The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). In 1963, the team relocated to Kansas City and assumed their current name. They joined the NFL during the AFL–NFL merger of 1970. The team is legally and corporately registered as Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, Incorporated and according to Forbes is valued at just under USD 1 billion.[2]
From 1960 to 1969, the Chiefs were a successful franchise in the AFL, winning three league championships (1962, 1966, 1969) and having an all-time AFL record of 92–50–5.[3] The Chiefs were the second AFL team (after the New York Jets) to defeat an NFL franchise in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The team's victory on January 11, 1970 remains the club's last championship game victory and appearance to date. The Chiefs were the second team, after the Green Bay Packers, to appear in more than one Super Bowl; and, they were the first team to appear in the championship game in two different decades.
ContentsEdit[][hide] *1 Franchise history |
[edit] Franchise historyEdit[]
Further information: History of the Kansas City Chiefs===[edit] 1960–1988=== In 1959 Lamar Hunt began discussions with other businessmen to establish a professional football league that would rival the National Football League.[3][4] Hunt's desire to secure a football team was heightened after watching the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts.[4][5] After unsuccessful attempts to purchase and relocate the NFL's Chicago Cardinals to his hometown of Dallas, Texas,[3][6] Hunt went to the NFL and asked to create an expansion franchise in Dallas. The NFL turned him down, so Hunt then established the American Football League and started his own team, the Dallas Texans, to begin play in 1960. Hunt hired a little-known assistant coach from the University of Miami football team, Hank Stram, to be the team's head coach.[4] Hunt chose Stram after the offer was declined by Bud Wilkinson and Tom Landry.[4]
The Texans shared the Cotton Bowl with the NFL's cross-town competition Dallas Cowboys for three seasons.[4] While the team averaged a league-best 24,500 at the Cotton Bowl, the Texans gained less attention due to the league's relatively unknown existence.[4] In the franchise's first two seasons, the team managed only a 14–14 record.[7] In their third season, the Texans strolled to an 11–3 record and a berth in the team's first American Football League Championship Game against the Houston Oilers.[6][7] The game was broadcast nationally on ABC and the Texans defeated the Oilers 20–17 in double overtime.[6] The game lasted 77 minutes and 54 seconds, which still stands as the longest championship game in professional football history.[6]
Despite having a championship team in the Texans and a Cowboys team that managed only a 9–28–3 record in their first three seasons, the Dallas–Fort Worth media market could not sustain two professional football franchises.[6][8] Hunt became interested in moving the Texans to either Atlanta, Georgia or Miami, Florida for the 1963 season.[6] Mayor of Kansas City Harold Roe Bartle extended an invitation to Hunt to move the Texans to Missouri.[6][8][9] Bartle promised to triple the franchise's season ticket sales and expand seats at Municipal Stadium to accommodate the team.[6][8][9]
Hunt agreed to relocate the franchise to Kansas City on May 22, 1963 and on May 26 the team was renamed the Kansas City Chiefs.[6][8][9] Hunt and head coach Hank Stram initially planned on retaining the Texans name, but a fan contest determined the new "Chiefs" name in honor of Mayor Bartle's nickname that he acquired in his professional role as Scout Executive of the St. Joseph and Kansas City Boy Scout Councils and founder of the Scouting Society, the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.[6][9][10] A total of 4,866 entries were received with 1,020 different names being suggested, including a total of 42 entrants who selected "Chiefs."[10] The two names that received the most popular votes were "Mules" and "Royals."[10]
The franchise became one of the strongest teams in the now thriving American Football League,[3] with the most playoff appearances for an AFL team (tied with the Oakland Raiders), and the most AFL Championships (three).[6] The team's dominance helped Lamar Hunt become a central figure in negotiations with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to agree on an AFL–NFL merger.[6][11] In the meetings between the two leagues, a merged league championship game was agreed to be played in January 1967 following the conclusion of the leagues' respective 1966 seasons. Hunt insisted on calling the game the "Super Bowl" after seeing his children playing with a popular toy at the time, a Super Ball.[6][11][12] While the first few games were designated the "AFL–NFL World Championship Game," the Super Bowl name became its officially licensed title in years to come.
