Best catch ever.

October 14, 2006 6:35 PM

I'm trying to find a video clip of of a fan making an amazing diving catch during Monday Night Football in 1996.

In a 1996 Monday Night Football game at Soldier Field (Bears-Packers), a fan named Mike Pantazis jumped all the way out of his seat into the tunnel and caught the ball from an extra point kick. It was insane, and he even won an ESPY award for it. I've been looking everywhere for a video clip of it - I know it exists somewhere because they replay the highlight on MNF all the time. Someone please help!

posted by TunnelArmr to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Found a still. Still looking for the video...
posted by ifranzen at 6:53 PM on October 14, 2006

Best answer: I *think* it's at 1:53 of this YouTube, but it happens so quickly that I don't know for sure, because I've never seen it. Right before it, Theismann gets his leg broken, so avoid that if, like me, you get squicked.
posted by iconomy at 7:02 PM on October 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

eponysterical
posted by iconomy at 7:03 PM on October 14, 2006

I feel that I should mention my old friend Smen spent a considerable amount of time and effort in an attempt to procure some video footage of this event. He was trying to jog my memory of the leap, because at the time I had inexplicably forgotton about it altogether. He even somehow tracked down Pantazis and e-mailed him about the search. Unfortunately, he received no reply.

From here.
posted by ifranzen at 7:06 PM on October 14, 2006

Yup, iconomy has it.
posted by ifranzen at 7:09 PM on October 14, 2006

yeah, iconomy has it, but it's a very short clip that's part of a montage of MNF moments. It doesn't really even show the takeoff or landing, only the catch in mid-air. I definitely would like to see the whole thing if anyone can find a better clip.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 8:53 PM on October 14, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks iconomy, I knew AskMeFi would come through!
posted by TunnelArmr at 12:17 AM on October 15, 2006