Kansas City Chiefs superfan ChiefsAholic is no hero. He’s a cold-hearted bank robber | Opinion
In the new two-hour Amazon Prime documentary, “ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing,” Xaviar Babudar — the Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as ChiefsAholic — at times comes across as a sympathetic figure. He’s not. The admitted serial bank robber pointed a gun in the face and the back of the head of bank tellers in Bixby, Oklahoma, according to court records.
Because of his fanaticism, Babudar enjoyed a robust social media following and cult-like status. But he’s no hero. Not even close. This guy allegedly robbed two banks in 2022 while on the run from federal law enforcement officials for crying out loud.
While we’re here, could we just put an end to term “superfan” in Kansas City? It’s annoying. I get the love folks here have for the Chiefs. But diehards like Babudar and others, with their over-the-top antics and weird costumes, are put on unnecessary pedestals. Besides, what makes him or any other so-called “fanatic” any different from other supporters who shell out hard-earned cash to root for the Chiefs on any given Sunday? Babudar is not the only fan who loves the hometown team. He could be the most notorious one though. And that’s unfortunate.
I watched in great detail the documentary produced by hip-hop artist Drake. I noticed the many Chiefs fans interviewed for this film who expressed some sort of affinity for Babudar. But I couldn’t help but think about the fear Babudar instilled in the bank tellers he terrorized. According to a federal indictment, this man robbed at least 11 financial institutions in seven states and laundered proceeds through area casinos.
Earlier this year, Babudar pleaded guilty to three criminal charges related to a string of bank robberies, including money laundering and transporting stolen property across state lines, according to court records. He was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole.
Gambling addiction, child services
While watching this film, not once did I get a sense of contrition on the convicted bank robber’s part. At least he did admit to being a compulsive gambler.
“I don’t five a flying f*** what anyone thinks about me,” Babudar said in the film. “I had to make sacrifices obviously to fund my lifestyle and addiction,” he said. “I’d be lying to you if I said that I’m not a big time f***ing gambler. As a gambler, you know, you’re going to go up and down in terms of everything. When you have an outlet like that, you feel the need — you gotta fulfill that need. It’s addicting.”
In the film, Babudar talked about his family history. He said when he was about 10, his father left his mother alone to raise two children by herself. The woman and her two sons struggled financially and eventually lost their home, according to Babudar.
“Child services took my brother and me for about nine months,” he said.
I have no way of knowing whether this sad story is true. None of us do. If it is, I feel sorry for the 10-year-old boy inside Babudar. But he is a grown man now and he must be held responsible for his own reprehensible actions. According to criminal records and some of the facts unearthed in this documentary — at one point, Babudar’s claims of being a Kansas State graduate are debunked — it’s hard to believe anything that he says without concrete proof.
I have to give credit to the production crew that followed Babudar around during the Chiefs’ run to their Super Bowl win in Glendale, Arizona. He said the $155,000 he won in gambling wages would support his mother and brother.
“My mother and my brother rely on me to support them,” Babudar said. By robbing banks? That’s ludicrous.
Oklahoma bank manager sued, won
Payton Garcia is a married mother of two children from the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. In the movie, she recounts an encounter she had with Babudar at the TTCU Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Oklahoma, where she worked as an assistant manager. This was the same bank where Babudar’s life of crime unraveled on Dec. 16, 2022. After watching Garcia’s account of what occurred that day, no one should consider Babudar anything other than a cold and callous criminal. Garcia said he not only pointed a purported weapon at her — the gun was fake, according to court records — but at Garcia’s supervisor as well.
“He was yelling we better give him what he wanted or he would put a bullet in our heads,” Garcia said. “Of course I’m scared because I don’t want anything to happen to her and then I’m thinking, well, (my manager is) the one with the codes. He’s not going to shoot her. He’s going to shoot me. Oh my God. My kids might not have a mom after today. They might have to grow up without me.”
As she wiped away tears, Garcia continued: “Every thought you could imagine was just running through my mind. I just kinda stood there for a second because I was just shocked it just happened.”
Later, Garcia spoke for most of us with a conscience and a sense of decency when she asked, “What kind of world do we live in where people are just supporting a criminal?”
Thankfully and mercifully, Garcia sued Babudar for inflicting physical harm and emotional distress for pointing a weapon at her — and won. In April 2024, an Oklahoma judge awarded Garcia $10.8 million in damages, more proof Babudar is a heartless criminal.
No amount of superfandom could convince me otherwise.
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 10:48 AM.
