Undaunted through his meteoric rise, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes finally was fazed the other day when against his inclination he was roped into going to The Beast Haunted House in Kansas Citys West Bottoms.
Im definitely not for any haunted houses, said Mahomes, calling himself the most frightened player there. Theyre all scary to me.
Luckily for Mahomes, he otherwise resides in a funhouse that poses horrors only for opposing defenses part of what makes this team an irresistible force in more ways than one.
Considering the exhilarating offense that leads the NFL in scoring, the electrifying presences of Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce and others, the infinitely amusing celebrations and a dynamic locker room animated by the likes of Chris Jones and Hill, the Chiefs are a must-see-phenomenon creating an infectious joy and sense of anticipation.
When coach Andy Reid arrived here in 2013, hed frequently urge his players to let their personalities show. He doesnt have to say it with this group, whose sterling play, engaging style and visibility in the community is only about a Salvy Splash and, yes, a long-awaited championship away from the charm of the 2014 and 2015 Royals.
Naturally, this is particularly true locally, where Mahomes Mania rules. In thanking fans the other day, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said, Ive never seen them this fired up.
But its also true nationally, where pundits recognize something special is happening here as do my own personal precincts in Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and St. Louis, sites where I frequently hear from friends dazzled by the Chiefs.
In fact, the Chiefs are part of a rise in NFL TV ratings around the country.
There was a lot of concern, I think, around the league and also from those who follow the NFL with the decrease in ratings two consecutive years, Hunt said Monday, later adding, There are a number of high-powered offenses, not to mention the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes at the helm, that are helping drive that. I get it. It is fun to watch our offense play and I think that has really helped ratings, not only here in Kansas City, but around the country.
And beyond: The broader interest has led to more media demand than anyone can remember. On Wednesday, Melodee Morita and Kohey Kosaka were here for Nippon TV, the NFL rights-holder in Japan.
They were working on pieces about both the team in general and Mahomes in particular as they highlight rising stars to help promote the game in Japan. Or as Morita put it in a question to Reid, people in Japan would like to get to know more about Patrick Mahomes.
Part of the mission is to try to reveal a glimpse of personality, which Morita saw when Mahomes conveyed his discomfort with the haunted house.
When she asked Mahomes about the keys to his success, he offered an answer that spoke to near innocence.
I really love this game, he said. I really love just everything that it comes with (and) and just being best friends with your teammates and then being able to go out there and compete with them.
That speaks to the bonds of chemistry, an elusive commodity that can be hard to quantify and of course is no assurance of success. But it cant hurt, probably helps and reflects that the most fun team to watch in football is full of soul, too.
