As with the previous two playoff games, Mayor Daley will make a food-related wager with his counterpart in Indianapolis on the upcoming Super Bowl that'll see our Bears and their Colts face off in Miami.
Chicago, with our great gastronomic traditions, always offers up a smorgasbord of culinary delights — deep dish pizza, Eli's cheesecake, Vienna hot dogs, Ann Sather cinnamon rolls, Italian beef, Mexican foods, etc. But typically Chicago gets the short end of the deal when the opposing city just can't stack up in its offering. Seattle's offering was more worthy of a Ravinia basket, let alone that it arrived damaged!
New Orleans seemed like just about the only city whose wager could stand up to ours. But then Ray Nagin offered up "beignets, pralines, root beer, Zulu coconut, gift baskets and tickets to watch the Mardi Gras Parade from the official viewing stand." Ray, why'd you hold out on the good stuff? Where's the gumbo? The jambalaya? The crawfish? Some oyster po' boys or mufaletta? And while Daley's staffers say that some of the winnings get nibbled in the office, most is donated to charity — what'll the homeless do with Mardi Gras parade tickets?
Having already collected his first winnings, and awaiting the next shipment, Daley is now preparing to lay down his wager with Indianapolis' mayor, Bart Peterson. If ever there were a one-sided bet, this would be it! While Daley will likely offer up some Lou Malnati's and Eli's once again, what can Indy offer? Do they even have any home-grown delicacy? We imagine them offering up a sampling of Hamburger Helper, Wonder Bread and Hi-C juice boxes.
OK, so we do hear that St. Elmo's Steak House is pretty good, but last time we checked Chicago is basically ground zero for top-notch steaks. They seem to claim the pork tenderloin sandwich as their own — as does half the midwest. Maybe Indianapolis-native Jared personally delivering some Subway is the most unique food they can come up with.
Maybe Matthew Tully is right that rather than the ususal trading of food, the bet between Daley and Peterson should be a wager of work. He suggests:
If the Bears win, Peterson has to go to Chicago next time it snows and shovel sidewalks in the Loop. But if the Colts win, Daley has to travel to Indianapolis and spend a day cleaning up the starling droppings on Monument Circle.
We liked this train of thought ... but then Tully had to start insulting us.
Say if the Bears win, Peterson can teach Daley how to keep his City Hall cronies out of jail. Or he could show Daley how to guard the cemeteries on Election Day. Or he could hire a tutor to teach Chicagoans how to pronounce the word "the."
Clearly, the people of Indy are just jealous of our great city and future Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears!
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OK. And Daley has to do literacy volunteering in Indianapolis or decommission meth labs.
And the Lord said: The disdain and mockery New Yorkers dump on Chicago, shall be diverted in turn to Indianapolis.
How to tell your 'world class'? You have to pick on Indianapolis to feel good. By even acknowledging Indi, you betray your class insecurities.
For god sakes, Indianapolis is nicknamed "Nap Town" for crying out loud! NAP TOWN! "Ciudad de Siestas" for our Hispanic friends. THIS IS IN THEIR WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE!
I want to point out that there have been no mean spirited articles about Chicago in Indianapolis media (according to my very honest mother). I think it's because most Hoosiers have been to Chicago, enjoyed it, marveled at the skyscrapers, the novelty of the El, the splendor of the museums. If more Chicagoans had been to INDY (not "the region", which is a nasty Chicago suburb)they might not be so fast to judge: we too have world-class museums, luxury shopping and fine dinning. We have one or two fewer memorial buildings than Washington, D.C. We're very connected to the farmland that helped build our city, and we host the biggest "party" in the world every year (Indy 500). I'm sick of Chicago media talking shit about the city: talk sports shit all you want, but leave the folks who aren't in blue (and white or orange) out of it. Chicagoist, I honestly thought you were above it.
At the base of all of it : the stupid mayor bet: What makes Chicago steaks, sausages, and pizza so good, or special? Last I checked, there aren't any cows or pigs wandering Lincoln Park. You point against our Indiana tenderloin is equally valid against your steak arguement. It's steak! It's good everywhere!
I've had enough of the hick and hillbilly name calling. Yes, there are hicks in Indianapolis. Yes, the aren't fancy enough for iPods and North Face jackets, fine wine and jazz. But trust me, they could have more fun chatting, storytelling, and WORKING than cubicle dwellers of Wacker Drive. For Chrissake, the people in Indiana are among the nicest, genuine people I've ever lived amongst, not too unlike many old blue-collar (read: true) Chicagoans I know.
Here's what our damned gift basket to you should be if we lose:
1) Tickets to the LARGEST annual sporting event/spectacle in the world, the Indianapolis 500 (throw in Brickyard 400 & Forumla "Un" tickets too.)
