Prince Akeem saw the future.
In the 1988 classic comedy “Coming to America,” Prince Akeem, played by Eddie Murphy, described the outcome of a football game that just so happened to be how the Giants beat the Packers, 24-22, at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.
“Sir, I was wondering, did you happen to catch the professional football contest on television last night?” Prince Akeem asked his boss, Cleo McDowell (played by John Amos).
“No, I didn’t,” McDowell replied.
“Oh, it was most exhilarating. The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay and in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a Big H,” Akeem said. “It was a most ripping victory.”
There are plenty of instances of movies or shows predicting future events – “The Simpsons” has made a habit of this – and this one deserves credit for hitting each detail.
ESPN commentator Robert Griffin III noted after the game: “Coming to America predicted the Packers-Giants game in 1988.”
Let’s start with the game being held at night, which isn’t always a given.
Then, there’s the Giants-Packers matchups on Monday nights.
Monday’s game marked the first time since 1983 that the Giants and Packers met on “Monday Night Football,” according to ESPN.
“Coming To America” debuted five years after that 1983 matchup.
It’s almost unfathomable to think the Giants and Packers, two of the NFL’s most beloved franchises, went 40 years between meeting on “Monday Night Football.”
And then there’s the finish.
The Giants triumphed Monday night when, as Prince Akeem said, Randy Bullock kicked an oblong ball through a “Big H” for a 37-yard field goal as time expired to secure the upset.
Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito led the Giants down the field while trailing by one point to give Bullock a chance to kick the Giants to their third straight win.
And just how is the team celebrating its Monday night triumph? A victory lap with Prince Akeem.
Read more
