Does Mayor Menino Love The Patriots As Much This Year As Last Year?

Based on Mayor Tom Menino’s history of making bets with the mayors of rival cities in the playoffs, it sure seems like he doesn’t believe in this year’s Patriots team as much as last year’s squad.

During the last NFL season, Menino made a series of bets from the start of the playoffs through the Super Bowl, prominently displaying his unflinching support. He confidently took on Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, betting that the Pats would win the AFC division game against the Broncos. He wagered placing a Tim Tebow jersey on the Paul Revere statue in the North End and even went so far as to talk shit about Colorado beer, saying, “Colorado Rocky beer? Uck.” The Patriots prevailed, of course, and Menino won a steak dinner and made Hancock don a Brady jersey during a Denver Nuggets game.

After the win, Menino went at it again right away, betting Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake that the Patriots would beat the Ravens in the AFC Championship game. Dubbed the “Clash of the Crustaceans,” Menino pit New England lobsters against Baltimore crabs, and won. Next, Menino upped the ante considerably by betting New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that the Patriots would win the Super Bowl against the Giants. Menino lost and had to fork over an all-expense-paid trip to Boston to a family of New Yorkers, including round-trip airfare, two nights in a suite at the Ritz Carlton, box seats to a Bruins or Celtics game, and whatever else New Yorkers do when visiting Boston.

After the loss, Menino learned his lesson not to bet big, or maybe he just doesn’t have the same level of faith in his team this year.

Menino didn’t even make a bet this time around on the divisional game against the Houston Texans. And on Wednesday he entered a relatively mild wager with Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore over this weekend’s ACF Championship game against the Ravens. With little fanfare or swagger, Menino put up local seafood from Red’s Best Seafood, spicy fare from CropCircle Kitchen, whoopee pies, and Alex’s Ugly Hot Sauce against crab cakes, fruit salad, Berger cookies, and stuffed cabbage (yum?) from Baltimore.

That’s right: After the game, our mayor will either feast on crab and stuffed cabbage, or he’s going to eat crow.