The Chiefs cruised to an 11–2–1 record in 1966, and defeated the defending AFL Champion Buffalo Bills in the AFL Championship Game.[13] The Chiefs were invited to play the NFL's league champion Green Bay Packers in the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game. Kansas City and Green Bay played a close game for the first half, but Green Bay took control in the final two quarters, winning the game by a score of 35–10.[6] The Chiefs lost the game but gained the respect of several Packers opponents following the game.[14] The Chiefs' interleague match-up with the Packers was not the last time that they would face an NFL opponent, especially on the championship stage.[6] The following August, Kansas City hosted the NFL's Chicago Bears in the 1967 preseason and won the game 66–24.[6]
Despite losing to the division rival Oakland Raiders twice in the regular season in 1969, the two teams met for a third time in the AFL Championship Game where Kansas City won 17–7.[7] Backup quarterback Mike Livingston led the team in a six-game winning streak after Len Dawson suffered a leg injury which kept him out of most of the season's games.[6] While getting plenty of help from the club's defense, Dawson returned from the injury and led the Chiefs to Super Bowl IV.[6] Against the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings,[3] who were favored by 12½, the Chiefs dominated the game 23–7 to claim the team's first Super Bowl championship.[6] Dawson was named the game's Most Valuable Player after completing 12-of-17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, with 1 interception.[15] The following season, the Chiefs and the rest of the American Football League merged with the National Football League after the AFL–NFL merger became official.[6] The Chiefs were placed in the American Football Conference's West Division.[7]
In 1970, the Chiefs won only seven games in their first season in the NFL and missed the playoffs.[7] The following season, the Chiefs tallied a 10–3–1 record and won the AFC West Division.[16] Head coach Hank Stram considered his 1971 Chiefs team as his best, but they failed to capture their championship dominance from 1969.[16] Most of the pieces of the team which won Super Bowl IV two years earlier were still in place for the 1971 season.[16] The Chiefs tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC, and both teams met in a Christmas Day playoff game which the Chiefs lost 27–24 in double overtime.[16] The Dolphins outlasted the Chiefs with a 37-yard field goal.[16] The game surpassed the 1962 AFL Championship Game as the longest ever at 82 minutes and 40 seconds.[16] The game was also the final football game at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium.[16]
In 1972, the Chiefs moved into the newly constructed Arrowhead Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex outside of Downtown Kansas City.[16] The team's first game at Arrowhead was against the St. Louis Cardinals, a game which the Chiefs won 24–14.[16] Linebacker Willie Lanier and quarterback Len Dawson won the NFL Man of the Year Award in 1972 and 1973, respectively. The Chiefs would not return to the post-season for the remainder of the 1970s, and the 1973 season was the team's last winning effort for seven years.[16] Hank Stram was fired following a 5–9 season in 1974, and many of the Chiefs' future Hall of Fame players would depart by the middle of the decade.[16] From 1975 to 1988, the Chiefs had become a laughing stock of the NFL and provided Chiefs fans with nothing but futility.[17][18] Five head coaches struggled to achieve the same success as Stram, compiling an 81–121–1 record.[17]
In 1981, running back Joe Delaney rushed for 1,121 yards and was named the AFC Rookie of the Year.[19] The Chiefs finished the season with a 9–7 record and entered the 1982 season with optimism.[19] However, the NFL Players Association strike curbed the Chiefs' chances of returning to the postseason for the first time in over a decade.[19] By employing replacement players, the Chiefs tallied a 3–6 record[7] and in the off-season, Joe Delaney died while trying to save several children from drowning in a pond near his home in Louisiana.[20]
The Chiefs made a mistake in drafting quarterback Todd Blackledge over future greats such as Jim Kelly and Dan Marino in the 1983 NFL Draft.[21][22] Blackledge never started a full season for Kansas City while Kelly and Marino played Hall of Fame careers.[22] While the Chiefs struggled on offense in the 1980s, the Chiefs had a strong defensive unit consisting of Pro Bowlers such as Bill Maas, Albert Lewis, Art Still and Deron Cherry.[19]
John Mackovic took over head coaching duties for the 1983 season after Marv Levy was fired.[19] Over the next four seasons, Mackovic coached the Chiefs to a 30–34 record, but took the team to its first post-season appearance in 15 years in the 1986 NFL playoffs.[7] Following the team's loss to the New York Jets in the playoffs, Mackovic was fired.[19] Frank Gansz served as head coach for the next two seasons, but won only eight of 31 games.[19]
[edit] 1989–2008Edit[]
On December 19, 1988, owner Lamar Hunt hired Carl Peterson as the team's new president, general manager, and chief executive officer. Peterson fired head coach Frank Gansz two weeks after taking over and hired Marty Schottenheimer as the club's seventh head coach.[19] In the 1988 and 1989 NFL Drafts, the Chiefs selected both defensive end Neil Smith and linebacker Derrick Thomas, respectively.[19][23] The defense that Thomas and Smith anchored in their seven seasons together was a big reason why the Chiefs reached the postseason in six straight years.[24]
In Schottenheimer's tenure as head coach (1989–1998), the Chiefs became a perennial playoff contender, featuring offensive players including Steve DeBerg, Christian Okoye, Stephone Paige and Barry Word, and a strong defense, anchored by Thomas, Smith, Albert Lewis and Deron Cherry.[3] The team recorded a 101–58–1 record, and clinched seven playoff berths.[25] The Chiefs' 1993 season was the franchise's most successful in 22 years.[23] With newly-acquired quarterback Joe Montana and running back Marcus Allen—two former Super Bowl champions and MVP's—the Chiefs further strengthened their position in the NFL.[23] The 11–5 Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Oilers on their way to the franchise's first and to date only AFC Championship Game appearance against the Buffalo Bills.[23] The Chiefs were overwhelmed by the Bills and lost the game by a score of 30–13.[23] The Chiefs' victory on January 14, 1994 against the Oilers remains the franchise's last post-season victory to date.
In the 1995 NFL playoffs, the 13–3 Chiefs hosted the Indianapolis Colts in a cold, damp night game at Arrowhead Stadium.[7][23] Kansas City lost the game 10–7 against the underdog Colts after kicker Lin Elliot missed three field goal attempts and quarterback Steve Bono threw three interceptions.[23] The Chiefs selected tight end Tony Gonzalez with the 13th overall selection in the 1997 NFL Draft, a move which some considered to be a gamble being that Gonzalez was primarily a basketball player at California. During a 1997 season full of injuries to starting quarterback Elvis Grbac, backup quarterback Rich Gannon took the reins of the Chiefs' offense as the team headed to another 13–3 season.[7][23] Head coach Marty Schottenheimer chose Grbac to start the playoff game against the Denver Broncos despite Gannon's successes in previous weeks.[23] Grbac's production in the game was lacking, and the Chiefs lost to the Broncos 14–10.[23] Denver went on to capture their 6th AFC Championship by defeating Pittsburgh, and then defeated the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.
