CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel chides people for being unoriginal when they bring up his infamous dead-fish-in-the-mail stunt.
He's got the mayor of Los Angeles to chastise now, after Antonio Villaraigosa unwrapped the old tale while doing some hockey-related trash-talking and bet-making.
On Saturday, Emanuel took to Facebook to bet Villaraigosa that the Blackhawks would beat the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL's Western Conference Finals.
Villaraigosa accepted the bet late Sunday night — even after his Kings fell behind the Hawks 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
In his Facebook response to Emanuel, Villaraigosa had some fun at the expense of Emanuel and Chicago. He even went so far as to diss the Blackhawks.
"Speaking of hockey, I was recently surprised to learn that Chicago has a professional ice hockey team. Who knew? Has this team been in Chicago long?" the L.A. mayor posted.
But first, he took on the legend of the dead fish. (Emanuel once sent a dead fish to a pollster he wasn't pleased with, taking a page out of the "The Godfather" and the dead fish message that announced hitman Luca Brasi was slain. "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.")
In his Facebook message, Villaraigosa wrote he had received a letter from Emanuel about the hockey bet.
"When I saw it was from you, I said to myself, 'Geez, I hope he didn’t send me a dead fish.' "
"But being mayor of Chicago, the third biggest city in America, seems to have calmed you down, so instead of a fish or some other recently deceased animal, I found a list of items you will be sending me when the Los Angeles Kings, the reigning NHL Champions, win the 2013 NHL Western Conference Championship. Thanks! I didn’t know you were a Kings fan!"
Emanuel had done some trash talking of his own, posting a lengthy sendup of the Declaration of Independence on Facebook telling the Kings that a new champion will rise up.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that while all men and women are created equal, all hockey teams are not," the Chicago patriot wrote. "In every stage of these Playoffs our Blackhawks have advanced in the most humble fashion: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury by your Kings. Kings, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, are unfit to be the champion of the NHL, and should be relegated to 'Ye Olde Sin Bin.'"
If the Kings win, Emanuel said he will send:
• 25 Italian beef sandwiches from Al's Italian Beef;
• Three cases of Goose Island's 312 beer;
• One case of Robinson's Ribs Barbecue Sauce;
• 25 slices of Eli's Cheesecake - a "hat trick" of Original, Strawberry and Chocolate Chip flavors;
• One copy of "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration," by Isabel Wilkerson, a gift for the L.A. mayor to enjoy in his retirement.
If the Hawks win, Villaraigosa is on the hook for:
• 9 #19 Pastrami Sandwiches from Langer's Deli;
• 9 French Dip Sandwiches from Phillipe the Original;
• For the sandwiches, one case of Morehouse Mustard, the official mustard of the Los Angeles Dodgers. ("Speaking of baseball," Villaraigosa jabbed, "when was the last time the Cubs were in the World Series?")
• One case of beer each from Golden Road and Eagle Rock Breweries.
• 3 Hollenbeck Burritos from El Tepeyac Cafe, weighing in at 5 pounds each.
• 12 bottles of Sriracha Chili Sauce
• "And to ensure that you maintain your newfound inner peace, one copy of 'YogaWorks for Everybody' DVD."
