Promo Gone Wild: NFL Shutout Costs Car Dealership $420K

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By Sam Laird2013-12-17 01:47:37 UTC

It started out with good intentions.

A Seattle-area car dealership promised to give 12 lucky customers $35,000 apiece if the local Seahawks NFL team shut out the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon. The game was in New York, where the most recent Giants shutout occurred on Sept. 4, 1995.

Lo and behold, however, the Seahawks decimated the Giants by a score of 23-0, and Jet Chevrolet Federal Way was left with a $420,000 promise to fulfill.

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The dealership told customers that they would hold a raffle for a dozen $35,000 prizes if the Seahawks held the Giants scoreless. Anyone who bought a car (reportedly some 20 people) in the four days preceding the game was awarded 100 raffle spots, while walk-ins who bought nothing could register for one spot apiece. The 12 prizes reference Seattle's "12th Man" fan section, which set a Guinness World Record for loudest sports crowd in history earlier this season.

It's not such a disaster, though. Jet Chevrolet co-owner Jim Johnson told the Tacoma News Tribune that the dealership had taken out an insurance policy for the promotion and would honor the deal. He also said that, despite the high price tag, as a season-ticket holder "since day one," he welcomed the Seahawks shutout.

Indeed, Jet Chevrolet invited people who entered the raffle to the dealership for a Monday afternoon drawing. Jet Chevrolet shared this photo on its Facebook page Monday afternoon:

The dealership then posted this update:

Looks like those loyal fans have a brand new reason to love their 'Hawks.

Image: Elsa/Getty Images

Topics: Conversations, Entertainment, NFL, Sports