NFL Honors’ top only-in-Las Vegas moments
The NFL Honors broadcast was very Vegas, from the jump. Or, from the aerial.
The cast of Cirque’s “Mystere”opened the show, vaulting from teeter-boards and bounding across the stage. Host Kegan-Michael Key dropped in while hooked to an aerial harness. The comic actor confided, “That is harder than it looks,” and Cirque, he has handed you a marketing campaign.
More only-in-Vegas moments from Thursday’s “NFL Honors” at Resorts World Theater. All entries are appropriately titled:
— The Chairman: Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” played to the list of NFL MVP nominees, and during winner Lamar Jackson’s walk to the stage. TMZ is reporting “My Way” is going to be used plentifully in CBS’s pregame show Sunday. Good! We’re predicting the network’s pregame show will feature profiles Wayne Newton, Carrot Top and Penn & Teller. Bringing us to …
— The Gag: P&T made NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disappear, in favor of NFL legend Barry Sanders. Key had plucked a card from the deck, king of clubs, and that’s how Sanders was dressed when the drape was pulled away.
— The Shtick: Key had some Vegas-specific material. “Odds on the Cowboys not making it back to the wildcard round? Five-to-one, five-to-one!” And, “Taylor Swift is in Tokyo. The only people farther away from the Super Bowl are the Carolina Panthers.”
— The Swing: The gents from “Magic Mike Live” showed up on stage and performed a few moments of Ginuwine’s “Pony” from their stage show at Sahara.
— The Lights: The stage was bathed in neon signs, not specific casinos but still a very cool look at the back of the stage.
— The King: Ace ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist) Travis Allen from “All Shook Up” at Alexis Park grooved it up on the red carpet. He was the show’s greeter, and during the walk-in the house sound system played, “A Little Less Conversation.”
— The Healing: Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns were the house band. I ran into a few of the boys in the men’s room before the show. I said to band leader Jerry Lopez, “Play some originals.” He mentioned the set list had to be approved. And, it was, because Santa Fe’s original “When The Curtain Goes Up,” was in the mix. The Healing worked for the NFL crowd.
— The Prince: OK, he’s not a Las Vegan (far as we know) but Prince Harry arrived to present the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award to Steelers’ defensive tackle Cam Heyward. It was a beautiful moment to honor a man who pays it forward.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.