Diana DeGette (left) seals the deal of her bet with Alma Adams (center); Mike Honda (right) officiates. (Photo courtesy of DeGette)
WASHINGTON — Congress is filled with traditions and one of the most cherished — if not occasionally ridiculed — is the ritual of lawmakers making bets whenever their team makes the Big Game.
Sports-crazy Colorado is no exception and the last few days have been filled with the announcements of various wagers between Broncos fans and supporters of that other team from the South somewhere.
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, R-Windsor, was the first to kick off the Super Bowl madness.
He put some real meat on the line (warning: this blog post may contain bad puns) by betting U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., some locally-raised, mouth-watering steak from Colorado against North Carolina barbecue.
But this being Congress, even a simple wager has to include a sprinkle of politics; according to Buck s office, the steak vs. BBQ wager was made, in part, by a desire to highlight a beef industry hurt by government overreach.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, is taking the food route too.
If the Broncos lose, she ll have to provide bison burgers and brew from the Denver Beer Company to U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C. However, if the Carolina Panthers lose, DeGette will take home homemade cookies from the Carolina Cookie Company in Greensboro, Cheerwine from Salisbury, and North Carolina’s Bojangles’ chicken and biscuits.
She ll also get a hat from Adams beloved .
The sweetness of this Broncos victory will go perfectly with a plate of cookies, chicken and biscuits, and a Cheerwine, DeGette said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Colorado s two U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner — who can t seem to do — joined forces and put some pride on the line against their North Carolina counterparts, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis.
Under the terms of the deal, the freshman senator from the losing state must deliver a speech on the Senate floor that must give specific shout outs to the Super Bowl champion s head coach, quarterback, fan base and detail the greatness of the Super Bowl champion s home state.
For added fun, the freshman lawmaker from the winning state will get to preside over the Senate chamber during the homage.
Lastly, one Colorado lawmaker is taking advantage of the rivalry to raise some campaign cash.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, sent an email to supporters that highlighted his bet with U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.
If the Broncos win, he noted, McHenry will have to wear any Broncos gear of my choosing.
And so Coffman — locked in a tough re-election battle with Democrat Morgan Carroll — asked his campaign contributors to provide suggestions.
After the Broncos win, Pat s going to have to show some Bronco spirit. Cast your vote to decide what McHenry will have to wear, Coffman wrote.
The email concluded with a big red Contribute button that linked to a webpage with a slate of campaign suggestions, from $10 to $2,700.
