The Kansas City Chiefs are the opposite of the New England Patriots, Colin Cowherd said on Wednesday’s edition of The Herd. And it’s not simply because of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs, who begin their quest for a three-peat against a team they do not like on Thursday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), became the first franchise to win consecutive Super Bowls since the 2003-04 Patriots. Kansas City has made the Super Bowl in four of the last five years, winning three. New England made the Super Bowl nine times from 2001-18, winning seven. Yet in terms of watchability, there’s no comparison, Cowherd said.
“I lived in Connecticut for 10-11 years,” he said. “I was tired of the movie. I was tired of the Patriots movie. They muzzled Gronk. Hell, Tom Brady was tired of it. He left on his own accord. And I like what Kansas City is. It’s got a Shaq-Kobe feel, the Zen Master Phil. Andy Reid probably likes steak tips more, and Hawaiian shirts.”
Cowherd appreciates the NFL’s revenue-sharing model, allowing small-market, Midwest teams like Green Bay and Indianapolis to dominate. But he loves the Chiefs because they lean into their identity, unlike the Patriots or the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
“The Northeast stopped watching,” Cowherd said. “The Spurs were led by The Big Fundamental. New England: ‘Do Your Job.’ It wasn’t that fun. Kansas City is stars, trends and personality.
“Andy Reid once got a play, he admitted, from a janitor.”
Swift has also offered X’s-and-O’s advice, Mahomes said.
“She’s really interested in football, and she asks a lot of great questions” Mahomes told Chris Simms, after telling Simms the quarterback is focused on improving on his Super Bowl MVP efforts this year.
Cowherd said sports shouldn’t feel like IBM because the world has changed. With NIL money, players are now entering the NFL fully conscious of their brands and fully conscious of the money they’ve already made in college. Behind Swift and Jason Kelce, count Cowherd among the Chiefs’ biggest fans.
“They are the centrifugal force of football and I am absolutely here for it. The Kansas City Chiefs, reigning two-time Super Bowl champs, going for a third, and getting an occasional swing pass in from Taylor Swift.”