Skip to content

Philly Cheesesteaks at Stake

Massachusetts, Pennsylvania lawmakers place bets on Super Bowl

Top: Betting on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII are, from left, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey and Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III. Bottom: Betting on the Philadelphia Eagles are, from left, Sens. Patrick J. Toomey and Bob Casey and Rep. Brendan F. Boyle.
Top: Betting on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII are, from left, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey and Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III. Bottom: Betting on the Philadelphia Eagles are, from left, Sens. Patrick J. Toomey and Bob Casey and Rep. Brendan F. Boyle.

Lawmakers from New England and the Philadelphia area are gearing up for Super Bowl LII by making bets with one another. And there are a lot of cheesesteaks involved.

The Philadelphia Eagles play the New England Patriots on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and both teams’ fan bases cross multiple delegations.

The Pennsylvania senators teamed up against the Massachusetts senators to put some local goods on the line.

If the Patriots win, Sens. Bob Casey and Patrick J. Toomey owe Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey some Philly cheesesteaks and beer from the local Yards Brewing Company.

If the Eagles win, Warren and Markey owe an assortment of Massachusetts-brewed beers, which will include ones from Jack’s Abby of Framingham, Notch of Salem, Flying Dreams of Worcester and Cisco of Nantucket.

All were in the mood to talk some smack.

“While we’d love to share some Pennsylvania food and drink with our colleagues, we’re confident that [Coach] Doug Pederson and the Eagles will be marching down Broad Street following a big Super Bowl win,” Casey and Toomey said in a statement. “[Quarterback] Nick Foles has admirably stepped in for Carson Wentz and the defensive line has caused opposing offenses headaches all year, which should deflate Tom Brady.

“Eagles fans have been waiting almost sixty years for another championship; needless to say Super Bowl Sunday cannot come soon enough. Fly, Eagles Fly.”

Members of the Patriots Nation Warren and Markey responded in kind.

“John Adams once said, ‘Facts are stubborn things.’ So here are some facts: Tom Brady is the GOAT [Greatest of All Time], the Patriots are Not Done, and New England is ready to win our sixth Super Bowl,” Warren and Markey said. “In consolation to Sens. Toomey and Casey, we will be united at game’s end when our team lifts the Lombardi Trophy and says, ‘Tonight, we are ALL Patriots.’”

On the other side of the Capitol, two close Democratic colleagues will be rivals on Sunday night.

If the Patriots win, Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan F. Boyle owes Massachusetts Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, who delivered the Democratic response to the State of the Union on Tuesday night, a Philly cheesesteak. If the Eagles win, Kennedy owes Boyle a Boston cream pie.

Like other big sporting events, lawmakers are typically spirited about the Super Bowl.

After the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia had to do a day of service in Massachusetts to pay back his bet against Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton.

After the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in 2016, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina had to praise the Broncos and wear an orange tie on the floor while Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner presided over the Senate.

Watch: Why Does Congress ‘Retreat’?

[jwp-video n=”1″]

Recent Stories

Helene, Milton wreckage puts spotlight on disaster loan program

Trump pitches tax write-off for auto loans in Detroit speech

Biden forced to put legacy push on hold as crises mount at home and abroad

At the Races: Weary of the storm

FEC to consider clarifying what joint fundraising committees can pay for in political ads

Preparing for Milton also means fighting misinformation, FEMA says