Super Bowl LVIII: Spotlight shines on Chiefs' win, but questions linger about Mahomes Sr. absence

On February 11, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs overcame the San Francisco 49ers in the most dramatic fashion possible. The overtime win gave Mahomes and his team a 25-22 victory, sealing their second straight championship.

Mahomes was central to the victory. The 28-year old passed for 333 yards, completing 74% of his throws, and rushed 75 yards in overtime to complete the pass to teammate Mecole Hardman. Despite the enthralling performance, one of Mahomes' biggest fans was noticeably absent from the affair.

"The final play. I thought it was especially gutsy because Patrick Mahomes only left 3 seconds on the clock, but I’m told the overtime period would’ve rolled over to another “quarter” and the Chiefs would’ve been able to exhaust their 4 downs there. #SuperBowl" - Frank Luntz

Not included in the 65,000 pairs of eyes that watched Mahomes complete the final play was his father, Pat Sr. A former pitcher who began his career with the Minnesota Twins in 1992, Pat Sr. was dealing with some legal issues at the time of the Super Bowl.

On February 4, the elder Mahomes was arrested in Texas on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to the police in Tyler, Texas, this is the third time that the 53-year old has dealt with DUI charges. Due to face fellony charges, Mahomes could face up to ten years in prison. He was released from prison on Sunday, just hours before his son and the Kansas City Chiefs took to the field.

"Breaking: Patrick Mahomes' father has been arrested in Texas on his 3rd DUI. Thoughts?" - Vince Langman

Although his son is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the world, Mahomes Sr. never reached that kind of success during his time in MLB. Over eleven seasons in MLB, the right-handed reliever amassed a 5.82 ERA and a WHIP of over 1.5, finally retiring after spending the 2003 season as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Patrick Mahomes' SuperBowl victory remains overshadowed by father's troubles

Unlike his Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce, who spent the afterglow of the victory with girlfriend Taylor Swift, Mahomes will, sooner or later, need to deal with his father. Although we often idolize top-level athletes, it is all too easy to forget that, they too, are humans who must deal with the same types of trials and family strife as the rest of us.