After three non-baseball posts (Jimmy Carter, the MLK holiday and Joe Serviss), I am returning to sports. But still not baseball.
Why? Because every sports fan in Kansas City is focused on the Chiefs, Chiefs, Chiefs! Possible exceptions: Royals owner John Sherman and GM J. J. Picollo who are still diligently searching for that elusive power-hitting corner outfielder (I hope they are successful).
Five years ago (1/30/20), three days before Super Bowl LIV, I posted Hot Stove #117, titled “The Chiefs Before Arrowhead – Memories from the North Stands (1963-1971).” The post recounted stories about the early Chiefs years at Municipal Stadium and their appearances in Super Bowl I (lost) and Super Bowl IV (won). The hope in my 2020 post was that after a 50-year drought, the Chiefs would again win a Super Bowl. Three days later, they did, and the Chiefs started a string we never imagined.
It’s time to update my 2020 post, and I’ll do so by breaking down Chiefs history into three eras: (i) Before Arrowhead, (ii) Arrowhead Before Mahomes and (iii), Arrowhead with Mahomes. In honor of Travis and Taylor, let’s call it The Eras Tour.
Era One – Before Arrowhead (1963-1971)
Municipal Stadium: When Mayor H. Roe Bartle lured the Dallas Texans to Kansas City, he told owner Lamar Hunt that the city would expand seating for football. Most of this was accomplished with about 11,000 temporary seats in the “North Stands” running from left field to center field on the baseball layout. The team benches were directly in front of the North Stands. The clamorous fans seated there became known as the “Wolfpack.”
I was in college and law school for the first four years the Chiefs were in KC. My student budget did not include the luxury of buying Chiefs tickets, but I followed them closely and became a big fan. I luckily attended a few games with my high school friends Bill Lochman and Jim Graham who were able to purchase discounted tickets ($7) from their employer, the Kansas City Star. The seats were in the North Stands.
January 15, 1967 – Super Bowl I: The Chiefs won the 1966 AFL title and represented the league in the first “World Championship Game” against the NFL (not yet called the Super Bowl, so Super Bowl I is a retroactive name).
The Chiefs met the Green Bay Packers at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The game was competitive in the early stages, and the Chiefs only trailed 14-10 at halftime. Quarterback “Lenny the Cool” Dawson puffed on a cigarette and drank a Fresca in the clubhouse at the half.
The second half, not competitive. Final score: 35-10. Smoking is not good for you.
Joining the Wolfpack: In the spring of 1967, I graduated from law school and bought my own season tickets through my pals Lochman and Graham who were allowed to expand their discount ticket holdings.
August 23, 1967 – Chiefs v. Bears: My first game as a season ticket holder was one of the most memorable sporting events of my life. In August, the Chiefs hosted a pre-season game against the Chicago Bears, the first AFL-NFL contest in Kansas City. Chiefs fans were still somewhat depressed over the trouncing by Green Bay in January. But the atmosphere at Municipal Stadium was hopeful.
And everything went right. The Chiefs were a scoring machine, including Dawson’s 70-yard pass to Otis Taylor and a 99-yard kickoff return by “Super Gnat” Noland Smith (watch it here). Final score, 66-24!
I know Arrowhead crowds have set some noise-level records, but the decibels that night at Municipal Stadium were so loud and joyous you would have thought 75,000 fans were there. There was nothing more fun than getting back at the NFL.
January 11, 1970 – Super Bowl IV: After Green Bay had won the first two Super Bowls, Joe Namath and the Jets had shocked the sports world by beating the NFL Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The goal of the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV was to prove that the Jets victory was not a fluke. And wow, did they succeed.
After taking a 9-0 lead on three field goals by Jan Stenerud, the Chiefs went up 16-0 on a Mike Garrett 5-yard run. The play became celebrated in Super Bowl lore because coach Hank Stram was mic’d up, and his commentary is priceless. He said the Chiefs were “matriculating down the field” and called out Garrett’s touchdown play, the “65 Toss Power Trap…It might pop wide open.” It did (click here). Below, Otis Tayor (89) celebrating the play with Garrett.
