Super Bowl 2024: Kansas City Chiefs embrace hate ahead of San Francisco 49ers showdown
When Kansas City entered Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium this week at the Super Bowl Opening Night, the jeers were deafening. Somewhere along the line, the Chiefs became the NFL antiheroes.
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The Chiefs are mimicking their most famous fan by becoming the NFL’s “antihero”, and their biggest stars are embracing the new tag.
Whether it is the Taylor Swift effect, or simply that Kansas City is rapidly becoming the New England Patriots of the modern generation with unprecedented success, they’ve gone from beloved to most hated in quick time.
When the Chiefs entered Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium earlier this week at the Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night, the deafening jeers from San Francisco 49ers fans – and some neutrals – was a clear sign as to which team will have crowd advantage.
The Chiefs, defending champions who have made four of the past five Super Bowls, perhaps are getting too good for the liking of rival supporters, in much the way Tom Brady’s Patriots became target No.1 during their run of six championships from the start of the century.
But for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who will use any perceived slight or open hostility as motivation to punish rivals, the reception was sweet music to his ears.
“I appreciate it, Niners nation,” Mahomes bellowed on stage. “We’re here.”
Mahomes’ greatness is revealing itself in multiple statistics.
Only 28, he’s already led the Chiefs to two Super Bowl rings and six AFC Championships.
But another telling statistic is that Mahomes has nine wins and three losses as an underdog, the best of any quarterback in history with a minimum 10 starts.
The 49ers are betting favourites.
Chiefs defensive talisman Chris Jones, who like Mahomes thrives in adversity, also welcomed the nasty reaction from fans in Las Vegas.
“For some reason, everybody used to love us,” Jones said.
“We used to be one of the most favourite teams. Now everybody’s like, ‘We’re ready for the Chiefs to lose’.
“I don’t know why, what changed, what dramatic incidents happened to where everybody felt like we should lose now, but that’s okay. They can continue hating.”
One obvious factor is the addition of Swift – and her millions of Swifty fans – joining the Chiefs bandwagon this year due to the pop star’s romance with Kansas City tight-end Travis Kelce.
Which is why some of the most vicious booing on Opening Night was saved for No.87 when he stepped up to the microphone.
“Y’all are firing me up,” Kelce told the rabid supporters.
“Making me want to play right now, baby. Woo.
“I love the boos more than I love the cheers. Keep them coming, Niners gang.”
It’s a far cry from when the Chiefs used to be a team most pitied.
Before Mahomes led them to glory in Super Bowl LIV – coincidentally against the 49ers – Chiefs fans had been waiting 50 years for a championship.
The shoe is now on the other foot, with San Francisco fans having not tasted Super Bowl victory for 30 seasons.
BIZARRE TAYLOR SWIFT RUMOUR CLOUDS SUPER BOWL
- AFP
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed conspiracy theories surrounding Taylor Swift as “nonsense” on Tuesday as the final countdown to this week’s Super Bowl got under way in Las Vegas.
Pop icon Swift’s burgeoning romance with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has been cited by right-wing critics as evidence of a plot to rig the Super Bowl and help get US President Joe Biden reelected.
The bizarre theories have characterised Kelce and Swift’s relationship as a deep-state psychological operation, designed to tip this year’s presidential election in Biden’s favor, with Fox News asking in a recent discussion: “Is Taylor Swift a Pentagon asset?”
Mike Crispi, a pro-Donald Trump broadcast personality, meanwhile declared recently: “EVERYONE knows Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is fake and the Super Bowl is rigged. You’re a whacko at this point if you DON’T believe it.”
But National Football League chief Goodell was having none of it as he addressed reporters in the depths of Allegiant Stadium on Monday ahead of next Sunday’s Super Bowl showpiece between Kansas City and the San Francisco 49ers.
“Anybody in society in a public position is subject to criticism,” Goodell said of the conspiracy theories.
“But I think the idea that this is within a script, this is pre-planned, is just nonsense,” Goodell said. “It’s frankly not even worth talking about.”
For one thing, Goodell noted wryly: “I’m not that good a scripter.”
Goodell, though, was effusive about the impact Swift’s relationship with Kelce has had on America’s favorite sport.
Ever since Swift began attending Kelce’s games for Kansas City earlier this season, television audience numbers have surged, with ratings showing a boost among female viewers.
The Chiefs’ playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens was the most watched AFC Championship game in history.
“She’s a remarkable performer,” Goodell said of Swift.
“She’s the best of the best.
“The Taylor Swift effect is all positive. Travis and Taylor are wonderful young people. They seem very happy. She knows great entertainment and I think that’s why she loves NFL football. It’s great to have her part of it.
“Obviously, it creates buzz. So another group of young fans, particularly young women, that are interested in saying, ‘Why should we watch this game? Why is (Taylor) interested in this game?’”
On Monday, Swift made Grammys history by winning her fourth Album of the Year prize, the most of any performer.
Originally published as Super Bowl 2024: Kansas City Chiefs embrace hate ahead of San Francisco 49ers showdown
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