Gus Macker three-on-three tourney to make summer splash
Players, spectators could infuse local economy with $300K
Feb. 23, 2010 | 0 comments
Brookfield — , meet Gus Macker.
The popular three-on-three basketball tournament, now in its 36th year, is making its first-ever stop in Brookfield on July 24 and 25, and it could bring $300,000 to area businesses, said Nancy Justman, Brookfield Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director.
Brookfield is one of more than 40 tournament sites this year. Other Wisconsin stops include Madison, Wausau and Sheboygan, but the tournament also will hold events in locations as diverse as New York, New Mexico and West Virginia throughout the summer.
Games will be held at the former Menards site on Bluemound Road, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau hopes to attract 350 teams to the event, Justman said.
Crowds expected
Including additional team members and spectators, the tournament could draw up to 3,000 people, which would be a boon for the area's hotels, restaurants and other businesses, she said.
"I think it's going to be a fabulous event for Brookfield as a whole," she said. "I think it will be a win-win for our businesses in Brookfield."
Brookfield Town Administrator Rick Czopp agreed.
"The Town Board is very supportive of this event, and we hope that it brings a lot of people - and their dollars - to our businesses," he said. "I think it's going to be a very good event for our community."
Czopp said the town's Police, Fire and Public Works departments will provide support at the tournament.
All ages can play
The four-player teams will be separated into male and female divisions in junior, adult and top divisions. The age, height and experience of all four players will be considered when brackets are created.
Each team is guaranteed at least three games. The Gus Macker is a double-elimination tournament, with teams that lose their first two games playing in the "Toilet Bowl" consolation bracket.
In the junior divisions, a "GusBuster" will call fouls and violations on the court.
The team registration fee for the Brookfield tournament was not posted on the Gus Macker Web site as of NOW's deadline, but fees range from $100 to $140 for the other tournaments listed that already are accepting registrations.
Justman said she would like to reach a multiple-year commitment with Gus Macker to bring the tournament back to Brookfield after this year, but the Convention and Visitors Bureau would have to find a new home whenever the Menards property is redeveloped.
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