NFL reporter claims 49ers owner made him pay $2,100 restaurant bill
A bet is a bet, but one NFL reporter says he was unfairly stuck with a huge restaurant bill by an NFL owner he accuses of being oblivious to the value of money to normal people.
Tim Kawakami, who covers the San Francisco 49ers for the Mercury News, hosts a podcast, and recently told the story of how he lost a bet with 49ers owner Jed York.
It started with this tweet:
I stand by my offer: If 49ers build a Santa Clara stadium by Sept. 2014, I'll buy @mattbarrows & @jedyork lunch in Napa (& I might have to)
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) December 14, 2011
The 49ers did build that stadium, and Kawakami ended up footing the bill for both York and his wife at an expensive restaurant.
The damage: $2,100.
Kawakami said on the podcast that he doesn't believe York comprehends how much money that is to a sportswriter, but seemed to admit on Twitter that it's his own fault he was stuck paying the bill:
The Merc wasn't and shouldn't be responsible for that. https://t.co/hSsYyh4Pp6
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) May 17, 2016
The reporter was me, it's more nuanced than that, and if Jed does smart things I will absolutely praise him. https://t.co/1J29EQqIRg
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) May 17, 2016
- With h/t to Deadspin