SAN FRANCISCO — The preferred man on the Candy Sixteen didn’t even make it into the world. An empty duffel bag sat subsequent to David Sierra because the 59-year-old San Joaquin Valley resident scanned the televisions inside a sports activities bar throughout the plaza Thursday afternoon.
“I’m walking out of here with less money than I had, but with a fulfillment that money can’t provide,” Sierra mentioned, nursing a Coors Mild from the bucket in entrance of him.
For the second time in its quick historical past, Chase Middle performed host to an NCAA males’s regional, and the environment inside the world for Thursday’s semifinals was livelier than you would possibly anticipate with the closest participant, Texas Tech, nonetheless a thousand miles from dwelling.
Exterior, no person was placing smiles on extra faces than Sierra, who didn’t have a rooting curiosity however knew he needed to make the three-and-a-half hour drive from Visalia below the serendipitous circumstances that led to the top-seeded Florida Gators being positioned out west.
The evening earlier than, Sierra loaded up his automobile with as many plush, alligator-shaped gloves as he may match and set his alarm for five a.m. By the point the Gators tipped off towards Maryland at 4:37 p.m., he was all out. The day was a hit, despite the fact that he didn’t make a greenback.
The Gators shall be again at Chase on Saturday searching for a spot within the Remaining 4. Sierra says his match run is probably going over, however he couldn’t be extra happy with the outcomes.
“I had no idea this day was going to be like this. No idea,” he mentioned after distributing a whole lot of the delicate, inexperienced mitts. “What did I have to lose? I had nothing to lose. But I had everything to gain.”
A Florida Gators fan gestures whereas utilizing gator gloves within the first half of their Candy 16 spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Match at Chase Middle in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
13 years since he and his daughter, Krystal, got here up with the thought for “Chomp Gloves” at a San Jose Sharks sport, Sierra’s perspective has modified. Tragedy will do this.
An limitless stream of keen children and curious followers of all groups approached Sierra within the plaza earlier than tipoff, questioning how they might get their arms on a pair. Many requested him, how a lot?
Usually they’d retail for $45.99. One downside.
“The only thing I can do,” Sierra mentioned, “is to give them away.”
He misplaced his licensing deal when his enterprise associate handed away. He has tried out for “Shark Tank” twice and remains to be ready for his name again. However the gloves are successful for a motive.
The underside half of the gator’s jaw is affixed to one of many orange, spandex-like gloves. The highest half of its head, replete with rubber-coated tooth and plastic eyeballs, goes on the correct hand. It’s the “Gator Chomp” at its highest type.
Born and raised in San Jose, Sierra is a Sharks fan at coronary heart, and when he observed others on the SAP Middle miming the same movement, a lightbulb went off. He taught himself how you can sew, created a prototype, acquired a patent and went into enterprise.
He fulfilled his first order from his hospital mattress.
Sierra was within the automobile along with his spouse, Michelle, and their canine, a husky named Bear, on the Monday earlier than Thanksgiving 2022 once they have been T-boned by a drunk driver.
“The last thing I remember is the highway patrol on his knees next to me on the door, I can see the glass is all broken, and the highway patrol telling me, ‘Hang on,’” Sierra recalled.
“My family didn’t know if I was going to make it or not.”
He went right into a coma for 4 days. Michelle, too.
“We both came to on Thanksgiving day,” he mentioned. “Talk about being thankful.”
Sierra spent two months within the hospital. He broke 9 ribs and has a rod in his leg now. He nonetheless feels the results however says he’s doing higher than Michelle. Bear didn’t make it.
However throughout his keep at Covina Well being, Sierra acquired his first buy order. The San Jose Sharks purchased 1,000 pairs and have since positioned two extra orders, Sierra mentioned.
These are the one pairs Sierra has been capable of promote. Scores extra of Florida-branded gator gloves have languished — unlicensed — in a storage unit for greater than a decade.
Which brings us again to Thursday.
“They went quick,” Sierra mentioned. “You see the reaction. I had an Arkansas fan come up to me, like, ‘You’re giving these away? You’re awesome. All I can see is everybody’s smiling and having a good time and taking pictures with your product.’
“That’s all it’s about, man. Life is how you see it. If you can fulfill people, it fulfills you. If I can make a couple hundred bucks along the way, great. But if I could see them wearing my gloves on that TV …”
Sierra’s voice trailed off.
“I had a hard time. It’s all about fighting back. We all go through hard times. If I can show my daughters, my granddaughters, never give up, dreams do come true, that’s the most important thing.”
