21 22
|| Sport Sports
thegryphon.co.uk
Patrick Mahomes: $500 million man To kickstart our spotlight on formidable Black sports figures, Michael Amolo Otieno reflects on the historymaking year for the Texan quarterback. Michael Amolo Otieno
following a record-breaking season in 2018-2019. He earned the title of league MVP, becoming only the 2nd African-American to do so.
will watch him play at the highest level. So far, the Chiefs have three victories from three matches in the 2020 NFL season. Only time will tell whether the new face of the NFL will deliver for Kansas and lead them to a second consecutive Super Bowl Victory. One thing we know for sure is that we are watching history being written in front of us, and Patrick Mahomes is the author.
Despite the achievement, Mahomes may not even remember 2020 primarily for his record-breaking contract. On February 2nd, he led his team to an against-all-odds victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, subsequently winning the Super Bowl MVP Award. The win gave the Kansas City Chiefs their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. Mahomes is undeniably a Chiefs legend and many are unsurprised by his rise to the top.
Looking back at the results Mahomes posted, it becomes easier to understand exactly why Chiefs’ ownership tied him down on a 10-year $503 million contract extension in the middle of a pandemic which caused world economies to crash. The actual value of Mahomes’ contract is $477 million with $25 million in incentives, in winning the AFC championship and Super Bowl ($1.25 million for each accomplish for 10 years). Essentially, this is Mahomes betting on himself to be able to deliver and earn the incentives. He received a $10 million signing bonus as well as his 2020 base salary of $825 000. The base salary is set to increase nearly fifty-fold over the next ten years to $38 million with the rest of his salary being roster bonuses (Bonus for being listed in a particular season’s 53-man Kansas City Chiefs Roster).
The 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft was always touted for greatness – as are most high draft picks. He spent the 2017-2018 season as the back-up quarterback behind Chiefs’ then starting quarterback Alex Smith, but didn’t play a secondary role for too long as Smith was soon traded, freeing up the coveted starting quarterback slot. Mahomes, now a starter, took his game to the next level. Spearheaded by Mahomes, Kansas were the AFC West champions
Mahomes, son of a former MLB baseball player, is accustomed to the bright lights that come with holding a starting quarterback position in the NFL, but the scrutiny he will receive in the upcoming years will expose him to a different kind of pressure than he has ever experienced before. He has continued the work of the few who have come before him in pushing racial barriers at the quarterback position, with his current form only serving to inspire a generation who
For many, the 6th July 2020 is as unremarkable a date as any other during this year’s lockdown period, but for Patrick Lavon Mahomes II, that date may stand as one of the most important days of his life. The 25 year old Kansas City Chiefs quarterback signed a 10-year contract extension valued at a maximum of $503 million – the highest value contract ever signed in North American sports history.
Image: CNBC.com
The ‘Last Stylebender’: Israel Adesanya Papa Kuranchie The Ultimate Fighting Championship has had its fair share of champions and superstars throughout the years. The likes of Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Brock Lesnar and The Diaz Brothers have won the hearts of MMA fans across the world through either sheer power, technical ability or their determination to leave their hearts in the octagon after each fight. One rising star that cannot be overlooked is Middleweight Champion Israel ‘The Last Stylebender’ Adesanya. Adesanya has accumulated 100 combat sports victories with his latest being a successful title defence against another undefeated fighter, Paulo Costa, on September 27th , 2020.
making quick work of his opponent Rob Wilkinson; winning the fight by TKO. In his post-fight interview, he made his mark stating: “To all middleweights, there is a new dog in town.” Adesanya then went on to have dominant wins against Marvin Vettori and Brad Tavares. It was after this that Israel was given his first Top 10 contender in Derek Brunson at UFC 230. Known as a heavy hitter, Brunson was predicted to be a test to a young, fresh ‘Stylebender’. However, Israel disposed of him in the 1st round. Image: talksport.com
The 6th October 2019 marked the day that Adesanya etched his name into the UFC hall of fame, upon facing Robert Whitaker to unify the Middleweight titles. Though many predicted a kickboxing masterclass, Adesanya once again shocked the world and provided Whittaker a narrow escape at the end of the first round after landing a clean uppercut, before knocking him out early in the second round, finally claiming the Undisputed Middleweight Title.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Israel Adesanya boasts a 20-0 record in Mixed Martial Arts and fights out of Auckland, New Zealand. He initially decided to get into martial arts after being heavily bullied at school. After being inspired by the Muay Thai film Ong-Bak at 18 years old, Adesanya went on to build an impressive kickboxing record of 32-0, before amassing an 11-0 professional MMA record fighting in Hong Kong, Australia and China before being recognised by the UFC. In just six fights, Adesanya propelled himself from mediocre standing in the middleweight roster to undisputed champion. Making his debut at UFC 221 in 2018, Adesanya advanced his record to 12-0 after
disappoint as both fighters traded combinations of kicks, punches and elbows for three rounds. Nonetheless, Israel was victorious against Silva. It was finally time for Adesanya to stake his claim as the best Middleweight in the world when he received his first title fight against Kelvin Gastelum for the interim title in April 2019. In this highly anticipated five round slugfest, both fighters showcased their durability and warrior spirit with blood staining the ring. Adesanya managed to capture the belt via unanimous decision after knocking Gastelum down twice near the end of the fifth. Adesanya then proclaimed himself “ready to die in there”, further marking his status in UFC royalty.
The UFC then proposed what fans touted a dream match-up between Israel and legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva, with Adesanya often professing Silva to be his idol. Although past his prime, Silva didn’t
In such short time, Adesanya has risen to superstar status whilst making a substantial impact on MMA, becoming the second Nigerian champion since Kamaru Usman and putting the middleweight division on the map. After beating Paulo Costa in September, the sky is the limit.
