Mayor Bloomberg appears confident enough in a Giants win against the 49ers this Sunday that he's made another wager on it.
Just a week ago, Bloomberg announced a friendly wager with Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt on the outcome of the Giants-Packers playoff game in Wisconsin.
The Giants' triumphant win over the Packers won Bloomberg some local cheese curds from Green Bay and Titletown's Sno-Cap root beer, though it wasn't clear if Schmitt had made good on the bet yet.
Now, with the Giants heading into the National Football Conference game against the San Francisco 49ers, Bloomberg is betting on another win, this time with higher stakes.
If the 49ers wins, Bloomberg said, he will rename 49th Street in Manhattan "49ers Street." He'll also send a dozen New York bagels, from Bagel Oasis in Queens, to San Francisco.
But if the Giants win, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee promises to drape an iconic San Francisco cable car in Giants flags and send over classic sourdough bread.
Bloomberg encouraged New Yorkers to again wear blue this Friday in another round of "Big Blue Friday" supporting the Giants.
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"Just like Hakeem Nicks ran right past the Packers' secondary, the Giants are going to breeze by the 49ers on their way to the Super Bowl," Bloomberg said. "After Sunday, Niners fans will be left with a taste as sour as their famous bread, and the Giants will have their sights set on another trophy."
Mayor Lee countered, "We have no intention of losing. We're going all the way to the Super Bowl."
Giants fans who trekked to Lambeau Field for the playoff game last Sunday appeared to appreciate the local treatment in Wisconsin: "Everyone in Green Bay's been nice to us," one fan wearing a blue cheese block on his head told NBC New York.
"Nicest people in the world out here -- we've been welcomed with open arms, great people," said another Giants fan.
In less than four days, Giants fans will be able to offer another assessment of reception in enemy territory. But if Mayor Lee's statement is any evidence, they'll be facing a tough environment: "The Giants will have to leave their hearts and their Super Bowl hopes in San Francisco," he said Wednesday.
