The History of the Kansas City Chiefs
Considered by many to be the NFL’s loudest stadiums, Arrowhead is also one of the toughest places for opposing teams to play in. The Chiefs rarely lose a home game, but this is especially true in the month of December where they hold the NFL’s highest winning percentage.
Interestingly, the Chiefs franchise actually got its start in Dallas, TX. Until the Chiefs owner moved the team to Kansas City in 1963, they were known as the Dallas Texans. The problem was, Dallas was already home to the Cowboys and the city just couldn’t support both teams. With the Dallas Cowboys garnering most of the attention, the choice became clear as to who needed to go.
How did the team become known as the Chiefs? Their owner, Lamar Hunt, wanted to rename the team after moving them to Kansas City. Obviously, the Kansas City Texans wasn’t going to go over very well. Well, at the time the mayor of Kansas City was nicknamed “Chief”. During a fan contest to name the team, someone suggested that this would make a great name for the team. Lamar Hunt loved it, and the rest is history.
The Chiefs were a member of the old AFL until the merger between the two leagues in 1970. Although the Chiefs consistently field a winning team every season, they have appeared in only two Super Bowls.
In 1967 the Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers in the very first Super Bowl. They went on to lose the game 35-10 to Vince Lombardi’s Packers, but they remain a big part of Super Bowl history.
Then in 1970, Kansas City once again went to the Super Bowl, playing the Minnesota Vikings. This time, the Chiefs won 23-7 to win Super Bowl IV in New Orleans, LA. The win remains the only Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
The Kansas City Chiefs are also a very giving and caring franchise. Year round the Chiefs and their players donate time and money to many different charitable organizations throughout the Kansas City area. As a team, the Chiefs raised more than $15 million in 2005.
Over the years the Chiefs have put several outstanding players into football’s Hall of Fame. These include:
Len Dawson
Joe Montana
Marcus Allen
Mike Webster
Warren Moon
Lamar Hunt
Willie Lanier
Jan Stenerud
Bobby Bell
Buck Buchannan
Coach Henry Stram
Among the many fine moments in franchise history, there have also been tragic ones as well. Derrick Thomas, the outstanding Pro-Bowl LB died from injuries in an automobile accident February 8, 2000. Another tragic moment occurred in June of 1983 when Pro-Bowl RB Joe Delaney drowned in LA while trying to save the lives of three young boys who were crying out for help. Delaney, who could not swim, managed to save one of the youngsters before drowning with the other two boys.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a great organization with a powerful fan base. Each Sunday during the fall, Arrowhead becomes a sea of red and yellow. While there are other NFL franchises that have more Super Bowl wins under their belt, you would be hard pressed to find a better overall sports franchise more dearly loved by their fans than the Kansas City Chiefs.
