Last night, the Dallas Cowboys played the New York Giants, in a game that, for much of its three hours, was a close contest between two rivals. Through three quarters, the two teams were within a point of each other. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper all stepped up when the moment called them, and the unretired Jason Witten was clutch once more, coming through with eight receptions. But let’s not waste time talking about those guys, because look at this:
Impressive performance by a black cat that got onto the field at MetLife, briefly interrupting Giants-Cowboys game. pic.twitter.com/ZVTwM0hVhD
— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) November 5, 2019
That is the real MVP of the game, an unnamed black cat (we’ll call him “Emmitt,” after Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys’ most legendary running back) who somehow found his way from somewhere in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to the bright lights of Monday Night Football.
Emmitt made his debut in the second quarter, popping down to field level and fully disrupting the game as New Jersey state troopers deployed to retrieve the critter—who, in classic cat fashion, was not interested in being retrieved. Instead, he darted around the field, curious about the spectacle and letting the people watching him—nearly a hundred thousand at the stadium, plus the millions he was clearly playing to who were watching from home—know that this was his moment.
The moment was clearly fun for MNF broadcasters Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland, who wondered aloud if the cat might curse the Cowboys’ chances during the season. On the radio, Westwood One announcer Kevin Harlan—who holds the distinction of having called the most Super Bowl radio broadcasts in NFL history—dramatized the events for every Uber driver and long-haul trucker unable to watch the game at home.
AUDIO: There was a cat on the field. @Kevinharlan had the #MNF call for us.
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) November 5, 2019
It was beautiful. pic.twitter.com/4ShTBVaYRZ
Harlan stayed in character and delivered a play-by-play of the cat’s movements. “
The cat didn’t know that he had scored, but he clearly seemed to have enjoyed the attention. Emmitt approached the crowd—”He’s climbing into the stands, the fans are running for their lives,” Harlan ad-libbed—and then darted off toward the tunnel.
What became of the cat after he left the field is a mystery. But given the national spotlight that shone, however briefly, on the lil’ guy, we will assume that he’s been adopted, and that he is now preparing for life as an indoor cat with his penchant for mischief intact. Also, if it matters, the Cowboys won the game.
A round of a-paws for tonight’s player of the game 🙌 #DALvsNYG pic.twitter.com/IaNxuK9Io8
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 5, 2019
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