Halloween was last week, but try telling that to the quick-moving black cat that appeared on the field at MetLife Stadium during the Monday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.
The cat showed up near the end of the second quarter, and play was stopped while it raced around for about two minutes. Fans erupted when the cat finally crossed into the end zone, and it eventually darted into one of the off-field tunnels.
Westwood One radio announcer Kevin Harlan gave the cat its own witty play-by-play.
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
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
Football fans on social media honored the feline visitor with plenty of memes and jokes. Black cats, of course, bring their own special superstitions. "Seven more years of bad QBs for the Giants," wrote one Twitter user.
7 more years of bad QBs for the @Giants #NYGvsDAL #MNF #blackcat pic.twitter.com/9blwK9QwET
— Brittany Kregs (@KregsList) November 5, 2019
footage from his rookie year: pic.twitter.com/FbvGQoSz8N
— GIPHY Sports (@GIPHYSports) November 5, 2019
#blackcat’s wife waiting for him to get home from MNF. pic.twitter.com/pZxgRm6LWA
— SAM6 (@travelong6) November 5, 2019
Cowboys switching to a wildcat offense #blackcat pic.twitter.com/5LFJ3Xywuq
— HeggBU (@HeggBall) November 5, 2019
Oh no... #DALvsNYG #blackcat pic.twitter.com/SO03c4FiZh
— Davefrey (@Real_Davefrey) November 5, 2019
It stopped right at the endzone and the Eagles fan in me wanted to scream "Damn it Desean!"
— Julie (@Buellie1208) November 5, 2019
And some were worried about the frantic feline's fear. "Call me weird, but I found absolutely nothing funny about this," wrote one Twitter user. "It was heartbreaking seeing how terrified that cat was."
Call me weird, but I found absolutely nothing funny about this. It was heartbreaking seeing how terrified that cat was. And another thing: how did that cat get there in the first place? #AnimalCruelty
— KLT 🌊🏳️🌈🐾🐱🦉🦋🐝🦅🐳 (@humanekt) November 5, 2019
Awww that poor cat was terrified
— Lizee🐘👻 (@LizeeNYankees) November 5, 2019
Poor scared baby
— Tammy L Bryant (@TammyLBryant) November 5, 2019
And some fans just wanted to sign the cat. "Has good movement skills but could use a little more cardio work," wrote one.
Has good movement skills but could use a little more cardio work. pic.twitter.com/nosbbN7KlQ
— Austere Govt. Mule (@Az61Ronin) November 5, 2019
Great quickness, solid route cuts. Looked pretty hefty. Make the call, let’s get him a tryout. 😼😹
— scare-ick riley (@ericrileyy) November 5, 2019
The cat got into the endzone before Dallas did.
— Justin Shultz (@schoolboyj3w) November 5, 2019
Naturally, Twitter accounts in the cat's honor quickly sprang up, including one dubbed CowboysCat and another called GiantsBlackCat.
I’m fine. pic.twitter.com/blPT7gIi6f
— @cowboyscat (@cowboyscat) November 5, 2019
When the team comes in at half and you find out you’re losing by a point @Giants pic.twitter.com/pUtufI5bl2
— TheGiantsBlackCat (@GiantsBlackCat) November 5, 2019
And it turns out a lot of cats watch Monday Night Football too, and this may have been their favorite game ever.
My cats Max and Leo saw the black cat on Monday night football pic.twitter.com/Pq5DA3RzgN
— Cindy Saucier (@Brat1st) November 5, 2019
Harold also enjoyed the black cat pic.twitter.com/pfnPAxJjxz
— Eric T. White (@mrwhite_) November 5, 2019
“YOOO, OUR BOY MADE IT TO THE BIG LIGHTS GUYS LOOOK!”
— Emilio (@wolf_hunter2001) November 5, 2019