A few days after Halloween, a black cat visited the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants in the middle of their primetime football game on Monday night. Late in the second quarter, a Giants drive was stopped because the cat ran onto the field and was apparently unconcerned about the importance of the NFC East race.
A black cat interrupted ‘Monday Night Football’ and everyone handled it purrfectly
THERE WAS A CAT AND THE CAT DIDN’T GET CHASED AND THE CAT WAS GOOD AND SPORTS ARE GOOD.
It was billed as a “feline interruption” by the press box announcer and, fortunately, things played out pretty well for the cat, who was assuredly scared and confused.
As a cat owner (or rather, as someone who is permitted to live among the 14 cats that control my home), I was very worried we were going to be treated to a bunch of big dudes chasing the cat in circles for several minutes.
Instead, the stadium crew, including the New Jersey Police Department, calmly herded the cat past the end zone and along the back wall, where the cat sprinted through the tunnel. The loud crowd was something the cat was surely hearing the entire game, so the only thing that could have made things worse was an escalation that we, fortunately, did not get.
And if you didn’t happen to be listening to the Westwood One radio call, featuring the great Kevin Harlan, well ... if you’re familiar with him at all, you’ll know exactly how good it was:
Not quite as important as the safety and well-being of that VERY GOOD AND SELF-ASSURED CAT is the lateral movement and quickness the cat showed on its way to the end zone. Nobody gave chase, but it out on an athletic display nonetheless and surely would have juked a cop or two if given the chance.
I have no idea if these numbers from NFL Game Day are real or for “the goofs” but I’m into it, regardless:
Also, it definitely looked like DeMarcus Lawrence was among the first players on the field to notice the cat, and you can see him helpfully pointing the feline out:
Madelyn Burke spent some time with building security at MetLife Stadium, and they noted there are some “resident stray cats” who tend to come out after the game. Apparently, this cat was one of them, and was likely startled out by fan noise.
The cat was a good omen for the Cowboys, who trailed 9-3 before it appeared. After that interruption, they went on to beat the Giants 37-18.
The cat was even named the Cowboys’ player of the game:
Good moves. Good cat. Good outcome.
