Downtown St. Louis, Mo. (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
Downtown St. Louis is a sports fans dream this weekend. The Missouri-Illinois Arch Rivalry football game kicks of Saturday morning, and the Cardinals and Reds are expecting three packed houses at Busch, as well. The Gateway Cup cycling events will be taking place around the city, too. It all adds up to a dizzying weekend downtown.Football jerseys being worn in the lobby of the Four Seasons and Cincinnati Reds faithful flooding the streets are the rule rather than the exception. Illini fans were seen relaxing poolside, while some of their Mizzou rivals sat at the hotel bar. And of all these people, there is a common thread, the longing to have fun and spend money. How much?
Oh my, Cincinnati's Kim Cleland responded, grasping for an answer to the question. I don't know. If they win well be doing lots of partying and lots of shopping.
Baseball fans mean steady business throughout the summer. The football game is an added, Labor Day weekend boost. The St. Louis Sports Commission estimates about $6 million being pumped into the economy over the next couple of days. They say the added free advertising can be worth even more.
What we hope happens is people come from Chicago, come from Kansas City, Champaign and Columbia, see the city and see how fun it is and intend to visit more regularly, Sports Commission Chief Frank Viverito said.
It's all showing up at area businesses and hotels.
Were pretty full up as of today, Four Seasons General Manager Alper Oztok said. We have a full house tonight and tomorrow night.
There is a concern that the boost from the game is on the verge of being lost. The contract between Missouri and Illinois expires after Saturday's game, with no concrete plans on the table for reviving the rivalry.
Were really disappointed this is gonna be the last year, Missouri fan Lin Alexander said.
But college football in St. Louis may not be dead yet. Sports commission officials say they are in talks with both schools about coming here to take on a different opponent next September, and the game might be moved. In what would be a first, there is talk with the Cardinals about using Busch Stadium for football.
If they don't want to play each other, wed be happy to take either one of the teams here against another opponent and we've even talked about the possibility of playing at Busch Stadium, Viverito says.
In such a scenario, Mizzou would appear the more likely participant. College football schedules are usually set in stone, years in advance, however Missouri has two open dates next September and no opponents currently on the slate to fill them. That would allow for some scheduling flexibility and the chance to find an attractive foe to put people in the stands.
Of course all such discussion is preliminary right now. What is certain is that downtown St. Louis will be buzzing this weekend, with fans of a number of stripes.
Man its gonna be off the chain, Mizzou and Cardinal fan Antoine Simmons told us...It's gonna be really crazy down here.
