The Super Bowl is just a few days away and the trash talk over the outcome is heating up – on the Twitter field and off – between the airports and the top museums in Seattle and Denver.
The social media teams at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Denver International Airport this week are having what Sea-Tac spokeswoman Christina Faine calls a “spirited conversation” on Twitter about which city and team, and which airport, is No. 1.
Sea-Tac airport started it with this tweet after the Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 19 to clinch the NFC title.
The Denver airport, celebrating the Broncos win over the New England Patriots for the AFC Championship, was quick to reply.
Since then, the two airports have traded good-natured barbs on social media.
Of course, there are wagers involved.
Sea-Tac Managing Director Mark Reis has agreed with Denver’s Manager of Aviation, Kim Day, that the airport whose team does not win Super Bowl XLVIII will display the flag of the opposing team in a public place for 24 hours.
The post-game action will continue on social media. “The airport that loses the wager must take a photo of the winning team’s flag on display at the airport and post it to Facebook for the world to see,” said Denver airport spokesman Heath Montgomery.
Meanwhile, the directors of the Seattle Art Museum and Denver Art Museum have wagered the temporary loans of major works of art on the outcome of the battle between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.
The Denver Art Museum is wagering the loan of a bronze sculpture titled "The Bronco Buster," by Frederic Remington. The Seattle Art Museum is wagering "Sound of Waves"by Tsuji Kakō, a piece from the museum’s Japanese art collection that measures approximately 5 feet by 12 feet.
“We have already picked out a special place of honor in our Asian art galleries for the Japanese screen. I know our visitors will love seeing the artwork at the DAM,” said Christoph Heinrich, director of the Denver Art Museum.
The Seattle Art Museum has since modified its wagered artwork for an alternate piece, titled "Sound of Waves."
“'Sound of Waves' is a masterpiece from our great Japanese art collection and a reflection of Seattle’s close connection to Asia,” said SAM director Kimerly Rorschach, “But we are still confident that 'The Bronco Buster' will be heading to Seattle.”
Harriet Baskas is the author of Hidden Treasures: What Museums Can’t or Won’t Show You, and the Stuck at the Airport blog. Follow her on Twitter at @hbaskas.