Patrick Mahomes Had Another Great Finger-Counting Message for His Doubters

In Tuesday’s Hot Clicks: Patrick Mahomes counts to four, the Lightning capture the Stanley Cup and more.

Count ’em

Every game Patrick Mahomes plays makes his pre-NFL football career more unbelievable. How did this guy receive scholarship offers from only Texas Tech, Houston and Rice? How did he not win more awards in college? How did he slip to 10th in the draft?

He isn’t afraid to let people know that he remembers the slights against him, either. When Mahomes and the Chiefs blew out Mitch Trubisky’s Bears in prime time on Sunday Night Football last season, Mahomes celebrated a touchdown pass by counting to 10 on his fingers, a reference to Chicago picking Trubisky at No. 2 instead of him. 

After a touchdown in Monday night’s win over the Ravens, Mahomes did something very similar. 

So what does the number four symbolize here? This summer, Mahomes came in fourth on the NFL’s annual “NFL Top 100” list, which is voted on by the players. Lamar Jackson was first. As Jackson turned in the worst passing performance of his young career, Mahomes lit up the Baltimore defense for 385 passing yards and four touchdowns, plus another score on the ground. The celebration was basically Mahomes's saying, “Is this your king?”

It’s tough to take issue with the “NFL Top 100” rankings. After throwing 50 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, Mahomes had a more mortal 26 in 2019. Jackson, meanwhile, led the league with 36 touchdown passes and broke the quarterback rushing record with 1,206 yards. (Russell Wilson was No. 2, and Aaron Donald was No. 3.)

Mahomes can’t be too upset with being named one of the four best players in the league, especially behind three guys as talented as those, but it’s fun to see a quarterback show a little attitude like that. And the last thing the rest of the NFL needs is Mahomes's playing with extra motivation. 

Are you ready for a whole lot of baseball? 

It seems weird to have it after so few games have been played, but Tuesday is the beginning of the biggest baseball feast of the year. Usually we have to wait a couple of days for the ALDS and NLDS to overlap before we get a day of round-the-clock games, but with the new playoff this year, we’re jumping right in with wall-to-wall action. It should be fun. 

Here’s the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 2 p.m.: Astros at Twins (ABC)
• 3 p.m.: White Sox at A’s (ESPN)
• 5 p.m.: Blue Jays at Rays (TBS)
• 7 p.m.: Yankees at Indians (ESPN)

The best of SI

As great as Mahomes was, Andy Reid was the star of the Chiefs’ win. ... World Series predictions from SI’s MLB staff. ... A ban on tailgating at LSU has Tigers fans searching for alternative ways to party. ... MLB stats that defined a quirky season.

Around the sports world

Nick Foles reportedly set up his game-winning touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with a last-minute instruction for Miller. ... A high school volleyball player in Tennessee was disqualified from a game due to her hijab. ... Mark Cuban picked up Delonte West, who had been seen asking for money on the street last week, at a Dallas gas station and is trying to get him help. 

The Lightning are your Stanley Cup champions

Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy pulled out all the tricks

Mahomes with the underhand toss to Anthony Sherman! 😱

Touchdown, @Chiefs! #ChiefsKingdom

📺: #KCvsBAL on ESPN
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/QjJ5lF3Rg2 pic.twitter.com/PfuuTxMN9B

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2020

And when the play call was ordinary, Mahomes did extraordinary things

Mahomes’s mom is not a fan of Louis Riddick

Hockey Night in Canada’s playoff montage is always great

There should be a suspension coming for this

This is one of the dirtiest plays I’ve seen in *any* sport in a long time.

*This* is how you end someone’s season.

I hope the league punishes (suspends) Trysten Hill swiftly. Thankfully Chris Carson walked off the field under his own power. #SEAvsDAL pic.twitter.com/Wnxj6uciJR

— Dakarai Turner  (@Dakarai_Turner) September 28, 2020

Duncan Robinson is more than just a spot-up shooter

Not gonna lie, I got a little freaked out when I read “Mike Leach on face masks”

That’s how bad they were in just 60 games

Not sports

A man in Arkansas discovered the second biggest diamond in the history of the state’s Crater of Diamonds State Park. ... A village in Romania has reelected its dead mayor. ... James Cameron has finished production on Avatar 2. ... A Boston restaurant opened by the viral Instagram chef known as “Salt Bae” was closed just days after its opening due to COVID-19 violations. ... An American tourist in Thailand could face jail time for leaving a negative Tripadvisor review. ... Malta may attempt to recover a shark tooth fossil discovered by David Attenborough and gifted to Britain’s Prince George.

I’ll take that as a yes

Being able to send a letter like this is every lawyer’s dream

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.