SIX, six days until Super Bowl.
Yesterday, local news teams gathered on the tarmac in KC to watch the American Conference Champion Kansas City Chiefs be on their way to Phoenix for Super Bowl LVII. A few hours later, reporters were on the other end - the plane rolled in, Captain had his front 'driver's side' window open, an he was proudly waving a Chief's Kingdom flag for all to see. Hail To The Chiefs, and the Chief of the Chiefs as Andy Reid led the charge down the stairs. One by one, he, all the staff members, and 53 players stopped to shake the hand of Chief's great, Christian Okoye who was there to greet them.
Now, as we Kansas Citians roll outta bed to take on the week, so do our buddies in Phoenix. For many players, their first, maybe only trip to play in the Super Bowl.... Oft times we ask friends, acquaintances "How ya doin'?", they reply "Livin' the dream", so, so true for this group of 53 this week, as well as for the Eagles. Mother Nature affords us in KC a Phoenix-like day (high of 63) so we can dream right along with them.
SIX days. Meantime, let's {let's is a contraction meaning 'let us', but only if ya wanna continue reading), let's take a look at how all this (The Kansas City Chiefs) started.
Long ago and far away (SIXty-four years ago, Dallas, Texas) 27 year old oil tycoon Lamar Hunt tried to purchase the NFL Chicago Cardinals with the perceived intent to move them to Dallas - but the Cardinals only agreed to sell 20% - Lamar declined - thus, he tried to convince the NFL to allow him to start an expansion franchise in Dallas. Nope, the NFL awarded another Texas oil guy, Clint Murchison, thus, a 1960 "Welcome to the NFL, Dallas Cowboys.
Hunt then had other ideas, "If the American and National League work in baseball, why can't it in Football?" He, and yet another Texas oil guy, Bud Adams -met, and together they sought and found SIX additional investors and BOOM, the AFL was formed. Most thought they were nutso, thus, they became the self proclaimed 'Foolish Club.'
Hunt's Dallas Texans, precursor to the Chiefs, were born. Yeah but, we need a coach - Lamar went after Oklahoma's coach Bud Wilkinson, "nope, staying at Oklahoma." Then, he eyeballed the highly respected NY Giant offensive coordinator, Tom Landry - "thanks, I'm appreciative, but I'm accepting the (NFL) Dallas Cowboy job."
Hunt then nabbed obscure, but successful University of Miami assistant, Hank Stram. Both Dallas teams would play their games at the Cotton Bowl. Oddly, if you wanna call Roswell, New Mexico odd, Hunt's Dallas Texans trained there at the New Mexico Military Institute that first year.
Batting heads with the Dallas Cowboys. Mr. Hunt was a promoter, had to be, the NFL was ingrained to the US, thus, "what's this AFL thing?", he had to work harder, faster - he did. The Texans offered discounted tickets at Department stores and Airline offices.. some tickets were given away at certain gas stations for filling up.. they even stuffed some tickets in helium filled balloons and let them go about the City. Occasionally the Cowboys played on Friday nights and when they did the Texans would encourage folks to go to a Friday night high school game, save the ticket stub and show it for free admission to the Sunday Texan's game.
The Cowboys countered by offering halftime entertainment, including the likes of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Not much went right for the Cowboys that inaugural season as they went 0-11 and one tie. If it weren't for bad luck... They brought in Ward Bond, ye of Wagon Train fame to appear at a halftime show for a game between the Rams and the Cowboys, but he had a massive, fatal heart attack at an area Dallas hotel.
On the field, things went much better for the Texans that first year, finishing 8-6. Fans paid $4 for a reserved seat, $2 for general admission, and students could get in for 90 cents. (A quick fast forward to today, the Chief's franchise is valued at 3.7 BILLION dollars.) That first year, the Texans would average 24,500 in attendance (compared to 21,417 for the Cowboys) and a record 51,000 came to their first preseason game against Houston.
Lamar and General Manager Jack Steadman shrewdly filled their rosters with players from Texas, and in 1961, both the Texans and the Cowboys drafted EJ Holub, purported to be the best college player in the draft and he signed with Lamar and the Texans.
Although the Texans 'outrecorded' (Dat a word? Should be!) Even though the Texans 'outrecorded' the Cowboys 25-17 to 9-28-3 the first three seasons - including finishing 11-3 the third year, beating the Houston Oilers on National TV to become the AFL Champs - Lamar deducted, while Texas is huge, Dallas couldn't support two professional football teams. He looked to move them somewhere like Atlanta or Miami for the following season. NO LAMAR!! DON'T DO IT!!
SIX, count 'em, SIX days.
Victor?/ Yes? You wrote a damn blog on SIX and football and there is ZERO mention of a SIX point touchdown?
Oh OK. The very first touchdown for the Texans-Chiefs-Mellencamps was on September 10, 1960 on a pass from Cotton Davidson to Chris Burford... and the most recent was a week ago from King Patrick to Marquez-Valdes-Scantling.
I might bore you with more tomorrow if I don't have a SIX pack tonight, and if I get at least SIX hours sleep.
By Henry Gibson Forward by SIXto Lezcano
Love, Victurd
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