Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll agree. Even after years on the bleachers cheering my kids, I’m worthless when it comes to conversations about sports. That is, unless the athlete has an interesting backstory, personality trait, or quirk. I’m looking at you, Rafael Nadal.

I became a fan of Kansas City’s coach Andy Reid for the simple reason that I have a soft spot for coaches and players who’ve struggled yet continue to push themselves to overcome personal and professional adversity. Although Patrick Mahomes hadn’t appeared to suffer any major setbacks (until this year, anyway), he was part of the Andy Reid package. And when my brother pointed out that Mahomes had a unique throw, I was all in.