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Men's Health

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes says his 'dad bod' may be the key to his incredible success

This inspired other dudes to jump in with their own epic dad bod tales.

Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes - Indianapolis Colts Ja… | Flickr

"That Dad Bod, man," Patrick Mahomes reportedly joked after he barreled his way into the end zone in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. According to an article by Rustin Dodd for The Athletic (owned by The New York Times), this is just one of many references to Mahomes's less-than-traditional athletic physique.

In the same article, Rams quarterback Matt Stafford's wife, Kelly, is quoted as having posted on Instagram, "Dad bod is a requirement to be an NFL QB. Show me a shredded QB, and I’ll show you a not very good QB.”

Patrick Mahomes Showtime GIF by Kansas City ChiefsGiphy

Clearly, Patrick and Matt are far from the only NFL superstar athletes without washboard abs—and this really is nothing new. From Peyton Manning to tight end Travis Kelce, the list is endless. Caleb Jones, an offensive tackle for the Patriots, weighs in at 370 pounds. Aaron Gibson, who once played OT for the Lions, Cowboys, Bears (oh my!) at one point weighed 410 pounds. (He's now retired and lost over 100 pounds to get healthier.)

But that's just football, where one could argue that a little more padding provides protection. Just recently, NBA player Luka Dončić got traded to the Lakers, despite his openly "unhealthy" lifestyle and being considered "overweight" by professional standards. Would he be a better player if he lost weight and stopped smoking? Not necessarily. Basketball stars through the years have often notoriously had "everyman" bodies and yet displayed amazing athleticism. And don't even get me started on baseball players.

Season 3 Baseball GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy

But some doctors warn that the dad bod (which is often used to describe men with a little extra weight in their midsections) can actually be a sign of poor health. Beer belly or just middle age, Dr. David Brill, in an article posted for the Cleveland Clinic, shares that a dad bod "left unchecked can lead to the three horsemen of the apocalypse: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar."

Ours de la fête des pères avec de la biè Photo stock libre ...www.publicdomainpictures.net

In any case, this growing (pun intended) trend of a little extra teddy-bear fat in our jocks is inspiring all kinds of dudes on TikTok. Like Chill Guy 1, who posed sadly for the camera writing, "Strangers on the internet have commented on my weight gain." Only to cut to a guttural scream, while shirtless. There he proudly states, "F the haters! Love yourself always."


@chillary_chilton

Never let someone elses opinion determine how you feel about your body #fitness #wegojim #gym #dadbod #bodypositivity #selflove

And Supdaily, who exclaims, "I love food" while patting his round stomach.


@supdaily

Dad bod check #suchascientist #gummygame #foryoupage #fyp #dadbod #dadbodchallenge #dadbodcheck

Don't forget Logan Pete, who uses his dad bod as merely the vessel to share this inspiring message: "Oh hey, just some dad advice for anyone who needs it. You are a good person. You're trying your hardest. Your brain is just a jerk that plays tricks on you and tells you things that aren't true. And you probably deserve a cookie."

@logan_pete_

You got this kiddo! #dad #dadsoftiktok #dadbod #dadjokes #daddy

Dad bod squads are all the rage, and it doesn't seem to matter if you're just a person on TikTok or Taylor Swift's boyfriend's bestie. Dr. Brill added, “A chiseled body doesn’t have to be the goal. But there’s a sweet spot to be found. You don’t have to be ripped to be healthy."

Joy

'Sandlot' star Patrick Renna is now a dancing dad viral sensation on TikTok

Just when we thought "The Sandlot" couldn't give us anymore joy.

@patrickrenna/TikTok

He's always had moves.

You could say that Patrick Renna has found his niche in lighthearted sports humor.

Back in the 90s, the actor played the forever quotable character Ham in "The Sandlot,” followed by his role of a scene-stealing goalie in “The Big Green.”

And now, at the age of 44 and a father of two, Renna is still bringing a little laughter to the sports world…one dance move at a time.


Back in 2022, Renna and his two best friends —brothers Caige and Cru Moore—went viral for their interpretive NFL theme song dance, based on choreography created by other social media sensations Austin and Marideth Telenko (better known as Cost n' Mayor).

@patrickrenna Are you ready for some football??? 🏈 dc: @Cost n’ Mayor #football #dance #fypシ ♬ Best NFL Themes - DabKid99


The clip was so popular that the NFL on Prime Video’s official account reached out to ask why their theme song wasn’t included. Renna and the gang were ready to right the wrong.


