Here we go op-ra, here we go

A journalist friend forwarded me the following press release, and it is funny stuff:

Pittsburgh, PA, January 29…The trash-talking has already begun. Pittsburgh Opera and Arizona Opera (with locations in Phoenix and Tucson) have embraced the mortal combat of the Super Bowl with a fervor befitting, well, opera.

“Everyone knows how passionate Pittsburghers are about the Steelers. It goes without saying that we had to find a way to show our true devotion to our team,” said Christopher Hahn, Pittsburgh Opera General Director, who today threw down the gauntlet at the feet of Arizona Opera Artistic Director Joel Revzen. Hahn and Revzen agreed on the terms of a nonmonetary wager after heated negotiations as to the losing company’s specific type of embarrassment, degree of embarrassment, and required public demonstration of said embarrassment. If the Arizona Cardinals lose in the Super Bowl, Arizona Opera’s artistic director and board chair must wear Steelers jerseys, and their senior staff must wave Terrible Towels for a poster-sized photo that will be displayed prominently for the entire run of the company’s next production. If the Steelers lose, the same conditions apply, but Hahn has not ordered a Larry Fitzgerald jersey yet.

“Our Terrible Tree has been on display since late December,” said Hahn. “I believe this demonstrates our superior commitment to team spirit and gives us a distinct advantage, aside from the facts that we have not one, but two fight songs, and the NFL has used the aria ‘Celeste Aida’ in its Steelers merchandise TV commercials. Plus, Bill Hillgrove, the ‘Voice of the Steelers,’ has recorded our pre-opera announcements. I’d like to see Arizona Opera beat those odds.” The Terrible Tree is decorated with Steelers paraphernalia and at least one Terrible Towel, and has made the rounds on Facebook and Myspace.

The Pittsburgh Opera-Arizona Opera wager will be settled late Sunday night by a victory in Super Bowl XLIII.

The cliché press release tone and serious quotes from the general director are just great. To the victor, send in pictures!