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Henry McKenna
NFL Reporter
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — There have been so many points during the 2024 season when Patrick Mahomes has been unapologetically himself. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has also caused controversy, this year more than ever.
It’s no coincidence. But it’s also no fault of his own.
Some NFL fans think the game is rigged to help the Chiefs win. That every advantageous flag is another indication that the league is somehow orchestrating the three-peat. And that Mahomes, who has probably never played worse, is coasting to the top seed in the AFC.
It’s not real. But when the haters decide to hate, reality is irrelevant.
This recent development begs the question: How has Mahomes turned into the NFL’s villain?
“I feel like he earned it,” Bills cornerback Cam Lewis told FOX Sports in the postgame locker room after intercepting Mahomes in Week 11. “LeBron, one of the greatest basketball players, and he gets a lot of hate from winning championships. Steph Curry. So that just comes with the success, man. I feel like that should be a compliment to [Mahomes]. … I mean, s—, he’s f—ing won Super Bowls. That’s what you’re trying to do in this league. He’s done it. So that’s why I’m saying he’s earned it.”
It’s counterintuitive — the idea of somehow earning hate as a mantle of success.
But I’d bet Mahomes’ biggest haters are the people who want to be as good at something as Mahomes is at football. The simple explanation is jealousy.
“You said it. Not me,” Chiefs running back Samaje Perine said.
But even discussion of Mahomes’ controversies is controversial. When I brought up the idea that Mahomes had taken on the role as the NFL’s villain — like LeBron in the NBA — to Christian Benford in the Bills locker room, cornerback Rasul Douglas interjected.
“Yo chill. Yo f— no. Yo hell no,” Douglas said. “You just said he’s the most hated player?”
I said, yes. Then I explained what happens on…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/patrick-mahomes-turning-villain-lebron-james-nfl
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Publish date : 2024-11-21 18:50:00
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