Last year right after the start of Spanish Football season and just minutes after kickoff a black cat wandered onto the field in the Barcelona vs. Elche match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The kitty took center stage as stadium staff chased him all over the field, much to the amusement of players and fans!
“We don’t have a rat catcher, we need a cat catcher,” said the game’s commentator. The frisky feline was finally removed from the field amidst applause from the fans. This black cat turned out to be good luck for Barcelona, who won the game, 3-0.
We got to thinking about how many times we’ve seen cats interrupt sporting events and had a chuckle creating this list of some of the most memorable:
April 21, 2009: Reds at Cubs
An unidentified security guard chases a cat in left field during the fourth inning of a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
October 29, 2009
A cat runs across the court during the match between Venus and Serena Williams at the WTA Tennis Championships, in Doha, Qatar.
February 7, 2012: Liverpool
During the 1st half of the Liverpool-Tottenham English Premier League soccer game, a cat ran on the pitch. The cat stopped by Tottenham goalie Brad Friedel and took a brief rest outside the goalie box before exiting the field.
A Game of Cat and …Dog?
A stray cat interrupted an Israeli basketball game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Hasharon. The cat invaded the court at the beginning of the match and got the scare of a lifetime after it was chased by Maccabi’s mascot – Donny the Dog.
April 13, 2009: Padres at Mets
During the Mets home season opener, an unexpected guest also made his debut at the newly built Citi Field. No, it wasn’t a newly signed ballplayer or a celebrity sighting, instead it was an orange tabby cat.
July 14, 1984: Red Sox at Mariners
A rambunctious gray kitten bites the finger of the poor guy who ends up corralling him. The Mariners win 5-4.
The Cubs Black Cat Curse
The 1969 Cubs was a team consisting of legends and with a lead over the Mets it looked like nothing could stop the Cubs from returning to the World Series. That is, until September 9th, 1969 when a black cat ran onto the field at Shea Stadium.
May 1, 2016: Sharks vs. Predators
Black cats are widely attached to superstitions and bad luck. And it’s no secret that hockey players are highly superstitious – especially during the playoffs! So you can imagine the horror when a black cat somehow wandered onto the ice and crossed directly in front of the home bench inside SAP Center before the San Jose Sharks took on the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of their 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks won that game and named the kitty Jo PAW-velski, in honor of the team’s captain Joe Pavelski.
May 12, 2016: Cardinals vs. Angels
The St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Angels game was briefly delayed in the fourth inning because a cat sprinted onto the field and then into the stands, causing the fans to do a pretty spectacular wave as he ran through the crowd! He was eventually caught by a fan and the Angels made sure he was taken to a local rescue. The Cards won that game, 10-7. Click here to see the video!
