Patrick Mahomes might rule the hearts of countless football fans across the country and as monumental as his off-the-field persona is, he failed to make a profound impact at The BET Awards for the second time in a row. Despite winning back to back Super Bowl championships, Mahomes was somehow sidelined by Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks guard in the recent rendition of the cultural event. From music to movies to sports, only the cream of the crop find their way at the top of the race, sadly Mahomes isn’t the only stallion that’s running this race.

Focusing on the sports side of things, the Sportsman of the Year Award listed 9 athletes from the world of  boxing, NBA and NFL. For the most part, the list remained unchanged from what it was in the last year, but somehow, Mahomes’ success can’t seem to land him at the top of an award show that doesn’t focus on sports. The Kansas City Chiefs 3x Super Bowl-winning quarterback found the second to last spot on the list. But you won’t believe the name of the other NFL superstar QB that’s ahead of Patrick Mahomes.

First off, shout out to Jalen Brunson for winning the award this year. If it proves something, it’s that it takes more than being a phenom at your profession to take over the hearts of the people. though Patrick Mahomes isn’t short of any fandom, he somehow missed being the winner again, even after finding a spot in 2024 TIME 100 list. But there are other important names that have made an impact outside of sports this year, yet they found themselves sidelined.

The list started in no particular order with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards after having a tear out season in the NBA, despite his absence in the post season. But since the the award focuses on accolades outside the sports, the same logic can’t be applied. Speaking of cultural impact, the boxer Gervonta Davis sporting a spotless 30-0 record with 28 KOs had to be included to the list. His recent 8th round win against Frank Martin was statement for anybody who wanted to pose a challenge to him.

Another honorable mention in the list is Philadelphia Eagles’ own Jalen Hurts, who succumbed in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James also found themselves on the list. The Dallas Mavericks guard found himself in the NBA Championship but failed to make an impact, losing 107-89 to the Boston Celtics. Finally, it was Mahomes’ chance to get some recognition coming off a Super Bowl LVIII ring ceremony recently. Finally, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback overtook GSWs PG Stephen Curry in the awards.

Side note: The list doesn’t have a particular order, however, Jalen Brunson is the Sportsman of the Year. But this year is the same as the last one for Patrick Mahomes. But the story was completely different for Jalen Hurts, the Philly quarterback. A lot of names on the 2024 list are the same people that made it to the BET Awards list last year.

A glimpse at the last year’s cultural night that sidelined Patrick Mahomes

The BET Awards 2023 for sportsmen listed New York Yankees’ center fielder Aaron Judge, the NASCAR Champion Bubba Wallace, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, the former three-division champion boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis, the LA Lakers lifeline LeBron James, Kansas City Chiefs’ 3x Super Bowl winning QB Patrick Mahomes, and GSW’s very own Steph Curry.

But out of all these people, Jalen Hurts, who was coming off a Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs (38-35) was declared the winner of The BET Awards 2023 in sports category. At the time, it was Jalen Hurts’ best season of his career where he threw for 3,701 regular season passing yards and 22 touchdowns. Not only that, Hurts also inked a massive 5-year $255 million extension with the Eagles, making his impact echo way further than the Lincoln Financial Field.

However, despite a fantastic 2022 season from Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes won where it mattered: on the field. He was declared the NFL MVP for his performance in the 2022 season and Jalen Hurts found himself as a runner up for the NFL MVP award. Mahomes won by a landslide, claiming 48 of 50 first place votes, garnering 490 total points.

This year’s Super Bowl victory was not as flamboyant for the Chiefs as it has been in the past. Maybe Kansas City’s crumbling offense was the reason behind the Super Bowl win. But maybe if Mahomes does a 3-peat and makes history, there are chances that he’ll get much more than he bargained for, let alone a BET Award.