The confluence of mixed metaphors in sports has reached a new level as NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce has borrowed a phrase from MLB Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to describe the advantage that the Kansas City Chiefs have over the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.

Pierce was commenting Friday on the Chiefs' 27-20 victory over the Ravens in the NFL season opener on the FS1 sports talk show “Speak On.” The former Boston Celtics star held some papers in his hands and said they were adoption papers for the Ravens on behalf of the Chiefs. “These are the Ravens' adoption papers, because the Chiefs are the Ravens' daddy,” Pierce said.

The phrase was famously used by Martinez when he pitched for the Red Sox. Martinez went a number of starts for the Red Sox with little or no success against the New York Yankees. After one frustrating effort against the Yankees in 2004, Martinez explained to the attending media that there was little he could do.

“What can I say,” Martinez said. “Just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy.”

Ironically, shortly after making that statement, the Red Sox would recover and beat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series by winning four straight games after falling behind by a 3-0 margin.

Of course, Yankees fans never let Martinez forget his remarks by serenading him with “Who's your daddy” chants whenever he took the mound at Yankee Stadium.

Chiefs regularly pushed hard by the Ravens, but Mahomes & Co. come out on top

Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) talk with reporter Melissa Stark after defeating the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Ravens had a chance to beat the Chiefs in the season opener as Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson hit receiver Isaiah Likely with a pass in the back of the end zone on the final play of regulation. The play was originally ruled a touchdown but replay showed that Likely had a small portion of his cleat on the white line that signifies the out of bounds line.

In reality, his toe touched that line by a fraction of an inch. If the play had been allowed to stand, the Ravens would have drawn within one point at 27-26, and Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh had signaled for a two-point conversion. The coach was not interested in sending the game into overtime — he wanted to go for the last-play victory. Baltimore did not get that opportunity.

The season-opening loss for the Ravens followed their season-ending 17-10 defeat to the Chiefs in last year's AFC title game.

Kansas City has won six of its last 7 meetings with Baltimore, giving Pierce's statement quite a bit of credibility.