In a shocking turn of events, the San Francisco 49ers and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will face off in Super Bowl LVIII. This unexpected match-up has left even the most casual football observer surprised. However, the 49ers are determined to play the underdog card and create a buzz on social media with their “against all odds” mantra. They even used a dice emoji to keep the Las Vegas theme going. It’s a cool concept, except for one major problem – the 49ers have been the betting favorite in all 20 games this season, including the Super Bowl. So, their run is anything but “against the odds.” Fans on social media were quick to point out this inconsistency.
Some may argue that the hype video only refers to the NFC Championship game, where the 49ers had to overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat the Detroit Lions. However, that argument falls flat when you consider that the 49ers were heavily favored to win by more than a touchdown in the first place. It’s hard to claim underdog status after a come-from-behind victory when you were expected to win by a large margin.
Interestingly, this situation reminds us of the Chiefs’ behavior last year when they demanded respect after winning the Lombardi Trophy. Travis Kelce, in particular, shouted, “Not one of y’all said the Chiefs were gonna take it home this year. Not a single one! Feel that sh-t. Feel it! And on top of that, the next time the Chiefs say something, put some respect on our name!” However, it’s hard to believe that no one thought the Chiefs would win, considering they were the AFC’s top seed, had the NFL MVP as their quarterback, and had just won their second Super Bowl in four years. It seems that their claim of being underestimated is not entirely accurate.
As fans, we are tired of this “nobody believes in us” narrative. Can both teams just agree to drop this nonsense when February 11 arrives? Let’s save the underdog status for the actual underdogs.