Who says “whatever happens on the ice stays on the ice?” Today, Vik Dewan, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Zoo, announced that he and his counterpart at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, Dr. Barbara Baker, have made a friendly wager on the outcome of the upcoming Flyers, Penguins Eastern Conference Finals beginning tomorrow.
The friendly food wager consists of the following:
If the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium wins (which the Philadelphia Zoo is confident won’t happen) then Dewan will present Dr. Baker and eleven of her staff with cheesesteaks from Rick’s inside the Reading Terminal Market (owner Rick Oliivieri is also offering to give Dr. Baker "grill time"), soft pretzels (complete with mustard) and bottles of Hires Root Beer (which shares the title of America's oldest soft drink with Detroit's Vernor's ginger ale and created by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires in 1866).
When the Philadelphia Zoo wins (and it will), Dr. Baker will present Dewan and eleven of his staff with Primanti Brothers Sandwiches, complete with coleslaw and French Fries, and Iron City Beer for 12.
Both Baker and Dewan will be watching the players and games closely within the next two weeks, as the teams take to the ice to settle their own rivalry beginning tomorrow night in Pittsburgh. And in the meantime, the Philadelphia Zoo welcomes fans of either team, alike, to view “FLYERS” of many different types including Humboldt penguins (ours root for the Flyers, by the way), keas, hornbills, condors and the most American of all, the Bald Eagle and take part in the conservation of these and other rare and endangered species.