Businesses getting a boost from Seattle's sports frenzy

SEATTLE - From the Huskies to the Sounders, the sports frenzy is stirring excitement and boosting businesses.

At the Husky Shop inside the University Book Store, the cash register is getting a workout.

“It’s a proud moment - I get to gloat about how good my team is doing,” Josh Draper said.

“We will celebrate another Husky victory,” Spencer Hayashi said.



That pride is driving merchandise sales up by more than 20 percent.

“Any money not needed to run the business is returned to the university,” said chief of retail operations Lara Konick.

The shop says they haven’t seen this much excitement since the early 90s.

“There has been so much focus the last few years on the Seahawks, which has been fantastic, but it’s nice to see the Huskies kind of get that attention again,” Konick said.

And adding to Seattle’s sports frenzy is the Sounders' comeback.

Heather Satterberg is the co-president of the Emerald City Supporters.

“We are so excited for this turnaround,” she Satterberg.

The Supporters are a membership club of Sounders fans that organizes the march to the match before every home game.

“They do a wonderful job of actually bringing excitement to the game itself,” Temple Billiards owner Rolando Salinas said.

Salinas said local businesses get a boost with every win. He’s hoping Montreal will beat Toronto on Wednesday, so the championship game will be at CenturyLink Field.

“Any time we have something major like that, people come down for a couple of days beforehand," Salinas said.  "It’s not just money spent here in Pioneer Square - it’s throughout the city."

Even die-hard Sounders fans admit they didn’t expect to get this far.

“This year has not been with severe decline at points,” Satterberg said.

But here they are, and Satterberg said Sounders fans are ready for their own version of the Super Bowl.

“Absolutely, we can go all the way,” he said.

Emerald City Supporters started years back with a small group. Now, they have 8,000 members.

The group is working on the logistics of how to get the city riled up for the big game, whether it's home or away.