Mayors make a friendly wager on eve of big basketball rivalry

Fri, 12/27/2013 - 11:33am — John Embry

With one of the nation’s premier basketball rivalries resuming Dec. 28, Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville and Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington are putting a friendly wager on the line: The winning mayor gets the opportunity to show off his hometown track.

“When the Cards win with their superior team-work, experience and quickness, I will be honored to host Mayor Gray for a day at the races during the spring meet at the world’s most famous racetrack -- Churchill Downs,” Fischer said.

“Mayor Fischer, it will be a pleasure to welcome you to Rupp Arena, the Cathedral of College Basketball. I’m hoping you won’t take the loss too hard…after all, Kentucky has won twice as many of these match-ups as Louisville,” Gray said. Gray predicted he will enjoy hosting Mayor Fischer at Keeneland next spring.

The two mayors will be sitting together for the big game in Section 31, Row D, Seats 5 and 6 at Rupp Arena.

Fischer and Gray are both businessmen who are collaborating to grow jobs and strengthen the 22-county Louisville and Lexington region through the BEAM initiative – the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement. The idea for the initiative was born when the two mayors attended a December 2010 UK/UofL game at the KFC Yum! Center.

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Date: 12-27-2013

Kentucky Press News Service

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