BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — When it comes to friendly wagers between rival cities, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says—count him out.
The reason: He doesn't want to jinx any potential losses for his hometown team. In years past, Walsh has made friendly wagers with his counterparts in other cities. Each time, our teams lost.
Walsh tells WBZ NewsRadio that he's happy to support the Patriots in other ways in 2019. For instance, he says he plans to show off his New England Patriots tie this week while he attends the United States Conference of Mayors in D.C. in Washington D.C.—where Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, whose LA Rams face the Patriots in the Super Bowl, will see it.
Web Extra: Listen To Mayor Walsh Talk To WBZ NewsRadio's Jeff Brown on New England Patriots
Walsh even held off on making a prediction.
"Hopefully they have a good week of practice," Walsh said. "I'm not going to say what the score is, but I will say anytime we go into a game with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady I feel good."
Let's take a look at his track record on friendly wagers.
January 2014 | New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos | AFC Championship
Walsh and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock made a friendly wager during the AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Broncos.
The Patriots lost 16-26 and were eliminated from going to Super Bowl XLVIII.
Walsh had to wear a Broncos jersey at the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, send Hancock five pounds of chocolate turtles from the Phillips Candy House in Dorchester, and donate books with connections to Boston to the City of Denver Public Library.
May 2014 | Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens | Stanley Cup Quarterfinals
Walsh and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre made friendly wager during the Stanley Cup Quarterfinals between The Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens.
The Bruins lost against their long-time rivals 3-1 and were eliminated from the Playoffs.
Not only did Walsh had to wear a Canadiens jersey, but he also had to fly the Habitants' flag above Boston City Hall.
December 2014 | Boston College vs Penn State Football | Pinstripe Bowl
The mayor also placed a bet during the Pinstripe Bowl that year, when The Eagles of Boston College played Penn State. B.C. lost that game in overtime, 31-30.
Walsh tells WBZ NewsRadio1030's Carl Stevens that he knows better, and that once he stopped making friendly wagers, the teams started winning.
"I figured that my betting career with mayors was over," he said. "The moment I stopped betting, we won the Super Bowl versus Seattle, we won the Superbowl title versus Atlanta, and so on. I'm not going to put any jinx on the Patriots or any of our Boston teams. So no more betting for me—I'm just going to go enjoy the game."
Editors Note: This story was originally posted on WBZ1030.com on January 25, 2018, as the New England Patriots prepared for SuperBowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles. It has been updated to reflect Mayor Walsh thoughts on Superbowl LIII.
Listen to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Why He Does Not Place Friendly Wagers