Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, left, with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma after a 93-60 win against Louisville in the women’s NCAA Tournament finals at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, Tuesday, April 9, 2013. (Getty Images)
All bets are off between Connecticut’s Dan Malloy and Indiana’s Mike Pence.
The governors will not be making it double-or-nothing on the result of tonight’s women’s NCAA title game between UConn and Notre Dame, a rematch a last year’s championship won by the Huskies that Malloy is slated to attend.
“Not sure Governor Pence would pick up the phone,” said Devon Puglia, a spokesman for Malloy. “But to be clear, when you have the UCONN women and (coach) Geno (Auriemma), it would almost be an unfair bet.”
While it’s customary for governors to make a “friendly” wager on teams from their home state — as Malloy and Pence did last year when both bet a basket of agricultural products — any semblance of collegiality between the two is gone.
No, there will be no betting of pizzas from Pepe’s or Sally’s for Malloy — not even Domino’s.
Not after Malloy last week became the first governor in the nation to boycott Indiana over its Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which the Democrat said would allow businesses and individuals to discriminate against gays. Malloy eventually lifted a ban of state employee travel to the Hoosier State when the controversial law was amended, but not before calling Pence a “bigot” on MSNBC.
Pence’s office did not respond to a request for comment on tonight’s game, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.