Photo: Jamie Squire (Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills fans may have taken things a step too far with their latest anti-Patrick Mahomes stunt ahead of their team’s Sunday (Nov. 17) game against the Kansas City Chiefs. And social media is hollering racism at the whole affair.
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Apparently, the Bills Mafia (as they are often called) dressed a Kermit the Frog doll as Patrick Mahomes— Number 15 jersey and all — and hung it from a pole outside the stadium.
Mahomes has been compared to the Muppets characters due to the similarities in their voices. Earlier this year, the Las Vegas Raiders made fun him with the presence of a Kermit the Frog doll at their Training Camp.
But the hanging doll evokes images of Black men being lynched, and folks aren’t having it.
Black Twitter is reminding people that the line between gamesmanship and flat-out racism seems pretty blurry when you look at the hanging of a doll meant to represent an actual Black man.
The image, which was reported by TMZ, went viral before the two teams faced each other at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
According to the Kansas City Star, Trey Taylor—a Raiders seventh-round pick— picked up a Kermit the Frog puppet dressed like Mahomes during the team’s camp. That, too, was complete with a wig and jersey, and he used it to mock the Chiefs quarterback and his voice in an infamous video.
In response, Mahomes simply commented: “It’s still early in the year—stuff like that happens,” he said. “It will get handled when it gets handled.”
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes wasn’t too upset about the loss, according to NBC Sports.
“It’s a good football team, so there’s nothing to hang your head on,” Mahomes said. “We feel like we can play better, so we will get back to work and try to use this as a spark so that we can be a better football team in the end. The undefeated thing was cool, but that’s not our ultimate goal. . . . I’m hoping that it is a benefit.”
