Hundreds of Milwaukee bar patrons who hoped to score free drinks through its offer to pay their tabs whenever the New York Jets, and former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, lose had to pay up after the Jets got an overtime win despite an injury that took Rodgers out of the game.

Jack’s American Pub announced its “Jets Lose, You Win” promotion two weeks ago, offering to pay the bar tabs of all participating customers when the Jets — and Rodgers — lose. Patrons faced conditions, including that Rodgers had to start the game and their tabs had to be opened 15 minutes before kickoff.

During Monday’s game between the Jets and the Buffalo Bills, many customers at the Milwaukee bar cheered, sensing a free night of drinking, when Rodgers left in the first quarter with an injury. That injury turned out to be a torn left Achilles tendon that ended Rodgers' debut season with the Jets. But the team went on to win the game 22-16 in overtime, dashing customers’ free drink hopes.

Following Rodgers’ injury, bar owner Scott Schaefer said people began ordering more drinks because they felt more certain of a Jets loss. He said emotions in the bar were “mixed” when they ended up winning.

Olivia Fallon, a manager at Jack’s American Pub, said about 350 patrons took up the bar’s offer Monday night and the average tab ended up being between $50 and $60.

“But there were some outliers. There was a $160 tab, a $130 tab, here and there," she told WDJT-TV on Tuesday, calling Monday night one of the bar’s biggest nights of the year.

With Rodgers now out for the season, Schaefer said his establishment still wants to do a promotion related to the Jets, but the bar has not yet determined what that will be.

“We’re going to try to do something else. We want to see what happens over the next couple of days,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We want to keep the promotion going, but in what form, we don’t know.”

Share:
More In Sports
Opening Bell: June 6, 2018
Facebook is facing more backlash after a New York Times report revealed the social media company shared user data with at least 60 device makers. It turns out Facebook shared information with four Chinese firms, including Huawei. The Chinese company Huawei is the third largest smartphone maker in the world and has also faced intense scrutiny from U.S. government officials. Tesla shareholders voted to keep Elon Musk on as chairman of the electric carmaker. At the annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the company is on track to deliver 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of this month. Tesla will also open a new gigafactory in Shanghai, its first outside of the U.S. And we talk to WNBA legend and Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie. She stars in the new film 'Uncle Drew' alongside Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, Shaq, and other comedy and basketball greats. Leslie also weighs in on the NFL kneeling controversy.
World Cup Star Says Soccer's Moment Is Now, Even Without U.S.
The U.S. didn't qualify for the World Cup this year, but Tab Ramos, who played in three championship events, is still "bullish" about the sport's future in America. "We have a lot of young players -- 18, 19, 20, 21 -- who are ready to take that step and ready to take the U.S. to new heights," he tells Cheddar. Ramos is now the U.S. under-20 national team coach.
Opening Bell: June 4, 2018
Facebook is under fire again for its privacy practices after reports that it gave device makers like Apple, Amazon, and Samsung access to user data. The New York Times claims that over the past 10 years, the social media site struck deals with at least 60 companies for user information. This latest report is just another setback for Facebook as it tries to repair its reputation following the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Apple's developer conference, or WWDC, kicks off today in San Jose, California. This year, the tech giant is focusing on software developments rather than new hardware. Cheddar's Hope King reports live from the conference about what we can expect ahead of the keynote speech. The 2018 World Cup is just days away. We're joined by Tab Ramos, soccer legend, head coach for the U.S. Men's National U-20 team, and World Cup analyst for Telemundo Deportes, to talk about the big event.
Ex-NFL Star Victor Cruz Defends Players' Right to Protest
The NFL's decision to ban players from taking a knee during the anthem propagates the narrative that the athletes belong at the bottom of a hierarchy and are just supposed to "do as we say," says ex-Giant Victor Cruz. "I think you'll still see some kind of protest," he tells Cheddar.
At 50, Tony Hawk's Wheels Are Still Spinning
The skateboarding legend, who became the first person to land a '900' trick back in 1999, has successfully turned his sporting career into a business empire. It all boils down to perseverance and taking risks, he tells Cheddar's Jon Steinberg.
Load More