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myfoxhouston.com wrote:Houston, Salt Lake Mayors Make Friendly Bet on NBA Playoffs
Last Edited: Thursday, 17 Apr 2008, 10:03 PM CDT
Created: Thursday, 17 Apr 2008, 9:02 PM CDT
Mayor Bill White and [SIC]Utah Mayor Ralph Becker
FOX 26 News

HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz first round NBA Playoff series generates a friendly bet between the mayors of both cities, Mayor Bill White of Houston and Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City.

"My wager, Mayor Becker, we're coming back at you again this year," White said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "Last year was a close series. They scraped by.

But I'm gonna bet, I'm gonna place a wager on this game. My wager is gonna be if I lose you are going to get some pecan pie from Good Company Barbecue. It's good Texas food.

"I'll tell you what when I was growing up I was watching that coach Frank Layden of the Utah Jazz, you may remember him. He looked like he had a few of these pies in his time."

Instead of wagering a culinary delight from the State of Utah, Becker went a different route.

"It's going to be a great series," Becker said. "The Rockets had a run that was unbelievable in the middle of the season and we're glad they got that out of their system.

"This is going to be really fun with Mayor White. We are offering to Mayor White, should in the remote possibility that Salt Lake lose, we will offer him a "Ski Salt Lake City Super Pass" that will allow him to ski at four of our best ski resorts here in Salt Lake City of his choice.

"I will ski with him if he'll come out here and ski. We can have a real good time with this."

This will be the sixth time the two teams have met in the playoffs in the last 14 years. The Rockets won the first two and the Jazz the last three series. Utah won last year in the first round four games to three, taking game seven in Houston.

Rockets superstar Tracy McGrady got a kick out of the two mayors getting together on this wager.

"It's a nice, little friendly competition," McGrady said. "I like that. Mayor against mayor. City against city. Franchise against franchise. It's a nice, little friendly bet."

McGrady was asked if he thought Houston's mayor made a risky bet.

"No, he believed in his team as he should, " McGrady said.

Then Mcgrady looked into the television camera and said, "We got your back Mayor," and smiled.

We did point out to Mayor Becker that his offer of a ski pass versus pecan pies made the bet seem a little lop-sided.

"Well, so is the series," Becker said. "We feel like Utah has proven itself. It's time for Houston to step to the plate."

One team and one mayor will be smiling after this seven game series.