Going With Their Guts

It’s bowl season again, and the wagers are piling up. When politicians bet, eats seem the favored currency, though Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is “sick and tired of betting food.” His bet with Utah Gov. Olene Walker for the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl game between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Utah Utes is a free trip for a student from the winning state to the losing one. He should have stuck with cheesesteaks. Here are some other food bets through the years.

The Game: 2004 Liberty Bowl: Boise State Broncos vs. Louisville Cardinals

The Bet: Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will pony up a dinner from KFC if the Broncos win Friday’s matchup. Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo have countered with a trout and baked potato dinner for McConnell if the Cardinals win.

The Outcome: With Louisville favored by two touchdowns, Craig and Crapo probably will be left wondering whether KFC is better in Kentucky or Idaho.

The Game: 2004 Super Bowl: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers

The Bet: Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney wagers lobster, clam chowder and steamers against North Carolina Gov. Michael Easley’s pound of barbecue, pint of coleslaw and hush puppies.

The Outcome: The Patriots win, and loser Easley also has to wear a Patriot jersey to a National Governors Assn. meeting.

The Game: 2004 Red River Shootout: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns

The Bet: Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry and Texas Gov. Rick Perry each wager a side (350 pounds) of homegrown beef.

The Outcome: The beef goes to Oklahoma as the Sooners beat the Longhorns for the fifth year in a row.

The Game: 2004 Gator Bowl: Maryland Terrapins vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

The Bet: Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich puts up a dozen steamed crabs against West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise’s 10-pound case of farm-raised rainbow trout fillets.

The Outcome: It’s fishy in Ehrlich’s kitchen after Maryland wins a stinker of a game, 41-7.

The Game: 2004 Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Louisiana State Tigers

The Bet: Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry wagers a side of homegrown beef against Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s 5 pounds of crawfish.

The Outcome: LSU wins, 21-14. Wonder if Henry paid up with the same side he won from Texas earlier in the year?

The Game: 2003 Super Bowl: Oakland Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bet: Former California Gov. Gray Davis wagers Rubio’s fish tacos and a case of California wine against Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Cuban dinner from a Tampa restaurant.

The Outcome: Tampa Bay wins, but a Florida law prohibiting the shipment of out-of-state wine directly to consumers lets Davis partly off the hook.

The Game: 2002 Super Bowl: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams

The Bet: Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift wagers a gallon of clam chowder, a pot of lobsters and a case each of Harpoon and Samuel Adams beer, while Missouri Gov. Bob Holden puts an Italian meal featuring toasted ravioli, sausage and a case of beer from St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch on the table.

The Outcome: The Patriots win, and Swift gets to keep the Sam Adams and wonder what to do with the Budweiser when it arrives.

The Game: 2001 Super Bowl: New York Giants vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Bet: New York Gov. George Pataki wagers a bushel of Long Island little neck clams against Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening’s Chesapeake Bay blue crabs.

The Outcome: The Ravens win and Glendening takes this all-seafood bet.