The Chiefs Kingdom can’t forget the loss the Kansas City Chiefs faced against the New York Giants. It was shocking! Brutal.

But when Patrick Mahomes made a gesture to uplift the spirits of a young fan, the Giants fan stole that as well. A double whammy, sort of.

During the game, Mahomes sprinted to the stands and handed his throwing sleeve to a young Chiefs fan. The sleeve #15 wears on his throwing arm to protect, warm, and help maintain grip. For a 10-year-old fan wearing Chiefs colors and celebrating his birthday, this was a dream come true. 

However, an adult Giants fan, clearly eyeing the prized sleeve, snatched it right from the kid’s hands. The clip shows the Giants fan’s arm in team colors reaching out as Mahomes approaches the crowd, signaling he wanted the sleeve. The kid’s stunned reaction, “You stole that from me,” echoed online. And why wouldn’t it? Patrick Mahomes has a superstition attached to his sleeve.

The superstition dates back to his high school days, a ritual born during a freezing 11-degree game in Denver to keep his arm warm. “I don’t necessarily have any pregame rituals, but I’ve worn the one sleeve in every single game I’ve ever started. That’s pretty much the only superstitious thing I do,” Patrick Mahomes said.

“It goes all the way back to my junior year of high school when I first started for the varsity team. I was out there with a single sleeve in Denver when it was only 11 degrees,” he added. From then on, he’s sported that single sleeve every game he’s started, refusing to change a tradition that’s part of his success formula.

So, the sheer audacity of stealing a birthday gift from a child during a live game left many stunned. With fans calling out the behavior online.

Netizens are unleashing wrath on the Giants fan

Fans on X quickly tore into the Giants fan’s action. One called it “that’s straight clown behavior stealing from a kid.” The common sentiment was clear: stealing from a child is beyond the pale. This isn’t the only incident that has taken place. 

First, the infamous “Phillies Karen” incident took place, where a fan stole a ball meant for a little girl during a Philadelphia Phillies-Miami Marlins game. So, these bizarre moments keep piling up. This latest episode has made the fans erupt in anger. With another saying, “Typical behavior from that type.”

Another such incident happened in Week 3 during the game of the Denver Broncos vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, where a “Chargers Ken” stole a touchdown ball intended for Keenan Allen’s wife.

These incidents paint a picture of a pattern of fans crossing lines in pursuit of memorabilia, often at the expense of others’ joy. So, comments like “That’s awful” and “Wow, what a loser move,” the outrage was palpable.

Moreover, Patrick Mahomes flashes a WHOOP device on his non-throwing hand. The device is to track his performance metrics. That sleeve is part of his game and identity. Giving it away to a kid is sharing a piece of his grit and passion.

Theft in that moment feels like it broke the unwritten rule of respect between fans. Giants’ victory hurt, but that gesture disappearing into the wrong hands hurt more.