'Deflategate' Adds Airy Fun to Super Bowl Cookie Poll

Depending on which team they support, customers at Ryke’s Bakery, Catering & Cafe buy cookies decorated to reflect either the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. A third option – cookies decorated to look like deflated footballs – was added this year. (Photos via Facebook)

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“Deflategate” has added some airy fun to a Super Bowl tradition in western Michigan.

Every year, Ryke’s Bakery, Catering & Cafe in Muskegon offers a cookie poll to determine which team customers support in the Super Bowl, WWJ/CBS Detroit reports. Cookies are decorated to reflect the teams in the game – this year, defending champions the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots – and the bakery records a hash mark on a whiteboard every time a cookie is sold.

After Deflategate – in case you’ve been under a rock or something and missed it, the New England Patriots allegedly used under-inflated footballs, which are easier to handle in cold weather, in their AFC championship win over the Indianapolis Colts – the bakery added a new competition to the poll:

In addition to the Seahawks- and Pat-decorated treats, customers can also purchase cookies decorated to look like under-inflated footballs, then cast their votes for their Super Bowl favorite.

Tell Us:

• So, who’s your favorite in Sunday’s Super Bowl? Did Deflategate change your support? Take our poll and talk back in the comments.

The bakery has been offering what it calls “The Ultimate Cookie Smackdown Poll” since 2008.

Owner Renee Rouwhorst is careful about not violating copyright laws and uses only officially licensed products – no small thing. In its original iteration, the promotion was called the “Super Bowl Cookie Poll,” but Rouwhorst had to change the name because Super Bowl is an official NFL trademark.

So when Deflategate broke, it created quite a conundrum for the baker.

“I was nervous that they were going to disqualify the Patriots because of Deflategate,” she told The Muskegon Chronicle/MLive. “I didn’t know if I could get Colts stuff, so a friend of mind said, ‘Just make some deflated football cookies.’ ”

As of mid-morning Wednesday, the Seahawks were customers’ favorite, leading the Patriots 175-143, according to a tally reflected on the bakery’s Facebook page.

The bakery also offers cookie polls to test customers’ preferences in presidential elections, the Michigan/Michigan State football game and other competitions to tickle their tastebuds and fancies.

“Anytime I can create a wonderful, fun, silly and crazy event, I’m going to do it,” Rouwhorst said.

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