I hate to say it, but Patrick Mahomes’ star might be on borrowed time.  With a convincing win over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship game, the 25-year-old Chiefs quarterback finds himself on the precipice of a second-straight Super Bowl title.  If he leads his team to victory in Super Bowl LV, that win would certainly cement his spot as the most exciting and popular young player in the NFL today.

But it may also start the countdown to when football fans turn on the electric signal caller.

The American public is nothing if not fickle.  We are quick to lionize our celebrities, sports figures in particular, but we also seem to take a perverse pleasure in their failings once they reach a certain level of superstardom.

It’s easy to be reminded of that fact over the last few weeks, while tuning into the HBO documentary about the rise, and fall—and potential rise again? —of Tiger Woods.  Woods was thrust into the media limelight at a young age and essentially deified by a sports media machine that was intent on portraying him as a global icon that transcended the world of professional golf.

But when Tiger’s life began to unravel—both on and off the course—those same media outlets giddily chronicled his downfall, well aware that while the creation of an American hero might make for good journalism, the tearing down of those myths are ultimately what drives page views.

It’s hard not to recognize that same pattern with regards to Mahomes’ Super Bowl LV opponent, Tom Brady.  There was a time when Brady was simply a fresh-faced, second-year player who led his team to an improbable Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the heavily favored Rams.
As Brady’s career rolled on, he racked up individual awards and Lombardi trophies, staking his claim to potentially being the greatest quarterback the NFL has ever seen.

At least early on, most people seemed to like Brady; he was a good-looking kid who had been overlooked by NFL scouts due to a perceived lack of athleticism and was now making good on that slight.

It was the quintessential American tale of hard work and intelligence leading.

But as Brady continued to win, that narrative grew stale.  People—at least those outside of New England—became tired of the continued success of Brady and the Patriots and began to cast him as a villain.  And when cheating scandals, such as Deflategate, reared their heads, NFL viewers and pundits alike where quick to pile on Brady, questioning whether or not his spot among football royalty was nothing more than a sham.

So, on Feb.6 we’ll watch as Brady—now 42—squares off against the heir-apparent in Mahomes.  And even though Mahomes seems to be everything one could want in a sports hero—affable and uniquely aware of the responsibilities that come with his super stardom.  But that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if, over the next two weeks, we’ll start to see the narratives turn once again.  This game might well be re-contextualized as the grizzled old veteran (Brady) trying to stave off both father time and the young upstart to win one last title.

And if Mahomes denies the last generation’s icon one last victory and wins his second straight title, it won’t be long before sports fans start look for the next great player to eventually unseat the Kansas City quarterback.

Because if there’s one thing the American public loves more than seeing a celebrity fall, it’s a good redemption arc.  But Mahomes shouldn’t
worry. If he sticks around long enough, the people should eventually come back around.  They always do.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports