June 03, 2004
June 3, 2004
LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today extended a friendly wager to California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the 2004 NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers. Adding a note of friendly competition to the Pistons and Lakers matchup, Granholm proposed a long distance dinner of Michigan favorites for Governor Schwarzenegger if Detroit wins the championship. The bet also stipulates that Governor Schwarzenegger enjoy his fine Michigan meal at his desk, wearing a Pistons jersey.
The dinner selected showcases a wide array of some of Michigan’s best-loved products. Governor Schwarzenegger would enjoy a warm baked pasty, a refreshing cool Vernors, and a dessert of chocolate covered Michigan cherries.
The pasty, a pastry stuffed full with potatoes, meat, and vegetables, is a popular Michigan Upper Peninsula favorite whose roots stretch back to Michigan’s mining heritage. Vernors, concocted by James Vernor, a Detroit pharmacist, remains a popular beverage throughout Michigan. The sweet concoction of chocolate-covered cherries presents Governor Schwarzenegger with one of Michigan’s finest and plentiful fruits.
This is the Pistons’ first trip to the NBA finals since 1990. Game one of the NBA World championship takes place on Sunday, June 6.
