Gov. Chris Christie to attend Packers-Cowboys game, will pay own way
Stop the presses: New Jersey governor Chris Christie's will indeed attend Sunday's Packers-Cowboys playoff game, according to his spokesman.
Christie, a longtime Dallas fan, made headlines last weekend when he was shown on television joyfully celebrating the Cowboys' wild-card round win over the Lions in the box of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The two shared an awkward embrace, setting socal media ablaze.
The governor was criticized for maintaining his Cowboys fandom in a state where most of his constituents are fans of the rival Eagles or Giants, and an ethics complaint was even filed over the fact that Jones paid for Christie to attend last week's game.
• Jerry Jones: Christie, like Nelson Mandela, makes games special
But Christie hasn't backed down, first defending his right to be a Cowboys fan and now announcing Friday he'll be at Lambeau Field to root on the team again. (And to avoid controversy, Christie will pay for his own trip, even though Jones said on ESPN Radio Friday morning he's got a couple seats reserved for his pal.)
Christie's spokesman released the following semi-serious statement about his plans:
“As a lifelong Cowboys fan, it’s hard to pass up attending a playoff game when you’ve been dubbed the team’s mojo. Not wanting to risk breaking the team’s 5-0 streak by messing with karma, Governor Christie, his orange sweater, and his son, Andrew, will all travel to Lambeau Field this weekend to attend the game against the Green Bay Packers. The Governor will be paying for travel and tickets for himself, his sweater and his son to make sure we keep silliness out of the football season.”
• Angry Lions fans put up 'Detroit Lyin' ' billboards featuring refs
One thing's for sure: You can expect a lot of TV shots of Christie once again on Sunday.
- Ben Estes