Coach Schottenheimer announced his resignation from the Chiefs following the 1998 season, and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham took over coaching duties for the next two seasons, compiling a 16–16 record.[23] By the end of the Chiefs' decade of regular-season dominance, Gannon had signed with the Oakland Raiders, Neil Smith signed with the Denver Broncos, and Derrick Thomas was paralyzed from a car accident on January 23, 2000.[23] Thomas died from complications of his injury weeks later.[23] After allegedly reading online that he would be relieved of duties, head coach Gunther Cunningham was fired.[26][27]
Looking to change the Chiefs' game plan which relied on a tough defensive strategy for the past decade, Carl Peterson contacted Dick Vermeil about the Chiefs' head coaching vacancy for the 2001 season.[26] Vermeil previously led the St. Louis Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.[27] Vermeil was hired on January 12. The Chiefs then traded a first round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft to St. Louis for quarterback Trent Green and signed free agent running back Priest Holmes to be the team's cornerstones on offense.[27]
In 2003, Kansas City began the season with nine consecutive victories, a franchise record.[27] They finished the season with a 13–3 record and the team's offense led the NFL in several categories.[27] Running back Priest Holmes surpassed Marshall Faulk's single-season touchdown record by scoring his 27th rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the team's regular season finale.[27][28] The team clinched the second seed in the 2004 NFL playoffs and hosted the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.[27] In a game where neither team punted, the Chiefs lost the shoot-out 38–31.[27] It was the third time in nine seasons that the Chiefs went 8–0 at home in the regular season, and earned home field advantage throughout the playoffs, only to lose their post-season opener at Arrowhead.
After a disappointing 7–9 record in 2004, the 2005 Chiefs finished with a 10–6 record but no playoff berth.[27] They were the fourth team since 1990 to miss the playoffs with a 10–6 record.[27] Running back Larry Johnson started in place of the injured Priest Holmes and rushed for 1,750 yards in only nine starts.[27] Prior to the Chiefs' final game of the season, head coach Dick Vermeil announced his retirement.[27] The Chiefs won the game 37–3 over the playoff-bound Cincinnati Bengals.[27] [1][2]Damon Huard (left) and Brodie Croyle (right) both served as the Chiefs' starting quarterback after Trent Green's departure.Within two weeks of Vermeil's resignation, the Chiefs returned to their defensive roots with the selection of its next head coach.[27] The team introduced Herman Edwards, a former Chiefs scout and head coach of the New York Jets, as the team's tenth head coach after trading a fourth-round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft to the Jets.[27] Quarterback Trent Green suffered a severe concussion in the team's season opener to the Cincinnati Bengals which left him out of play for eight weeks.[27] Backup quarterback Damon Huard took over in Green's absence and led the Chiefs to a 5–3 record.[27]
Kansas City was awarded a Thanksgiving game against the Denver Broncos in response to owner Lamar Hunt's lobbying for a third Thanksgiving Day game.[27] The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 19–10 in the first Thanksgiving Day game in Kansas City since 1969.[27] Hunt was hospitalized at the time of the game and died weeks later on December 13 due to complications with prostate cancer.[11][27] The Chiefs honored their owner for the remainder of the season, as did the rest of the league.[27] [3][4]By defeating the Jaguars on December 31, 2006, the Chiefs clinched a playoff berth after the Broncos lost later that evening.Trent Green returned by the end of the season, but struggled in the final stretch,[27] and running back Larry Johnson set an NFL record with 416 carries in a season.[27] Kansas City managed to clinch their first playoff berth in three seasons with a 9–7 record and a bizarre sequence of six losses from other AFC teams on New Year's Eve, culminating with a Broncos loss to the 49ers.[27] The Indianapolis Colts hosted the Chiefs in the Wild Card playoffs and defeated Kansas City 23–8.
