CNN’s Abby Phillip had a golden opportunity to interview Super Bowl LVIII MVP Patrick Mahomes and decided to ask him one of the dumbest possible questions.
“You might be aware, or maybe not aware. There were some wild conspiracy theories that were flying around this season that the Taylor Swift effect was all scripted to allow Taylor to use the Super Bowl for politics basically,” Phillip explained to Mahomes. “So the President himself, President Biden kind of got in on the joke a little there. What do you make of just how this has spiraled, not just to football, but to politics and all these different areas?” Phillip asked.
Mahomes responded graciously, thoughtfully sidestepping the question while reiterating his commitment to football.
“Yeah it’s been a little wild to see,” Mahomes answered politely. I mean, I try to focus in on football as much as possible, but there’s always some conspiracy theories out there. I just try to enjoy football, my family, and I kind of stay off social media as much as possible.”
CNN’s Abby Phillip asks Patrick Mahomes to comment on the conspiracies that his Super Bowl victory was rigged to benefit Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/aiVkybUFAF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 13, 2024
Classy Mahomes. As for Phillip, I’m mind-blown that she used her platform to ask such a vapid, pointless line of questioning. (RELATED: Child Who Deadspin Tried To Dox And Cancel Shows Up To Super Bowl In Full Native Headdress)
You have access to the best football player on the planet coming fresh off one of the most exciting games in Super Bowl history. I can think of questions on one of any number of fascinating topics for Mahomes – the fact that he’s a father, or that he’s the recipient of the biggest contract in NFL history and well on his way to becoming a billionaire. How about the fact that he wasn’t highly recruited out of high school and then built himself into a QB juggernaut. The list of things that make Mahomes interesting is nearly endless. One topic that isn’t on that list, however, is Taylor Swift.
Phillip joins a growing list of media who for some reason use their access to ask athletes questions that have literally nothing to do with their job or their sport and serve only to make the athlete uncomfortable and the public just a little more stupid.
During the Super Bowl press junket one reporter asked 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy about an internet meme comparing him to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Purdy, a second-year pro with less media experience than Mahomes, was visibly uneasy as he struggled to even form an English sentence in response.
Brock Purdy isn’t feeling the Lee Harvey Oswald comp … 😅 pic.twitter.com/zTGkWyEGCd
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) February 6, 2024
The same week another “reporter” tried to get Travis Kelce to finish the lyrics to a Taylor Swift song in an early candidate for the most cringeworthy clip of the year. (RELATED: Instant Classic: Chiefs Win Super Bowl In Overtime)
Someone tried to get Travis Kelce to sing one of Taylor Swift’s song. He pivoted real fast from it 🤣 pic.twitter.com/VtX6T7MR2i
— Farzin Vousoughian (@Farzin21) February 8, 2024
If you don’t like or know sports, you don’t have to cover it. In fact, please don’t. There are a million other sectors of entertainment and pop culture. There are scores of C-list celebrities who will be happy to answer your asinine questions with canned answers that will get your smooth-brain audiences to clap like trained seals. I would kill to get the access these folks have. They squander their opportunities when they ask questions like this. Shame on you Abby Phillip. Shame!
Editorial Note: This article has been updated to reflect that a reporter compared Purdy to Lee Harvey Oswald.