WASHINGTON – Work on Capitol Hill has taken an orange and navy undertone for the Colorado delegation. Bets have been placed, jerseys are worn in the halls, offices are decorated and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., is trash talking with Washington senators on Twitter.
The Colorado delegation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate have made bets of local food and drink with their counterparts from Washington state.
“I’m looking forward to tasting my Washington colleagues’ wagers after the Broncos show the Seahawks what it’s like to play the greatest offense in the NFL,” Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, said. “We are united in orange, excited for the game and ready to cheer the Broncos to victory on Sunday!”
Tipton is wagering Enstrom Toffee from Grand Junction.
Sens. Bennet and Mark Udall, D-Colo., are wagering Colorado bison, Palisade-grown peaches and a gift certificate to John Elway’s restaurant in Denver.
“Colorado is #UnitedInOrange because we have the best football team in the nation. We are confident Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey and the AFC champion Broncos will bring home the Lombardi Trophy, which is why we are happy to highlight Colorado’s bison ranchers, orchard growers and restaurants,” Bennet and Udall said in a joint news releases.
Bennet has been exchanging taunting tweets with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., as reported by The Denver Post last week.
“.@PattyMurray Is it true @tomhanks sequel to Sleepless in Seattle is about the @Seahawks fear of Peyton Manning?” he tweeted Jan. 27.
He also engaged in tweets with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., ahead of the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots on Jan. 19.
“.@MarkeyMemo Where are u watching the Super Bowl? Will it be w Tom Brady in the Back Bay over a bowl of chowda? Peyton will be playing in it,” he tweeted Jan. 17.
Though Bennet approves his tweets, he doesn’t come up with all of them himself.
“It’s been a collaborative effort with Bennet and the rest of our office to come up with funny ideas,” said Adam Bozzi, Bennet’s spokesman.
Bennet’s D.C. office is, of course, decked out in player names and numbers, and plush broncos sit on the desks.
Udall also has tweeted support for the Broncos, including pictures of him wearing his Peyton Manning jersey in the halls of Congress.
Katie Fiegenbaum is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald. Reach her at kfiegenbaum@durangoherald.com
