There’s football and there’s barbecue. Which is better, Kansas City or Nashville?

It is customary for the mayors of two cities facing each other in an important sports contest to make a friendly wager.

With Kansas City, it usually involves barbecue. But what if we’re playing another barbecue powerhouse?

Of course, Kansas City Mayor Sly James and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry have a bet over Saturday’s playoff game between the Chiefs against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead.

What does Nashville offer if the Titans lose?

Barbecue.

Yep, both cities are standing behind their culinary reputations.

If the Chiefs are victorious, Barry will send a spread from hometown favorite Jack’s Bar-B-Q.

If the Titans win, James “will be sending some of Kansas City’s finest to Music City,” according to a Thursday release from the mayor’s office. The announcement, diplomatically, does not specify which Kansas City barbecue venue or venues would be chosen to represent the city.

Barbecue tastes are highly subjective, and there is no shortage of people compiling lists of the best.

The New York Post named Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que America’s “best BBQ restaurant.”

Meanwhile, a ranking posted on the Huffington Post puts Nashville at No. 8 out of the 10 best cities for barbecue. “Music and meat — that’s what you get in Nashville.”

Kansas City scored better at No. 3. “Saying that Kansas City, Missouri, is a pretty good BBQ destination is like calling Beethoven a pretty good composer.”

(If you must know which city was No. 1, prepare to be disappointed. “Seriously, no trip through Texas is complete without a stop in Lockhart.”)

This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 11:20 AM with the headline "There’s football and there’s barbecue. Which is better, Kansas City or Nashville?."