ESPN reporter calls Chiefs 'America's team'

ESPN’s First Take has made a longstanding tradition of Stephen A. Smith notoriously trolling the Dallas Cowboys over the years. But on Thursday, Courtney Cronin decided to take the responsibility of being the honorary Dallas Cowboys hater in Stephen A.’s absence.

The Cowboys have long been regarded as “America’s team” due to their large fanbase. Total viewership numbers per game this past season back up that longstanding narrative, as they were also the most-watched team throughout the 2023-24 regular season .

However, one team that has rivaled the Cowboys in terms of fanfare as of late is the Kansas City Chiefs. They averaged 23 million viewers per game in the 2023-24 regular season, the second-most amongst teams (behind only Dallas).

What the Chiefs do have in their favor in comparison to the Cowboys is their success in the postseason as of late. Postseason games are naturally amongst the most-viewed games of the season every year. The Chiefs took part in three of the four most-viewed games of the postseason, including the most-watched U.S. broadcast ever in Super Bowl LVIII .

With this in mind, Courtney Cronin declared on First Take Thursday that the Cowboys are no longer “America’s team”, saying that this distinction should now go to the Chiefs.

“I think it’s only fair since Stephen A. is not here that the Cowboys trolling can continue with this question,” said Cronin. “And the answer is absolutely not. They haven’t been America’s team since the last time they won a Super Bowl.

“You know who America’s team is? The Kansas City Chiefs. In an era that has been defined by often forced parity, you’ve got a dynasty. We don’t have dynasties in the NFL that often any more.

“The Cowboys were that back in the 90’s when I was a toddler not even watching the NFL yet. We saw it before the Kansas City Chiefs with the New England Patriots. And we haven’t seen it since.

“What we’re witnessing now… All-time great play from someone like Patrick Mahomes. And you can throw Travis Kelce there too. What makes them America’s team is the consistency in which they are winning. The ability to do it no matter how many pieces are changing in and out. The right answer here is Kansas City.”

Cronin did add that this is of course a subjective statement that can be debated. But some of her arguments are very valid. The Chiefs have been the model of consistency in the NFL with all of the stars to boot that are required to have the distinction of being “America’s team”.

The real answer to this question is really quite simple. It depends on what generation you grew up in. For those who grew up watching the great Cowboys teams of the 1990s, the Cowboys are and probably always will be “America’s team”.

But for the younger generation, it’s hard to argue that the Chiefs haven’t taken over that distinction. Especially when you consider the influence that Taylor Swift has brought in her newfound fandom of the team.

[ First Take on X ]

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