Patrick Mahomes has dealt with plenty of criticism throughout his career, but being called “fat” after a few casual Fourth of July photos went viral was especially harsh.
The jab drew backlash from many in Kansas City, including FS1’s Nick Wright.
Radio Host Rips on Patrick Mahomes, Nick Wright Goes on a Feud
Longtime Chiefs fan and former Kansas City radio broadcaster Wright took a hard line against Kevin Kietzman, a former local radio host who aroused controversy with insulting remarks about Mahomes’ body in a recent podcast. In addition to defending Mahomes, Wright rekindled a personal rivalry that had been brewing for over ten years.
“I joke somewhat about having a list of rivals,” Wright said during an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show. “What was not a joke was 15 years ago, I was in a blood feud with this man… he went on the record calling me the Jacksonville Jaguars and he was the New England Patriots and mocked me at every turn.”
Wright recounted their history in the Kansas City radio scene, including a time he topped Kietzman in ratings and held a listener party at Kietzman’s own station restaurant. The rivalry escalated, especially after Kietzman was “forced out because of a horrific thing he said about Andy Reid” while still owning the station where he’d once built his reputation.
In Wright’s view, Kietzman’s latest comments about Mahomes are just another example of his downfall.
“He did what every low IQ, not that talented, but I like talking into the radio guy does,” Wright said, referencing Kietzman’s pivot to more politically charged content. “That’s been like his little niche.”
Wright Shows No Remorse, Defending Kansas City as a Whole
Even though Kietzman was described as a “Kansas City radio host” in some media, Wright maintained it was no longer totally accurate. He asserted that Kietzman’s widely shared comments were from “a podcast that can’t have 35 listeners” and made a clear comparison between their professions, stating, “Now for the first time in a decade, he’s noteworthy while I’m on one of America’s premier platforms… we know who won that battle.”
Wright didn’t shy away from his disdain, bluntly calling Kietzman “that son of a b*tch” and rejecting the idea that he was punching down. “It’s a bad dude who’s bad for my city,” he said.
Wright wrapped up his fiery response by highlighting his loyalty, even if it sometimes works against him. “But if you are not that… being a bad person, being dishonest and… totally and wholly untalented, I just never let it go.”
In addition to being about Mahomes’ appearance, the discussion was a highly personal verbal sparring match from a long-running rivalry that still haunts Kansas City sports media.
