The big sports story on Election Day was not related to the football field, but the reaction Patrick Mahomes’ mom Randi got from social media after she gave a resounding endorsement of Donald Trump following her son Patrick’s “Monday Night Football” win.
The Mahomes family has recently been in the news because Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the ownership group of the Kansas City Current, who play in the National Women’s Soccer League, have been meeting with WNBA officials about bringing an expansion franchise to the city.
Mahomes confirmed the talks Thursday, saying that it was a “no-brainer” to try to bring women’s hoops to Kansas City.
“Obviously, we want to get basketball in Kansas City in general,” said Mahomes, who also has ownership stakes in the Royals and MLS club Sporting Kansas City. “You talk about the University of Kansas basketball, the Chiefs, whatever it is, the city is going to come out to the stadium. It’s cool we were able to get the women’s soccer team here and you see the support they have.”
Mahomes’ intentions seem great, but unfortunately his mom’s Trump endorsement doesn’t sit well with the WNBA and Black women throughout the world of sports who saw Randi Mahomes’ endorsement, leading to pushback concerning Mahomes buying into the WNBA.
Morgann Mitchell Doesn’t Want Patrick Mahomes To Buy WNBA Team
Former Olympic sprinter and two-time Sports Emmy winning producer Morgann Mitchell posted on X:
“The Mahomes family being involved in the WNBA in ANY form or fashion is not okay. They are showing everyone who they are and the W is not that.”
What Mitchell means is the WNBA has always been an organization that votes heavily Democrat and fights against racial, gender, sex, and religious discrimination and oppression. Social justice is a calling card for the league.
Mitchell is saying the league doesn’t want a MAGA takeover in ownership.
X users seemed to get her drift after Morgann posted a picture beneath her initial post with a link to an article written by Times magazine in January of 2021, entitled ‘We Did That’: Inside The WNBA’s Strategy to Support Raphael Warnock–and Help Democrats Win The Senate.”
Social Media Reacts To Morgan Mitchell Anti-Mahomes Family Post
The WNBA exploded this season in ratings, revenue and social media attention. Game 5 of its championship peaked at 3.3 million TV viewers, the most-watched WNBA game in a quarter of a century. With the players and league preparing for Collective Bargaining negotiations, players are searching for a larger cut of the revenue. As Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other players continue to make the WNBA a more commercially-viable product, expansion is inevitable and rich white ownership will eventually prevail as it always does in these instances.
“The owners are all Republicans,” noted one X user.
The WNBA is expanding by three teams over the next two seasons with Golden State, Portland and Toronto pushing the total number of franchises to 15, so they need an ownership group with some major paper.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the WNBA would like to add a 16th team by the 2028 season, Kansas City is expected to have competition from St. Louis, Philadelphia and several other cities.
Patrick Mahomes Often Judged Off Actions Of His Family
Mahomes is considered a Black guy with a Black father, but he is surrounded by white women and mixed children.
That’s just the reality of his life. His brother, father and the women in his immediate family make the media headlines for things that have nothing to do with football. His wife and mom are way more vocal than him when it comes to this election.
While Patrick realizes that endorsing a candidate does nothing for his brand, they are letting it be known, in the eyes of many, exactly what side they rock with, and therefore where their morals reside.
Why Is WNBA Choosing Political Sides and Limiting Business?
Some social media responders couldn’t understand why the WNBA, which is trying to improve profit and function as a business, would alienate half of the country by claiming to be a political party.
On X user raised tha point, saying, “I’m not Maga or Republican but the idea of gatekeeping the WNBA to one political party seems pretty f-cking asinine not to mention authoratarian, from activists who claim to be inclusive and tolerant mind you?
The Current play in a $117 million purpose-built stadium near downtown Kansas City and attendance is solid. The team regularly sold out home matches this season and are having success on the field. They begin the NWSL playoffs as the No. 4 seed on Nov. 9 after a three-loss season.
Mahomes and his wife, Brittany — a former soccer player — often attend Current and Sporting KC matches. Mahomes also has a private box to view Kansas City Royals baseball games.
“I think more than anything, I know how much sports has given to me,” said Mahomes, whose unbeaten Chiefs are seeking an NFL-record third straight Super Bowl title.
“Whenever I’m done with football — whenever that is — and I have to venture into life after football, and chase kids around, I want to still be a part of it. Hopefully, we can get this WNBA team here, for life after football, so I can make an impact in sports, and show my daughter that you can chase your dream, whatever dream that is.”
Mahomes believes a WNBA franchise would be the perfect fit for the downtown arena.
“They want to expand. Just like any other business, you have to pick and choose how,” he said. “Obviously, you’ve seen the last few years the WNBA has grown. We feel like Kansas City is a great place to continue that growth, but we have to battle other cities to show them that this is the right place.”
Now we will have to see how the WNBA players receive Brittany and Randi Mahomes wearing MAGA hats at home games. That should be interesting.
