Oshawa preps for Stephen Colbert Day thanks to hockey bet

SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) -- How old will Oshawa, Ont., mayor John Gray be on his next birthday? “Old enough to know better than to take on Stephen Colbert,” according to the late-night satirical news show host.

Colbert, who is known for his fake right-wing, ultra-patriotic American on-air persona as host of “The Colbert Report”, won a bet against the Oshawa mayor, and now March 20, the mayor's birthday, will be declared Stephen Colbert Day in Oshawa.

The affair started when Colbert took an interest in “America's favourite Ontario junior league hockey team,” the Saginaw Spirit of Saginaw, Michigan. When Colbert heard that the Ontario Hockey League team was looking for a name for its new eagle mascot, Colbert began an on-air campaign to have it named after him.

His fans voiced their support on the team's website, and in September, the new mascot was christened Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle. Colbert showed his appreciation by featuring the team in a weekly segment entitled Stephen Colbert's Sport Report.

The enthusiasm of their new off-ice right-winger seemed to change the team's fortunes. The Spirit, who had yet to win a game all season, went on a seven-game winning streak and soared to the top of the OHL's West Division. Merchandise sales also reached an all-time high, and requests for jerseys and hats started pouring in from places as far away as California and Scotland.

Part of Colbert's Sport Reports included trash-talking against some of the Spirit's OHL opponents. In late January, he attacked the Oshawa Generals for holding their annual teddy bear toss for charity after defeating the Spirit. Colbert, whose fear and hatred of bears (or, as he calls them, “godless killing machines without a soul”) has been a running joke on the show, called the bear toss “an obvious attempt to mock me.”

He encouraged Saginaw fans to retaliate by tossing General Motors (which employs hundreds of Oshawa citizens) annual earnings reports -- available in PDF form on Colbert's website -- onto the ice during the Spirit's Januaary 26 game against the Generals.

In response, Gray issued a challenge on a local radio station: if the Generals won the game, Colbert would have to wear a Generals jersey on his show, and if the Spirit won, Gray would declare Colbert's birthday “Stephen Colbert Day.” Colbert accepted the challenge, on the condition that Colbert Day be declared on Gray's birthday instead.

Colbert got his wish, and Saginaw beat the Generals 5-4 in a sold-out game. Gray called into Colbert's show last week and conceded defeat, promising to uphold his end of the bargain. Colbert was gracious in victory, and showed his good sportsmanship by wearing a Generals jersey anyway; he also dropped his pants on the air to reveal a pair of Oshawa Generals boxer shorts.

Gray has challenged Colbert to join Oshawa's Stephen Colbert Day festivities, but we'll have to wait until March 20 to see if Colbert accepts the invitation.