Patrick Mahomes, Tyrann Mathieu and Andy Reid share their thoughts on social justice and the league. BY VIDEO COURTESY OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Patrick Mahomes took a seat in a room inside the Chiefs’ practice facility, just him and a camera, his Super Bowl media day setup another reminder of a football season during a pandemic. Days before facing Tom Brady, the quarterback whose championship resume he might one day chase, Mahomes had prepared to answer an onslaught of questions about playing against a man 18 years his elder. And he did.
But nine times over three days — during a total of 90 minutes with reporters — the conversation would veer to another topic.
Patrick, I want to ask you about your decision to speak out on social justice and Black Lives Matter.
Mahomes will play for a second straight Super Bowl championship Sunday when the Chiefs face the Buccaneers in Tampa. He is already the NFL’s most valued commodity, its most marketable player and, perhaps once again, at the mountaintop of the league.
He’s just 25.
And he’s Black — getting paid half a billion to play a position many once said required too much intelligence for someone of his skin color.
Ask yourself: When is the last time the face of the NFL was a Black man?
Source: Kansas City Star