Five of the best examples of animals interrupting sporting events
SEATTLE (BVM) — Last night’s primetime Thursday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the L.A. Rams was a thriller. The Rams redeemed themselves in a short week from a home loss to divisional rival Arizona Cardinals by beating the Seahawks, 26-17. Russell Wilson did leave the game in the second half after spraining a finger on his throwing hand, but another Seahawk was getting a lot of attention: a literal Seahawk.
Taima the Augur Hawk and the official mascot of the Seahawks was the center of attention when she took a detour from her normal flight path to say hello to the 12th Man, landing on one fan and then perching on top of his head.
Meanwhile in Seattle…
📺: #LARvsSEA on NFLN/FOX/PRIME VIDEO
📱: NFL App pic.twitter.com/6IT5mqKnfE— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2021
Neither hawk nor fan was hurt, but in honor of Taima reminding everyone that animals can and will be a part of sporting events, here are five of the best.
1. Black Cat gets into MetLife Stadium during Monday Night Football Game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
Kevin Harlan’s call of the cat on the field deserves all the awards pic.twitter.com/DwKkb2kMrF
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 5, 2019
The score was 9-3 in favor of the Giants when a black cat ran onto the field late in the second quarter of a MNF game between the Giants and the Cowboys. New York was not only trying to get a win against a divisional rival, but snap a four-game losing streak. After an impressive play-by-play from Kevin Harlan and the efforts of stadium staff, the cat did exit the stadium but many believe it left some bad luck on the Giants side of the field. New York would end up losing to Dallas 37-18 and finish the season with a 4-12 record.
2. Manu Ginobli vs. the bat.
NBA Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili is known for many things, whether it’s his NBA Championships with the San Antonio Spurs, his time in the Olympics with Argentina or the many, many highlights he created over his 23-year professional basketball career. However, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard is also known for swatting and then capturing a bat that was flying around AT&T Center during a game between the Sacramento Kings and the Spurs on Halloween night. Since then, there have been other instances of bats interrupting Spurs’ home games.
3. Cody Gribble gets an alligator to move during the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Alligators can be a common sight out on any golf course in Florida, but usually people try to steer clear of them. However, Cody Gribble had other ideas when he saw a gator sunning itself on the side of the sixth fairway of Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club during the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2017. Seeing an opportunity for a real life ‘Happy Gilmore’ moment, the pro golfer tapped the reptile on the tail to get it to jump back in the water. To Floridians, it probably was not a big deal, but the rest of the United States was impressed.
4. Live chicken thrown onto the ice during an L.A. Kings vs Montreal Canadiens game.
In 1988, the L.A. Kings were hosting the Montreal Canadiens for an NHL regular season game when a fan threw something on the ice right before the end of the first period. It turned out to be a live chicken, setting up then police Lt. Robert Westlake to later say, ‘The chicken was the victim of fowl play.’ Craig Rodenfels was arrested for his attempt to send a message to the Kings, who did lose the game 7-6, and was not allowed to get his chicken back from the authorities because it was evidence.
5. Street dogs retrieve tennis balls during the Brazil Open.
Unlike the previous four, this one was planned, but the animals still find a way to steal the show. During the 2016 Brazil Open, four shelter dogs acted as ball retrievers for the tennis event. The trained and previously homeless dogs stole the show in their bandanas, sweatbands and their occasional unwillingness to give up a tennis ball.