2) Tenderloin...Fuck you.
3) Decker Mellons... Yum
4) Corn; delicious Indiana sweet corn.
5) Bio-disel fuel for city buses for a day from our new green fuel plants.
6) Art on loan from the Eiteljorg Museum of Native American and Western Art to AIC.
7) 4 million tourists a year from your buddies to the east.
I don't care who wins Sunday, but I'd like us to all agree that we're in this Midwestern boat together.
Chuck,
No one, believe me no one, is disparaging the nice people of Indiana. The whole state is nice. But crazy boring. Which explains my comment. I believe it was native Indianan comedian Jim Gaffigan who said the state motto should be "We're from Indiana... and we're probably moving soon!"
But to directly address your points:
-Your biggest "party" in the world (geez, ever hear of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and/or Rio, New Year's in New York, the Super Bowl, or pretty much any three day weekend in Vegas?) essentially consists of 40 or so men (and one woman) who almost no one has ever heard of (and are trying to make the leap to NASCAR or Formula One) making left hand turns for hours. Wow. Simply Wow. Count me in.
-4 Million Tourists to Indianapolis? Seriously? HAHAHAHAHA (Well, maybe the random Final Four you guys get, and the Brickyard 500 which is bigger than Indy now, but that's about it)
-Chicago's museums and galleries are more comparable to LA, New York, or London's, much less "Nap Town".
-And Chicago is simply the dominant city in the Midwest. Between commerce, conventions, corporate headquarters, warehousing, rail, air freight, etc. Chicago is to St. Louis, Detroit, the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, and yes, Indianapolis what LA is to the West Coast, New York is to the East Coast, Seattle is to the Northwest, and Atlanta is to the South. Sorry, that's why there's simply WAY more people here.
-You really seemed to struggle to get that prize list together... you pretty much got three food items. Is that the best there is? Doesn't Indianapolis' large African-American population have any decent soul food restaurants? Are there any other ethnic groups there, or does every pretty much look like Larry Bird, Peyton Manning, and Jim Gaffigan?
Hugs,
The Hog Butcher to the World.
I was saying we give you 4 million tourist from Indiana, like the people who live here and visit your city on a regular basis. I was saying we give you those tourists anyway.
nmpkm,
First of all, Naptown comes from IndiaNAPolis, much like Chi-town comes from CHIcago. See the pattern?
I grew up in the region, followed the Bears forever, but now live in a suburb of Indy - Fishers. A 'burb consistently rated by Money magazine as one of the best places to live in the country. Does Indy have more stuff to do than Chicago? No. Does it have more stuff to do than you and the rest of the country thinks? Yes.
Such as:
- Broadripple with their 40+ bars in 5 square blocks
- going out on Geist reservoir to ski/wake board
- golfing everywhere
- the Monon trail
- the Indy 500, the largest attended sports event in the world
- the Brickyard 400
- the NHRA Nationals (I'm a car guy)
- Pacers...
- Colts...
- Indians... (minor league team - actually quite good)
- etc.
When I graduated in '03 I almost moved to Chicago. Then I realized I'd end up living in a 1 bed 2 bath apartment/condo for 10+ years. No thanks. For the same price (if not less) you can find 4000+ sq.ft brick houses with an attached 4 car garage on a half acre lot. All that with a commute downtown at 40 minutes or less.
The only gripe I have with Indy, that you brought up, is the lack of good ethnic food. Most places are chain restaurants. There are some exceptions though. In fact, when I go up north I smuggle back 10 lbs of italian beef, giardinaire, and some gonnella bread.
Still a Bears fan though. Bear down Chicago Bears!!
Broad Ripple is much more fun than Wrigleyville.
I can attest that the Indianapolis 500 is a great party. Is it the biggest party in the world? I don't know about that, but it's a pretty damn good time. There isn't anything in Chicago that compares, as far as I know.
FrankAnon,
It was another local Indy comic made good, Mike Epps, who said the reason they called it Nap Town was because it was boring. I'm going off his act. And your own Wikipedia entry.
For your Broadripple, we've got Wrigleyville, Boystown, Wicker Park/Bucktown, Andersonville, etc... It's like when I visited my friend in San Diego. Sure the Gaslamp Quarter is fun for a while, but every now and then you need a change.
I'll see your Geist and raise you Chain O' Lakes. Bonus points for Capone hanging out there.
Golf you say? We have several world class TPC courses in the area, as well as being in the rotation to host the US Open. Besides, this is the midwest, you can only really golf like three months anyway.
You got me on Monon Trail... closest we got is some random park districts and Wisconsin.
