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The Sunday afternoon regulars
By Alexander Rich, Staff Writer
Monday, October 15, 2007 | No comments posted.
COOS BAY - The temperature hadn’t changed, but that didn’t seem to matter to Brandon Michaud.
A little after 1 o’clock on Sunday, the Coos Bay resident rose from his seat and shed his gray sweatshirt, revealing a baby blue San Diego Chargers uniform with the name Tomlinson stitched on the back.
“It’s getting a little hot in here,” he said. “Time to get a little LT in the house!”
Thus began an afternoon of football watching at Characters Sports Bar, the latest feature of the Red Lion Hotel in Coos Bay. As overcast skies settled over the Bay Area, about 20 people filtered into the hotel’s lounge to vicariously soak up some sun — from Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego.
The local CBS affiliate chose to broadcast the Dallas and New England game. But many of the bar’s patrons were interested in a different battle. They wanted to experience the Oakland Raiders against the Chargers — and see star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson.
By the time the game kicked off, Michaud found himself surrounded by fans.
But they weren’t wearing baby blue, rather the Raiders’ silver and black. Michaud was more than happy to offset this disparity by providing loud commentary.
“Oh boy. Oh boy. Yes!” he exclaimed at Tomlinson scored a touchdown to put San Diego up 14-0.
“Don’t worry. It’s a long game. You got lots of time,” he said to those shaking their Raiders hat-covered heads.
Unlike other sports bars in the area (see sidebar), Characters doesn’t deviate from its intended purpose. There are no pool tables in the back, or video slot machines along the walls to distract from the TV action. The only noise comes from the melodious blend of commentators Dick Enberg and Jim Nantz, interrupted every once in a while by cackles of glee from fans following an especially fruitful play.
It also sets itself apart by offering a smoke-free environment, which Red Lion General Manager Joseph Monahan said was a conscious decision.
“It’s an oxymoron to have no-smoking guest rooms and then have smoking in the lounge,” he said through an accent more common in Charlestown, R.I., than in the local marina.
Monahan said the weekends generally bring out local sports fans, while weekday nights find hotel guests in the bar’s rollaway seats watching baseball games.
“We were looking for something to draw hotel guests in,” he explained. “This targets the single business person during the week. Coming here, they can get their home team (on TV).”
Originally a comedy club, the bar was remodeled earlier this year, with a pair of red leather couches replacing the old stage and more televisions put in, including two 50-inch plasma screens.
But the transformation has not cut down on the number of wisecracks. Many were exchanged between Monahan and his bartender, Alex Vanover, who was pulling for the Cowboys. Like a true Rhode Islander, Monahan was rooting on the Patriots.
“Nice triple-coverage on that play,” Monahan quipped as Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss caught a touchdown pass early in the first quarter. There was not a Cowboy defender in sight.
The Oakland and San Diego faithful exchanged similar jabs, which Oscar Sermeno said is part of the appeal of watching games at a bar.
“It’s the camaraderie you come here for,” he said. “We kind of go at each other, but it’s all in good fun.”
Some guests remained glued to their particular game, munching on hamburgers and garlic fries. Others moved about the room, checking to see if the Cowboys had scored yet or if Tomlinson had gained more than 100 yards on the ground.
Mostly men sidled up to the bar, but a good number of women were seated at tables in the main floor area.
Kayla Curry, a recent transplant from Texas, was rooting on her Cowboys, but enjoyed having eight televisions to keep apprised of other action.
“I like the variety of teams,” she said.
A few people kicked back a beer or two, though many of the sports fans were sporting soda or water, which contributed to the mellow atmosphere.
“Other places can get kind of rowdy, but here it’s more relaxed,” said Michaud. “I came here and it was just perfect.”
By the end of the day, Michaud was basking in the glow of a San Diego victory. Sermeno took the loss in stride.
Had it been Marshfield on the losing end, Sermeno’s alma mater, it might have been a different story.
A little after 1 o’clock on Sunday, the Coos Bay resident rose from his seat and shed his gray sweatshirt, revealing a baby blue San Diego Chargers uniform with the name Tomlinson stitched on the back.
“It’s getting a little hot in here,” he said. “Time to get a little LT in the house!”
Thus began an afternoon of football watching at Characters Sports Bar, the latest feature of the Red Lion Hotel in Coos Bay. As overcast skies settled over the Bay Area, about 20 people filtered into the hotel’s lounge to vicariously soak up some sun — from Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego.
The local CBS affiliate chose to broadcast the Dallas and New England game. But many of the bar’s patrons were interested in a different battle. They wanted to experience the Oakland Raiders against the Chargers — and see star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson.
By the time the game kicked off, Michaud found himself surrounded by fans.
But they weren’t wearing baby blue, rather the Raiders’ silver and black. Michaud was more than happy to offset this disparity by providing loud commentary.
“Oh boy. Oh boy. Yes!” he exclaimed at Tomlinson scored a touchdown to put San Diego up 14-0.
“Don’t worry. It’s a long game. You got lots of time,” he said to those shaking their Raiders hat-covered heads.
Unlike other sports bars in the area (see sidebar), Characters doesn’t deviate from its intended purpose. There are no pool tables in the back, or video slot machines along the walls to distract from the TV action. The only noise comes from the melodious blend of commentators Dick Enberg and Jim Nantz, interrupted every once in a while by cackles of glee from fans following an especially fruitful play.
