Ravens' Super Bowl Kickoff Return for TD Scores Free TVs, Furniture for Fans

When the Baltimore Ravens' Jacoby Jones opened the second half of the Super Bowl with a 108-yard kickoff return, he didn't just put the game out of reach and tie a postseason record. As it turns out, he also won some lucky shoppers a lot of free stuff.

Maryland furniture chain Gardiner's Furniture offered its customers what seemed like a long shot deal: If the Ravens returned either the opening kickoff or the second half-opening kickoff for a touchdown, then any purchase they made in the store between Jan. 31 and 3 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday would be free.

As it turned out, the long shot paid off for shoppers, and the chain will issue refunds of about $600,000, giving Ravens fans who bought furniture during the promotional period two things to celebrate.

Similarly, a chain of electronics stores in New Mexico will be giving out refunds due to the same play. Baillio's, which sells electronics, appliances and mattresses, promised a full refund on TVs and bedding priced at more than $799 if either team opened one of the halves with a kickoff return for a touchdown. The store says that 83 lucky customers qualified for the promotion, and that the company will now issue refunds totaling more than $100,000. In addition, customers who correctly predicted a Ravens Super Bowl victory at the beginning of the season have another $15,000 in refunds coming their way.

Fortunately, neither store will be getting sacked financially as a result of their kickoff return bet. Businesses that offer such long-shot promotions typically take out insurance policies to protect themselves: Gardiner's owner Greg Mullaney told his local Fox affiliate that he bought a policy from Lloyd's of London, and Baillio's also protected itself with insurance.

Baillio's refunds nearly $115,000

"It was $100,000 worth of coverage, and we spent it all," Baillio's president Rob Kujath told KRQE News.

We can't exactly blame either store (or their insurance companies) for taking the gamble: According to ESPN, it was just the ninth time in Super Bowl history that a kickoff has been returned for a touchdown.



Matt Brownell is the consumer and retail reporter for DailyFinance. You can reach him at Matt.Brownell@teamaol.com, and follow him on Twitter at @Brownellorama.