According to an interview with Good Morning America, dancing on TikTok had been a suggestion of one of Renna’s Gen Z friends. Knowing he would never do something like that alone, he enlisted the help of Caige and Cru to make their “Chubby Ginger” dance crew.

They also get some choreography help from more dance inclined friends, of course. Like Renna’s childhood friends and actress Lynsey Moore, who “dumbs down” the moves and “yells at [them] for an hour straight to get it together and be in sync,” he told GMA.

Sometimes they even get help from mega pop stars like….I dunno… LIZZO.

That’s right. After the group’s "About Damn Time" routine got 10.7 million views, the singer reached out herself and offered to give them a hand on nailing some of the moves.

@patrickrenna Dreams really do come true #dance#aboutdamntime #fypシ ♬ About Damn Time - Lizzo

And hey, if you prefer to just bask in nostalgia, Renna also has a few videos reliving some of those fan favorite movie moments.

It’s always nice to see when the kid actors from our beloved childhood movies grow up to live healthy, wholesome lives. And Renna certainly seems to be one of those, happy to do whatever dance people throw his way…except maybe the truffle shuffle.

Joy

Family's reaction to finding out their daughter is the star of a Super Bowl ad is so wholesome

Diana Flores didn't tell her family she was the star of a commercial, only that she was in it.

Family's reaction to their daughter's Super Bowl ad is so wholesome

There's just something about seeing pride swell in a parent's face when their child reaches a dream they set out to achieve. It's something that moves people to tears in the best way, and watching the reaction of Diana Flores' parents is no exception. Flores is a 25-year-old quarterback for the world champion Women's Mexico Flag Team, Mexico's professional women's flag football team.

In the clip, we find out from the writing on the screen that her parents and sister are about to watch a commercial that Flores participated in. But the surprise was that she not only participated in a commercial, but that she was the star of the ad that would premiere during the Super Bowl, which aired February 12.



The NFL recorded the moment her family sat down to watch the video. In the commercial, Flores is giving what appears to be a pre- or post-game interview when the reporter attempts to take one of her flags. This causes Flores to dodge and juke the reporter and others as she runs across town. At one point she stops short of the edge of a tall building, which causes her mother, who's seeing the ad for the first time, to audibly gasp.

Once the commercial is over and the realization has set in, cue the tears. Her father's delight is barely containable as he beams with pride and says in Spanish, "You are the star."

Flores' mom's eyes are filled with tears as she tells the flag football star, "You told me you'd be in it, not that you'd be the star."

The video didn't end there, because the NFL was determined to make viewers ugly cry by continuing to film the family's reaction. But the thing that got me, as someone who was extremely close with their stepdad, was when her dad called her princess and said, "You are powerful...powerful." It was like suddenly my eyes were all blurry and something was caught in my throat.

But you don't have to listen to me. Watch the wholesome moment below and see if you don't feel a little verklempt.

Sheryl Lee Ralph sang the Black national anthem on its 123rd anniversary.

By now most people have heard that the Black national anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," was performed at the Super Bowl by actress Sheryl Lee Ralph. Of course, there has been some discourse online about the song being sung before the national anthem or even being sung at all. But let's focus on the history of the moment, because oh, history was made.

History was made all over the Super Bowl. It was the first time two Black quarterbacks faced off on the NFL's biggest stage. It was the first time two brothers played against each other in the championship. (Hello, Kelce bros and their poor mom torn between two children.) It was also the first time that the Black national anthem was sung at the Super Bowl, but not just that. February 12, the day of the game, was the 123rd anniversary of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" being premiered in public.

Interestingly enough, that song, which has been coined the Black national anthem and holds extreme significance to the Black community, is nearly as old as the actual national anthem that everyone learns.


While the national anthem was written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, it wasn't until 1931 that it was adopted as the U.S. national anthem by Congress. But the Black national anthem, written by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and his brother John Rosamond Johnson in 1900, was sung publicly by 500 school children the same year to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday. It was first written as a poem by James, then his brother John composed music to it. Since its first public singing, it's been sung in Black households, churches and sororities.

The song was sung and continues to be sung as a sign of hope, togetherness and strength to face and overcome adversity. While the U.S. National Anthem leaves out the lesser-known verses that would give people pause, there's nothing wrong with preferring it. But the Black national anthem is a beautiful reminder that together we can get through anything, and there's nothing wrong with celebrating the history of it being sung at the Super Bowl.

Watch Sheryl Lee Ralph sing it below: