Why I Refuse to Talk About the Chiefs' Loss

If you've read my story Surviving "Killa City", you might know that as a Kansas City native, I am a big Chiefs fan. Which is why this year's Super Bowl definitely was a downer for me. So much so that I checked out right before half time (I didn't even watch the Halftime Show and that's saying something because I love watching the Halftime shows). After spending two quarters yelling at my TV and cussing out the referees for the constant flags against the Chiefs, I knew in order to keep my blood pressure at a normal level, it was best to remove myself from the carnage.

But then... Twitter and YouTube comments happened. I'll admit, I brought it on myself. Considering that I deleted my Twitter over a month ago because of toxicity on the platform, I should have known better than to google #superbowl, but I was curious.

And the above tweet was actually one of the more tame ones.

But after doom scrolling for some time and responding to my phone blowing up with texts like "did you see your team lost?" or "how about that Chiefs kingdom, huh?" I decided to do what was best for me in that moment and just ignore it. Because the truth is football fans can be kind of toxic (myself included).

For me, this Super Bowl wasn't just about football; it was about having pride in my hometown. Prior to last year, I wasn't sure if I would ever see the Chiefs in a Super Bowl, let alone see them win one. All my life, Kansas City was this place that people barely knew anything about. Whenever I would tell them where I was from, they would say "Oh, Kansas? Like The Wizard of Oz?" (Despite me being from Kansas City, Missouri - not Kansas). And this year, I wanted the world to see that last year wasn't just a fluke. But losing 9 to 31 never looks good.

Last year, being the underdogs who hadn't been to a Super Bowl in 50 years made the Chiefs the team that people wanted to see win. This year, going in as the reigning champions and playing against a beloved quarterback like Tom Brady, made them the team that people wanted to see lose. And that's fine; it's football.

But as I typed out (and ultimately deleted) long think pieces about how a few bad calls on the refs' part completely changed the course of the game and how Tom Brady is a known cheater during the "denial" phase of my grief, I realized that I can grieve my team's loss, without tearing anyone else down.

The fact of the matter is that the Buccaneers played well last night and the Chiefs didn't play as well as I have seen them play in the past. Whether they let the pressure of the game or their the anger at the refs affect their playing or they just weren't as skilled, doesn't really matter. They lost.

What does matter is what they have accomplished this season. A 14-2 season is nothing to scoff at. Neither is making it to the Super Bowl, especially for the second year in a row. The Chiefs have accomplished more than most teams this season and their loss at the Super Bowl the other day doesn't change the fact that they're a great team and the stats in the game don't change the fact that Patrick Mahomes has proven time and time again why he is a good quarterback.

The truth is, football will never just be a game to me when it comes to the Chiefs, but that doesn't mean that I can allow myself to start exhibiting behaviors that I've worked so hard to correct because of it. So the Super Bowl may not have gone the way I wanted it to, but I did win something because of it: a little bit of self growth.

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