Downtown businesses thrive as Louisville men's basketball brings new life to the city

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The number of thick, horn-rimmed black glasses almost outnumbered the chicken fingers at the Springhurst Rooster's Monday night.

Cardinal men's basketball fans waited two hours to get a seat for Head Coach Pat Kelsey's weekly radio show and to get a version of his signature eyewear.

The buzz around Cards men's basketball has been a slam dunk for enthusiastic fans and downtown business.

"It makes us feel good as a staff and players to know that we're doing our part, to help this city continue to grow in the right direction," Kelsey said.

After the pandemic and protests along with corporate downsizing and departures last year, Cards basketball didn't do much to bring people downtown.

After a poor season with just three conference wins, there were many empty seats with far fewer fans showing up than the number of tickets sold.

However, that is not the case this year. Ticket sales are up more than $3,000 per game and fans are showing up. Several games this season have topped 18,000 in attendance.

And with increased ticket sales means more traffic and profits for businesses in downtown Louisville. General Manager Nic Deitrich of Doc Crow's near the KFC Yum Center said business is often about triple what it was for last year's games.

"It's a night and day difference between last year and this year," Deitrich said. "The buzz around the city, the buzz around here before games, after games business, has been wildly exceeding our expectations, and it just keeps getting better as the season progresses."

For Kelsey, the importance of winning goes beyond the basketball court.

"It makes us feel good as a staff and players to know that we're doing our part to help this city continue to grow in the right direction," Kelsey said.

Kelsey had a dream when he arrived in Louisville to take over the Cards basketball program.

"You lay in bed at night and stare at the ceiling, and you could see a packed Yum Center, and it made the hair stand up on your arm and made your heart beat fast," Kelsey said. "When that was going to happen, I wasn't sure."

But it’s happening already, during Kelsey’s first season.

At Doc Crow's, a better-performing team means packed tables before and after games.

"We're trying to come back and having a great UofL basketball team is creating that buzz down here," Deitrich said. "It just brings people down here, brings those East Enders and everyone back to downtown Louisville."

And back at Rooster's in Springhurst, Kelsey is greeted with loud cheers and long lines waiting for his autograph and picture as he obliges them after his radio show.

Paul Hartman, of Chicago, drives to all the games in Louisville and proclaimed, "It's been a long five or six years. It's great to be winning again."

Now Cards fans don't have to wear rose colored glasses, but they will gladly put on a pair of those thick, black Kelsey clones.

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