The Bills season came to an abrupt halt on January 24th as the Kansas City Chiefs dominated the AFC Championship game and won 38 -24. After a period of mourning, Bills fans are now talking about typical off-season topics such as salary cap casualties, the draft and free agency. With Super Bowl LV only five days away, something different has been discussed at length amongst fans…who to pull for in the big game.
The Argument for Kansas City
The Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl champions and have been one of the best, if not the best team all season and post-season. They now have a chance for a repeat in front of themselves. Many in Bills Mafia feel that a Chiefs’ victory would signify that the Bills lost to the best team in football and the Bills are very close to being the best. Some say they always want the team representing the AFC to win, regardless of who that is. Others have talked about how likeable the fast-rising superstar Patrick Mahomes is and will be rooting for the young gun. A sort of changing of the guard in how the game is played offensively. But the biggest conversation starter and heated argument kindling is Tom Brady. In the argument for KC, fans point squarely wanting Brady to lose as their sole reason to cheer for the Chiefs. To go further, Brady has used the Bills as his personal door mat for almost two decades and to watch him hoist the seventh Lombardi trophy of his career turns their stomachs. How can a true Bills fan, they say, ever want that man to win another game, let alone the Superbowl, and be a true Bills fan?
The Argument for Tampa Bay
When Tom Brady left the dreary winters of New England for sun and palm trees of Tampa Bay this past off-season, they instantly became a top favorite to win the Super Bowl. During the first half of the season, they had some up and down games. After week 12 and heading into their bye week, the Buccaneers record stood at a non-dominant 7-5. It seemed then that their chances of Super Bowl glory were greatly exaggerated. Then finishing the regular season with a four-game winning streak and beating probable MVP Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field in the NFC championship game, the Bucs find themselves hosting the Super Bowl. Many Buffalo fans siding with Tampa to win seem to have found a new enemy and that is the Kansas City Chiefs. They point to the Chiefs winning handily against the Bills twice this year and consider them the lone obstacle in the way of the Bills first NFL championship. I’ve heard a lot of them admit they are tired of seeing Mahomes face on their TV, selling everything from insurance to shampoo. They are already tired of the big sports news channels and NFL experts fawning over Mahomes and declaring him the best ever after this just his fourth year in the league. That frustration lends to wanting him and the rest of the Kansas City squad knocked down a peg, fall on their collective faces and be humbled, even if our old nemesis Tom Brady is the one to do it. The enemy of my enemy is my friend after all, correct?
My Take
I have actually flip flopped on who I’d like to see as this year’s NFL champion. My knee-jerk reaction was wanting the Chiefs to lose because of the sting of watching them dismantle the Bills. Then, thinking about all the misery Tom Brady has caused over the last generation to Buffalo, how could I ever want that guy to win more rings? I posted polls on social media and surprisingly, with over 700 responses and growing, the split between KC and Tampa is very close to being even. This, no doubt, is because of the dichotomy on the struggling thoughts about Tom Brady. I finally have picked a side and though it is somewhat painful, I am hoping for a Tampa Bay victory come Sunday night. My personal decision is best summed up in the following:
Brady bullied me, stole my lunch money, embarrassed me in front of all my friends and pummeled me all throughout high school. But now we’re both in college and he’s going to school down south somewhere. I’ve forgotten about that guy. He’s not my problem anymore. Let him torture someone else for a change.
In my new environment, Patrick Mahomes is the big guy on campus who everyone loves. He’s popular, it seems like I see him everywhere I go and people can’t stop talking about him in the highest regard. Now I’ve just discovered that he’s trying to steal my girlfriend. He’s not even trying to hide it, even flaunting his intensions right in front of me. My full attention and venom are on that guy now.
