Rose Bowl Referee Flubs Name of Sen. Mark Kelly During Coin Flip

May 2024 · 1 minute read

You had one job! During the midfield coin flip ahead of Monday’s Rose Bowl game between Penn State and Utah, referee Michael Vandervelde remembered the names of this year’s Tournament of Roses president and the Rose Parade’s grand marshal. Unfortunately, he forgot the name of the grand marshal’s spouse—who also happens to be a sitting U.S. senator. Just after introducing former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), who served as the grand marshal of the 134th Rose Parade earlier in the day, Vandervelde turned to her husband, who was standing alongside the ex-congresswoman and gun safety advocate. According to Vandervelde, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ)—a former astronaut who just won re-election—was actually “Sen. Mark Lewis.” Capturing the moment on his smartphone like a casual fan, Kelly appeared to be a good sport about the flub, laughing it off as Vandervelde proceeded with the coin flip.

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