Kansas City Chiefs Superfan Nick Wright, co-host of FS1’s First Things Firs,t stopped by the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz to unpack some of the criticism that Patrick Mahomes is receiving for his performance in Super Bowl LIX.
As much as Wright wanted to add discourse to Bronny James’ progression in the NBA, Le Batard and crew would not let him move on to hoops talk without him giving input on the performance of his beloved Chiefs. Wright pulls out an old newspaper and shows the guys a picture of him in a featured article in a red and white Louis Vuitton jacket mirroring Chiefs’ colors. He reflected on the glory days of how the Chiefs’ journey to a dynasty was similar to his climb in media. Although the reflection sparked heartfelt emotion, Wright was eventually brought back to reality, ultimately having to accept that the Chiefs had one of the worst Super Bowl performances ever. He expressed that he is willing to take it; however, what he will not accept is novice football fans being in awe at Mahomes having a lousy playoff game when, in essence, all the great quarterbacks have a playoff game they want to forget about.
For Wright, the Chiefs’ performance comes down to two reasons. One is the Eagles getting home with four defensive linemen, and the other is that the moment may have been too big for Mahomes. The other is a direct correlation to when the Patriots lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII; for the Patriots, it was knowing they were one win away from the greatest season in league history, and the Giants were able to get home with four and spoiled their plans. On the other hand, the Chiefs were one win away from being deemed the greatest team of all time, completing a three-peat, and the moment got the best of them. A ray of sunshine amid the harsh criticism is that there is no denying Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo had put together the right game plan. Wright admitted that, when going into this game, the number one challenge was stopping Saquon Barkley. The Chiefs did, but it did not change the game’s outcome.
Stugotz critiqued Mahomes’ numbers in the Super Bowl, highlighting his 32.8 passer rating and comparing it to win the Chiefs lost to the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers. Wright pushed back with the claim that all great quarterbacks have had bad games in the playoffs, pointing to Tom Brady’s second-round playoff exit against Jake Plummer and the Broncos in 2005 and even Joe Montana’s streak of three straight years in the playoffs of three straight one and done with seasons with a zero touchdown total. He admits that teams’ are better the further they advance; however, that would be like Mahomes having his best game against Josh Allen and losing. Further, Wright believes this harsh critique is derivative of how we view Michael Jordan and herald his greatness of being undefeated and producing in the biggest games. Sadly that is not the case for quarterbacks.
Make sure to tune into The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network!
SHOW BREAKDOWN
South Beach Sessions – Dave Barry
Dave Barry is so funny, he won a Pulitzer Prize for making people laugh.
In this episode of South Beach Sessions, Dan and Dave explore their decades of friendship– including all of the inspiration Dave has given Dan… With extreme honesty, Dave speaks about losing his parents, the source of his humor and warmth, early on in life. He opens up about his regrets over his mother’s death, all the while explaining why family was such a source of joy despite the loss. But life is full of joy alongside sorrow, and there’s plenty of joy here. Dan and Dave also reminisce about the good old days of journalism and opine on the beauty of romance, including a story about how Dave convinced Dan to get married.
Local Hour: Point A to Point B(illy)
It’s time for a Wild Billy Thursday. With Billy in the EP seat and Greg Cote by our side, the show is off to a roaring start with talk of meteors, Christmas gifts, and Billy’s work as Dan’s fear coach. Then, do you recognize your own anxiety as it’s happening? Plus, Greg takes down the Giant Schnauzer that won the Westminster Dog Show, Dan exposes Greg’s phone password, and the show continues to discredit Fangs. Today’s cast: Dan, Stugotz, Greg, Billy, Jeremy, Jessica, and Tony.
The Big Suey: I Disagree With Your Analysis of My Analysis (feat. Nick Wright)
Nick Wright is here to brag about his Washington Post feature story where he’s dressed in a Louis Vuitton jacket even though his Chiefs were blown out in the Super Bowl. Hey, did you guys know getting pressure with four is good for a team’s defense? Nick is willing to admit Patrick Mahomes didn’t meet the moment in the big game, but did Mahomes choke? Also, after Jessica jokes about things being rigged in Kansas City’s favor, Nick hurls insults her way. Then, has the Mahomes vs. Brady debate officially replaced the LeBron vs. Jordan debate? Plus, Dan’s experience coaching football as a 14-year-old.
Hour 1: Schatz Fired
Porn star or fullback? The crew gets into a conversation about the application of analytics within analysis and why Stugotz and Greg Cote might be right to be afraid of more information. Why can’t we all just have great vibes like Tony Romo? Then, Greg vigorously defends David Samson and his case to be added to the Marlins Hall of Fame despite the Shipping Container’s criticism.
Hour 2: How Do You Milk a Tiger? (feat. Chef Janine Booth and Chef José Medin)
Dan is hosting an upcoming event at South Beach Wine and Food Festival, but due to an abnormal amount of allergies to an unfortunate amount of food, he can’t actually try many of the dishes he’ll be discussing. That’s where chefs Janine Booth and JosĂ© Mendin enter the picture. Tony and Billy square off in today’s “taste off” as they do their best to describe dishes served by Chef Booth and Chef Mendin so Dan can decide which taste the best…without actually tasting them. Plus, why does Billy get called to jury duty so often?
Postgame Show: Thursday Thunder
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