Cowboys-Saints Matchup Means Big Bucks For Shreveport-Bossier

Thousands of football fans will fill Independence Stadium, to see the Dallas Cowboys take on the New Orleans Saints. And those fans are expected to add hundreds of thousands of dollars to Shreveport-Bossier`s economy. "It`s bringing some overnight visitors and some out of town visitors" said Stacy Brown, President of the Shreveport-Bossier Bureau of Convention and Tourism. More than 36,000 tickets have already been sold and 80 percent of local hotel rooms are booked for Monday night. "And it`s gonna bring some daytrippers but then there will be a large number of local fans," said Brown. And they won`t just be spending money at the game. Locals like Joyce Mims are already spending money at local retailers. She spent Wednesday morning at the Dallas Cowboys store in the Pierre Bossier Mall, stocking up for the big game. " I love the Cowboys... Everybody I know is gonna be there," said Mims. And they will be spending money along with all the tourists. "They`re spending money on parking. They`re spending money on gas here locally. And concessions while they`re in the stadium, and they`re eating in the restaurants." Managers at the San Francisco Oven are keeping a full staff on hand this weekend, and are anticipating some big crowds. "It`s definitely gonna be a boom for us," said Assistant General Manager Joseph Brennan. "We`re probably going to see a 30 to 40 percent increase." Despite all the additional revenue, Stacy Brown says the exposure on a national network could have the greatest impact of all. "We`re being shown on Monday night television. It`s just another opportunity to showcase our area as a great destination."