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Monday Night Football is usually unique viewing and last night was no different. Patrick Mahomes and Kurt Warner were seen as cartoon figures in an animated highlight reel. It showed NFL players who have had over 5,000 yards passing in the first 18 starts of their careers.
In the Chargers' 28-14 win over the Raiders, this animation showed Mahomes’ undeniable love for ketchup as he drenched his food with it. Justin Herbert played incredibly well as he threw for 222 yards on 25/38 of his throws with three touchdowns in the same match.
Joe Accordino, a graphics producer for ESPN, said in a video on Twitter:
“We brainstorm every detail imaginable and come up with visual Easter Eggs that only the most observant fans will notice,”
The unique graphics have become a staple of Monday Night Football since last year. ESPN believes it plays a key role in their broadcast by entertaining and revealing stats and facts with amazing details. It certainly gives a lighter look to the broadcast and fans seem to like it.
Mahomes loves his ketchup
The animated character of Mahomes was seen putting a lot of ketchup on his food while sitting with Warner in the video. Justin Herbert joined them later in the elusive group.
The cartoon video on Monday Night Football told a story that many fans would not have realized. It was based off a time when Mahomes and Warner were sitting at a table outside the In-N-Out Burger. Mahomes was bombarding his food with a serious helping of ketchup, which was the reason behind the animation. Everyone likes ketchup but it is clear that the Super Bowl winner and former MVP likes it much more than others.
The animated video of Mahomes, Warner and Herbert was not the only video seen on the broadcast last night. A video of Las Vegas head coach Jon Gruden dancing with a movie character who appears to be Chucky was also shared. The relevance here is that the coach’s nickname is Chucky.
Peyton and Eli Manning’s Manningcast will not be on until Week 7. ESPN has done a good job of filling that void with these animated videos. It does give Monday Night Football a very different look when compared to other broadcasts. At the moment, it seems to be working rather well.