In 2007, Trent Green was traded to the Miami Dolphins[29] leaving the door open for either Damon Huard or Brodie Croyle to become the new starting quarterback.[27] After starting the season with a 4–3 record, the Chiefs lost the remaining nine games when running back Larry Johnson suffered a season-ending foot injury and the quarterback position lacked stability with Huard and Croyle.[27] Despite the team's 4–12 record, tight end Tony Gonzalez broke Shannon Sharpe's NFL record for touchdowns at the position (63) and defensive end Jared Allen led the NFL in quarterback sacks with 15.5.[7]
The Chiefs began their 2008 season with the youngest team in the NFL.[30] The starting lineup had an average of 25.5 years of age.[30] By releasing several veteran players such as cornerback Ty Law and wide receiver Eddie Kennison and trading defensive end Jared Allen,[31] the Chiefs began a youth movement.[30][32] The Chiefs had a league-high thirteen selections in the 2008 NFL Draft and chose defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and offensive lineman Branden Albert in the first round. Analysts quickly called Kansas City's selections as the best of the entire draft.[31][33][34][35] Entering the season, the Chiefs were unsure if injury-prone quarterback Brodie Croyle, who was the incumbent starter, could be their quarterback in the long-term.[35] Croyle was injured in the team's first game of the season and Damon Huard started in Croyle's absence.[36] Tyler Thigpen become the third Chiefs starting quarterback in as many games for a start against the Atlanta Falcons.[32][37] After a poor performance by Thigpen, in which he threw three interceptions against the Falcons defense,[37] Huard was retained as the starting quarterback.[38] The Chiefs struggled off the field as much as on as tight end Tony Gonzalez demanded a trade and running back Larry Johnson was involved in legal trouble.[39][40][41][42]
Croyle returned for the Chiefs' game against the Tennessee Titans, but both he and Damon Huard suffered season-ending injuries in the game.[43] The Chiefs reorganized their offense to a new spread offense game plan focused around Tyler Thigpen.[32][36][44][45] The Chiefs' new offense was implemented to help Thigpen play to the best of his abilities and also following the absence of Larry Johnson, who was suspended for his off-field conduct.[40][44][45][46] The Chiefs made a huge gamble by using the spread offense, as most in the NFL believe that it cannot work in professional football, and also head coach Herman Edwards was traditionally in favor of more conservative, run-oriented game plans.[45]
[edit] 2009–10Edit[]
Main articles: 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season and 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season[5][6]The Chiefs hosting the Buffalo Bills in 2009.The 2008 season ended with a franchise worst 2–14 record.[7] The team lost two games by 24 point margins against the Falcons and Titans,[37][47] a 34–0 shut-out to the Carolina Panthers,[48] and allowed a franchise-high 54 points against the Buffalo Bills.[49] The team's general manager, chief executive officer, and team president Carl Peterson resigned at the end of the season,[50] and former New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli was hired as his replacement for 2009.[51] On January 23, 2009 Herman Edwards was fired as head coach,[52][53] and two weeks later Todd Haley signed a four-year contract to become Edwards' successor.[54][55] In April, Tony Gonzalez was traded to the Atlanta Falcons after failed trade attempts over the previous two seasons.[56] The Chiefs also fired Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey 2 weeks before the start of the season. Throughout 2009 the Chiefs acquired veterans to supplement the Chiefs' young talent including Matt Cassel, Mike Vrabel, Bobby Engram, Mike Brown, Chris Chambers, and Andy Alleman.[57][58][59]
On December 26, 2010, the Kansas City Chiefs won their first AFC West title since 2003, by beating the Tennessee Titans at The New Arrowhead Stadium. On January 9, 2011, the Chiefs lost their Wild Card Playoff game to the Baltimore Ravens 30–7. Six players were chosen for the Pro Bowl: Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles, Brian Waters, Tamba Hali, Matt Cassel and rookie safety Eric Berry. Jamaal Charles won the FEDEX ground player of the year award and Dwayne Bowe led the NFL in Touchdown Receptions.
[edit] 2011Edit[]
Main article: 2011 Kansas City Chiefs seasonFor their first pick in the 2011 NFL draft, and 26th overall, the team selected Jonathan Baldwin, Wide Receiver from Pitt, who was predicted to go in the second or third round. This was one of the biggest shocks in the first round because of Baldwin's character and Pioli's strict self enforced rules on drafting players who have had a police record.[citation needed] For their 135th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Chiefs selected quarterback Ricky Stanzi from the Iowa Hawkeyes. After a poor start, Haley was relieved of duties as Head Coach on December 12. Clark Hunt made note of "bright spots at different points this season," but felt that overall the Chiefs were not progressing.[60]
[edit] Season-by-season recordsEdit[]
- This is a partial list of the last five seasons (2006–2010) completed by the Chiefs. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see List of Kansas City Chiefs seasons.
Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.
| Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth |
