It's Wild: Convention staffs place their bets

The puck stops here: GOP and Democratic Convention staffs bet each other over upcoming hockey playoffs.

By RANDY FURST, Star Tribune

Last update: April 9, 2008 - 5:28 PM

When hockey meets politics, the trash talking can't be far behind.

The Republican and Democratic Party got into it Wednesday, as the Minnesota Wild prepared to square off against the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

St. Paul is hosting the Republican National Convention at the Wild's home, Xcel Energy Center, in September. In August Denver hosts the Democratic National Convention in the Pepsi Center, the regular home of the Avalanche.

The two parties' convention staffs celebrated the coincidence with a friendly bet of local "delicacies."

If the Avalanche wins, the GOP convention team in St. Paul will send the Democratic convention staff in Denver an assortment of walleye from Minnesota lakes. If the Wild prevail, the Democrats will send the Republican staff a selection of Colorado-raised beef steaks.

"Fortunately for me, the Avs know what it takes to win a championship," Leah D. Daughtry, the Dems' convention committee CEO, said in a statement. "Soon enough, the Pepsi Center will be home to the Stanley Cup once again. And just five months from now, it'll play host to another winner -- our nominee for President of the United States."

Maria Cino, the GOP convention president and CEO, issued her own statement. "As I kidded with Leah earlier, our staff in Minneapolis-St. Paul is pretty excited that the roads to the White House and the Stanley Cup Championship will both lead through the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul."

Randy Furst • 612-673-7382

Recent Political Conventions stories

Intent on strong response to Gustav, Bush off to Texas to meet with relief workers, evacuees - April 9, 2008

Intent on strong response to Gustav, Bush off to Texas to meet with relief workers, evacuees - As Hurricane Gustav threatens the Gulf Coast, President Bush is out to show the nation that his government has learned the haunting lessons of Katrina and is ready to act. That includes a rapid response by Bush himself, who will be planted near the danger zone even before the storm hits home. More

Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments

The Whistleblower blog has moved

The Star Tribune is still blowing the whistle, but our look and location have changed. Click here to get to the new blog. If you want the actual URL, it’s www.startribune.com/blogs/whistleblower.html. Our blog posts will now be easier to search on the web site, but you’ll need to register to post a comment. In the [...]