Perhaps a metaphor for the tenants’ fortunes, a black cat invaded the MetLife Stadium field during the New York Giants’ Monday night tilt.
Between ghosts and black cats, Mondays at MetLife Stadium are becoming a downright spooky experience.
In the midst of the New York Giants’ Monday night tilt against the Dallas Cowboys, a feline visitor interrupted proceedings with the Giants driving in the latter stages of the second quarter. A black cat waited on the opposite end of the field, hovering by the end zone before entering it, much to the delight of the crowd assembled. The game was briefly paused to allow the cat its time and space to leave the field.
As stadium personnel descending upon the field to apprehend the animal, the cat suddenly displayed flashes of speed, eluding its would-be captors.
Calling the game for Westwood One, play-by-play man Kevin Harlan gave a detailed analysis of the cat’s adventure, even working in a sponsor plug.
Kevin Harlan's Westwood One radio call of the cat on the field is, as you might expect, an all-time great call. How much of a pro is Harlan? He worked a sponsor read into it. pic.twitter.com/3x0MVNEHNY
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 5, 2019
Eventually, the cat left the field through one of the tunnels behind the end zone. The Giants went on to kick a field goal on their drive to create a 12-3 lead.
This isn’t the first time the arrival of a black cat has interrupted metropolitan athletic proceedings. During a September 1969 game between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, a black cat sauntered onto the field and walked past the Cubs dugout. At the time, the Mets and Cubs were engaged in a tight race for the National League East crown, with Chicago leading by 1.5 games entering that contest.
After the cat’s visit, the Cubs lost the game 7-1 and lost 12 of their final 19 games to lose the division by eight games. The Mets went on to win their first World Series in franchise history.
Today, the cat appears to be indicative of the current fortunes of MetLife Stadium’s NFL tenants. The Giants and New York Jets had a combined three wins entering Week 9’s action. In perhaps a mere superstitious coincidence, the Cowboys scored 10 unanswered points after the cat’s cameo to go into the halftime break with a 13-12 lead.
