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Rose Bowl Official Calls Arizona Senator By Wrong Name

The officiating crew at the Rose Bowl got off to a rough start on Monday when the game’s referee made quite the gaffe when trying to introduce United States senator Mark Kelly.

Kelly was on the field alongside former U.S. House of Representatives member and 2023 Tournament of Roses grand marshal Gabrielle Giffords, who is also his wife, during the coin toss ahead of the matchup between No. 11 Penn State and No. 8 Utah. Referee Michael Vandervelde had the responsibility of introducing both of them to the crowd and fans watching from home.

Though Vandervelde got off to a strong start when speaking of Giffords, he stumbled when he got to the current junior senator from Arizona, calling him Mark Lewis instead of Mark Kelly.