kansas city chiefs
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Kevin Sabitus / Getty
In an exclusive interview, HipHopWired spoke with Kansas City Chiefs receiver Hollywood Brown about his partnership with the hit NFL Rivals game.
On Thursday (September 5), the National Football League kicked off its 2024-2025 season with a highly anticipated rematch between the Baltimore Ravens and the defending Super Bowl LVIII Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The day will also see the release of the second season of the officially licensed mobile video game from Mythical Games, NFL Rivals. The new season is dubbed Year 2 and promises new gameplay features to fans which include exclusive pack drops and an expanded marketplace which fans can check out on the game’s website.
Another new element to NFL Rivals: Year 2 is the partnership between the game and the Chiefs, organized by OneTeam Partners with the hopes of growing the audience from its impressive inaugural season performance of 5 million downloads and 115 million games played. “With the upcoming release of our multiplayer mode, and the expansion of our Synergy System, fans have new and fun ways to play,” said Billy Schautz, the executive producer of NFL Rivals in a press release, “and with the introduction of the ‘Road to the Playoffs’ and its season-long ‘reward road’, during the 2024 NFL season, we’re raising the bar and setting a new standard for sports gaming as a whole.”
One of the Chiefs’ stars, wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has been a key figure in NFL Rivals’ first season. HipHopWired got the chance to talk with him about his experience playing the game and his expectations for the upcoming season.
HipHopWired: So how’s the feedback been on your involvement with the game so far for you?
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown: the feedback has been wonderful, man. I’ve been enjoying the game myself, making me feel like a GM, building my squad up, and everything like that. And then it’s a mobile game. So I’ve been on the go playing it, its a fast-paced action game, and it’s been fun.
HHW: What’s the one appealing factor of it for you outside of being mobile? Is it tapping in when you can, you know, check on some stats or need to make quick additions?
Brown: I think building the team is what’s fascinating about it for me. It helps fans feel like they’re a GM, building a squad, getting their favorite players – and everyone has a phone, pretty much. So everyone that doesn’t have a game system, you get on here and you build your team up and go play.
HHW: I’m curious (laughs), how do you have your team set up? Who are your standouts?
Brown: I’ve obviously got the Chiefs, and my team is full of Chiefs players. I mean, I’ve got myself, I’ve got Xavier Worthy, Pat, Travis. I’m just gonna be naming Chiefs players all day because that’s my team. (laughs)
HHW: I figured, had to get it on the record. How do you feel that they’ve worked on this season, as opposed to, like, last year, with improvements?
Brown: I didn’t play a lot of season one, but it’s fun. I feel like the gameplay is fun. It reminds me of NFL Blitz.
HHW: Oh yeah, that was my game! (laughs)
Brown: So I feel like you have a lot of fun with it, and then it’s, like, all offense. So that’s what I like about it as well.
HHW: What’s the energy like for you heading into this new season with the Chiefs?
Brown: I’m so excited for the season – week one got here so fast. Just excited, you know, to see the guys battle and take on this journey. It’s a long season, and every week it’s going to be a different challenge.
HHW: So you figure a lot of teams are pretty much going to come at you, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you all are prepared.
Brown: Yeah, definitely. The guys here, they’ve played a lot of big-time games, and they understand, what it takes. And you know, for me, it’s just fitting in and bringing my element to the team, and helping the team get that three-peat.
HHW: For anybody who’s looking to get into NFL Rivals, what tips would you give them?
Brown: Get you a quarterback – preferably Patrick Mahomes. (laughs) Get you a couple of fast guys, preferably Marquis Brown and Xavier Worthy, and get you a good tight end, preferably Travis Kelce, something like that. I’m just playing (laughs), but just be yourself with it. I mean, have fun and get the players you want, and have fun with it.
