Football Fever

Football Fever. . , Can you imagine rooting for the Kansas City Texans? Team owner, Lamar Hunt, once considered keeping the nickname of the team he brought to our town from Dallas in 1963. Instead, after considering such monikers as the “Steers,” the “Mules,” and, yes, even “Royals,” Hunt decided on the “Chiefs” in honor of Kansas City’s Native American heritage. (It didn’t hurt that “Chief” was also the nickname of Kansas City mayor, R.H. Bartle.), In choosing Kansas City as the Chiefs’ home base, Hunt said that he was impressed with our “support of sports.” He couldn’t have imagined just how supportive Kansas City fans would become over the years., Today, after many winning seasons, numerous playoffs and a coveted Super Bowl title, football fever remains at a fevered pitch. During the season, workplaces are often a sea of red on the “Red Fridays” prior to each Sunday game. And Kansas City has turned tailgating into an art form with elaborate barbecue pits and decked-out RVs., Though the Midwest can dole out some pretty nasty weather during football season, Chiefs fans don’t seem to be bothered, though the idea of building a domed stadium is as old as the team. When the Chiefs first came to town, city officials hoped to build them a domed stadium in the heart of downtown. But high construction and energy costs caused the plan to be scrapped and an open-air stadium complex was built east of the city., Arrowhead Stadium opened in 1972 and, a year later, its new neighbor, the Royals baseball team, moved into its new home at now-named Kaufmann Stadium. They remain two of the most attractive stadiums in sports. Pick up a ticket and see for yourself.