Gov. John Hickenlooper has laid down a bet with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, and a host of Colorado companies are backing his play.
If the Broncos lose Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, Hickenlooper will pony up:
• 50 Osprey backpacks filled with school supplies to a North Carolina shelter.
• 50 cases of Pueblo Salsa donated by Milberger Farms, Musso Farms, Pueblo County and the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce.
• 500 boxes of crackers from 34 Degrees Crackers and 500 packages of sausages from Continental Sausage to be donated to a food bank in North Carolina.
Hickenlooper, an unabashed dog lover, also will toss in a generous supply of dog food to a Carolina animal shelter.
If the Panthers lose, McCrory will be on the hook for some of his state’s locally made products: 50 cases of turkey burgers and 50 cases of turkey sausages provided by North Carolina-based Butterball LLC to a Colorado food bank, as well as a dog-food donation to an animal shelter in Colorado.
“This Broncos team has proven time and time again that they know how to overcome challenges,” Hickenlooper said in a statement Friday. “The Carolina Panthers are certainly a formidable foe, but they will simply be another challenge that our Broncos will overcome in Super Bowl 50.
“Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Pat Bowlen and the entire Broncos team deserve a championship to cap a season that will be remembered as nothing short of magical.”
McCrory predicted a 33-10 win for Carolina.
“The Broncos may have one of the best defenses in the league, but they haven’t faced Cam Newton and his offense yet,” McCrory stated. “I fully expect the Carolina Panthers to be Super Bowl 50 Champions. I am good friends with Gov. Hickenlooper, but his team will be on the losing end this time.”
Both governors will be at the game. They have known each other since they were both mayors — Hickenlooper of Denver, McCrory of Charlotte — the Colorado governor’s office said Friday.
