College Football forces out victims for tourists

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

From Tribune news services: Tribune staff reporters Angela Rozas and Charles Storch contributed to this report
Published September 1, 2005


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- First it was Hurricane Katrina chasing them away. Now it's the fans of the Miami Hurricanes.

Hundreds of storm refugees are being evicted from Tallahassee hotels to accommodate football fans coming to town for the Miami-Florida State game Monday night.

"There is absolutely no compassion here whatsoever," Lynne Bernard wrote on a bulletin board on the Web site of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans. "The Hampton Inn in Tallahassee is pretty much throwing us out because of a football game."

A message left for the manager at the Hampton Inn was not returned, but other hoteliers said there was little they could do. At the Courtyard Marriott near the Capitol, evacuees were taking up 15 of the hotel's 154 rooms on Wednesday. A Quality Inn had several dozen of its 90 rooms occupied by storm refugees.

"This weekend has been booked for a couple of months," said Antwan Hinkle, the Quality Inn's front desk manager. He said people who have planned trips for months would not take it well if they were told just days before the game that the hotel could not provide rooms.

Christian Heritage Church announced plans to open its doors for as many as 200 refugees for four nights starting Friday then began referring people to the local chapter of the American Red Cross, which is planning to open shelters for 3,000.

"When Miami fans come in, it pretty much takes over Tallahassee," said Cheryl Everett, a church volunteer.

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you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[goose491 0]

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this.

You know, it's such a heart-warming gem of an event when someone opens their doors and arms, going out of their way on many fronts, to help people in need.

It's a gut-wrenching shit of an event though, when these people in need come to expect nothing less.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[jlmiracle 7]

What's more important a human life or a football game? (UT and Packer Fans - I know you answer)

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[BillyVance 35]

Goddamn fucking jackasses... now that we know what motels are doing this, I will never use them again.

For good measure, write a letter to the editor of the Tallahassee newspaper stating the same thing!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Ashtanga 0]

I am in the hotel industry and those of you who are not do not understand. If you have "walk-ins" (hurricane victims) then you can only extend the reservations a certain amount of time. If you have a city wide sell out (football game) than you have to tell the walk ins that they have to leave the date that you have all the reservations.

If not, you have all the people with the reservations come in and expect a room. If you do not have rooms for their reservations than by law you have to 1.) Pay for their room at another hotel. 2.) Provide transportation to the other hotel. 3.) Pay for one long distance phone call for them.

And believe me when I say that if you tell every football fan that you do not have reservations for them because of the disaster they do not care. They will curse you out, call your corporate offices and complain, and give you two weeks worth of phone calls and writing letters to people apologizing.

It's something hotels have to do.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Sometimes things have to change when a major event takes place. Forcing out walk-ins for a major event is typically a good biz choice. However, these people being forced out into the streets have no where else to go. Their homes are gone. These football fans are coming from places where their homes are still standing.

What types of letters do you think a family with small children will write to your corp office when they end up living on the street due to a corp decision like this.

My co worker isn't all that upset that he had to cancel his trip to NOLA this weekend. It's not like this Hurricane has been a small news item.

Need comes before greed.

Do you think hotels in NYC should have kicked out homeless families after 9/11 destroyed their condos just so a Knicks fan could come to town?

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[jlmiracle 7]

Quote

And believe me when I say that if you tell every football fan that you do not have reservations for them because of the disaster they do not care. They will curse you out, call your corporate offices and complain, and give you two weeks worth of phone calls and writing letters to people apologizing.

they should cancel the game then, if these people are going to be this way.

Quote

It's something hotels have to do.

\

Not all of them. At least one of the Comfort Inn's in the Memphis area have and are calling the people that have reservations and asking them if they can reschedule due to overwhelming about of refugees. All, if not most, said NO PROBLEM we will reschedule for a few weeks out. I guess these people aren't football fans.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Ashtanga 0]

You call 150 people and ask them to relocate. Unfortunately it is a city wide sell out and the closest hotel with rooms is not under 30 minutes away. Maybe 25 people say, sure. The other 125 people that were staying for 2 nights say no, and your paying for my room. That means you have to pay a minimum of $30,000 per hotel for one weekend by law because you were being nice. Not many companies will do that.

