Oct. 07--Consider it "The Great Pastrami Bet: Round Two."
In a move signaling that great sandwiches -- and great sandwich competitions -- can transcend time and sport, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton have once again placed a bet with each other over which city's sports team will win a playoff series.
Last time, it was the Kings versus the Rangers for hockey's Stanley Cup. This time, the Dodgers and the Mets are squaring off in baseball's National League Division Series.
The prize, however, remains the same: Lunch from Langer's Deli in L.A. or Katz's Deli in New York City.
If the Dodgers win the series, which opens Friday night at Chavez Ravine, Bratton will buy lunch for Beck at Katz's Deli. If the Mets win, Beck must buy lunch for Bratton at Langer's Deli.
"As with our Kings-Rangers Stanley Cup bet in 2014 when the Kings won, it's too bad that Commissioner Bratton will not be able to enjoy his favorite Los Angeles deli," Beck said in a statement from Langer's.
Indeed, Beck is just 16 months removed from relishing a mustard-free pastrami sandwich courtesy of Bratton.
In Round One of the Great Pastrami Bet, the morning after the L.A. Kings polished off the New York Rangers, Bratton tweeted a photo of Katz's Deli in New York and tagged Beck's Twitter account.
"Do you take your pastrami sandwich with or without mustard? Congrats!" Bratton tweeted.
Beck's response was to tweet a picture of L.A.'s most-revered pastrami sandwich, the No. 19 at Langer's Deli.
"Hold the mustard please, slaw inside, just like @LangersDeli #19," Beck tweeted along with the picture.
A spokesman for Langer's Deli said, however, that despite Beck's public advocacy for the famous No. 19, the chief actually prefers No. 10 -- a pastrami sandwich without coleslaw.
Bratton prefers corned beef to pastrami -- particularly on a Kaiser roll, the spokesman added. It was not immediately clear whether Bratton adds cheese.
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