States clap back at Gov. Lamont’s New Haven pizza, UConn basketball flexes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut can’t warrant its claims about having the GOAT pizza and basketball teams, according to other governors.

Gov. Ned Lamont has ordered a handful of new “Welcome to Connecticut” signs to be installed, each with a different message.

The signs declare that Connecticut is “home to” different things, including being the “basketball capital of the world” (something Lamont tweeted out multiple times during March Madness), the “pizza capital of the United States,” the “submarine capital of the world” and the “foodie capital of New England.”

“You’re not even the pizza capital of the tri-state area,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a clapback.

The pizza sign is located on Interstate 95 and Interstate 84, facing visitors coming from New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul has not commented on the signs.

Connecticut’s lawmakers have been on a mission to tout New Haven apizza, even flying to Washington, D.C. to declare the city as the nation’s “pizza capital.” While Rep. Rose DeLauro (D-Conn.) read it into the congressional record, it was not introduced as a potential piece of law.

Earlier this year, Nutmeggers also took issue with Amtrak leaving New Haven pizza — and Connecticut altogether — off a map of “Tastes of the Northeast Regional” line. Even Make It Here, the state’s tourism campaign, said the stated was “disrespected” by the map. New York City pizza did make the list.

Amtrak posted a quasi apology, writing “turns out New Haven is also known for its (a)pizza. who knew??”

Make It Here was quick to respond, adding, “Who knew? We did. That’s why New Haven is the Pizza Capital of the Nation…not New York or New Jersey or whatever they call that casserole over in Chicago and Detroit.”

Massachusetts is also taking issue with Lamont’s new welcome signs. In a X post, Gov. Maura Healey posted a roughly redesigned version of the “basketball capital” sign. Under her post claiming she “Fixed it,” Healey edited the sign to read “Welcome to Massachusetts Home of the Basketball Capital of the World.”

The basketball signs are on Interstate 91, Interstate 94 and Interstate 395, greeting visitors from Massachusetts.

While the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team has won back-to-back NCAA titles and the women’s team is highly decorated, the sport itself was born over the border in Springfield, Massachusetts. Connecticut has a WNBA team, but not an NBA one.

The more innocuous submarine sign welcomes visitors driving on Interstate 95 from Rhode Island. Gov. Daniel McKee has yet to express his displeasure.

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