The New America’s Team: How the Chiefs have become the new «it team» in professional sports. Read more on Boston.com.
The polarizing moniker is still applied to the Dallas Cowboys these days, regardless of whether it rings as true as it did during their 1990s heyday, when Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith led them to three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span.
“America’s Team.”
The team that much of America loved, and perhaps just as much loved to hate.
In truth, there have been plenty of “America’s Teams” over the years. It was the Steelers with Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann and Joe Greene in the 1970s. In the ’80s, it became the 49ers with Joe Montana, Roger Craig and Jerry Rice. The 2000s, of course, belonged to the Patriots and Tom Brady, Troy Brown and Rob Gronkowski.
The title these days has fallen on the Kansas City Chiefs, who play the San Francisco 49ers next weekend in their fourth Super Bowl in five years. Patrick Mahomes has become the face of the league, a record-breaking crossover star at the game’s most important position. Andy Reid has evolved into their mustachioed father figure, and a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame as he climbs the coaching career wins list. And then there’s Travis Kelce, who happens to be dating pop icon Taylor Swift.
Just like those teams before them, the Chiefs have merged zeitgeist and success to create a rapidly expanding fan base that stretches from the heartland all the way to Hollywood. And abroad, for that matter, as evidenced by the overwhelming support they have received for games in London, Mexico City and Frankfurt, Germany.
“I think you feel it a little bit,” acknowledged Mahomes, who has become ubiquitous on TV even when he’s not slinging passes on Sundays. He might be stealing some nuggies from Reid on a spot for State Farm, or manicuring his iconic ‘do in an ad for Head & Shoulders or teaming up with Kelce to take on the Warriors’ Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in a made-for-TV golf match played at Wynn Golf Club, not far from Allegiant Stadium, where the Chiefs will play the 49ers next Sunday.
“The commercials probably help out a lot,” Mahomes continued, “and the run that we’ve been on. I think until I actually go around the world and see the different types of stuff, I don’t think I’ll realize it enough, the impact that we’ve had.”
Reid already has witnessed it.
