Real writers write because they want to, not because they
have to (with the exception of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who literally had to write a
novel in 4 weeks or be banished to prison forever). As such, I have been
wanting to write about the Chiefs being in the Super Bowl for basically all of
my life, and finally, after 37 years, my wish has been granted (I’m a writer
now!).
What’s that? You think 37 years makes me old?! Well I am
nowhere near as old as the Chiefs Super Bowl drought, which turned 50 years old
just 19 days ago. Fifty years of nothing. In that same span, the hapless Kansas
City Royals have played in FOUR (4) World Series, winning two (2) of those. And
the Kansas City Wizards/Sporting KC have won two (2) MLS championships and four
(4) US Open Cup titles in an even shorter time period (24 years). We used to
think the Royals were a marker of futility (a 30-year playoff drought will do
that to you), but If you really think about it, the Chiefs have been the
biggest losers of KC. I do not say that lightly. I have been the biggest Chiefs
fan I know my entire life, with the exception of my father, a former Season
Ticket Member (STM).
For example, during the Chiefs’ Bono/Grbac/Gannon years, I would
attend Sunday church services with my family that would run from 9:15 to 10:30
am, which would normally get me home in time to turn on the Chiefs pregame television
show at 11am. The show featured player interviews and a plethora of interesting
stats and was Must-See TV for a devoted fan like me. On Sundays when Pastor Ted
or Pastor Lieb were feeling extra feisty and extended their sermon, I would
sometimes miss the beginning of the pregame show, resulting in lots of anger
and disbelief in a God Who Cared About the Chiefs. (seriously, what Pastor
would keep his flock from watching an interview with Hall of Fame running back Marcus
Allen in which he discusses his favorite offseason hobbies? The audacity to
make us miss that!). As a young teenager, my dream car in those days was a Ford
Mustang painted Chiefs red, which I was planning to proudly drive everywhere
while donning head-to-toe Chiefs gear (in case you were wondering, no, I never
did get that Chiefs red Mustang, but I did drive a maroon Ford Ranger which I
used to tailgate at Chiefs games numerous times so suck it haters).
Speaking of Chiefs tailgates, one of my favorite life
stories is when I was 18 years old my friend Ryan and I went to the
Chiefs-49ers preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium. The date was August 13, 2000. The
Chiefs were 0-1. Ryan and I sat in the back of my Maroon Ford Ranger
drinking Dr. Pepper and eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. There was a tailgate next
to us with folks drinking wine coolers and beer and having a grand ol’ time.
They went inside the stadium before us and said we could take any beer we
wanted from their cooler. Ryan and I looked at each other, devilish grins
across our faces, thought for a second, then I announced “No way will I ever
tarnish my body by consuming alcoholic beverages. This body is a TEMPLE.” To
this day I forever regret not holding myself to that because if I had never
drank a drop of alcohol in my life I would certainly be a millionaire LMAO.
I digress.
It’s been fifty (50) years since the Chiefs have seen the
big game. There are a million storylines to follow, which I may dive into in
another post if I get time, but briefly here are some notable things to keep an
eye on:
- The Chiefs are riding an 8-game winning streak, including the playoffs. Their last loss was Nov. 10 against the Titans., The 49ers have won 4 straight.
- The Chiefs’ end zone at the Super Bowl is painted yellow (below). They are 3-0 this season with yellow endzones, having beat Baltimore, the Texans, and the Titans
- Patrick Mahomes has thrown 11 TDs to zero (0) interceptions in his brief playoff career
- The 49ers have a slight edge vs the Chiefs all time, with an overall record of 7-6. However, the Chiefs have won 3 of the last 4 meetings, including Patrick Mahomes home debut as a starting QB in the NFL, and have outscored the 49ers 274 to 245 all time.
