Part of the fun of gambling is it’s not predetermined that you’ll win.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was offered a friendly wager by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams as soon as the first round matchups of the NBA Playoffs were set, pairing the Atlanta Hawks against the Brooklyn Nets. It’s become a tradition amongst city leaders to bet a staple of their town against the opposing team’s lead politician during a big sporting event.

But Reed is so sure the Hawks are going to eliminate the Nets that he won’t even accept Adams’s bet, according to the New York Daily News. Adams offered up Brooklyn-made wine and chocolate, the report said, but Reed quickly turned him down.

“The city of Atlanta hasn’t thought about what to send to Brooklyn if the Hawks lose because we are confident they are going to win,” a spokeswoman for Reed told NYDN.

I see no way this could backfire on a city that is notorious for folding in the postseason.

(Also read: Why is Reed blocking constituents and journalists on Twitter?)

But aside from Atlanta’s snake-bitten playoff past, there’s little reason why the city shouldn’t be confident about the Hawks’ first-round matchup. The 38-44 Nets have yet to beat the Hawks this season, going 0-4 against Atlanta in the regular season. Three of those four losses were by double digits, including a 131-99 drubbing at the beginning of April.

The Hawks got a very favorable first-round matchup, and they should eliminate the Nets easily.

And because so many of Atlanta’s sports nightmares have come at the hands of New York teams, I’m all for talking trash when it appears our team is good enough to back it up. Brooklyn’s officials, on the other hand, are feeling a little slighted right now, so let’s just hope their Nets don’t try to exact a little revenge.

“They’re all products that are certified Brooklyn made,” said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Carlo Scissura in the NYDN report. “The hottest, coolest place in America against Atlanta? Need I say more.”

Hottest, coolest? Brooklyn?

What year is this? 1912?

Yeah, I went there.

Image: Flickr/The Aspen Institute

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