Mayors wager their pride
"Celebrating Orange" has definitely paid off for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. Ahead of this past weekend's NFL playoff game in which the Denver Broncos took on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hancock declared Jan. 6 "Orange Friday." He also made a friendly wager with Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl that would have required Hancock to wear a Steelers jersey and a Terrible Towel to a public event if the Broncos lost.
Today, Ravenstahl paid for the Steelers' overtime loss by donning a Broncos jersey and "Tebowing" at Roberto Clemente Memorial Park in Pittsburgh. Both mayors posted a photo of the pose on their Twitter pages. "We're good sports here in Pittsburgh," the losing mayor said.
Hancock has proclaimed another "Orange Friday" for this week, a tradition that was started in 1973 by then-Mayor Bill McNichols and encourages fans in the city and state to show their support by wearing orange. He also plans to make Saturday's game against the Patriots more interesting by arranging a bet with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
Before the Steelers' loss, Ravenstahl boasted, "I'm sure Pittsburgh fans will appreciate Mayor Hancock decked out in Steelers gear. I encourage him to keep the jersey so he has something to wear while watching us in round two." He may be a good sport, but what are the odds of him wearing his new Broncos jersey this weekend?
