A Winning Drive: Seahawks' Shutout Promises Cash Payouts From Local Car Dealership

Jet Chevrolet, a car dealership located between Seattle and Tacoma, is having to deal with paying off a promotion "that promised $35,000 each" to 12 people chosen by raffle -- $420,000 total -- if the Seahawks shut out the Giants yesterday, according to Alexis Krell of the Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE. People who bought a car last week received 100 entries into the drawing, while about "12 others had single walk-in entries -- anyone was allowed to give it a try." Jet Chevrolet co-Owner Jim Johnson said that the dealership "had insurance for the promotion." He added that he "still had to figure out the details with the company but expected the drawing to happen" today. Johnson: "We wanted this to happen. Everybody's pretty excited about it. We didn't really expect it to happen, but it did" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 12/16). Johnson said that the insurance "cost about $7,000." He added that the dealership "originally wanted to do the shutout promotion last week" when the Seahawks played the 49ers, but said that "working out the rules to make sure the giveaway was legal and in accordance with state regulations pushed it back a week." ESPN.com's Darren Rovell noted one thing Jet Chevrolet "had to do was open the contest ... to anyone -- even those who didn't buy a car." Johnson said that he "still doesn't know how the dealership will actually work the drawing and was waiting on guidance from the insurance company" (ESPN.com, 12/15). ABC's Josh Elliott notes the Seahawks have arguably the "best defense in the league," while the Giants have an offense "that had seen better days." ABC's Robin Roberts asked, "What were they thinking?" ABC's George Stephanopoulos: "You have to have a lot of foresight to get the right insurance policy" ("GMA," ABC, 12/16).