Record as of the end of the 2010 NFL season{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; width:98%;" ! rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Season ! rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Team ! rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|League ! rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Conference ! rowspan="2"|Division ! colspan="4"|Regular season ! rowspan="2" style="width:27%;"|Post Season Results ! rowspan="2" style="width:30%;"|Awards |- !Finish !Wins !Losses !Ties |- ! align="center"|2000 | align="center"|2000 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|3rd | align="center"|7 | align="center"|9 | align="center"|0 | | |- ! align="center"|2001 | align="center"|2001 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|4th | align="center"|6 | align="center"|10 | align="center"|0 | | |- ! align="center"|2002 | align="center"|2002 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|4th | align="center"|8 | align="center"|8 | align="center"|0 | |Priest Holmes NFL Offensive Player of the Year |- ! align="center"|2003 | align="center"|2003 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center" bgcolor="#D0E7FF"|1st | align="center"|13 | align="center"|3 | align="center"|0 |Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 38–31 |Dante Hall NFL Alumni Special Teams Player of the Year |- ! align="center"|2004 | align="center"|2004 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|3rd | align="center"|7 | align="center"|9 | align="center"|0 | |Priest Holmes Ed Block Courage Award |- ! align="center"|2005 | align="center"|2005 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|2nd | align="center"|10 | align="center"|6 | align="center"|0 | |Will Shields Ed Block Courage Award |- ! align="center"|2006 | align="center"|2006 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center" bgcolor="#96CDCD"|2nd | align="center"|9 | align="center"|7 | align="center"|0 |Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 23–8 | |- ! align="center"|2007 | align="center"|2007 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|3rd | align="center"|4 | align="center"|12 | align="center"|0 | |Dwayne Bowe (ROTW x2) |- ! align="center"|2008 | align="center"|2008 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|4th | align="center"|2 | align="center"|14 | align="center"|0 | |Maurice Leggett Special Teams POW x1 |- ! align="center"|2009 | align="center"|2009 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center"|4th | align="center"|4 | align="center"|12 | align="center"|0 | |Brian Waters (MOY) |- ! align="center"|2010 | align="center"|2010 | align="center"|NFL | align="center"|AFC | align="center"|West | align="center" bgcolor="#D0E7FF"|1st | align="center"|10 | align="center"|6 | align="center"|0 |Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 30–7 |Jamaal Charles FEDEX Ground Player of the Year Award |- ! align="center" colspan="6" rowspan="3"|Total | align="center"|395 | align="center"|364 | align="center"|12 | colspan="2"|(1960–2010, includes only regular season) |- | align="center"|8 | align="center"|13 | align="center"|0 | colspan="2"|(1960–2009, includes only playoffs) |- ! align="center"|403 ! align="center"|377 ! align="center"|12 | colspan="2"|(1960–2010, includes both regular season and playoffs; 3 AFL Championships, 1 Super Bowl Championship) |}
[edit] Logos and uniformsEdit[]
[7][8]Matt Cassel wearing the Chiefs' all-white road uniform.Main article: Logos and uniforms of the Kansas City ChiefsWhen the Texans began playing in 1960, the team's logo consisted of the state of Texas in white with a yellow star marking the location of the city of Dallas. Originally, Hunt chose Columbia blue and orange for the Texans' uniforms, but Bud Adams chose Columbia blue and scarlet for his Houston Oilers franchise.[61] Hunt reverted to red and gold for the Texans' uniforms, which even after the team relocated to Kansas City, remain as the franchise's colors to this day.[61]
The state of Texas on the team's helmet was replaced by an arrowhead design originally sketched by Lamar Hunt on a napkin.[61] Hunt's inspiration for the interlocking "KC" design was the "SF" inside of an oval on the San Francisco 49ers helmets.[61] Unlike the 49ers' logo, Kansas City’s overlapping initials appear inside a white arrowhead instead of an oval and are surrounded by a thin black outline.[61] From 1960 to 1973, the Chiefs had grey facemask bars on their helmets, but changed to white bars in 1974.[61]
The Chiefs' uniform design has essentially remained the same throughout the club's history.[61] It consists of a red helmet, and either red or white jerseys with the opposite color numbers and names.[61] White pants were used with both jerseys from 1960–1967 and 1989–1999.[61] Beginning in 2009, during the Pioli/Haley era, the team has alternated between white and red pants for road games during the season. When the Chiefs wear their red uniforms, they always wear white pants. The Chiefs have never worn an alternate jersey in a game, although custom jerseys are sold for retail.
The Chiefs wore their white jerseys with white pants at home for the 2006 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. The logic behind the uniform selection that day was that the Bengals would be forced to wear their black uniforms on a day that forecasted for steamy temperatures.[62]
In 2007, the Kansas City Chiefs honored Lamar Hunt and the AFL with a special patch.[63] It features the AFL's logo from the 1960s with Hunt's "LH" initials inside the football.[63] In 2008, the patch became permanently affixed to the left chest of both Kansas City's home and away jerseys.[63]
In select games for the 2009 season, the Chiefs—as well as the other founding teams of the American Football League—wore "throwback" uniforms to celebrate the AFL's 50th anniversary and the 1962 Dallas Texans team that won the AFL Championship.[64]
[edit] Arrowhead StadiumEdit[]
Further information: Arrowhead Stadium[9][10]Arrowhead Stadium upon completion of renovations, July 2010.Arrowhead Stadium has been the Chiefs' home field since 1972 and has a capacity of 77,000,[65] which makes it the fourth largest stadium in the NFL. The stadium underwent a $375 million renovation, completed in mid-2010, which included new luxury boxes, wider concourses and enhanced amenities.[2][51] The stadium renovation was paid for by $250 million in taxpayer money and $125 million from the Hunt Family.[55] The stadium cost $53 million to build in 1972, and an average ticket in 2009 costs $81.[2] Centerplate serves as the stadium's concession provider and Sprint Nextel, Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola are major corporate sponsors.[2]
Dating back to the Chiefs' home opener in 1991 to mid-2009, the Chiefs had 155 consecutive sellout games.[2] The streak ended with the final home game of the 2009 season against the Cleveland Browns, resulting in the first local TV blackout in over 19 years. [66] Arrowhead has been called one of the world's finest stadiums[3] and has long held a reputation for being one of the toughest and loudest outdoor stadiums for opposing players to play in.[51][67][68][69] All noise is directly attributed to its fans[70] and was once measured at 116 decibels by the Acoustical Design Group of Mission, Kansas.[71] By way of comparison, take-off of aircraft may lead to a sound level of 106 decibels at the ground.[71] Sports Illustrated named Arrowhead Stadium the "toughest place to play" for opposing teams in 2005.[72] The tailgate party environment outside the stadium on gameday has been compared to a "college football" atmosphere.[73] Arrowhead Stadium features frequent fly-overs from a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from nearby Whiteman Air Force Base. Since the 1994 NFL season, the stadium has had a natural grass playing surface.[74] From 1972 to 1993, the stadium had an artificial AstroTurf surface.[74]
