Mike Tirico took on a new challenge Sunday night while calling the Bills-Patriots game. He performed play-by-play while a fan fleed the stands with a football under his jersey.
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The moment unfolded in the third quarter of the Patriots 23-20 win. Facing first-and-goal from the six-yard line, Josh Allen rolled to the right looking for a receiver in the end zone. No one broke open, so he just launched the football into the stands.
A fan wearing a Matt Milano jersey caught the ball and quickly hid it under his jersey. He then turned and started hustling up the stairs. This caught Tirico by surprise, but the veteran broadcaster quickly pivoted and began calling the action.
Josh Allen passed the ball to a fan and he left the stadium 😭😭
"He's in row 10, he's in row 15 ... maybe he doesn't want to be on T.V., he's gone!"
- Mike Tirico 🤣
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/H5zkZ50Jv1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 6, 2025
"Oh, he's gone," Tirico said. "Milano! Milano's gonna go. He's in row 10! He's in row 15! He might get a beer! Where you going, man? It's your moment!
"Milano row 40, led by Allen! He's gonna take it the distance. Maybe it wasn't his seat. Maybe he doesn't want to be on TV. He's gone."
The fan turning and rushing away did not surprise NFL fans. After all, the usher would have likely taken back the football so the offense could continue using it. The fan in the Milano jersey ensured that he would exit the stadium with a rare piece of merchandise by taking action.
This moment served as the latest example of a top-tier broadcaster entertaining viewers with a unique call. Only the best have pulled off the feat, and Tirico is a member of this elite group.
Another timeless call belongs to CBS Sports play-by-play man Kevin Harlan, who calls action across multiple leagues.
Back in 2016, Harlan did the radio call for a Monday night matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. This game did not produce much action until midway through the fourth quarter when a fan ran onto the field. Harlan took the opportunity to deliver an incredible call.
Kevin Harlan’s cat on the field is almost as good as his drunk fan on the field call from 2016 😂 pic.twitter.com/BKya7gwVPz
— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) November 5, 2019
"Hey, somebody has run out onto the field," Harlan said. "Some goofball in a hat and a red shirt. Now he takes off the shirt! He's running down the middle by the 50, he's at the 30! He's bare-chested and banging his chest. Now he runs the opposite way!
"He runs to the 50, he runs to the 40! The guy is drunk but there he goes! The 20! They're chasing him, they're not going to get him. Waving his arms, bare-chested, somebody stop that man! Oh, they got him, they're coming from the left, and they tackle him at the 40-yard line!"
As the security personnel and police surrounded the fan, Harlan took a deep breath before saying that it was the most exciting thing to happen all night.
"I hope it was worth it my friend," he added, "because you've got a night in the clink coming up."