Taylor Swift made her glam return to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night (Sept. 5) to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce in the Kansas City Chiefs‘ season-opening game against the Baltimore Ravens. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news All eyes were on what the pop superstar would wear to […]
Karma is the new guy on the Chiefs! Wide receiver Xavier Worthy was drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday (April 25), and the NFL team took to Instagram to share a clip of the sweet moment the 20-year-old found out the news. Taylor Swift showed support by liking the post, which was captioned, […]
Taylor Swift continues to have the Kansas City Chiefs‘ stamp of approval! The Super Bowl LVIII winning team’s kicker, Harrison Butker, recently recalled meeting the superstar during an EWTN News In Depth interview. “She was just so humble and so gracious,” he shared. “I don’t think she grew up a football fan, so everything for her is […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jamie Squire / Getty
Tragedy struck the Super Bowl celebration parade of the Kansas City Chiefs after a shooting left one person dead and multiple injured victims.
On Wednesday (February 14), fans of the Kansas City Chiefs had assembled outside of Union Station, the 19th-century rail depot-turned-shopping center and science hall located in the downtown area after the parade honoring the team’s Super Bowl LVIII win in Las Vegas. According to police reports, shots were fired on the west side of Union Station at 2 P.M. sending the gathered crowd of nearly a million people fleeing. When police regained control, one person was pronounced dead and twenty victims were rushed to the area hospitals. Eleven children were among those shot. The deceased victim was later identified as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a radio DJ with the local station KFFI who was the host of the popular “Taste of Tejano” program.
The police are still conducting investigations into what sparked the shooting. Kansas” City Police Chief Stacey Graves confirmed that they had people in custody, referencing social media videos of Chiefs fans tackling someone. “I do want to comment on the question that I got earlier about a video of some fans tackling someone. We do have three persons detained and under investigation for today’s incident. We are working to determine if one of the three are the one that was in that video where fans assisted police,” she told the press. The FBI has also set up a website where people can share videos from the incident with investigators.
In the aforementioned press conference, Kansas City Mayor Quentin Lucas confirmed that he was at Union Station with his wife and mother when he heard the gunfire. “When you have people who decide to bring guns to events, when you have people who are deciding to try to mar events — celebratory ones, like this one — all of us start to become members of this club that none of us want to be a part of,” he said. Players from the Chiefs expressed their grief, with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes writing on X that he was “Praying for Kansas City”, and tight end Travis Kelce writing that he was “heartbroken” over the shooting in his post on the platform.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Michael Owens / Getty / Super Bowl LVIII / Patrick Mahomes
So, despite all the people claiming they were not going to watch this year’s Super Bowl LVIII for many reasons *coughs* Taylor Swift, it turns out this year’s edition of the big game was the most watched ever.
ESPN reports a record number of eyes were in front of their television screens to see the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers, Usher’s brilliant Apple Music Halftime show, and less than a minute of Taylor Swift.
Per ESPN:
According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with a 7% increase.
Nielsen also says a record 202.4 million people looked at some part of the game across all networks at one point, which was a 10% jump over the previous year’s 183.6 million.
It also eclipses the 2016 Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on CBS, which had 112.34 million viewers.
It was only the second Super Bowl to go into overtime and the second straight event to average over 100 million viewers.
Possible Reasons For This Year’s Super Bowl’s Ratings Success
On top of the thrilling game that saw the Chiefs need overtime to send the San Franciso 49ers back to the bay without the Lombardi trophy, again, there was also the added hoopla of Taylor Swift being in the building and, of course, highly anticipated halftime performance from Usher.
Leading up to the game, the extreme MAGA crowd somehow managed to link Taylor Swift, President Joe Biden, and Super Bowl LVIII in some ridiculous conspiracy theory.
Following the game’s result, President Biden even mocked them, using the infamous “Dark Brandon” meme with the caption, “Just like we drew it up.”
We will be tuned in again next year.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Patrick Mahomes added to his growing trophy case this weekend after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to victory against the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday (Feb. 11). With the victory, Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl LVIII MVP, marking the third time he’s won the honor.
With the MVP win, Patrick Mahomes etched his name alongside greats such as Joe Montana and Tom Brady with the retired quarterbacks also winning the honor three or more times. With the win, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory is the third of the Coach Andy Reid and Mahomes era, and the fourth overall for the franchise as noted by CBS Sports.
