Travis Kelce takes lead in Man of Year voting after massive online push by Chiefs fans
No sports fans in the United States can match those in Kansas City when it comes to online voting.
Recall baseball’s All-Star Game push by Royals fans during KC’s two-year reign as the American League’s best team. Royals fans voted so often — and legally — that at one point it looked like nearly the entire AL starting lineup would be in blue.
Royals fans became a story with accusations of hacking, and the #VoteOmar push even irked former Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis.
Now Chiefs fans are stuffing the ballot box.
Tight end Travis Kelce is the Chiefs’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, and fans can help his 87 & Running Foundation receive a big donation from the insurance company Nationwide.
Fans can vote on social media challenges (using #WPMOYChallenge followed by Kelce’s last name). The player whose unique hashtag is used the most through Sunday will receive a $25,000 contribution to his charity. The second- and third-place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations.
On Jan. 4, Kelce was in second place, trailing Chargers defensive end Isaac Rochell by more than 57,000 votes (224,595 to Kelce’s 167,459):
Check out the updated totals that were released Monday:
Yep, Kelce is now ahead by nearly 140,000 votes (552,309 to 412,827). That’s a heck of a turnaround, and Kelce was thrilled by the outpouring of support from Chiefs fans.
“I really love this city. #ChiefsKingdom,” Kelce wrote.
Operation Breakthrough, which has received donations from Kelce’s charity, asked Chiefs fans to keep it going.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 8:57 AM.
