A friendly wager that celebrates Northeast Ohio's NCAA teams

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

March 18, 2009 - The leaders of the chambers of commerce in Cleveland and Akron have made a friendly wager based on the success of the Cleveland State and University of Akron basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament.

But in a show of support for the northeast Ohio region as a whole - and a mutual celebration of both teams' success this year - the bet has an unusual twist.  Instead of the traditional, high-visibility, inter-city sports bet where mayors or other civic leaders wager items from their city, the participants in this bet each seek specific items from the other city.

Joe Roman, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, has asked for these Akron-centric items if Cleveland State wins more games in the tournament than The University of Akron:

  • Goodyear blimp ride over the Akron region
  • Tickets for the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tourney in August
  • Tickets to the University of Akron/Kent State football game at the new University of Akron football stadium.

Dan Colantone, president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce, has asked for these Cleveland-centric items if The University of Akron should win more games than Cleveland State:

  • Tickets to the Induction Ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held this year in Cleveland
  • Playoff tickets to the Cavs' opening round of the NBA playoffs, already a lock for the Cavs
  • A summer boat ride on Lake Erie aboard the Goodtime III

"We are so proud of both teams, and we wanted to draw attention to them in a way that celebrates both universities, both cities and our region," Colantone and Roman said in a joint statement.  "Both of our cities have so much to offer, this makes for a fun wager."

Both teams are identical No. 13 seeds in their respective regions and both are regarded as long shots in their opening games - but the NCAA Tournament ALWAYS produces some upsets, where favored teams lose. The University of Akron plays Gonzaga Thursday night and Cleveland State plays Wake Forest Friday evening.

If the wager results in a tie - with each team winning the same number of games as the other team - Roman and Colantone said they aren't quite sure how the wager will be settled -but it will be fun.

"We'll figure that out if and when that happens," they said.

As an association of business members, the Greater Cleveland Partnership mobilizes private-sector leadership, expertise and resources to create jobs and leverage investment to improve the economic vitality of the region. The GCP is a founder and proud supporter of the Cleveland Plus marketing campaign. http://www.gcpartnership.com

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