Fact check: Did Bills turn off hot water in Chiefs locker room after Divisional Playoff showdown?
The Buffalo Bills-Kansas City Chiefs rivalry is one of the biggest inter-conference contests in the NFL this side of the Tom Brady era. However, at this point, it's clear which team is the hegemon in the rivalry in the playoffs. After defeating Josh Allen in his own stadium on Sunday in the Divisional round, Chiefs players were dismayed to find out they didn't have hot water in their locker room.
Taking to Twitter/X, Chiefs offensive lineman Donovan Smith accused the Bills of shutting off the Chiefs locker room's hot water as retribution for ending their season.
Per TMZ, Eerie County Press Secretary Peter Anderson denied the allegations, claiming there was no technological ability to do so. Highmark Stadium, which is owned by the County, can only shut off the cold water for both locker rooms.
Anderson argued that there's a possibility that overuse lowered the total temperature of both locker rooms so all players suffered equally if anything did occur with the temperature.
Of course, technology was the first defense for the Bills, but it isn't airtight. If the Buffalo Bills were aware of the facility's technological limitations, they could have orchestrated a concentrated effort to turn off the water and simply keep the players from using the facilities.
That said, if this happened, it likely would have slowed down the team's ability to be available for post-game press conferences. If the effort was coordinated, leaks from players should have already occurred.
Instead, there were no reports of players arriving late to post-game conferences. Of course, at this point, most will speculate and believe what they wish on the events that took place after the final whistle.
Snowballs rain down after Chiefs send Josh Allen home for the third time
However, there's plenty of evidence to prove that fans at the stadium were unhappy with the result to the point of attacking players. Several times during the contest, Patrick Mahomes and various members of Kansas City were spotted having snowballs thrown at them by Bills fans.
Based on the trajectory of the throws and the timing, some throws were more than just venting frustration. Some throws occurred during plays in key spots that missed the players but otherwise might have swung the game had they connected. Either way, Patrick Mahomes' first road playoff game with the Kansas City Chiefs has the makings of a game that could live in infamy.
Patrick Mahomes faces Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 28, at 3 p.m. EST. We will see if KC forms another rivalry in the postseason.