One of the NFL’s biggest Week 1 upsets came at a hefty price for a Washington, D.C. sports bar, leaving both patrons and the establishment with a night to remember.
The New England Patriots, under new head coach Jerod Mayo, were 7.5-point underdogs on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. The odds were stacked against them in what was expected to be a challenging season opener. However, thanks to a dominant defensive performance and a standout showing by running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who racked up 120 rushing yards and a touchdown, the Patriots shocked the football world with a 16-10 victory over the Bengals.
While fans celebrated the unexpected win, Dirty Water, a sports bar that caters to Patriots and Eagles fans, felt the financial sting. The bar had been running a promotion that promised to cover all bar tabs if the Patriots managed to pull off an upset victory. As fate would have it, the Pats’ surprise win meant Dirty Water was on the hook for a significant payout.
By 7:30 p.m. ET, the bar had already comped a staggering $6,000 in drinks, with more tabs still being tallied. According to the Boston Globe, individual tabs of up to $250 were wiped clean, sending patrons home with a little extra joy—and a lot less damage to their wallets.
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Rachel Hynes, the general manager of Dirty Water, reflected on the night with a mix of surprise and humor. “It was the best game the Patriots have played in the last several years, offensively for sure,” Hynes told the Globe. “There were a couple plays toward the middle of the fourth quarter where I looked at the owner and said, ‘We better start comping.’”
Despite the financial hit, Hynes expressed a positive outlook, calling it a “win-win” situation for the bar. The patrons left happy, celebrating both the Patriots’ win and their free drinks, while Dirty Water enjoyed a boost in visibility and goodwill. “It’s hard to say if people were really excited about the win or also because they knew the drinks were free,” Hynes added with a laugh.
Even though the promotion cost the bar thousands, the management isn’t backing down. For New England’s Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Dirty Water is offering a similar deal—though with one key adjustment. This time, only open bar tabs up to $30 will be comped if the Patriots manage to go 2-0.
The gamble might have cost them big in Week 1, but Dirty Water is banking on the fun, excitement, and potential publicity that comes with offering such a high-stakes promotion.
