Super Bowl XLV’s thrilling 17-13 victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Green Bay Packers was marred only by the not completely unexpected appearance of singer Kanye West. The controversial rapper stormed past security and onto the field late in the third quarter, shoving aside Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger just as he was calling signals on a third down and long situation. After knocking the six-foot five inch quarterback to the ground, West reached under center and yelled out the final “Hut!”
Steelers center Doug Legursky, unaware of what was happening behind him, snapped the ball and West drew back into a seven-step drop, completing a slant pattern pass to Hines Ward, the nimble receiver and former Super Bowl MVP dashing past the Packers defensive backfield to put the Steelers ahead. The black and gold never looked back on their way to an unprecedented seventh Super Bowl title.
“I felt I was being disrespected,” West later explained, surrounded by dozens of reporters and cameramen. “I mean they call him ‘Big Ben’, but what’s so big about him? Hell, I can fling it downfield with the best of them.”
Confusion initially reigned as to whether or not the score should count but – like most Americans – the officials were afraid of incurring the singer’s Twitter wrath by ruling against him.
Center Legursky said he had no idea what had occurred until after the fact. “Hey, man, I’m eyes up on a 325-pound nose tackle bent on knocking me on my butt. You think I can hear what’s going on behind me? The dude even sounded like Ben.”
Lining up against Green Bay’s All-Pro defender Charles Woodson, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said he didn’t even notice the switch until watching the replay unfold on the football field length video board at Cowboys Stadium. “I was eyeing Charles the whole time at the line of scrimmage while listening to the signals, fought him off, ran my slant, then turned around and BAM!! The ball was in my hands.”
“This is a travesty,” snapped Mike McCarthy, the enraged head coach of the Packers still steaming during the postgame interview, knowing Kanye’s pass had put the Steelers up for good. McCarthy instantly threw his red flag out onto the field, indicating his intention to contest the touchdown, but the score stood in the eyes of the replay official. Upon losing the ruling and – per the rules - what would prove to be a costly timeout, McCarthy sprinted onto the turf in protest, grabbing the referee by the arm but garnering only a penalty for unsportsmanlike contest.
After the game, a beaming Kanye West held the Lombardi trophy aloft, surrounded by cheering Steelers and heckling anyone daring to suggest that the game’s MVP was going anywhere near Disneyland, announcing boldly to Fox TV’s Joe Buck that he would soon be found at Dallas’s Kitty Kat Strip Club.
“I just hope Beyonce was watching,” he added with a smile.
BILL
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