Elk Grove Village chairman Tim Burns confirmed his group paid to run an advertisement through Comcast on Elk Grove term limits to the Chicago market. An illuminated truck with messages advocating term limits also circled the parking lot outside the viewing party.

Village staffers clad in Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl gear welcome guests at the official watch party for the bowl game at Real Time Sports last Friday, Dec. 20. (From left) Jenn Mahon, Kathy Hahn, Giordan Kaplan, Bolor Bat-Erdem and Brianna Bacigalupo. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

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