There’s a lot at stake for New Englanders and Philadelphians come Super Bowl LII — we’re talking beer, donuts and even the Rocky statue.
Aside from the wager you might be making with your cousin from Amherst, a number of businesses and politicians are going public with some wild bets on who will win the Super Bowl: the Philadelphia Eagles, or New England Patriots.
Here’s a running list to make sure those New Englanders put their money where their mouths are come Feb. 4:
Mayor Kenney and the Rocky statue
Mayor Kenney and Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter are going head-to-head with each city’s respective “Rocky” statues. If the Eagles lose, Kenney has promised Carpenter that the monument at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will don a Patriots jersey. If the Eagles win, Brockton’s mayor said its statue of Brockton-born boxer Rocky Marciano will wear an Eagles jersey.
A keg of beer from Philly’s Yards Brewing Co. and some Rocky Marciano Wine are also on the line.
The “Rocky v. Rocky” Super Bowl wager is on w/ @PhillyMayor Jim Kenney. The losing Rocky will wear the team garb of the #SuperBowlLII Champs! Mayor Kenney will also put up a keg of “Yards” beer against our Rocky Marciano wine. @stevedamish_ENT @Patriots @JoshBrogadirTV pic.twitter.com/XbbGsHCOPQ
— Mayor Bill Carpenter (@MayorBillCarp) January 25, 2018
In a video Carpenter posted on social media, Kenney said he’s not sure how long the jersey will stay on if the unthinkable happens. He noted that city officials might have to “Crisco the Rocky statue,” just like they did the light poles down Broad Street last week.
Donut wars
Dottie’s Donuts, a popular vegan donut shop in West Philly, came out with a “grease poled” flavor, and made it known that the location would not be selling its Boston creams in the near future. As a replacement, Dottie’s is offering a “Creamed Boston donut,” with a vanilla glaze, pistachios and a matcha cream filling.
Kanes Donuts in Boston put a challenge out to Dottie’s: If the Eagles win, they’ll send the West Philly shop a dozen Boston creams. If the Patriots win, Dottie’s will have to send a dozen of its own.
Dottie’s accepted the challenge — in a message appropriately dubbed with the “Rocky” theme.
“Dilly, Dilly” — “Philly, Philly”?
Back in August, Bud Light told Philadelphia that the beer would be on them if the Eagles took home its first Super Bowl win.
.@LaneJohnson65 Let's make a bet. Win it all and the party is on us. Deal? https://t.co/syd5WHfsvo
— Bud Light (@budlight) August 2, 2017
Well, looks like the company has not backed out on its promise.
“Congrats to the Eagles on earning a trip to Super Bowl LII,” Anheuser-Busch said in a statement to Patch.com. “We are still planning an epic celebration, but true friends of the crown never assume victory, so in the interest of not jinxing the team, we will keep our plans under wraps until the outcome of the Super Bowl is determined.”
But Bud Light admitted on Twitter that the company didn’t think the team would make it this far.
A well-deserved victory, @Eagles of Philadelphia! Heed this message from your king before the next great battle. #DillyDilly #PhillyPhilly #SBLII pic.twitter.com/xqywT0D4AK
— Bud Light (@budlight) January 22, 2018
Battle of the brews
Yards and Boston’s Harpoon Brewery are also going head-to-head.
The two breweries are challenging each other to have the losing city pour the other’s beer in its taproom. The staff will also have to wear the other team’s gear.
“To our friends at Harpoon: Get ready to wear some Green, a very dynamic and blue-collar kind of color – and it looks great on everyone, from casual fans to pretty-boy quarterbacks,” Tom Kehoe, Yards’ founder and brewmaster and a longtime Eagles season ticketholder, said in a statement. “The last time we moved our brewery, the Phillies won the World Series, and we handed out free Philly Pale Ale to fans celebrating in the streets. Now, after once again opening a new facility [at 500 Spring Garden St.], we are hoping some of that Yards good luck will rub off on our high-flying NFC champs. Let’s go Birds!”
Bangor vs. Bangor
The mayors of Bangor, Maine and Bangor, Pa., are counting on the upcoming Super Bowl to find which Bangor is best.
Mayor Ben Sprague, of Maine, reached out to Mayor Brooke Kerzner, in Pa.’s Northampton County, to see if she’d be interested in a friendly wager, which she enthusiastically accepted, according to the Bangor Daily News. A simple enough bet — the loser must send over a bunch of goodies that reflect his or her Bangor to the respective winner.
On the line? From Maine, there are whoopie pies, a blueberry pie, a collection of Maine-born Stephen King books to be donated to the library in Pennsylvania’s Bangor, and more. From the Keystone State, there’s beer, coffee, chocolates and quoit boards, a popular game in the tiny borough about 30 miles north of Allentown.
“We are not the least bit concerned with the New England Patriots winning Super Bowl 52,” Kerzner told the publication. “Nick Foles can soar like an Eagle even when he is surrounded by a bunch of turkeys from New England. I have a feeling Tom Brady is all out of fourth quarter comebacks.”
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