They sat under the same roof on Saturday, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and baseball Hall of Fame George Brett, watching Kansas defeat Villanova in a mens basketball showdown at Allen Fieldhouse.
Both were introduced to rousing ovations, perhaps a little louder for Mahomes, who has helped guide the Chiefs to a 11-3 record and is leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.
But Brett has something no other major-league athlete who has suited up for Kansas City does.
An MVP award.
In fact, thats the only MVP award won by a Kansas City athlete among the traditional four major North American sports leagues: the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.
The Chiefs are playing their 56th season. When the first pitch is thrown in 2019, the Royals will open their 51st year.
Add 13 seasons of the NBAs Kings, including the first three when the team shared a hyphen with Omaha, another unlucky 13 of the old Kansas City As, and two more for the hapless Scouts of the NHL, and thats 133 completed seasons of Kansas City major league sports.
It should be noted that two Kansas City soccer players have been named MVP in Major League Soccer: Preki in 1997 and 2003 and goalkeeper Tony Meola in 2000, leading the then-Wizards to the MLS Cup.
But only Bretts 1980 season that captivated the sports world with his chase for a .400 batting average was recognized as the best in baseball. Brett finished at .390, leading the American League in average, on-base percentage (.454) and slugging (.664). He won the AL MVP by a comfortable margin and in 1999 was enshrined in baseballs Hall of Fame.
This city loves its team titles, but isnt Kansas City a little overdue for some individual accolades?
MVP talk involving Mahomes has been bubbling for a few weeks, but not around the Chiefs, who play at Seattle on Sunday. Andy Reid was asked about it a few weeks ago.
Oh boy, Im not very good with all that (honors) stuff, he said.
Mahomes numbers are MVP worthy. His 45 touchdown passes tie for sixth all-time for a season. Hell likely set the Chiefs record for passing yards in a season in the next game.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt wasnt asked specifically about MVP chances but provided an endorsement.
In so many ways, hes exceeded our expectations, Hunt said. When you have a guy like Patrick under center you have a chance to win every game.
With the Chiefs gut-wrenching loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week on Thursday Night Football, the MVP chances for Mahomes took a little hit from the oddmakers.
Entering last weekends game, Bovada listed Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Mahomes in basically a dead heat. But Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is in third and gaining after his Thursday performance that included two touchdowns in the final four minutes and the game-winning two-point conversion at Arrowhead Stadium.