[edit] CultureEdit[]
[edit] Fan baseEdit[]
[11][12]Arrowhead Stadium boasts one of the best homefield advantages in the NFL.The Chiefs boast one of the most loyal fanbases in the NFL.[66][75] Kansas City is the sixth-smallest media market with an NFL team, but they have had the second-highest attendance average over the last decade.[70] Studies by Bizjournals in 2006 gave the Chiefs high marks for consistently drawing capacity crowds in both good seasons and bad.[76] The Chiefs averaged 77,300 fans per game from 1996 to 2006, second in the NFL behind the Washington Redskins.[76] The franchise has an official fan club called Chiefs Nation which gives members opportunities to ticket priority benefits and VIP treatment.[77][78]
At the end of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at home games, Chiefs fans intentionally yell "and the home of the CHIEFS!" where traditionally "the brave" is sung.[79] In 1996, general manager Carl Peterson said "We all look forward, not only at Arrowhead, but on the road, too, to when we get to that stanza of the National Anthem... Our players love it."[79] After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Chiefs fans refrained from doing so in honor of those who lost their lives in the tragedy and continued to do so for the remainder of the 2001 season.[80] At the Chiefs' September 23, 2001 home game against the New York Giants, fans gave the opposing Giants a standing ovation.[69] This was one of the few known times in Chiefs history where the home crowd welcomed an opposing team onto the field without booing.[80]
After every Chiefs touchdown at home games, fans chant while pointing in the direction of the visiting team and fans, "We're gonna beat the hell outta you...you...you, you, you, you!" over the song "Rock and Roll Part 2."[81] The chant starts after the third "hey!" in the song.[81] The version of the song by Gary Glitter was previously used until the NFL banned his music from its facilities in 2006 following the British rocker's conviction on sexual abuse charges in Vietnam.[81] A cover version of the song played by Tube Tops 2000 has been played since 2006 at every home game.[81] Chiefs fans also make occasional use of "The War Chant" and "Tomahawk Chop" during games.[82]
[edit] Tony DiPardoEdit[]
From various periods between 1963 to the 2008 season, trumpeter Tony DiPardo and The T.D. Pack Band played live music at every Chiefs home game.[83][84] The band was known as The Zing Band when the team was located at Municipal Stadium. DiPardo was honored by head coach Hank Stram in 1969 with a Super Bowl ring for the team's victory in Super Bowl IV.[83] When his health was declining, DiPardo took a leave of absence from the band from 1983 to 1988.[84] DiPardo's daughter took over as bandleader in 1989, by which time DiPardo returned to the band by popular demand.[84][85] For the 2009 season, due to renovations at Arrowhead Stadium, the band did not return to perform at the stadium.
DiPardo passed away on January 27, 2011, at age 98. He had been hospitalized since December 2010 after suffering a brain aneurysm.[86]
[edit] Red FridayEdit[]
Starting in 1994, the Friday before the Kansas City Chiefs home opening game as became to be known as "Red Friday". On this day, Chiefs Fans everywhere will wear red in support of the Kansas City Chiefs. Also all over the city known as "The City of Fountains" will dye the water red in almost every fountain throughout the city. Besides showing support for the Chiefs, the most important part of the day is the Red Coaters with other volunteers will be selling the KC Star along with the Red Friday Magazine on street corners during the morning hours. The proceeds of the sell will go to local charities.
[edit] Radio and televisionEdit[]
| 1960–1962 | Charlie Jones |
| 1963 | Merle Harmon |
| 1964–1970 | Tom Hedrick |
| 1971–1973 | Dick Carlson |
| 1974–1975 | Ray Scott |
| 1976 | Al Wisk |
| 1977 | Tom Hopkins |
| 1978–1984 | Wayne Larrivee |
| 1985–1993 | Kevin Harlan |
| 1994– | Mitch Holthus |
Since 1989, KCFX, a.k.a "101 The Fox", has broadcast all Chiefs games on FM radio under the moniker of The Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network. Since 1994, Mitch Holthus has served as play-by-play announcer and former Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson serves as color commentator.[87] Former Chiefs longsnapper Kendall Gammon serves as the field reporter.[87] Former Chiefs broadcasters Bill Grigsby and Bob Gretz also contribute to the broadcasts.[87][88] KCFX holds broadcast rights to Chiefs games through the 2009 season.[87][88] The Chiefs and KCFX hold the distinction of being the longest FM radio broadcast partnering tenure in the NFL.[87][88] The Chiefs Radio Network extends throughout the six-state region of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, with 61 affiliate stations.[87][88]
KCTV Channel 5 (CBS) broadcasts most Chiefs regular season games, with exceptions as following. KCTV also broadcasts all Chiefs pre-season games. WDAF Channel 4 (Fox) broadcasts games in which the Chiefs host an NFC opponent. KSHB Channel 41 (NBC) broadcasts all games in which the Chiefs play on NBC Sunday Night Football or NBC's NFL playoffs coverage. KMBC Channel 9 (ABC) has aired Monday Night Football games locally since 1970.
Prior to the 1994 season, WDAF was the primary station for the Chiefs as an NBC affiliate (they aired on KMBC when ABC had the AFL package through 1964), since NBC had the AFC package. The interconference home games aired on KCTV starting in 1973 (when the NFL allowed local telecasts of home games). After week one of the 1994 season, WDAF switched to Fox (which got the NFC package), and has aired the Chiefs' interconference home games since. The bulk of the team's games moved to KSHB through the end of the 1997 season. Since that time, they have aired on KCTV.
