Free Furniture Offer

In the long tradition of interesting sales “offers” and prizes (a la Keith Rowley’s “Toy Yoda” article), add this to the file.  From CNN.com:

Randy Gonigam, a Kendall County furniture store owner and “huge Bears fan,” got tired of players bragging about their defense, so he decided to put his money on it.

Over Labor Day weekend, Gonigam’s World Furniture Mall in Plano offered customers free furniture — up to $10,000 — if the Chicago Bears shut out the Green Bay Packers in their season opener. Plano is about 45 miles southwest of Chicago.

Four quarters, 206 customers and about $300,000 later, Gonigam is still a little shell-shocked.

The Bears blanked the Packers 26-0 Sunday, ending Green Bay’s 233-game scoring streak and giving Brett Favre the first shutout of his 16-year NFL career.

The idea that it was a long shot didn’t keep him from insuring the store for up to $300,000 worth of furniture with a company that specializes in insuring prize reimbursements.

[Miriam Cherry / Hat tip: Gerald Caplan (Pacific-McGeorge)]