Was Bratina right to refuse to bet Toronto Mayor Rob Ford?
Hamilton's Mayor Bob Bratina says he won't be making any bets with embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ahead of Sunday's Argos-Ticats clash in the CFL East Division final.
“There will be no participation between the offices of the Mayors of Hamilton and Toronto with regard to Sunday's football play-off game,” Bratina said in a statement to CBC Hamilton Thursday.
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Mayor Ford fumbles Mayor Bratina's name
Earlier on Thursday, Ford, addressing reporters amid swirling accusations of alcoholism, drug abuse and the use of prostitutes, took the opportunity to trash the Tiger-Cats.
"I want to call Mayor Britannia in Hamilton and tell him that we're going to have to spank their little Tiger-Cats," Ford said, fumbling the name of Hamilton's mayor and baffling the swarm reporters surrounding him.
Ford went on to make several more comments, some of which were blasted by council for their crude nature.
Bratina's office said it did not receive a call from Ford.
Ford is a noted football fan who played during his high school days and later coached the Don Bosco Eagles team. Last year he spoke at victory parade after the Argonauts captured the Grey Cup.
The Argonauts organization wasn't impressed with Ford's comments today.
"The situation with respect to the Mayor and his leadership is unseemly at best. These latest remarks, while wearing our team's jersey, are particularly disappointing given our organization's work in the community to help youth deal with issues of bullying prevention," the organization tweeted.
Tiger-Cats decline comment
The Tiger-Cats declined to comment on the Toronto mayor's remarks.
Politicians often place friendly wagers ahead of big games. Last year, Ford and Calgary's Naheed Nenshi made a bet ahead of the Grey Cup. At an event leading up to the game, Ford courted controversy by stomping on a Calgary jersey offered to him by Nenshi.
As for the drug and prostitution allegations, Ford called them "outright lies," and said he will sue the staffers who made them.
The full story on Rob Ford's comments, which he apologized for at a noon news conference, can be found here:
The Tiger-Cats take on the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL Eastern Final game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.