In the lonesome nightmare of COVID-19 quarantine, the light at the end of my tunnel would usually be returning to the outside world from the depths of isolation. This particular week, however, there was a brighter light I was looking forward to while cooped up in my room: the Super Bowl. It is the culmination of a year of hard work from some of the most athletic people in the world, and a year of dedication from the National Football League (NFL) teams’ most loyal fans. While it felt strange watching the game in a quiet room, where my COVID-ridden roommate and I sat with our computers, eating takeout ramen and surrounded by an eerie lack of liveliness, the game itself unquestionably lived up to all of the hype — all the way until the game-losing holding penalty and the game-winning field goal. I was rooting for the Eagles throughout — not because of any real affiliation with the team, other than perhaps my cousins being die-hard Philadelphia fans, but because of my profound, unfounded hatred for Patrick Mahomes and his success. Hatred of athletes is part of sports, so common among the media and the public that I didn’t even question why I held such negative feelings toward him. I watched an interview where he spoke on my favorite sports show,
First Things First
, and he seemed like a nice guy. Why did I not like him? Mahomes never did anything to me.
It took some reflection about one of my other favorite sports to determine the subconscious reasoning for my hatred. Ever since about 2018, I have been a strong believer that LeBron James is the greatest of all time (GOAT) in the NBA. In my mind, there is perhaps one argument Michael Jordan has over him, and that is his sheer dominance at the apex of his prime. However, I think the almost inhuman longevity of James, his clutchness, his basketball IQ and his newly acquired all-time scoring record have earned him the title of GOAT (I will save you some time by not elaborating on my arguments further). Many NBA fans, most of whom grew up with Michael Jordan, refuse to recognize James’ greatness altogether, let alone the possibility that he is or could be the GOAT. While I see this as absurd, this is precisely the same dynamic I am going through right now with the NFL. While Mahomes has not played long enough for valid arguments to be made that he is the greatest football player ever, in the long run, he could steal the title from Tom Brady, my childhood idol and pick for the the greatest-ever quarterback. As a Patriots fan, I am emotionally connected to him as I have grown up watching his on-field success, and have continued to root for him even as he left the Patriots for the Buccaneers. The potential of a transfer of GOAT status frightens me, much like those Air Jordan-wearing fans who are devoted to staving off anyone threatening Jordan’s claim to the title of GOAT. I, too, am afraid to accept a passing of the torch between the new face of the NFL, Mahomes, and the recently retired Brady.
It is not that I do not like Mahomes — or the Chiefs, for that matter. After all, very few sports fans genuinely hate athletes as people. But my own biases have clouded my vision from not only what is objective — that Mahomes is in fact already one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time — but also what is important as a fan of football. Mahomes is helping the game of football through his talent, cultural impact and output, as LeBron James has. It is impossible to look yourself in the eye and deny that. Although I certainly do not plan to root for Mahomes, I must acknowledge where my emotional connections and personal biases have led me. I should not hate Mahomes, and neither should ‘oldheads’ hate James. Why should I have another person’s success weighing on my mind? Sports are emotional, and it is hard, perhaps impossible, to fully separate those emotions from the games. Still, I will try to welcome the passing of the torch between my childhood hero and the Chiefs’ rising star, welcome this new generation of quarterbacks, and embrace the adventures of a new era of signal-callers, with Mahomes leading the way.
Except if he beats the Patriots, of course.