[BillyVance 35]

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What types of letters do you think a family with small children will write to your corp office when they end up living on the street due to a corp decision like this.

Need comes before greed.

Very aptly put. A story on this in the newspapers would make the football fans and motels look bad. This is a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions. Football will always be there, it won't kill these fans to give up a room for a homeless family. If they don't agree, fuck 'em.

The Hampton Inn in Pell City, AL at I-20/US-231 in central Alabama is housing several homeless families from the coastal areas affected. Several local restaurants and churches have been donating food to them since they arrived. That's the great side of humanity I want to see.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[goose491 0]

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What's more important a human life or a football game? (UT and Packer Fans - I know you answer)

Is that question directed at me? Because I don't feel it's even questionable.

However, the motels are there... built on money spent by patrons... no patrons, no motels.

"You may have shelter here tonight.... but it belongs to someone else tomorow." Should not be met with "Asshole! I don't have a house!" Let's not forget that there was no obligation to house the refugees in the first place.





Now don't get me wrong. I do think it's a crime. But the football fans should have considered it, the football league, the fucking football players should have considered it. The hotel/motels have their hands tied by the law I'm afraid. The rooms were spoken for and they were offered up as long as they were vacant.

Unfuckingbelievable that this hotshot writer has us upset with the hotels... when in reality, it should be all those involved with bringing and playing a football game (with all it's needs and expenses) to this area in need of roofs, food and money, that should take the flogging.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[sinker 0]

PEOPLE before PROFITS.

Hampton Inns (owned by Hilton) and Marriots are NOT going to go broke over loosing this. And so f*cking what that some football fans are going to be pissed for the inconvenience. Boo f*cking hoo. They should grow the f*ck up and get more a life. These people have NO WHERE ELSE to go. I travel extensively for work and know how the hotel industry works. They can TOTALLY afford to handle this. Even the ones that are "locally owned and operated."

Life is not about football. It's about life.

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[jlmiracle 7]

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You call 150 people and ask them to relocate. Unfortunately it is a city wide sell out and the closest hotel with rooms is not under 30 minutes away

Then they need to cancel the game if these people don't understand how bad things are and are willing to put families on the street because of a STUPID LITTLE GAME - that can be rescheduled or just canceled. No one will lose their life for NOT attending a football game.

j

I hope there are a list of these hotels - cause I'm gonna start writting and calling and they will have alot more grief and lose alot more money than they would for NOT making the phone calls.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[jlmiracle 7]

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Let's not forget that there was no obligation to house the refugees in the first place.

and there is no obligation to watch the football game. Maybe boycott the sponsors and these hotels if they put them on the street.

I can be pissed at whoever or whatever corporation I want to because I think they are wrong.

Football is just a little game. Peoples lives are at stake.

They should just cancel the game.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Ashtanga 0]

I agree with you. Unfortunately, the city will lose a lot of money because of it. The city will not let that happen.

You can call and send letters all you want but you had nothing to do with it so do you think people will listen to you? You will be wasting your time.

I am not disagreeing with you I am just letting you know the reality of the way cities and hotels deal with this.

Do you think hotels should kick all their reservations out and house all the victims for free for two months. Owners of the hotels should pay for everybods housing for two months and and not make any profit? I believe you are asking too much.

[sinker 0]

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Quote

Let's not forget that there was no obligation to house the refugees in the first place.

and there is no obligation to watch the football game. Maybe boycott the sponsors and these hotels if the put them on the street.

I can be pissed at whoever or whatever corporation I want to because I think they are wrong.

Football is just a little game. Peoples lives are at stake.

They should just cancel the game.

j

***

Girl, I'm right there with you!!! f*cking crazy ass footballers need to get a damn life. sorry, but esp. here in TN, they just go damn loco!! they forget all about what's really important! I just couldn't live w/ myself if I displaced a homeless family from a hotel room so that I could stay there to watch a football game. REALLY! A GAME!!!! F*CK! This just pisses me off to no end. Can you tell?

