Heidi Gardner bashes negative narratives surrounding Chiefs following Super Bowl loss
During the Chiefs’ just-completed three-year run, they won more games (49) than any team in NFL history and were the first two-time defending Super Bowl champion to play for another Lombardi Trophy.
But they were thumped by the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX and missed a chance at a three-peat, so clearly wholesale changes need to be made.
Well, that’s been the chatter this week.
Fans on social media have suggested quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn’t nearly as good as the pundits believe. And offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and passing game coordinator Joe Bleymaier should be fired. Heck, maybe Andy Reid needs to go, too, as one attention-hungry radio host proposed.
Yep, it’s been quite a week for overreactions.
One sane voice among Chiefs Kingdom belongs to “Saturday Night Live” star Heidi Gardner.
Gardner joined “The Dan Patrick Show” and was asked Thursday how she was feeling in the wake of the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. After days of relentless negativity from Chiefs fans, Gardner provided some sanity. And she took a shot at people denigrating the Chiefs after one bad game.
“I am in a mood where I am very fortunate and blessed,” Gardner said. “We won two years in a row. We’ve won three times in the last six years. Very lucky. Sunday was really hard. I love the Chiefs. The only thing I’m upset about are some of these false narratives after the fact. Like Mahomes’ legacy is questioned, like that is crazy to me. The fact that some people are saying that the Chiefs had already copyrighted three-peat, and that was like the motivation for the Eagles.
“I love bulletin-board material, we use it. But I can assure you, all season, there was no Chief (player) or coach Reid that was saying anything about three-peat. I feel like they were trying to ignore that noise.”
This is not to say that Gardner, who was born in Kansas City, is always positive. She does fret and worry while watching the Chiefs.
“I still consider it a blessing,” she said of being a Chiefs fan, “even though it it takes over my persona and my anxiety quite, quite a bit. But I love it.”
Gardner was asked about the most high-profile Chiefs fan of all: Taylor Swift, who is dating tight end Travis Kelce.
It’s perhaps a little surprising to learn that Gardner had reservations about the relationship at first. But it was for football reasons.
“I’m rooting for love. I was scared in the beginning, because as a fan first, I love both those people, but I was like, ‘Is this going to be a distraction?’” Gardner said. “But it’s been all good. And I love love, and I love that, like she’s brought even more eyes on our team.”
You can watch the interview here.