[edit] Radio AffiliatesEdit[]
[edit] Missouri[]
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Bethany | KAAN-AM | 870 AM |
| Bethany | KAAN-FM | 95.5 FM |
| Chillicothe | KULH-FM | 105.9 FM |
| Clinton | KXEA-FM | 104.9 FM |
| Jefferson City | KBBM-FM | 100.1 FM |
| Kansas City | KCFX-FM | 101.1 FM |
| Kirksville | KRXL-FM | 94.5 FM |
| Marshall | KMMO-AM | 1300 AM |
| Marshall | KMMO-FM | 102.9 FM |
| Osage Beach | KRMS-AM | 1150 AM |
| Sedalia | KSDL-FM | 92.3 FM |
| Springfield | KGMY-AM | 1400 AM |
| Springfield | KXUS-FM | 97.3 FM |
| St. Joseph | KFEQ-AM | 680 AM |
| St. Joseph | KSJQ-FM | 92.7 FM |
| Thayer | KAMS-FM | 95.1 FM |
[edit] Kansas[]
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Clay Center | KCLY-FM | 100.9 FM |
| Coffeyville | KGGF-AM | 690 AM |
| Colby | KXXX-AM | 790 AM |
| Colby | KRDQ-FM | 100.3 FM |
| Emporia | KVOE-FM | 101.7 FM |
| Fort Scott | KMDO-AM | 1600 AM |
| Fort Scott | KOMB-FM | 103.9 FM |
| Garden City | KKJQ-FM | 97.3 FM |
| Great Bend | KVGB-FM | 104.3 FM |
| Hays | KFIX-FM | 96.9 FM |
| Hutchinson | KWBW-AM | 1450 AM |
| Iola | KIOL-AM | 1370 AM |
| Junction City | KJCK-AM | 1420 AM |
| Manhattan | KMAN-AM | 1350 AM |
| McPherson | KNGL-AM | 1540 AM |
| McPherson | KBBE-FM | 96.7 FM |
| Parsons | KLKC-AM | 1540 AM |
| Parsons | KLKC-FM | 93.5 FM |
| Pittsburg | KKOW-AM | 860 AM |
| Salina | KSKG-FM | 99.9 FM |
| Topeka | KDVV-FM | 100.3 FM |
| Wellington | KLEY-AM | 1130 AM |
| Wichita | KTHR-FM | 107.3 FM |
| Winfield | KKLE-AM | 1550 AM |
[edit] Iowa[]
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | KJAN-AM | 1220 AM |
| Chariton | KEDB-FM | 105.3 FM |
[edit] Oklahoma[]
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Norman, Oklahoma | KREF-AM | 1400 AM |
[edit] Nebraska[]
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Blair | KBLR-FM | 97.3 FM |
| Falls City | KTNC-AM | 1230 AM |
| Fremont | KFMT-FM | 105.5 FM |
| Grand Island | KRGY-FM | 97.3 FM |
| Lincoln | KFOR-AM | 1240 AM |
[edit] South Dakota[]
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Yankton | KYNT-AM | 1450 AM |
[edit] Mascots and cheerleadersEdit[]
[13][14]K. C. Wolf, the Chiefs' mascot since 1989.The Chiefs' first mascot was Warpaint, a nickname given to several different breeds of pinto horse. Warpaint served as the team's mascot from 1963 to 1988.[5][89][90] The first Warpaint (born in 1955, died in 1992) was ridden bareback by rider Bob Johnson who wore a full Native American headdress.[5][89] Warpaint circled the field at the beginning of each Chiefs home game and performed victory laps following each Chiefs touchdown.[5][89] On September 20, 2009 a new Warpaint horse was unveiled at the Chiefs' home opener against the Oakland Raiders.[91]
In the mid-1980s, the Chiefs featured a short-lived unnamed "Indian man" mascot which was later scrapped in 1988.[89] Since 1989 the cartoon-like K. C. Wolf, portrayed by Dan Meers in a wolf costume, has served as the team's mascot.[5][92] The mascot was named after the Chiefs' "Wolfpack," a group of rabid fans from the team's days at Municipal Stadium.[89] K. C. Wolf is one of the most popular NFL mascots and was the league's first mascot inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.[93]
The Chiefs have employed a cheerleading squad since the team's inception in 1960.[94] In the team's early days, the all-female squad was referred to as the Chiefettes.[95] From 1986 to 1992, the cheerleader squad featured a mix of men and women.[94] Since 1993, the all-female squad has been known as the Chiefs Cheerleaders.[89][94][95]
[edit] Training camp and practice facilityEdit[]
[15][16]Summer camp at Spratt Stadium at Missouri WesternWhen the franchise was based in Dallas, the team conducted their inaugural training camp at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico.[6] They moved camp to Southern Methodist University, owner Lamar Hunt's alma mater, for 1961 and continued to practice there until 1965.[6] From 1966 to 1971, the Chiefs practiced in Swope Park in Kansas City,[96] and from 1972 to 1991 held camp at William Jewell College in Clay County, Missouri–where Lamar Hunt had extensive business dealings including Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun and SubTropolis.[23] [17][18]Chiefs Practice Facility nearby Arrowhead Stadium.From 1991 to 2009 the Chiefs conducted summer training camp at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in River Falls, Wisconsin.[97] The Chiefs' 2007 training camp was documented in the HBO/NFL Films documentary reality television series, Hard Knocks.[98] Following the passage of a $25 million state tax credit proposal, the Chiefs will move their training camp to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri in 2010.[99] The bulk of the tax credits will go for improvements to Arrowhead Stadium with $10 million applied to the move to Missouri Western.[100] A climate-controlled, 120-yard NFL regulation grass indoor field, and office space for the Chiefs was constructed at Missouri Western adjacent to the school's Spratt Stadium before the 2010 season.[101]
Outside of training camp and during the regular season, the Chiefs conduct practices at their own training facility nearby Arrowhead Stadium. The facility is located near the Raytown Road entrance to the Truman Sports Complex just west of Interstate 435.
