THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Instead of hating on the Chiefs, sit back and enjoy them
Everyone hates the Chiefs.
It’s a new American passion.
Huge chunks of the public believe that the NFL “fixed” two playoff games to make sure the Chiefs — and especially Patrick Mahomes — will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The league wants Kansas City’s shot at three-peat history, and the glamor of pop megastar Taylor Swift, all rolled into a giant Super Bowl party.
That’s the prevailing theory.
And the Eagles?
In the immortal words of Marie Antoinette: “Let ‘em eat cake!”
Most of the nation will be rooting fervently for Philly in the Super Bowl.
Fair enough.
But I don’t understand this unhappiness with the Chiefs.
What’s wrong?
Have they won too much, and now the country’s football fans have decided it’s somebody else’s turn?
I honestly don’t get it.
This country has always loved and admired winners.
The Chiefs are not only shooting for that three-peat, which would be a stunning accomplishment in a league built on parity, but they put on a hell of a show.
Coach Andy Reid tosses out trick plays and weird formations, Mahomes often does what seems impossible, and Travis Kelce (the other half of the Taylor Swift romance story) has broken all postseason records for tight ends.
IT’S NOT like the Eagles have come from obscurity to challenge the champs, either.
Philly was in the Super Bowl just two seasons ago, and lost a 38-35 thriller to the Chiefs.
The Eagles won the whole thing as recently as 2018, defeating New England and Tom Brady in a 41-33 shootout that featured zero punts.
In other words, the Eagles are pretty close to NFL royalty themselves.
Still, it feels nobody is “tired” of the Eagles, not the way we hear it about the Chiefs.
One side note here: I AM tired of the “tush push,” that bizarre quarterback sneak that the Eagles invented.
There was a time when blockers could not aid ball carriers by shoving them from behind — not just on sneaks, but anywhere on the field.
Changing that rule was a bad idea.
Now you’ve got these mad mob scenes that look more like rugby than football.
The Eagles do have history turning over a dynasty, beating the Pats in the 2018 Super Bowl.
Never mind Mahomes.
Nobody ever rankled America quite like the golden boy, Tom Brady.
He was the ultimate winner, married to a famous model, seven Super Bowl rings, yada, yada.
Hey, the Patriots got caught cheating TWICE, and the league actually changed a rule to defend Brady.
You desperately wanted to see Tom sacked.
Often.
Meanwhile, Mahomes is NOT Mr. Glamour.
Patrick hangs out with Jake from State Farm, for heaven’s sake.
That tells you enough.
IF THE issue bugging the country isn’t Reid, Mahomes or Kelce personally, then it’s got to be this notion that somehow the officials are doing them favors.
Yes, it’s true that the Chiefs have gotten the benefit of some calls during this run to the Super Bowl.
The two flags for roughing Mahomes were wrong (especially the call after he decided to slide in a crowd about five yards downfield), but I’ll never believe there was a fix.
Oh, and that spot that denied Buffalo a first down?
It’s almost impossible, even right there next to the pile of bodies, to make an accurate call on forward progress.
The zebras have to peer into that mass of humanity, and do their best on guessing where the football has gone.
Look, NFL officials get paid a lot of money, and are under constant scrutiny.
The league has its own investigative arm, and it’s more effective than most police forces.
If there were any hanky-panky, with gamblers or whomever, the NFL would know it and act instantly.
The league’s success is based on the fact that the world believes that the game is fair.
Billions are bet, legally and otherwise, on NFL games.
It HAS to be honest.
I won’t argue that the Chiefs were lucky with a couple of calls, but most of all they’re very, very good.
If this were the Seahawks enjoying a mini-dynasty, you’d be celebrating and telling the planet to sit back and watch the confetti falling on your heroes.
Kansas City is a similar place, mostly dismissed by the rest of the country.
I spent most of my working life there, and believe me when I say that Seattle has the same kind of underdog vibe.
So.
Sorry, but I hope Mahomes does his magic again on Sunday.
Email: scameron@cdapress.com
Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.
Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”