FACT CHECK: Did Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes Wear A ‘Great State Of Kansas’ T-Shirt?
An image shared on Facebook more than 18,000 times claims Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wore a “Great State of Kansas” t-shirt.
“I can’t stop laughing! Go Mahomes!” reads the caption.
Verdict: False
Mahomes did not wear a shirt bearing this design. It was superimposed onto an image of him wearing a “Showtime” t-shirt.
Fact Check:
The Missouri-based Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 to claim their first Super Bowl title in 50 years earlier this month.
President Donald Trump quickly took to Twitter Feb. 2 to congratulate the Chiefs for the win and for representing the “Great State of Kansas and, in fact, the entire USA,” though he later deleted it and tweeted a corrected version. This viral image pokes fun at Trump’s tweet.
Though the t-shirt poking fun at Trump’s erroneous tweet does exist, Mahomes didn’t wear it. The original photo, posted on Twitter by Mahomes’ marketing agent, Jacqueline Dahl, shows the outline of Missouri and the phrase “The Great State of Kansas” were superimposed onto his shirt. Per the photo, his shirt actually had the word “Showtime” printed on it.
Let the victory tour begin! ✈️⏰
First Stop: Disney World @PatrickMahomes + @brittanylynne8 pic.twitter.com/gMpC1q7BDJ
— Jacquelyn Dahl (@JacquelynKDahl) February 3, 2020
“Let the victory tour begin!” Dahl tweeted. “First Stop: Disney World.” (RELATED: Did An Ohio State Football Player Wear An Ankle Monitor During The Fiesta Bowl?)
Mahomes could also be seen wearing the same “Showtime” shirt in a picture of him and his girlfriend, Brittany Matthews, at Disney World on Matthews’ Instagram.
Some websites, like the Political Tribune and Yardbarker, published articles erroneously reporting that he wore the “Great State of Kansas” shirt. Former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill also tweeted the doctored image without disclaiming that it was photoshopped.
