Govs. Cuomo and Jerry Brown’s uneven hockey bet
Image: Lundberg.com
It’s a tradition for politicians to bet amongst themselves on the outcomes of local sports events; it generates publicity and goodwill, and if you’re a politician that’s never a bad thing. Today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced another such wager, with California Gov. Jerry Brown, on the 2014 Stanley Cup Final (which starts tomorrow.)
According to a press release, if the New York Rangers win, Gov. Brown will send Gov. Cuomo the book “California: A History” by Kevin Starr, and Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Cakes, Lightly Salted. Seems pretty meh, unless you’re really into regional history and lightly-salted rice cakes. On the other hand, if the Kings win, Gov. Cuomo will send Gov. Brown a Taste NY Gift Basket, featuring products from local businesses across the Empire State, and a commemorative hockey puck from the 2013 “Hat Trick” of three on time budgets in a row.
Now, the commemorative budgetary hockey puck just seems a little braggy, but this gift basket is impressive! Contained within are such wonders as:
•Original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauce, Erie County
•Two award winning Ice Wines: The 2011 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine from the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Orleans County and the 2012 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine from the Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards in Schuyler County
•Lupo’s Spiedie Marinade, key ingredient for Binghamton’s famous Spiedie Sandwhich, Broome County
•Gianelli Hot Italian Sausage, Onondaga County
•Sammy and Annie Food’s Chicken Riggie Pasta Sauce Starter, Oneida County
•Parker’s Pure New York Maple Syrup, Parker Family Maple Farm, Clinton County
•America’s First Kettle Chip, Saratoga Chips, Saratoga County
•Apples from Fishkill Farms, Dutchess County
•Red velvet cupcakes from Make My Cake, Harlem, Manhattan
•Oysters harvested off of Long Island’s shore, Braun Seafood Company, Suffolk County
Does this bet not seem a bit uneven? I mean, there are oysters! And cupcakes! It’s not like California doesn’t have an abundance of delicious local foods and wines, but if they were perhaps concerned about spoilage during the journey, maybe they could just throw in some tech stocks?
Also in the release, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is quoted saying something that would seem to somewhat belittile the efforts of professional hockey players or perhaps betray a misunderstanding of the governor’s role in sporting life:
“Ice hockey is a way of life in the Empire State, part of a winter tradition that has been battled on lakes, ponds and rinks from Lake Placid to Long Island to Lake Erie for generations. In 1994, Governor Mario Cuomo and the New York Rangers delivered the Stanley Cup to New Yorkers. In 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Rangers will return the Cup to its rightful place, the great State of New York.”
Tags: Cuomo, gambling, hockey, politics, sports, stanley cup
You know… Jerry Brown, California…nudge nudge, wink wink. It’s a California thing. Rice cakes look and taste like hockey pucks. And you remember Woodstock, right? “Don’t take the Brown acid.”
Special delivery from Governor Moonbeam…
Cuomo never misses a chance to promote himself and this is no exception. He at least has done it with some style this time and has wisely chosen to include NYS in the promotion. Grudgingly, I say: Good Job!
Only in NYS would it be considered a great achievement to have an on-time budget. In my employment, completing critical tasks on time is a DEMANDED PART OF THE JOB.
I’m rooting for the Rangers for two reasons.
One, they are the NY Rangers.
Two, they are one of the original NHL teams and all the original NHL come from places that actually have frozen lakes, rivers and ponds in the winter.
There is just something weird about LA and other warm weather places having hockey teams.
listen, how good can jerry brown’s taste be? he dated linda rondstat. that’s a lightly salted rice cake if ever there was one.
cuomo probably had his girlfriend put the basket together, you know, semi-home made style.
don’t eat the oysters. ain’t no “r” in june oysters spawn in the summer. shouldn’t even harvest them at this time. used to live on long island. tourists ate oysters in the summer.
You’re wrong, Two Cents, completely wrong. Brown dated Ronstadt in the 70’s. If you had seen her then (as I did at the Saratoga PAC in the late 70’s, for example), you would have more respect for Brown’s taste.