GLENDALE | When Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in February 2020, they were the flavor of the moment and loved by everyone. Now with their second coronation in four years, they already seem to join the ranks of the detestable.
It’s always the same. The NFL is a spinning wheel and like WWE wrestling, the bad guys quickly become the good guys and the good guys quickly become the bad guys. It is the cycle of life.
When Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl in 2001, he was the young quarterback with a fabulous destiny. Sixth-round pick, impossibly catapulted to sporting apotheosis, a true Disney tale.
Then Brady and the Patriots won a second. Then a third. And so on, up to six.
Acute “Ecoeuritis”
From the second championship in 2003, the grunts rose quietly. Brady was not so good, he had good defense, the best coach in the league in Bill Belichick and a surefire kicker in Adam Vinatieri.
Then, the acute “disgust” infected many football fans over repeated successes.
There were, of course, those who worshiped Brady relentlessly, lighting votives so that his prowess would endure over time. But there were also, more and more, those who got up at night to spit on him.
The fault of the referees
The Chiefs are going through a bit of the same phenomenon, slowly but surely. It’s fascinating how this team, seen as refreshing in 2019, has suddenly become the target of the biggest conspiracies.
This time, the most frustrated decree that it is the NFL which would make every effort so that the Chiefs win the Super Bowl and impose themselves as the omnipotence.
It is striking to see the twittersphere go up in flames and assert that the NFL is rigged.
It is quite normal that the penalty called against the Eagles at the end of the match raised passions. Did cornerback James Bradberry hold JuJu Smith-Schuster’s jersey? Yes, probably a little.
Applying the book to the letter, the referee made the right decision. The problem is that several such offenses are not called with the same zeal at other times.
At 35-35, with a few minutes to play, it would have been better if the yellow handkerchief had remained in the pockets of the zebra. However, in the strict sense of the law, there was cause for an offence.
So this is the perfect opportunity to “prove” that the NFL is arranged with the views guy.
A unique skill
It is time for the detractors to let go of their emotions and see reality in the face. The Chiefs are a solid organization, led by Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach.
The term “generational” is often abused, but Patrick Mahomes really does honor to this expression. And yet…
Right now, Pats fans don’t want to see the Chiefs win because they want to continue to live on the fumes of the last infernos of their dynasty.
Bengals fans hate the Chiefs because they too claim they were robbed by referees. Bills fans also have their reasons to hold their noses when the Chiefs pass. The wound left by the famous 13 seconds and the extension of a year ago remains open.
Several others, who have allegiances or not, go so far as to believe that Patrick Mahomes is a good actor who plays to aggravate the effects of his ankle injury to make capital of sympathy.
It would be fascinating to see these folks out in the field, struggling with a sprained ankle and being chased by 300-pound monsters. They will never have this chance, so they criticize.
All these beautiful people have the right to hate, but we must at least recognize that the Chiefs have the gift of giving spectacular football and wild games. That should be enough to respect them.
