An itch to move. In 1962, after three successful seasons as the Dallas Texans, Lamar Hunt sought to move them to a City they could call their own, but not too far of a commute to his Dallas home. Enter KC Mayor H. Roe Bartle and a promise of "We'll sell 25,000 season tickets if you move here. " Hands were shook, Bartle organized 100+ KC business leaders to "Go. Sell season tickets. We don't know the team name yet, but go. Sell."
Hunt and Stram wanted to call the team The Kansas City Texans, but thanfully they agreed to a fan "Name the team" contest a fan suggested "Chiefs" in honor of Bartle, a nickname he derived in his role as as Scout Executive of both the St. Joe and KC Boy Scout Councils. Bartle not only founded 'the Red Coaters' (the sales guys) he'd also founded the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.
Say, May 22, 1963, THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS moved to KC. High FIVE!
At first, they came to the FIVE digit zip, 64068 (Liberty, MO, William Jewell College) for the next 27 years.
If you don't mind, please allow this blog writer to veer off 71 Bypass to remember, "Holy crap, it was the time of my life!"
As a kid, running up and down the hill from Brown Gym to the practice fields to garner scads of autographs that I have no idea where they are today. Pristinely manicured fields, HUGE, loud, dirty, sweaty men. A goalpost in the middle of the nearby baseball field, exclusively for Jan Stenerud. Pre leash law days, I remember the embarrassment of my hound dog, Brownie, chewing on the left buttcheek of EJ Holub as he pounded the blocking sled with his right arm, shoulder while at the same time swatting Brownie with his left arm.
Playing racquetball, a knock on the door, "Mr. Stram would like to play now." I remember seeing Curly Culp and (I think John Gilliam) goofing around, wrestling in the basement of Brown and a huge, heavy welding tank falling on Culp's foot. He limped upstairs, KC Star would report "Culp to miss Chargers game after injuring his foot in practice."
Me. as a 21 year old, Corner Bar.. I remember a player across the bar from backup QB Pete Beathard hollering "Pete, grab me some peanuts." He obliged, started to walk them to the guy, guy said "Just throw 'em." "Nah," Pete answered, "someone would probably intercept 'em."
Living 2 houses from WJC, I remember huge, fancy cars going up the hill of our 25mph street at breakneck speeds (60-ish?) nightly at 9;55pm in effort to make their 10pm curfew.
Sorry, kinda. Got sidetracked on all those hills, one-way streets of 64068. We were lucky, We were the real life football version of The Sandlot.
FIVE days. Who are your FIVE all-time favorite Kansas City Chiefs? Tough one. There are 22 Hall of Famers.
Bobby Bell, Dawson, DT, Mahomes, Taylor.... maybe, (for me anyways).. but SO many good ones. Your top FIVE?
Who's #5 this year? Tommy (please get the laces right) Townsend.
How many different players have played for the Chiefs? I tried every search engine known to man and could not find the answer. I started counting them one-by-one alphabetically, fell asleep somewhere around 375 (I was in the last name E's). Sorry, kinda. I can tellya, between Husain Abdullah and Frank Zombo, A LOT.
I can tell you the numbers 3, 16, 18, 24, 28, 33, 36, 58, 63, 78 and 86 are retired.
Speaking of naps, I'm gonna lay down for FIVE.
Love, Victurd
(One more, but bear in mind it's R-rated. Early in Chief's history, Lamar smartly coaxed one more preseason game to fill coffers, an intrasquad game using mostly rookies, the Chiefs against the Chiefs labeling it, The Milgram Grocery Bowl. One innovation, prior to days of dump buttons, came the idea to 'mike up' the QB. Rookie Sandy Stevens was selected. Things were going well, we, with our transitors were enjoying - then, Stevens dropped back to pass, he was smashed to smithereens by a behemoth defensive end... they huddled up for the next play -Stevens was irate, looked his lineman in the eyes and screamed WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE BLOCKING THAT 'MF'N (oops) #99?", legible to all us little Brylcreemers listening about the City. It reminded me of the time Cowboy Bob's radio show had ended, but he forgot to turn off the mike, exclaiming "There, that oughta please the little bastards."
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