It also sets itself apart by offering a smoke-free environment, which Red Lion General Manager Joseph Monahan said was a conscious decision.
“It’s an oxymoron to have no-smoking guest rooms and then have smoking in the lounge,” he said through an accent more common in Charlestown, R.I., than in the local marina.
Monahan said the weekends generally bring out local sports fans, while weekday nights find hotel guests in the bar’s rollaway seats watching baseball games.
“We were looking for something to draw hotel guests in,” he explained. “This targets the single business person during the week. Coming here, they can get their home team (on TV).”
Originally a comedy club, the bar was remodeled earlier this year, with a pair of red leather couches replacing the old stage and more televisions put in, including two 50-inch plasma screens.
But the transformation has not cut down on the number of wisecracks. Many were exchanged between Monahan and his bartender, Alex Vanover, who was pulling for the Cowboys. Like a true Rhode Islander, Monahan was rooting on the Patriots.
“Nice triple-coverage on that play,” Monahan quipped as Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss caught a touchdown pass early in the first quarter. There was not a Cowboy defender in sight.
The Oakland and San Diego faithful exchanged similar jabs, which Oscar Sermeno said is part of the appeal of watching games at a bar.
“It’s the camaraderie you come here for,” he said. “We kind of go at each other, but it’s all in good fun.”
Some guests remained glued to their particular game, munching on hamburgers and garlic fries. Others moved about the room, checking to see if the Cowboys had scored yet or if Tomlinson had gained more than 100 yards on the ground.
Mostly men sidled up to the bar, but a good number of women were seated at tables in the main floor area.
Kayla Curry, a recent transplant from Texas, was rooting on her Cowboys, but enjoyed having eight televisions to keep apprised of other action.
“I like the variety of teams,” she said.
A few people kicked back a beer or two, though many of the sports fans were sporting soda or water, which contributed to the mellow atmosphere.
“Other places can get kind of rowdy, but here it’s more relaxed,” said Michaud. “I came here and it was just perfect.”
By the end of the day, Michaud was basking in the glow of a San Diego victory. Sermeno took the loss in stride.
Had it been Marshfield on the losing end, Sermeno’s alma mater, it might have been a different story.
Bay Area sports bar locations
The Red Lion Hotel may be the newest location to catch up on the sports scene, but Bay Area fans have a number of options when it comes to taking in a game (or seven).
- Gooney's Sports Bar, 3290 Ocean Blvd., Coos Bay. With NASCAR hoods suspended from the rafters and NFL pennants lining ceiling ties, the bar area certainly grabs the eye. As do the 11 televisions set up around the L-shaped bar, including two big-screen TVs. Additional recreation is provided by a row of video lottery machines, a pair of pool tables and a couple of shuffleboard lanes.
- Coney Station, 2955 S. Broadway, Coos Bay. Described by patrons as the Cheers bar of Coos Bay, couches are arranged around several of the bar’s nine television sets, while a model railroad takes trips above head-level. Decorations are seasonal, with Halloween regalia currently gracing the window-facades. One of the bars signature events is its Super Bowl party, which features a free potluck meal, with more than 100 people usually in attendance.
"You're not a stranger for long here," said owner Sandy Jones, who takes pride in the bar's congenial atmosphere and menu options. "It's not just bar food."
- Warehouse 101, in The Mill Casino-Hotel, 3201 Tremont Ave., North Bend. Amidst the beeping and binging of slot machines, Warehouse 101 has both a bar area and night club seating. Both are equipped with several HD televisions, and the former has gaming screens built into the bar. For those who want to stay on the main floor, large projection screens beam the signature sporting events of the day onto the wall above Warehouse 101 and along the eastern wall.
The Red Lion Hotel may be the newest location to catch up on the sports scene, but Bay Area fans have a number of options when it comes to taking in a game (or seven).
- Gooney's Sports Bar, 3290 Ocean Blvd., Coos Bay. With NASCAR hoods suspended from the rafters and NFL pennants lining ceiling ties, the bar area certainly grabs the eye. As do the 11 televisions set up around the L-shaped bar, including two big-screen TVs. Additional recreation is provided by a row of video lottery machines, a pair of pool tables and a couple of shuffleboard lanes.
- Coney Station, 2955 S. Broadway, Coos Bay. Described by patrons as the Cheers bar of Coos Bay, couches are arranged around several of the bar’s nine television sets, while a model railroad takes trips above head-level. Decorations are seasonal, with Halloween regalia currently gracing the window-facades. One of the bars signature events is its Super Bowl party, which features a free potluck meal, with more than 100 people usually in attendance.
"You're not a stranger for long here," said owner Sandy Jones, who takes pride in the bar's congenial atmosphere and menu options. "It's not just bar food."
- Warehouse 101, in The Mill Casino-Hotel, 3201 Tremont Ave., North Bend. Amidst the beeping and binging of slot machines, Warehouse 101 has both a bar area and night club seating. Both are equipped with several HD televisions, and the former has gaming screens built into the bar. For those who want to stay on the main floor, large projection screens beam the signature sporting events of the day onto the wall above Warehouse 101 and along the eastern wall.
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