[edit] Notable playersEdit[]
Further information: List of Kansas City Chiefs players, Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks, and List of Kansas City Chiefs first-round draft picks===[edit] Current roster===
[edit] Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrineesEdit[]
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[edit] Retired numbersEdit[]
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[edit] Chiefs Hall of FameEdit[]
[27][28]Jan Stenerud's name was honored at Arrowhead Stadium's former ring of honor.The Chiefs are one of 16 organizations that honor their players, coaches and contributors with a team Hall of Fame or Ring of Honor.[102] Established in 1970, the Chiefs Hall of Fame has inducted a new member in an annual ceremony with the exception of the 1983 season.[102][103] Several of the names were featured at Arrowhead Stadium in the stadium's architecture prior to renovations in 2009. The requirements for induction are that a player, coach, or contributor must have been with the Chiefs for four seasons and been out of the NFL for four seasons at the time of induction.[102] There are some exceptions, such as Joe Delaney and Derrick Thomas, Delaney was with the team for only two seasons before his death, Thomas was inducted 1 years after his death in January 2000 (2 seasons after his final season). The Chiefs have the second-most enshrinees of any NFL team in their team hall of fame behind the Green Bay Packers, who have enshrined over 100 players and team contributors over the years in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[102]
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1970s 1970 Lamar Hunt, team founder and owner |
1980s 1980 #78 Bobby Bell, Linebacker | |
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1990s 1990 #51 Jim Lynch, Linebacker |
2000s 2000 #35 Christian Okoye, Running back |
2010s 2010 Marty Schottenheimer, Coach |
[edit] Head coachesEdit[]
[29][30]Todd Haley served as the team's head coach from 2009–2011.Main article: List of Kansas City Chiefs head coachesEleven head coaches have served the Texans/Chiefs franchise since their first season in 1960. Hank Stram, the team's first head coach, led the Chiefs to three AFL championship victories and two appearances in the Super Bowl. Stram was the team's longest-tenured head coach, holding the position from 1960 to 1974.[16] Marty Schottenheimer was hired in 1989 and led Kansas City to seven playoff appearances in his ten seasons as head coach.[19][23] Schottenheimer had the best winning percentage (.634) of all Chiefs coaches.[25] Gunther Cunningham was on the Chiefs' coaching staff in various positions from 1995 to 2008, serving as the team's head coach in between stints as the team's defensive coordinator.[26][27] Dick Vermeil coached the team to a franchise-best 9–0 start in the 2003 season.[104] Of the ten Chiefs coaches, Hank Stram and Marv Levy have been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[105] Herman Edwards served as the team's head coach from 2006 to 2008, compiling a 15–33 record and a franchise worst 6–26 record over a two-year span.[52][53][106][107] Todd Haley compiled a 19-26 record with the team from 2009–2011, including the 2010 AFC West division title.[54]
[edit] Ownership and administrationEdit[]
[31][32]Chairman of the Board Clark Hunt.The franchise was founded in 1959 by Lamar Hunt after a failed attempt by Hunt to purchase an NFL franchise and relocate them to Texas.[108] Hunt purchased the team for $25,000 in 1960.[2] Hunt remained the team's owner until his death in 2006.[108] The Hunt family kept ownership of the team following Lamar's death and Clark Hunt, Lamar's son, represents the family's interests.[1][2][55][109] While Hunt's official title is Chairman of the Board, he serves as the franchise's de facto owner.[1][109] In 2010, Hunt assumed role as CEO alongside his role as Chairman of the Board.[110] According to Forbes, the team is valued at just under $1 billion and ranks 20th among NFL teams in 2010.[2]
Owner Lamar Hunt served as the team's president from 1960 to 1976. Because of Lamar Hunt's contributions to the NFL, the AFC Championship trophy is named after him.[111] He promoted general manager Jack Steadman to become the team's president in 1977.[111] Steadman held the job until Carl Peterson was hired by Hunt in 1988 to replace him.[111] Peterson resigned the title as team president in 2008.[112] Denny Thum became the team's interim president following Peterson's departure and was officially given the full position in May 2009.[112][113] Thum resigned from his position on September 14, 2010.[110]
Don Rossi served as the team's general manager for half of the 1960 season, resigning in November 1960.[6] Jack Steadman assumed duties from Rossi and served in the position until 1976.[6][16][111] Steadman was promoted to team president in 1976 and despite being relieved of those duties in 1988,[111] he remained with the franchise until 2006 in various positions.[16][19] Jim Schaaf took over for Steadman as general manager until being fired in December 1988.[19] Carl Peterson was hired in 1988 to serve as the team's general manager, chief executive officer and team president.[19][111] Peterson remained in the position for 19 years until he announced his resignation from the team in 2008.[112][114] Denny Thum served as interim general manager[112] until January 13, 2009 when the Chiefs named New England Patriots executive Scott Pioli the team's new general manager.[51][115]
[edit] Current staffEdit[]
| Kansas City Chiefs staff
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
→ References: "Coaching Staff", Kansas City Chiefs web site. Retrieved 2011-12-04. → References: "Front Office and Staff", Kansas City Chiefs web site. Retrieved 2011-12-04. → More NFL staffs | |||||
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