UPPER FREEHOLD — No one can call Howell Township Mayor Bob Walsh a sore loser.

At the Jan. 15 Township Committee meeting, Walsh lived up to a bet he made with fellow mayor and football fanatic Steve Alexander. Alexander, a native Philadelphian, is an avid Eagles fan, while Walsh roots for the New York Giants. The pair made a friendly bet that after the Jan. 11 playoff game, the mayor supporting the losing team would come to the next township meeting wearing the winning team's jersey and provide coffee and pastries.

As the Eagles beat the Giants 23-11, Walsh made the trek to Upper Freehold bearing food and drink and wearing the green and white Eagles jersey.

Another condition of the wager was that he must wear the Eagles jersey to his own council meeting on Jan. 20.

Alexander called Walsh "very generous and very good-hearted." He joked that although Walsh loves the Giants, it could be worse and he could be a Dallas Cowboys fan like Deputy Mayor Stanley Moslowski Jr.

The mayors had not met before. Alexander read about Walsh's predilection for the Giants in a local newspaper and called him to arrange the bet.

Walsh said, "When you called, I thought you were the tight end of the Washington Redskins," who is also named Steve Alexander.

Walsh said between 30 and 40 people had stopped him since the Giants' defeat.

"Think I got a few votes and I lost a few," he said.

Walsh said he would be rooting for the Eagles in their Jan. 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Eagles wound up losing the game to the Cardinals. Alexander can now commiserate with Walsh, as the Eagles won't be going to the Super Bowl this year either. Both mayors may have helped their towns out in the long run as a result of the friendly wager, as they agreed to look into shared services.