In the photograph, Jenkins wears Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis's number 36 and holds the gold "Terrible Towel" waved by Pittsburgh fans at games. He is surrounded by members of Seattle Opera's board, many of them wearing the striped shirts of referees and blindfolds—a protest, apparently, against the officiating in the game, which was seen by many in Seattle as unfair.

"The photo may not be exactly what the Pittsburgh Opera expects, but it carries out the wager and reflects the feelings of all of us at Seattle Opera," Jenkins said.