Image

Patrick Mahomes has made Kansas Metropolis the NFL’s popular culture hub

The league’s preeminent dynasties of the previous 60 years have usually been stationed in main metropolitan areas consisting of Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, Miami, Boston, in addition to the six states that characterize New England. Pittsburgh’s run within the 1970’s was the uncommon exception.

Nevertheless, Terry Bradshaw wasn’t a sign caller of Patrick Mahomes’ ilk and didn’t play out his prime on this fashionable media atmosphere. You’d should be a conspiratorial nut to imagine the NFL scripted for the Paris of the Plains to be their hub of exercise as an alternative of the cities housing the Cowboys, Dolphins, Rams or Jets or Giants. Kansas Metropolis is without doubt one of the NFL’s smallest media markets and their most well-known fan final yr was a fugitive known for wearing a wolf costume and robbing banks to fund his Chiefs fandom.

The one athlete approaching the lately retired Tom Brady’s hallowed standing is Mahomes. In an more and more siloed tradition, Mahomes has put Kansas Metropolis on the epicenter of the sports activities monoculture and even transcended borders. Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift elevated the Chiefs into an excellent greater stratosphere, however he wouldn’t have had the clout to realize the eye of a Grammy linchpin if his quarterback had been Alex Smith.

Mahomes’ pursuit of Brady is about to cannibalize the NFL discourse for the subsequent decade. Regardless of the necessity to put one down on the expense of the opposite, they’re equal talent-wise, however they made historical past in their very own respective fashions. Mahomes is Michael Jordan within the clutch, however Michael Jackson behind the road of scrimmage to Brady’s Paul McCartney. Mahomes is a multi-talented prodigy who launches CGI passes at absurd angles and moonwalks round move rushes with a few of the most inventive footwork we’ve ever seen from the quarterback place.

Brady will get demerits for his lack of ability to create alchemy on the run. He can’t faucet dance like Mahomes, however his success was akin to 1 probably the most prolific singers, technically proficient songwriters and composers of all time. McCartney and Brady put out banger after banger, however Mahomes simply strikes otherwise. Luckily, we’re nonetheless creeping up on a probable future by which Brady is within the uncomfortable place of offering shade commentary for Tremendous Bowls whereas Mahomes erases their championship disparity. Don’t trouble evaluating them or their spheres of affect, although. Brady shared Massachusetts with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Patrice Bergeron, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Kansas Metropolis is a Mahomes’ fiefdom.

Mahomes and Travis Kelce’s third Tremendous Bowl in Kansas Metropolis is the equal of if LeBron James had gained three titles in Cleveland as an alternative of taking his abilities to tropical South Seaside. No less than the common American is aware of the place Cleveland is. Solely 4 brief years in the past, Donald Trump congratulated Kansas after the Chiefs first Tremendous Bowl.

With out Mahomes to Kelce igniting three Tremendous Bowl runs, we don’t get indelible photographs like Jason Kelce gently introducing himself to Ice Spice earlier than he obtained too plastered to recollect her identify. Now that the Chiefs are chasing a 3rd consecutive title, they’re cultural footprint will solely broaden.

The downstream impact of attracting all this consideration and alternatives outdoors soccer brings the potential for inflated egos and wandering focus. No less than that’s what the remainder of the league has to hope is what derails Kansas Metropolis.

Earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, Kelce confirmed that he’s pursuing comedic roles on the silver display.. That sounds all good and effectively till he’s pulling a Jim Brown and displaying up late for coaching camp to finish reshoots for David AyersSoiled Dozens remake whereas reminding the Hunt household that he’s underpaid relative to his positional worth.

How lengthy will it’s till the Mahomes’ are represented by CAA and Brittany is co-hosting The View alongside Ayesha Curry? Each dynasty wants a diva nook resembling L’Jarius Sneed or Trent McDuffie. Andy Reid must embrace a keto weight-reduction plan, grease his hair, shave the ‘stache and stamp his name on a ghostwritten book on leadership and Chief Culture.

Now that they’re formally a dynasty, the celeb bandwagon is sure to broaden past Swifties. All these St. Louis celebs deserted by the Rams are soccer fandom free brokers searching for a franchise to latch onto. Historical past tells us that Kansas Metropolis Worldwide Airport needs to be inundated with personal jets each Sunday subsequent season. Arrowhead ticket prices will continue soaring till even Paul Rudd is priced out.

All eyes will probably be on Kansas Metropolis and Mahomes for the foreseeable future. The Chiefs have turn into the NFL’s marquee franchise of the last decade they usually’re taking Missouri on the journey with them for higher or worse.

Discover DJ Dunson on X…or don’t: @cerebralsportex

SHARE THIS POST