Over the last few years, Boston sports fans have grown accustomed to hearing about the bets waged between mayors and governors whenever their teams are duking it out for a title. The stakes? Typically, it comes down to food - lots of food reflecting some of the finest culinary tastes each team's hometown has to offer. In other words, food that the fans would love to be able to eat. The victorious fans are left puffing out their chests with pride while, we imagine, their municipal counterparts are leaning back in their chairs and unbuckling their suddenly-tight belts.

The intensity of our ongoing Celts-Lakers NBA final, however, seems to be rubbing off on Boston Mayor Tom Menino and his Los Angeles counterpart, Antonio Villaraigosa. The Herald reports that Villaraigosa extended a unique kind of offer to our hometown Tommy: bet on basketball, but with a football frame of mind.

The terms, as Villaraigosa cheekily suggested, would send the Pats to LA in the event that Kobe and Company take home the NBA title. If Pierce's People deliver for the Boston faithful? We'd get the Arena League’s Los Angeles Avengers.

The story would be little more than chuckle-prompting, if not for our fair city's leader. Menino managed to deliver the political equivalent of an "oh snap!" with his response: keep yer stinkin' team, but give us the arena. "We could use the extra space for all of our banners - the rafters at the Garden are getting a little too crowded. It would really make a great trophy case for all of the city’s hardware!”

YES, Tom! BURN!

Add that to Thursday night's victory at the Garden and it makes the score of the latest Boston-LA showdown 2-0, in favor of the East.

Photo by flickr user peyri