The New York Yankees will play the Kansas Royals in the ALDS for the first time in 44 years in the postseason. The showdown will be so big that it could cause a rift between the quarterback of the defending NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs and his former Super Bowl-winning teammates.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised former teammate Gehrig Dieter as a Yankees fan. Dieter played wide receiver in Kansas City from 2017 to 2021 and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV in February 2020. Mahomes, co-owner of the Royals, was asked if he would offer tickets to games in Kansas. At the Chiefs' team press conference on Thursday, Citi told Dieter, who is known as a Yankees fan.
Mahomes responded, “I'm going to put him out there because if we win, he's going to talk trash.” “He's a big Yankees fan. If the Yankees lose this series, I think he might have to move cities. So let's see if we can do it for him. Sho.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Mahomes won Super Bowl LV with Dieter and purchased ownership of the Royals in July 2020, just months after signing a 10-year, $500 million contract extension with the Chiefs. Mahomes himself was a candidate for professional baseball before committing to football, and his father, Patrick Mahomes Sr., played in the major leagues.
Mahomes Sr. famously had his best seasons in New York, but he was with the Mets in 1999 and 2000. In the 1999 season, he had an 8-0 record in 39 relief appearances and helped the Mets reach the playoffs. In 2000, he helped the Mets return to the playoffs and eventually advance to the World Series, but the Mets lost 4-1 to the Yankees. He did not appear in that series as he was removed from the team's World Series roster.
Young Mahomes was only 6 years old when his father's team lost to the Yankees in the World Series. I have multiple photos of him as a kid throwing a ball around before a game or running around on the grass at Shea Stadium.
The 2000 Subway Series is considered one of the most heartbreaking losses in Mets history. The players on that year's roster have spoken publicly about the loss of the series to their crosstown rival, who had already won three championships in the previous four years. Those players include star catcher Mike Piazza and third baseman Todd Zeile.
“I remember really hating watching the Yankees celebrate on our field,'' Zile said. told the Bergen Record In October 2020.
The Yankees were also the last team in MLB to win three consecutive championships. Since then, the Los Angeles Lakers have become the only North American professional sports franchise to win three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. Now, Mahomes gives the Chiefs a position to join that club, pushing the Yankees further back in that category this year. . The two-time defending champion Chiefs are undefeated and seeking their third straight Super Bowl title and fourth under Mahomes. No NFL team in the Super Bowl era has ever won three games in a row.
Brett Favre supports Patrick Mahomes amid conflict between President Trump and Taylor Swift controversy
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with his father, Pat Mahomes, after the AFC Championship game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Kara Durette/Getty Images)
One of the biggest reasons Mahomes is in a position to accomplish that with the Chiefs this year is because he ignored advice from the former Yankees superstar when he was younger. Before Mahomes reached football stardom, he said baseball was his first love as a sport after watching his father play. Former Yankees MVP Alex Rodriguez said he tried to force Mahomes to choose baseball over football in the past.
“I said, 'Now listen to me, and if you don't listen to anything I tell you, you better listen to this: 'There's no money, no future in football. , no history. You have it!' Well, he reminded me of that recently, and, well, I'm glad he didn't listen to me. Masu.” Rodriguez said: Omnisport interview In November 2018, Mahomes was in the midst of his first NFL MVP campaign.
New York designated hitter Alex Rodriguez waves to fans after playing his final game as a Yankees against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won 6-3. (Andy Marlin-USA Today Sports)
But Mahomes has also been positively influenced by the Yankees.
A year after losing to the Yankees in the World Series, Mahomes Sr. brought his son an autographed photo of former Yankees captain Derek Jeter from when his father played for the Texas Rangers. Mahomes and Jeter talked about this in an interview on FOX's NFL broadcasts last September.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But as the Yankees and Royals look to reignite their historic rivalry, Mahomes is taking a firm stand.
Both teams will play the first game of the series on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The series moves to Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium for Game 3 next Wednesday.
Mahomes and Dieter could be there.
Follow Fox News Digital X sports broadcastplease subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
