A YouGov ballot printed this week discovered some onerous proof that America is affected by Chiefs Fatigue.
Of the ballot’s 1,604 respondents, 29% are rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles to win Tremendous Bowl LIX on Sunday versus 22% for Kansas Metropolis. After we had the identical matchup two years in the past, the Chiefs outstripped the Eagles in help 30% to 27%. Decline in Chiefs help was discovered within the 4 most important areas of the nation—even the Midwest.
I received’t disguise that I’m in Camp Philly. I’ve already taken photographs on the Chiefs, Travis Kelce and the refs in a column right here two weeks in the past.
However permit me to strike a extra conciliatory tone with Kansas Metropolis followers.
As a result of whether or not we prefer it or not, the Chiefs are on the precipice of the primary Tremendous Bowl three-peat ever. Historical past is written by the victors, as they are saying, and in need of a legit scandal that’s but to return to gentle, one other win would make the Chiefs an unimpeachable dynasty within the annals of soccer.
Not solely wouldn’t it be three straight Tremendous Bowls, however it could even be a 4-1 file over 5 appearances in a six-year run. The Brady-Belichick Patriots can’t compete with these numbers.
And quibble with the competitors all you need, however whereas Brady had Peyton Manning as his foil, Patrick Mahomes and co. share a convention with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. It’s an excellent quartet of quarterbacks for a single period, and the opposite three could by no means sniff a Lombardi Trophy due to Kansas Metropolis’s stranglehold.
How we select to abdomen this actuality is as much as every of us. The NFL At this time’s Nate Burleson apparently scolded the anti-Chiefs contingent with a “Simply be blissful that you’re alive to be there to see it.” No. You don’t, in truth, gotta hand it to them. Burleson doesn’t get to inform anybody methods to be a fan.
There are myriad causes to be “over” the Chiefs, to justify your distaste, something from Taylor and Travis to Mahomes’ problematic members of the family to Andy Reid’s son’s terrible DWI to the kicker’s politics. No matter fits you.
You’ll discover that none of these should do with the product on the sector. The closest any of us can come to puncturing the Chiefs’ precise soccer greatness is to quote their fortunate file in one-score video games and throw up our palms when the refs give them a good name.
I’ve had my enjoyable with the officers, however my conclusion stands: There’s hardly proof right here of a real league-rigging conspiracy to maintain the Chiefs’ desires alive. (The referees union crying about how insulted they have been by fan theories was a tad a lot.)
We declare to need to witness greatness, however in actuality most of us want that it was our favourite crew on that stage as an alternative. It’s OK for the majority of us to root in opposition to the Chiefs this weekend. That can take nothing away from a singular NFL accomplishment like a three-peat.
In reality, the league workplace could privately prefer it this manner.
“If profitable soccer video games makes you a villain, we’re going to maintain going on the market and doing it,” Mahomes mentioned this week.
Spoken like a real villain, certainly.