The Kansas City move

And say that then.

Those who, like myself, have seen and re-watched that film dozens of times, would now reply - quoting Nick Fisher - with "Four thirty-five". But this, as some would say, is another story.



And this story, made of talent, vision and sacrifice, begins in Tyler, Texas, on September 17, 1995. There are cases in which someone, in the world of professional sports, ends up there almost by chance. Not him. He has been breathing that air there since he saw the light for the first time. His father, who for reasons of at least apparent suspense (if you have come this far you know very well who we are talking about) we will only call Senior, was a very respectable MLB pitcher for eleven years, from 1992 to 2003. Among others Red Socks, Mets and Cubs, no joke at all.

All this to tell you that that environment must have done him a lot of good. The child becomes a boy, the boy becomes a young man and the physique he carries with him has become decidedly more imposing than his surname. In college, Texas Tech University, he played both football and baseball, “like father like son” as Genesis sang after all. However, despite being a decent player even inside the diamond, it is on the yards of the green rectangle that he displays crystalline excellence.



In his third year he decides to hang up his glove to focus on what his life will be from then on: and what football it is. In 2017 he declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft and was chosen with the tenth overall call by the Kansas City Chiefs as a reserve for Alex Smith. The shadow of the veteran native of Seattle is too big and the protagonist of our story – in the darkness of that shadow – lives there comfortably for the first sixteen weeks of the championship. It seemed like his time would never come. His head looked like a ping pong ball but in the sense that, sitting down, he watched the others play. There was no way. His star seemed destined to fade – even before it had had a chance to shine – on the sidelines. That is until January 30, 2018. The Chiefs trade Smith to the Washington Redskins for a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and cornerback Kendall Fuller.

The starting quarterback position is now like the papal seat when one pope dies and another still needs to be created: vacant. Since then, in order: NFL MVP , NFL Offensive Player of the Year , First Team All Pro , two Pro Bowl selections, Pro Bowl MVP , one Super Bowl , Super Bowl MVP and I may have forgotten something 'other.

All. He took everything. And he did it in just two years , with not even twenty-five seasons behind him.



And in this case, if you're Andy Reid - head coach of the Chiefs - you think maybe you could have given him the space he deserved sooner. If you are Brett Veach - General Manager of the franchise - you believe that, after all, you did a great job of scouting. But if you are Clark Hunt - owner of the team - you only think about the fact that you, from that prodigy, will never want to part with him. And since the last word is always yours, it happens that you make him an offer he can't refuse, godfatherly speaking. Like, $450 million (FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS) over a ten-year contract, thus ensuring the best years of his career.

Patrick Lavon Mahomes II . He, the same one who just three years ago watched others play, with the richest sports contract ever in his hands and with the National Football League at his feet.
And say that then.

The Kansas City move is when they look right and you go left, Mr. Goodkat said. This is an old conventional name used to describe the type of scam in which the victim is convinced that they know that the scammer is trying to defraud them. Simply put, it is based on the victim's fervent belief that they are smart, so much so that they end up cheating themselves.

However, in this story, there is no trace of scams and deception.
But yes, someone still ended up screwing themselves: those who didn't believe in Patrick Mahomes.