With the CART/IRL feud, Indy has lost A LOT of it's luster, not to mention the only driver anyone can name (Patrick) consistantly loses. I'd even go so far as to say the Brickyard is the premier event on Indy's calender anymore, Jim Nabors and milk chugging aside.
I come from a car family too, and let me say if I took a poll of my family's racing fans, they'd pick Daytona QUALIFYING over the actual Indy race. We used to go every year, now we just tune in every now and then.
Pacers... eh. So far their most memorable moment is either the brawl in Detroit or Reggie Miller fighting with Spike Lee. (Bonus Points for being a part of the ultra-cool ABA, though)
Colts... Football in a dome with another city's stolen team. Sort of feels "dirty".
Indians... was gonna say "Minor League, like your city", but then I realized the Cubs are about two years away from a "Century of Failure" patch and thought better of it. I need to mention I'm a Sox fan. But hey, we have TWO teams.
As for housing costs, well, you get what you pay for. If this was a tale of the tape against New York, I'll admit they'd win hands down in almost every category, except housing costs. But then again, more things happen there. Just like they do here compared to there.
Anyway, this is a long way to go for some stupid sports smack, but this argument is just like the time my friend in college kept trying to convince me St. Louis was a "World Class City".
nmpasdfqawcz,
You're not getting my point. I'm not at all arguing that here in Indy there's a greater "fun potential" than in Chicago. My point is that there's more to do down here than you think.
Anyway, we can agree that St. Louis is our distant ghey cousin.
ps. The Indy 500 is much like any game at Wrigley. When everyone leaves less than half know the score of the game, or who won the race.
pps. Mac, Jurko & Harry are on in 30 mins.
No, you don't understand... I determine my self worth by making fun of other teams fans!
Seriously, though, it's just smack. I mean, Seattle was easy to poke fun at (coffee, "Frasier", living in a tsunami/volcano/earthquake/shark spawning ground/mudslide/Bird Flu intake zone), New Orleans was trickier (and there was clearly some line-crossing going on there...), but Indy?
Nuthin'
Maybe "One Day at a Time" was set there? Sigh. If only you guys still had Ron Artest...
Are you kidding? The Indy 500 is like any game at Wrigley? Pul-eeze. I have attended the 500, Formula One, and The Brickyard for the past 5 plus years. I have attended 1 (yes one) Cubs game this past summer. I had a blast in Chicago. In fact, I LOOVE Chicago. But you are comparing apples to oranges BIG time. They are NOT the same by far. You have obviously never been to the IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) to marvel at it's size. It's freaking HUGE! It's mindblowing compared to a tiny baseball stadium. Leave racing out of it. This is about football. And I say Go Colts!
Curegirl78,
Just because something is bigger doesn't make it better. Truth be told, they both suck and way too many drunk people than you can handle. It would be funny to see a meth'd out Sox fan charge pit row, though.
But maybe instead of the mayors making bets with food, the coaches can make bets over understanding...
http://www.towleroad.com/2007/01/indianapolis_co.html
http://colts.aolsportsblog.com/2007/01/29/dungy-criticized-for-supporting-anti-gay-group/
Just goes to show you, if you're rooting for the Colts, you're a homophobe... :-)
Dearest nmpkm,
I agree with you on the whole food bet. I don't really think Indiana has anything on the food front. But the lightheartness of the bets are amusing. Now, the whole 'homophobe' issues is another story. Being from this wonderful (unfortunatley too Rebublican state)has it's draw-backs. I am not surprised that there are issues with gays. I am myself am not a 'homophobe" but lots of people in Indy sadly are. But that's mostly the folks in the sticks, not in the city. But that's a problem in most conserative cities anyways, which I chose to ignore. And what the hell does this have to do with football? :) When did someone's sexual preference become the topic of the day? Everyone in Indy knows Chicago rules. We love it. But, this is about the Colts finally getting somewhere after what 20 some years? We just would like our team to win is all.
FrankAnon-
Please don't affiliate Fishers, IN with Indianapolis. Yes, your money will buy you a 4000 square foot home, but it will look exactly like your neighbor's house. And your other neighbor's house. And your other neighbor's house. I never need to ask where the restroom is when I'm in a new house in Fishers, as I've already been in 12 houses previously with the identical floor plan. And they usually rate Carmel as a good place to live-not Fishers. Not all of Hamilton County is equal. Especially not to Marion County.
Should be a hell of a game for the Midwest, regardless of the outcome.
If Indianapolis is so great, why don't any of you right-wing, gay-bashing, white-bread Hoosier rednecks actually stay in Indiana after college? Perhaps if you didn't all move to Chicago en masse, our local establishments wouldn't have to be replaced with frat bars to cater to you and your total aversion to anything resembling culture (or even civilized behavior, for that matter).
CUZ WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS YES WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS>>>>OF THE WORLD!