CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus just barely avoided a PR nightmare after the conclusion of Super Bowl LVIII.
The Kansas City Chiefs outlasted the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev.
But with six seconds remaining in OT and the game tied at 22, it appeared as though a second overtime was coming. McManus’ quote from earlier this week had begun to resurface on social media as the clock neared zeros during the first overtime.
The CBS executive joked on Monday that the Super Bowl was going into double overtime. McManus’s quip was meant to make fun of conspiracy theorists who believe the NFL to be scripted.
“The NFL has alerted us that, for the first time ever, we will have a double overtime game (in the Super Bowl),” McManus said.
McManus successfully dodged the “scripted” allegations thanks to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Mahomes found Hardman for a touchdown on first-and-goal to seal back-to-back Super Bowls for Kansas City.
McManus’ double-overtime scenario may not have come to fruition, but the script couldn’t have played out any better for the NFL. Mahomes propelled himself into another stratosphere with his third Super Bowl victory in five seasons. The Chiefs star has seamlessly stepped into the NFL QB1 role previously occupied by Tom Brady for over two decades.
During Sunday's Super Bowl win, Mahomes went 34-of-46 for 333 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The standout performance earned the 28-year-old QB his third Super Bowl MVP trophy.
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