The play I remember most is the other Chiefs touchdown. I was watching the game on TV with some of our Wolfpack group. A timeout had been called, and I went to the restroom. As I walked back, everyone was screaming. I had missed Lenny Dawson hitting Otis Taylor for a 46-yard touchdown. The beauty of the play, as I saw it on replay, was the pass was only six yards, the rest being an amazing bit of running by Taylor (see it here).
The Chiefs won 23-7, beating the spread by 29 points and proving that the Namath/Jets win the prior year was no fluke. The AFL had arrived.
December 25, 1971 – The Longest Christmas Day: I was in my fifth year as a season ticket holder. The tickets were no longer discounted, but our Wolfpack group had grown to more than 20, mostly from members of our Young Democrats club. Our North Stands seats were about 35 rows up at the 20-yard line behind the visiting team’s bench. We heckled a lot.
The division playoff game against Miami was played on a balmy Christmas Day – 60 degrees at the 4:00 p.m. kickoff. At the half, the game was tied 10-10. End of third quarter, 17-17. End of regulation, 24-24.
Ed Podolak was the big star for the Chiefs that day (350 total yards rushing, receiving and returning). But the final score was determined by two foreign born kickers. In the first overtime, each had a chance to win the game. Jan Stenerud, a native of Norway, had a 42-yard attempt blocked. Garo Yepremian, a native of Cyprus, missed a 52-yarder.
In the second overtime, in what was the sixth quarter, Yepremian had another opportunity. The kick was from the 37-yard line, and the Sports Illustrated photo below captures the anticipation as the ball was in the air. The kick was good and gave the Dolphins a 24-21 win. It is the longest game in pro football history (82 minutes, 40 seconds).
Although the game was a tough loss, I knew I had witnessed a classic. It was also the last football game played at Municipal Stadium.
Era Two – Arrowhead Before Mahomes (1972-2017)
Move to Arrowhead: In 1972, the Chiefs played their first season at Arrowhead. Our group kept our season tickets, but our new seating assignment was poor. Way back in the upper deck. We went from being close to the action in the North Stands to needing binoculars to see the game. Not pleased.
So, I faded from being a season ticket holder. I remained a Chiefs fan, but one watching on TV, which is not all bad. Pro football is the best TV sport and is often enhanced by replays. Also, the older I get, the more I don’t like cold weather. Or game traffic. And, especially now, it’s handy to have a restroom just down the hall. The Chiefs need not worry. The Wolfpack is now 76,000 strong with a waiting list.
Era Two Results at Arrowhead: In the first 14 years at Arrowhead, the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs. The Chiefs returned to consistent success under Coach Marty Schottenheimer (1989-1998). Marty took the Chiefs to the playoffs seven times, but only once as far as the AFC Championship (losing to the Bills in 1993).
After Marty, a series of six coaches had little success. In 2013, enter Andy Reid. In his first five years (2013-2017), Andy took the Chiefs to the playoffs four times.
What was missing in each of these 46 seasons in Era Two? A trip to the Super Bowl. But the eras they were a changin’.
Era Three – Arrowhead with Mahomes (2018-2025)
Getting Ready: During the 2017 season, rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes seldom played, but he learned the pro game under a gracious mentor, veteran quarterback Alex Smith. The Chiefs made the playoffs but lost in the Wild Card round.
Ready: In 2018, Mahomes became the starter, and Era Three was underway. In his first season as a starter, Patrick was the league MVP. The Chiefs went 12-4, winning the AFC West. They won their first-round playoff game, but then lost the AFC Championship game in overtime to the Patriots. A very good first year for Mahomes.
In 2019, again a 12-4 season, the Chiefs won the first two playoff rounds to claim the AFC Championship. After a 50-year drought dating back to Super Bowl IV, the Chiefs were finally returning to the Super Bowl at Roman numeral LIV (later hijacked by a 54-hole golf organization).