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

The loss can be taken care of at tax time - they have accountants for that. Should the hotels be responsible for the next few months? No, of course not. However, it did just happen and the majority of these people have been left with nothing or no where to go. The mental damage alone in the first few days has to be something fierce.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[BillyVance 35]

Quote

Quote

Let's not forget that there was no obligation to house the refugees in the first place.

and there is no obligation to watch the football game. Maybe boycott the sponsors and these hotels if the put them on the street.

I can be pissed at whoever or whatever corporation I want to because I think they are wrong.

Football is just a little game. Peoples lives are at stake.

They should just cancel the game.

j

I would not mind if College Football cancelled all of this weekend's games across the nation and rescheduled them all in December. Seems like the prudent thing to do. We did that the weekend after 9/11/2001.

For that matter, Nascar did the same thing...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[jlmiracle 7]

Quote

Do you think hotels should kick all their reservations out and house all the victims for free for two months. Owners of the hotels should pay for everybods housing for two months and and not make any profit? I believe you are asking too much.

I didn't realize ALL were getting rooms for free - Most I saw were paying customers...

All I said was CANCEL THE GAME, or let them stay. It sound more to me that someone doesn't want to do a little extra work and make some phone calls. People are pretty good hearted, even fanatical football fans have a heart now and again, so it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Ashtanga 0]

You have to look at the big picture. Everyone's heart is broken right now. Do you know how much money this city makes on this game. Not just the hotels but restaurants, shops, rental cars, limousines, etc. The city can not afford to not host it.

They may decide otherwise. I hope they do. But the city will lose a lot of money because of it and it will be hard on them. Nobody wins in this situation.

[Ashtanga 0]

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Hampton Inns (owned by Hilton) and Marriots are NOT going to go broke

Most Hampton Inn's and Marriotts are owned by franchisees. Hilton and Marriott will not be the ones losing money. It will be the people who own them. Some owners don't have the money to spend. Hotels have lost a lot of money after 9/11.

[sinker 0]

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Hampton Inns (owned by Hilton) and Marriots are NOT going to go broke

Most Hampton Inn's and Marriotts are owned by franchisees. Hilton and Marriott will not be the ones losing money. It will be the people who own them. Some owners don't have the money to spend. Hotels have lost a lot of money after 9/11.

and hilton and marriot can pony their fat asses up to the franchises and help out. am i dreaming? probably. it usually isn't the richest of the rich who help the most poor and destitute. you won't be seeing paris hilton driving her porsche to New Orleans to help out, will you?

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[billvon 3,116]

>they should cancel the game then . . .

Why don't you get right on that, then? They may not listen to a hotel manager, but they will surely listen to you.

[Ashtanga 0]

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and hilton and marriot can pony their fat asses up to the franchises and help out.

They do. They make large donations to charities. They just have to let their hotels owners manage the hotels. The individual properties can not afford to provide to charities. Small donations, yes. Donations such as this, no.

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you won't be seeing paris hilton driving her porsche to New Orleans to help out, will you?

Don't even mention that womans name to hoteliers.

[sinker 0]

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>they should cancel the game then . . .

Why don't you get right on that, then? They may not listen to a hotel manager, but they will surely listen to you.

tsk bill... sarcasm is so unbecoming...

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[kelpdiver 2]

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I would not mind if College Football cancelled all of this weekend's games across the nation and rescheduled them all in December. Seems like the prudent thing to do. We did that the weekend after 9/11/2001.

For that matter, Nascar did the same thing...

9/11 shut down all air traffic in the country. And the threat was still very real.

This hurricane is gone, and it only affected a narrow part of the country. If we cancelled national leagues every time there was an earthquake in CA or a storm along the southern coast, we'd become non functional.

And to be real, people aren't going to DIE because the motel asks them to leave for a night or two. In a shelter or even out on the street, they're in much better shape then those still in NO.

It would be better if the schools involved got the campus and the alumni working to host visiting fans at homes.