Mayors of Tampa, Kansas City wager city specialties ahead of Super Bowl LV

(NewsNation Now) — The mayors of Tampa and Kansas City made a friendly wager on the outcome of Sunday’s Super Bowl game. On top of bragging rights, the best beer, barbeque, and cigars are on the line this year.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said she’d offer up hand-rolled cigars and beer to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas if his team loses the game.

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“We are known here in the Tampa Bay area for having the best cigars in the world and so we are going to provide those for Mayor Lucas,” Castor said. “I promised Mayor Lucas we would provide enough beer to drown all of the sorrows of all of the KC fans when they don’t win the Super Bowl.”

Win or lose each mayor is treating the other with food representing the best of their cities. Castor says she’ll send Quinton seafood, “It’s stone crab season, that’s like the best thing that you can possibly have.”

As for Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas, promised to send some of their famous BBQ.

“We decide to use the best cooking and the best smoking,” Lucas said. “And may the best team win.”

Despite the wager, both mayors agree this year’s matchup is unprecedented. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be on home turf, in first the Super Bowl to be played in the midst of a pandemic.

“We will be the first city to host the Super Bowl in our own backyard, so it’s very exciting,” Castor said. “It does change a little bit of the dynamic.”

“I know the Bucs will have home-field advantage; there won’t be that many fans there, so I don’t think the noise will overwhelm us in any way, but more than anything, we are just expecting one of the great super bowl matchups,” Lucas said.

The Super Bowl LV kicks off from Raymond James Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET.