Ahhh, the one-time football fans were witnesses to the NFL’s brightest young quarterbacks having a complete meltdown on the sideline. So many moments in television history I want to use. I do have one though; bear with me as I paint this scene. Let’s saddle up and go for a little stroll down pop culture memory lane to set the premise.
If you’ve seen or watched the classic animated series South Park and the main antagonist Eric Cartman; yes that potty-mouthed character viewers have grown to hate and love. In a particular episode, Cartman and his mother were in a Best Buy looking at tablets. Cartman, for what it’s worth, wanted the most expensive Apple iPad to show off to his frenemy Kyle. During this scene, his mother tells him a lower end tablet does the same and costs less. Well…if you know Cartman, he’s an entitled child and won’t be satisfied until he has the iPad.
As they argue over a tablet, everyone in the store is looking at them. But…Cartman starts saying not so friendly things about his mother and makes a scene. Now…you may say: “How does this tie into the tantrum seen around the world?” Simple, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had to be restrained by coaches and teammates after an “offsides penalty” against wide receiver Kadarius Toney erased a game winning touchdown to beat rival Buffalo. The drama ensued as Mahomes was screaming at the referees and all was caught on camera. In hindsight, he was mad at Toney and had to take it out on someone.
Instead of congratulating Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Mahomes kept whining about it being “the worst call he’s ever seen.” I applaud Josh Allen for being a professional; he could’ve said something but kept it cool. Going into the press conference, Mahomes still aired his frustrations and sought sympathy for their loss. Head Coach Andy Reid followed suit and it was saying okay…let’s talk about the game but…
Now… As an unbiased fan, allow me to be brutally honest and real: STOP YOUR WHINING AND ACCEPT DEFEAT! YOU’RE ACTING LIKE A SPOILED BRAT! INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING TO THE MEDIA, ADDRESS THIS WITH YOUR TEAMMATES AND COACHES!!! LEADERS ARE PROFESSIONALS BY EXAMPLE, NOT WHINERS! YOUR LEGACY ISN’T BEING TAINTED BY THIS ONE GAME! FOR THE LOVE OF DERRICK THOMAS, ACT YOUR AGE AND NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE PATRICK MAHOMES! YOU LOST A GAME AND TAKE THE SCRUTINY WHICH COMES WITH IT! SAME WITH ANDY REID, YOU BOTH NEED TO CALM DOWN! SHEESH!!!!
You may be the face of professional football, but this was a bad look all the way around Mr. Mahomes; your emotions got the best of you and didn’t let up. The greats who’ve played would’ve handled it with class and professionalism. Throwing temper tantrums like kids isn’t their forte. All of Chiefs Kingdom was t’d off; so be it! How do you think other teams and players feel when a call isn’t in their favor? As the great Ludacris once said: “act a fool” with all the cameras rolling? Primetime game of the week, and the anticipation of a great game?
Just like Will Smith’s Oscar slap on Chris Rock, we won’t remember Will taking home Best Actor; the slap overshadows an emotional long overdue award. How this game was tick for tack will be overshadowed by your outburst. You see, you’re used to winning but when a penalty wipes away a great play, the child-like behavior was on display. This was an embarrassing look for the NFL; not only that, a new low for a well oiled franchise. Look in the mirror and play better; it should’ve NEVER come down to a last punch to win this game.
Patrick Mahomes, you apologized for your tantrum and to Kadarius Toney; but damage was already done Sunday evening on full display. In a heated moment, the entire team needs to have a heart to heart talk about putting this behind you. If you’re the leader and franchise quarterback, this falls on your shoulders. Coaches need to call better games and hold each other accountable as well. Smashing tablets and tantrums like little kids isn’t part of the sport. It’s one thing to show emotions, but outbursts like this sends a bad message to all of those who look up to you. In the end, we all make foolish mistakes and emotional outbursts happen in the thick of it. Take accountability and responsibility for your bad play and move forward.
As the final playoff push is here, each game will count and decide your playoff seeding. Rally around one another and weather the storms in a professional manner. Let this be a lesson learned and please… Don’t let this happen again.
Stai tuned…
