01/30/2008
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Morning Sentinel staff photofrom the Kennebec Journal
Rep. Pingree hears varied proposals for health-care solutions
HALLOWELL Fire that cut communications labeled arson
MONMOUTH Police defended after slim budget rejection
State's schools chief to parley
Wasser will lead newsrooms at KJ, Sentinel and in Portland
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from the Morning Sentinel
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Families Matter grows to meet special needs
Chellie Pingree listens to ideas on health care reform
FARMINGTON Rain alters plans for 4th of July
District regroups after budget failure
Vote on county budget hits snag
Burnham driver wins checkered flag at 2 tracks on same day
Maine boxer gets unique opportunity
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
They have to have it. Fans who want to see every gritty detail of the New England Patriots and New York Giants football clash on Super Bowl Sunday are boosting local sales of big-screen, high-definition TVs.
Tony Cowing of Palermo, a self-described "100 percent Patriots fan," had the game foremost in mind when he bought his 55-inch, Sony HDTV two weeks ago.
"It's big. It's mounted on a TV stand. It's in the living room, right in front of the couch," he said. His model cost $1,400.
"I watched the last two games. It was unreal -- the grass, the color, the background, the uniforms. It blows your mind," he said.
Having the Patriots in the Super Bowl gives fans an added reason to spring for a big set," said Kurt Davis, sales representative for Fortin's Home Furnishings in Winslow. "It's pushed people to the edge. The rush peaks this week," Davis said of HDTV sales, a surge that started one week after Christmas.
"People wanted to see the playoffs," said Davis. "Sales are very strong right now. It's a combination of the Super Bowl and the conversion to digital TV that's happening next year."
He sees tangible evidence of fan mania every day.
"A lot of people come in with sports paraphernalia -- wearing (favorite team) hats and jackets. We have a lot of Giants as well as Patriots fans. There are a lot of Giants fans in Maine," he said.
Gary Belanger, assistant store manager of Sears in Augusta, said HDTV sales increased 5 to 6 percent last week because of the Super Bowl.
"We're anticipating that much, if not more, this week. They (customers) want the big TVs, not the small ones. We're 105 percent into our sales plan," he said.
He too, has noticed Giants fans coming out of the woodwork.
"If you think of it, the New York Giants were once the 'local' team before 1960 and the Patriots. We've had Giants as well as Patriots fans in the store," he said.
Stores like Circuit City and Best Buy are touting their HD screens for the big game in big advertisements, dangling guaranteed delivery and installation services if the right-size TV is purchased by a specified date and time.
TV technology has changed so radically it takes a sales expert to tell customers the difference between plasma, digital light-processing (DLP) and liquid crystal display (LCD) screens. Whatever screen or system is opted for, in the crystal-clear universe that is HDTV, sports fans get three times the definition of regular (standard definition TV) sets, said Davis, of Fortin's Home Furnishings.
In fact, image resolution is so sharp, you can see the sweat drip off Patriot quarterback Tom Brady's face or hear, in total surround sound, the grunting of New York Giants' defensive end Michael Strahan.
It seems not to matter if the economy slows to a crawl. Fans are plunking down the plastic for TVs that cost $700 to $3,000.
"I've had a couple of people (customers) talking about tax rebates or using the no-interest payment option," Davis said.
Cowing, 30, who owns B&B Septic Tank Services in Palermo, says he is ready for Sunday.
"When your team is winning, you like them more. I'm going to sit down and try to have the wife and kids go to her parents," he said, of Kristen Cowing and their four children, ages 8 years old to 10 months.
"My father-in law (Craig Cramer of South China) is coming here, and we'll try to watch the game with no interruptions. That's still in the works," he said.
For many local sports fans, the countdown on Super Bowl Sunday will turn into the credit-crunch on Monday.
But the big TVs could come in handy later next month, too. Feb. 17 is the 50th running of the Daytona 500.
Lynn Ascrizzi -- 621-5731
lascrizzi@centralmaine.com
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