KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs had been as soon as the loveable NFL underdogs, led by the good-natured coach who couldn’t win the massive one, the plucky quarterback with the Kermit the Frog-like voice, and the celebrity tight finish with charisma to spare.
5 years after their first journey to the Tremendous Bowl in 5 many years, although, issues have modified.
Because the Chiefs put together to face the Eagles subsequent Sunday in New Orleans with a chance to win their report third consecutive Lombardi Trophy, soccer followers are seeing Andy Reid’s bushy mustache popping up on TV commercials. They’re listening to Patrick Mahomes’ voice seemingly in every single place. And Travis Kelce? He is solely relationship the most important pop star on the planet.
All of that and extra has contributed to a profound sense of Chiefs fatigue that has turned many NFL followers towards them.
“Chiefs fatigue was inevitable,” defined Mike Lewis, writer of “Fandom Analytics” and a professor of promoting at Emory College. “Pre-Mahomes, the Chiefs had been an afterthought of a crew; a small-market crew was by no means a constant winner. Because the Chiefs grew right into a dynasty, they turned rivals to a number of groups, adversaries to beat.
“In 2025, the Chiefs are maybe the principle rivals for the Ravens, Steelers, Eagles, Chargers and another crew that aspires to championships. Now, the Chiefs are the crew that forestalls different fandoms from reaching the promised land.”
Certainly, the Chiefs have lengthy been the rivals of the Raiders and Broncos, who play in the identical division. However that crew tucked away in Center America additionally has turn into the most important thorn within the aspect of the Bengals, whom they’ve performed in consecutive AFC title video games, and the Payments, whose season they’ve resulted in 4 of the previous 5 years.
Together with this one. Kansas Metropolis as soon as once more denied a Buffalo a spot within the Tremendous Bowl with a 32-29 win within the AFC title sport.
“Fandom, at a basic degree, is about identification. Being a fan is being a part of group,” Lewis stated. “When an NFL fan’s crew wins, he wins. Likewise, when his crew loses, he loses. All dynasties encourage fatigue and good-natured hate as a result of it’s tiring to lose to the identical guys again and again.”
In that respect, Lewis stated, the Chiefs have taken on the position that the Patriots of Invoice Belichick and Tom Brady held for extra twenty years — one other once-floundering franchise that discovered the right combination of coach and quarterback and have become a dynasty.
“For those who’re a Pittsburgh fan and it is 10 years in the past, and the Chiefs are floundering and so they have a great 12 months right here or there, it is simple to be like, ‘I type of just like the Chiefs too,’ as a result of they do not threaten your crew,” stated Dr. Dan Wann, who teaches psychology and research fandom at Murray State College.
“When that crew will get profitable and passes you,” Wann stated, “it goes from, ‘Oh, isn’t that cute?’ to ‘They beat our (butt) once more.’ It adjustments the attitude. Consider the Cubs; they had been the loveable losers. After which they began successful.”
Embrace the hate
Mahomes and Kelce are probably the most seen members of probably the most profitable franchise within the NFL, so in fact they hear what followers say about them, particularly when the quarterback and tight finish crew up for movie star golf tournaments and different occasions.
They’ve their share of followers. Everybody nonetheless needs their photograph or autograph. However additionally they hear a lot from the detractors.
“I attempt to not take heed to it an excessive amount of,” Mahomes stated. “I attempt to to embrace who now we have on this locker room, the personalities and the way we get pleasure from enjoying soccer, and I imagine if we play soccer the best means and compete, I am going to all the time have my guys’ backs.”
Even when conspiracy theorists declare that NFL officers are calling video games in order that Kansas Metropolis will win.
That was one of many prevailing storylines from the AFC title sport, although virtually each knowledge level — whether or not or not it’s variety of penalties, penalty yardage or the time within the sport during which the flags flew — proved the precise reverse.
Nonetheless, there have been a number of Chiefs gamers, together with linebacker Drue Tranquill, who spoke out towards the perceived favoritism on social media.
“Yeah, I do not care,” Reid stated of the conspiracies, fairly matter-of-factly. “I do not get into that. I do not use it with the fellows.”
However, all these detractors appear to have galvanized the Chiefs, simply as they’ve their fan base. Take the Kansas Metropolis-based streetwear model Made Mobb, which sells a line of shirts and hoodies in Chiefs colours that learn merely: “Villains.” One other attire firm, Charlie Hustle, has shirts that learn: “Kansas Metropolis Versus The World.”
Fascination and oversaturation
Activate the TV and there may be Reid, chowing down on “rooster nuggies” or drawing up the “bundlerooskie” for insurance coverage firm State Farm. Or Mahomes, pitching Subway sandwiches, watching TV with the Coors Gentle bear or slinging a ball across the discipline in his Oakley sun shades. Or Kelce, internet hosting sport exhibits and dropping in on “Saturday Night time Dwell.”
None of which is shocking when you think about {that a} research by digital advertising company Hennessey Digital late final 12 months discovered that Kelce was the NFL’s most marketable participant. Mahomes was proper behind his good buddy at No. 2.
It is all enjoyable for Chiefs followers, who’re rightfully happy with their very own. It is oversaturation for followers of different NFL franchises.
“Athletes and different entertainers should be cautious, each time you flip round, there they’re. It will probably begin to grate on peoples’ nerves,” Wann stated. “Individuals are going to be like, ‘Oh, my gosh. Them once more?’ A great instance is the Yankees. They’re all the time the Saturday sport of the week, and folks get uninterested in it. I do not know if it is jealousy or an excessive amount of of a great factor.”
Possibly slightly little bit of each.
A few of that oversaturation is a byproduct of Kelce’s relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, which has created hundreds if not tens of millions of recent Chiefs followers, however which additionally has alienated different NFL followers. Over the previous 18 months, they’ve grown weary of sport broadcasts consistently displaying Swift in stadium suites, typically with movie star friends resembling WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
No less than, that is their notion. The fact is Swift had 54 seconds of display screen time through the CBS broadcast of final 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl, when the Chiefs rallied to beat San Francisco in time beyond regulation. The whole broadcast lasted 4 hours, 8 minutes.
“These guys convey rankings and impressions,” Lewis stated, “however to different fandoms, it looks like rivals are tormenting them. Not solely do they recurrently lose to Mahomes, however additionally they need to see him and listen to his ‘non-traditional’ voice in advert after advert. Kelce is the longer term Corridor of Famer with film star seems and is relationship Taylor Swift. No fan needs to see their rivals residing this nicely.
“Taylor is a part of the story as nicely,” Lewis added. “She brings Swifties and anti-Swifties.”
They in flip turn into pro-Chiefs and anti-Chiefs.
There are many the previous. There have gotten increasingly of the latter.
“Look, we like to see folks on high fall, proper? That is one factor we all know from sports activities fan analysis,” Wann stated. “We like to see these folks on high crumble and get theirs, and now they’re down right here with the remainder of us losers. So you will get that at a crew degree. All people loves a championship story. However then you definately’re like, ‘You bought to be kidding me. They’re successful once more.’”
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