"He had considered attending the game in Denver or watching on TV in a No 21 Patriots jersey, which he wore in Foxboro for four seasons through the mid-to-late 2010s, but feared he might jinx the outcome. In the end, it was just him and his nerves for company. Just as Butler was feeling somewhat at peace with that setup, and the Patriots' prospects, a bad omen intruded: His wifi glitched, delaying the broadcast as the Patriots clung on to a three-point lead in the fourth-quarter."
"Two years into retirement, the 36-year-old remains one of football's biggest emotional triggers the defensive back who reshaped legacies and kindled a lasting firestorm on one mind-bending play. It's most definitely been life-changing, he says. It's one of the best plays ever made in Super Bowl history in NFL history. For those who somehow missed it: in Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle were four points behind against New England with a minute left. They had four cracks to all but win the game from the Patriots' five-yard line."
Malcolm Butler watched the AFC championship from his home in Houston after deciding not to attend. He feared jinxing the outcome and briefly suffered a wifi glitch as the Patriots clung to a three-point fourth-quarter lead. After fixing the connection, his phone rang as New England prevailed 10-7 to reach the Super Bowl. The victory delivered the Patriots their 10th Super Bowl appearance in 24 years and 12th overall, setting up a rematch with Seattle from Super Bowl XLIX. A win would give New England a record seventh Super Bowl title. Butler's Super Bowl XLIX play is described as life-changing and legacy-defining.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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