Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals for advancing to the American League Championship Series with a 7-2 victory over the Houston Astros in a deciding Game 5 of the ALDS. What it all means is that Nick Beffer, general manager of Jack Stack Barbecue in K.C., won himself some barbecue from Houston.
Nick Beffer runs a Kansas City gem: Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue on the city’s famed Country Club Plaza. The restaurant is home to burnt ends, cheesy corn, hickory smoked beans and one delicious baseball rivalry between Beffer and his Astros-crazed relatives. (…)
His uncle Tony Beffer, a fan of all things Houston, lives in Katy. Nick Beffer once lived there with his dad but became a Royals fan. The two have been exchanging friendly texts.
“I think his first text back was something like, ‘Now that you’re up there in the secondary barbecue area with the secondary baseball team, we’ll see how this plays out,'” Nick Beffer said.
Their wager is tasty. If Houston wins, Uncle Tony gets a platter of Jack Stack Barbecue shipped to his home. However, if the Royals win, Nick Beffer gets a taste of Houston’s Goode Company.
Usually when there’s … say, a mayoral food bet, the food from each city is a little more diverse. In this case, the Kansas City winner just won more barbecue. Considering how provincial every region is about their barbecue, it doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s like if the Brewers played the Rockies and they bet beer. Like anybody in Milwaukee would want a case of Coors Light. That makes as little sense as the Brewers and the Rockies in the NLCS.
(Though I have confirmed through an independent source that the barbecue at the Goode Company is damn good.)
(Photo of Wade Davis celebrating by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
