Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes did NOT present ANY fan with the Lombardi trophy during the team’s Super Bowl parade, can exclusively reveal.
The Chiefs’ wild celebrations made headlines around the world and one moment in particular got fans talking – after Mahomes appeared to present the trophy to a fan in the crowd.
But after footage went viral on Thursday, we can now exclusively reveal that — despite multiple reports — the quarterback actually handled a near-perfect replica.
Speaking to , trophy owner Vinnie Garofalo opened up about his one-on-one interaction with the 27-year-old quarterback.
“I own a Chiefs backer bar in Buffalo, Casey’s Black Rock, and have been a huge Chiefs fan for over 30 years. I have decided to go to my second parade in four years and bring my replica Lombardi Cup with me,” he said on Thursday.
Many Chiefs fans thought Patrick Mahomes left the Vince Lombardi trophy during the team’s Super Bowl parade Thursday
Vinnie Garofalo told the QB loved his replica Vince Lombardi trophy
Garofalo said his conversation with Mahomes was “pretty great” and said other players liked his replica
“We secured a good spot, waited and were right at the front of the parade. We showed the players the trophy and after that it was chaos.”
Mahomes, who won his second Super Bowl in his last five years with the Chiefs, was among a group of players who wanted to see Garofalo’s replica up close after being struck by its resemblance to real silverware.
“Most came and celebrated with the trophy. Mahomes then joined, took the trophy, walked around with it a bit, handed it to Kadarius Toney and then went back and took a selfie with me and then left,” Garofolo added.
“That’s pretty much exactly what happened. It sure was a pretty great fan moment.”
However, it wasn’t for other Chiefs fans. Most of them thought Mahomes made a mistake by forgetting the trophy and had their hearts in their mouths.
The switch between the Chiefs superfan and the team’s star quarterback came three days after the two-time Super Bowl MVP had 182 yards for passing and three touchdowns in a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes aggravated an ankle injury late in the second quarter of the Super Bowl but fought through the injury to lead Andy Reid to his third Super Bowl.
Garofalo (Chiefs Jacket) poses for a snap with his replica Lombardi trophy with friends
Mahomes had 182 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII
Most schools, many businesses, and some government offices in the Kansas City area were closed for the parade to allow fans to enjoy the celebrations.
Fans were generally happy and in good spirits as they waited in long lines for food trucks, merchandise trucks and, of course, portable toilets. Some people slept in to get the best seats across from Union Station.
Officials began planning the parade weeks before the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 with a field goal on Sunday and stayed 8 seconds in the game.
The Kansas City Police Department said about 675 law enforcement officers from more than 20 agencies, along with fire departments and transportation supervisors, fanned out along the route for the expected crowd.
The City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee agreed to allocate $750,000 to expenses related to the parade, and Mayor Quinton Lucas estimated overtime costs for police and firefighters at more than $1.5 million.
The Kansas City Sports Commission is expected to contribute an additional $1 million in private donations, and the Jackson County Legislature voted for $75,000.
The 2020 parade had more than a few scary moments, as joyriders drove through barricades along the planned route, only to be arrested at gunpoint. Later, some fans were injured after falling from a tree when the branches they were standing on snapped.
Otherwise, the parade went as planned, save for the impromptu toilet stop for Mahomes, who ran to one of the 700 portable toilets that lined the route. Mahomes reappeared after a few minutes and gave a few high-fives to a few fans on the way back to the buses.
Some of the other highlights included actor and Kansas City native Paul Rudd riding in a golf cart and an exuberant Kelce thanking fans while wearing a WWE Championship belt. At one point, Mahomes Kelce even mouthed a beer off a double-decker bus as the All-Pro was firmly planted on the floor below, spinning under the cascading trickle of alcohol.