Mahomes reminded everyone about Kelce's Guardians first pitch the moment he heard about the ownership stake
Kelce's 2023 ceremonial first pitch at Progressive Field sailed wide. Mahomes has not forgotten. He apparently never will.
When news broke that Travis Kelce had purchased a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians, Patrick Mahomes' response was immediate. He posted a video of Kelce's 2023 ceremonial first pitch at Progressive Field, which went several feet wide of the catcher. Mahomes owns a piece of the Kansas City Royals. The rivalry is now official.
What did Mahomes actually post?
Mahomes shared the clip of Kelce's first pitch from 2023, in which Kelce's throw missed badly, accompanied by a comment questioning the Guardians' judgment in bringing him into the ownership group. The post went widely shared within hours of Kelce's announcement. Kelce responded by noting that Mahomes' Royals are trailing the Guardians in the AL Central standings, which is accurate: Cleveland leads the division by nine games.
What is the context here?
Mahomes purchased a minority stake in the Kansas City Royals in 2023, making him one of the first active NFL players to hold an MLB ownership position. Kelce's Guardians purchase means his closest friend and quarterback now roots for the division rival. The AL Central standings give Kelce the better of the argument in the short term: Cleveland's nine-game lead is the largest of any division leader in baseball right now.
Is this an actual rivalry?
No. Mahomes and Kelce have been the defining partnership in the NFL for the past six years. The trolling is a natural extension of a well-documented friendship that has played out publicly since at least 2019. Both players use social media competitively and have a track record of going at each other after games, wins, and now apparently ownership announcements. The Royals and Guardians play each other 19 times during the regular season.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Mahomes brutally trolls Kelce over Guardians ownership
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