Emanuel Makes Final Four Bet With Ann Arbor Mayor
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel is making a friendly wager with his counterpart in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Saturday's Final Four game between the Loyola Ramblers and the Michigan Wolverines.
If 11th-seeded Loyola wins, Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor will pay up with a Georgia Reuben sandwich from Ann Arbor's famous Zingerman's deli. If 3rd-seeded Michigan wins, Emanuel will send corned beef and pastrami from Manny's Deli to Ann Arbor.
"Chicago is united behind the Loyola Ramblers and their most devout fan, Sister Jean, and we continue to be inspired and amazed by this remarkable team," Emanuel said in a statement. "The Ramblers have defied the odds and proven themselves at every step on the road to the Final Four. We are confident we will be celebrating their trip to the NCAA Finals with deli food from Zingerman's, but in the unlikely event the Wolverines advance we are prepared to send some legendary Manny's corned beef to Ann Arbor."
The losing mayor also will make a donation to charity of the winning mayor's choice: the Becoming A Man youth mentoring program in Chicago if the Ramblers win, and the Jim Toy Community Center, an LGBTQ center in Ann Arbor, if the Wolverines are victorious.
"Ann Arborites everywhere are so proud of the great University of Michigan and the Wolverines' exciting march through the tournament," Taylor said in a statement. "With buzzer-beating offense, tenacious defending, and an infectious spirit, Coach Beilein's team of dedicated student-athletes exemplifies the best of college athletics. Whether Mayor Emanuel celebrates a Rambler win or I revel in a Michigan victory, both of our communities have been enlivened by these two remarkable teams. That said . . . I wonder which mustard I'll choose for my Manny's. Go Blue!"
Saturday's game tips off at 5:09 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The winner will face the winner of the other Final Four game between Kansas and Villanova. The NCAA National Championship game is Monday night.