If you’re a basketball fan in New York, March is arguably the busiest month of the year. As March Madness grips the city, hoops fans have plenty of opportunities to catch their favorite game live or from the comforts of one of NYC’s wide selection of sports bars.
Martin Whelan, majority owner of the Stout NYC Hospitality Group, knows a thing or two about the perfect place to catch a game. Stout has four locations throughout Manhattan, including Stout NYC Penn Station, located opposite Madison Square Garden, the location of the Big East Basketball Tournament.
“We hang all the flags of all the teams in the Big East behind the bar here as well as outside,” Whelan said. “Each night when one of the teams loses we pick a fan from the other team and they will get to remove the flag of the team their team beat.”
In addition to the lively atmosphere during the Big East Conference, Stout NYC Penn Station is the official bar of St. John’s Athletics, home to 1870 Court, the “ultimate pre-game party and official home for all Johnnies prior to men’s basketball home games.”
The bar’s college connection can be traced to Whelan, a St. John’s University alumnus himself. Before he opened the Penn Station location in 2005, he was one of the fans at MSG cheering on his university team. That passion is on full display in the approach the bar takes to optimizing the viewing experience.
“We’re big, and we’ve got 41 screens we can put every game on,” Whelan said. “You’ll be able to talk to people from all over the country from opposing teams and enjoy basketball with the company of others who have the same passions as you do.”
Lastly, Whelan extends advice for those gearing up to host their own tournament gatherings. His top tips include: “a bracket pool, chicken wings, locally brewed beer paying homage to your team, donning team colors (think St. John’s red and white) and more beer.”
For additional details, visit www.stoutnyc.com and stay tuned for the Big East Tournament airing from March 13-16.