The game was scheduled for Groundhog Day, 02/02/2020 (note, a palindrome, first one since 11/11/1111). In my Hot Stove that went out three days before that, I ended my post with this photo and caption:
May Patrick join Lenny the Cool as a winning Super Bowl quarterback.
And you know what happened. With the Chiefs down 20-10 and about seven minutes to go in the game, and right after announcer Joe Buck said “Chiefs need some Mahomes Magic,” Mahomes launched a 44-yard pass to Tyreek Hill on a play known as “2-3 Jet Chip Wasp” (click here). The Chiefs went on to score three touchdowns and win 31-20. And “2-3 Jet Chip Wasp” entered Chiefs’ lore alongside Hank Stram’s “65 Toss Power Trap.”
It was just the beginning. The Chiefs are now playing in their fifth Super Bowl in the last six seasons. The results of the first four are shown below (with thanks to Hot Stove’s cool-chart editor Jeff Nelson).
After their Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay in 2021, the Chiefs did not return to the Super Bowl the following year, losing in overtime in the AFC Championship to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs then won the next two Super Bowls over the Eagles and 49ers. Patrick was MVP of both.
The Chiefs of the 2024 season were legitimately called the “Cardiac Chiefs” for winning many close games, some by a matter of inches. This high-wire act included the AFC Championship game against the Bills where Andy Reid made two rare calls that were key.
In the second quarter, trailing by three, the Chiefs were fourth and one on their own 39-year line. For the first time since 2021, Andy left Mahomes on the field on fourth down in their own territory. Mahomes scrambled for six yards to get the first down, keeping alive a drive that ended with a touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, Mahomes ran for a 10-yard touchdown on a play designed for him to run (as opposed to his scrambles on pass plays). According to Next Gen Stats, it was only the second designed quarterback running play in Mahomes’ pro career. Below, Mahomes heading for the goal line with Travis Kelce making the block on #24 (video here; ends with the worst celebration spike ever).
And now Super Bowl LIX (a/k/a 59; maybe it’s time to ditch the Roman numerals). My anxiety level for a three-peat is already sky high.
Go Chiefs!!!
Lonnie’s Jukebox – Chiefs Edition: A mixtape selection of songs popular at the time of some Chiefs highlights.
1966 Season (Super Bowl I). “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys. Unfortunately, the Packers had better vibrations.
1967 Memorial Cut. “Soul Man” by Sam and Dave. RIP to Sam Moore who died last month at the age of 89.
1969 Season (Super Bowl IV). “Come Together” by the Beatles. The team did.
1970 Season (KC/Bears, 66-24). “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” by Steam. The song that for decades has haunted teams getting beat in a blowout.
1971 Season (Christmas Day). “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” by the Bee Gees.
1972 Season (Arrowhead Opens). “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack.
1993 Season (“the home of the Chiefs”). “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and The News (as shown in Back to the Future). This is a 1985 song but is here to introduce Huey Lewis who sang the national anthem at Joe Montana’s debut at Arrowhead in 1993. Huey Lewis was a close friend of Montana and agreed to come in for the game. As he ended the anthem, Lewis sang “home of the …CHIEFS” and started a tradition that endures.
2023 Season (Taylor and Travis). “Karma” by Taylor Swift. When Travis attended her tour in Buenos Airies, she changed some lyrics. “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs” (video here).
2024 Season (Super Bowl LIX). “Deal With It” by Melissa Etheridge. A Chiefs fan’s message to those afflicted with Chiefs dynasty fatigue.
Walk-Off Bonus: The Royals are again sponsoring free admission to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for the month of February in honor of Black History Month.
Walk-Off Photos: The new Plaza owners have extended the Plaza Lights this year to Valentine’s Day. Coincidentally, the lights were turned on this year by Clark and Tavia Hunt and will now be on for the Super Bowl. Those of us with a Plaza view are very pleased. Recent photos from our condo:
Looking east, at sunrise…
Looking west, at sunset…