The contest went into overtime with the 49ers showing a ton of grit behind the hard work of Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel and their defensive corps. However, Mahomes carried out Reid’s game plan and the Niners never had an answer in the extra period, leading the Chiefs to victory and becoming a dynasty in the same breath.
Mahomes also joins the aforementioned Brady and Montana, along with Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman as the only starting quarterbacks to win at least three Super Bowls.
“It’s the start of one,” Mahomes said to CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson after being asked if Kansas City Chiefs are a dynasty. “We’re not done. I know we’re going to celebrate tonight, but we’re not done. We’ve got a young team, we’re going to keep this thing going.”
Congratulations to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
—
Photo: Getty
Adele is sticking up for Taylor Swift. The British songstress, 35, told her Weekends With Adele audience in Las Vegas on Saturday (Feb. 10) that the pop superstar, 34, has made the NFL “more enjoyable to watch” and defended the singer against those criticizing her attendance at Kansas City Chiefs games in support of boyfriend […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty / Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe is feeling the wrath of Beyoncé fans after some recent comments.
The Hall-of-Famer/ NFL champion turned ESPN analyst and media personality is catching heat online after comments he made about Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
During a recent episode of his Nightcap show with former NFL player Chad Ochocinco, the ESPN’s First Take analyst talked about Taylor Swift and her recent appearances at NFL games to watch her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce, play.
Sharpe read an article detailing how Swift’s presence has generated an extra $300 million in revenue for the team, claiming no other artist has that type of impact on the league. Ochocinco countered by bringing up Beyconcé.
The Club Shay Shay host disagreed, saying, “Not like this. Beyoncé ain’t moving the needle like this chick.”
He added, “The NFL can have anybody do halftime. I guarantee Taylor Swift is first.”
The Hive Was Not Feeling Shannon Sharpe’s Comments
Of course, the Hive, Beyoncé’s loyal fanbase, caught wind of Sharpe’s statements immediately, pointing out that if the Houston singer were dating an NFL player and attending their games, she would most definitely have the same impact.
“If Beyoncé was single and dating cam newton or an Odell in thier prime definitely would have moved the needle,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another X user added, “Now Unc I’m with you when you’re right but if Beyonce was with an NFL player she would’ve moved the needle just like Taylor if not further!”
Some came to Sharpe’s defense, adding, “Shannon right nobody moving needles like Taylor.”
We’ll have to call C A P on this because we all know when Beyoncé does something, the world stops.
More reactions to Shannon Sharpe’s comments are in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Super Bowl LVIII will take place in just under two weeks after the conclusion of the AFC and NFC championship games this weekend. The San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against one another for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, but some fans online are suggesting this was a matchup planned by the NFL all along.
During the AFC championship, the Chiefs, with stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, were visiting the Baltimore Ravens’ home field where it was thought that NFL MVP candidate Lamar Jackson would lead his team to victory. With a series of penalties, miscues, and the like, the Chiefs’ defense proved to be too much and their experience shined through.
For the NFC championship, the Detroit Lions appeared to be running away with the whole thing in the first half as Jared Goff shredded the 49ers’ secondary. However, it all came apart in the second half as Brock Purdy and the rest of the offense began to heat up with the Lions unable to answer the bell.
For many, this wasn’t the desired outcome as the Lions had a feel-good story about a franchise that has long been frozen out of competing for a Super Bowl title, while the Ravens, behind the talents of Jackson, hoped to bring the title home for Charm City once more.
As it stands, some fans online are suggesting that the 49ers-Chiefs lineup is a desired outcome ratings-wise, pointing to the Chiefs’ Kelce and the hype around his relationship with Taylor Swift as a marketing boost while the 49ers are one of the marquee teams in the league with Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Christian McCaffrey leading the offense. We’ve got those reactions below.
Super Bowl LVIII takes place on Feb. 11.
—
Photo: Getty