The Chiefs are in their third consecutive Super Bowl, and it's fair to say they got some benefit from the officiating in the AFC title game against the Buffalo Bills.
A pivotal 4th-and-1 rush by Bills quarterback Josh Allen was ruled short (it could be argued the Bills crossed the marker on third down). The Chiefs responded by scoring a touchdown on the next drive. And while the Bills did tie it up, the field was clearly tilted afterward.
This version of the Chiefs is being talked about like Gronk's New England Patriots used to be talked about: favoritism from the refs but still difficult to beat. Gronk joked in a recent interview with Fox News Digital that even his quarterback Tom Brady got the favor of the whistle.
"It was Tom, but he deserved it at the time. He was an 18-year vet, and he took his punishment as a young buck during his first eight years in the league. Oh my lord, he used to get lit up. It was understandable he got calls," Gronk said.
And perhaps the Chiefs have gotten that same benefit, Gronkowski added, saying the refs are "definitely … more lenient" toward the Chiefs.
"It’s been shown throughout the regular season and extending into the playoffs," Gronk quipped.
He later added, "I just feel like there’s something, like, maybe give them an extra call or two. Don’t make it too obvious, but make it a little obvious."
Gronkowski will get to see firsthand how much the refs actually favor the Chiefs, if at all, as he'll be in New Orleans on behalf of Bounty to clean up the mess that comes with dirty eating during Super Bowl Sunday.
"You can't have football without wings, there's no doubt about that. But you can't have wings without Bounty," Gronk said ahead of his trip to Bourbon Street, where there will be food aplenty.
His wingman, Saints legend Drew Brees, will try to show him the best wings in town, but he doesn't think anything will beat his hometown Buffalo wings, similar to the Chiefs.
Gronkowski added that even though the Chiefs may have some help from the zebras, it's "no excuse" for the Bills or anyone to fall short when they have their chances.
"You have opportunities to beat them, you got to overcome all situations, and the Buffalo Bills need to make championship plays in championship moments, and they didn’t come through. You got to make plays in order to beat the Chiefs, and you can’t blame it on the refs," Gronk continued.
"It doesn’t matter, you still got to beat the Chiefs, and you still got to come through with big plays at the end of the game in order to beat them, and no team has done that yet."
Gronk won four Super Bowls in his career, but with a Kansas City win on Feb. 9, this era of Chiefs will have matched him.
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An American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter resulting in one of the most devastating airline disasters in decades hearkened back to two tragedies.
On Wednesday night, several members associated with U.S. Figure Skating and their families were on the aircraft that collided with the helicopter. At least six had ties to the Skating Club of Boston, located in Norwood, Massachusetts.
The figure skating community has felt the effects of an airline tragedy in the past.
Eighteen members of the U.S. figure skating team were killed in a plane crash in Berg-Kampenhout, Belgium on their way to Prague for the World Figure Skating Championships. Laurence Owen and Steffi Westerfield were among those killed in the crash. They were considered to be rising stars in the sport and were preparing for an Olympic bid.
There were 73 people aboard Sabena Flight 548. The New York Daily News reported, citing investigators, that it was likely the jet’s stabilizers that caused the incident.
"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement on Thursday. "These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."
"It was truly an honor to have future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating, right here in our capital," she said.
"We were so excited to have the opportunity to host the national championship, and even yesterday I had folks tell me how wonderful these last few days have been with additional individuals that came into our community, whether to watch or to participate. So, our community was really excited and thankful that everything went well with the championship. And so right now we're just waiting for more information from U.S. Figure Skating that we can release. But right now we're just hoping and praying again."
The city of Wichita was described as a tightknit community, which is also no stranger to tragic aircraft incidents.
Wichita State University’s football team, flying in a Martin 404, crashed in Colorado in 1970, leaving 31 dead. Eight players and the co-pilot survived, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
The cause of the crash was determined to be because of pilot error.
"Wichita is located in the heart of our nation, and today we are grieving. I received confirmation this morning that no one survived the crash of American Airlines flight 5342," Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., wrote in a post on Thursday on X.
"This is a sad day for Kansas and our nation. My heart breaks for the lives that were lost and their loved ones who are now learning that their family or friends were on the flight.
"There will be much to learn and do in the coming days in the wake of this tragedy, but today please join me in praying for the victims and their families. May God comfort them and watch over all those who are mourning."
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