My first-ever Chiefs game ended in defeat. But fans showed me who KC is | Opinion
Maybe it was a Christmas miracle.
No, the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t win Sunday night, but despite biting cold and disappointing plays, their fans gave the team the best gift. Interception after interception, even after that questionable fourth-down call, Chiefs fans showed me they have a spirit of faith and hope in what sometimes seems to be the impossible. They are real champions.
That’s what I witnessed Sunday night at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. No matter what the Texans (and the Chiefs, too) threw at them, the fans in my upper section kept cheering, chanting, high-fiving and tomahawk chopping.
The repeated mantra of several around me when it seemed like KC could make a comeback?
“That’s what we do, baby!”
But that’s what the Chiefs didn’t do against the Houston Texans.
A team with the best defense this season, the Texans did what they do and stole KC’s ball not once, but three times. It was crippling to see. I was astonished. I was expecting more, especially at my first football game.
Yes, you read that right — not my first Chiefs game, my first professional football game.
First time at Arrowhead
I’m a Chicago girl and grew up with the Cubs and White Sox, so it’s not surprising that I’ve been to many baseball games. I’ve even been to Kauffman Stadium more than a few times.
Since moving back to Kansas City in 2023, my husband has become a Chiefs fan, and I’ve watched games with him on TV.
So, for his birthday this year, I decided to get him tickets to a home game. I picked the Dec. 7 game (yeah, I wasn’t thinking about the cold) and even gave him the opportunity to pick a friend to go with him. But he asked me to accompany him.
Cue the winter outdoor attire: heated socks, two pairs of pants, two shirts and on top of that my red-and-yellow Chiefs dress. Finally, a furry winter coat, two scarfs, a hat, gloves and hand warmers. I was ready.
We arrived at the parking lot a little before 6 p.m. and got a fairly good spot. The wafting smells of grilled meats from tailgaters made me a little hungry as we walked across the lot and made our way up to the third level and found our seats: section 326, row 15 (no fancy seats for us).
If you’ve never been to a game, here’s what they don’t show you on TV: the pregame events, the fun little fan-cam activities, the fireworks and the Chiefs Cheerleaders dance program. It’s an impressive show. You’ve got your food, your drinks and confidence in your team.
Suddenly, you’re on a first-name basis with the players: “The team needs to back up Pat tonight.” “What’s Travis going to do?” “Come on, Chris!”
Fans love to get loud
When the game started, Chiefs defense ruled, and fans seemed satisfied with that 0-0 score — even amping it up after a Texans field goal made it 3-0. The fans eagerly followed the instructions on the videoboards when the Texans had the ball: “Louder!” “Get Loud!”
And it did get loud. Fans around me were on their feet, yelling their hearts out. When the Chiefs’ touchdown tied it at 10-10, the mantra began.
“That’s what we do, baby, that’s what we do!”
The fourth-quarter fourth-down attempt puzzled fans, to be sure. It didn’t make a lot of sense, even to this novice football fan. But it was the interceptions that caused the frustration and began to lower the temperature (no pun intended) of the crowd. It just seemed like nothing was going right.
At the end of the game, a few fans started leaving. At least the ones in my section waited until the final five minutes. Houston had the ball (again) and there didn’t seem to be any chance at victory.
I don’t blame the fans for that. They carried this team and this game with as much hope in the outcome as anyone could have expected.
Sports analysts, including ours, think there’s still a slight playoff path for the boys in red.
Taking into account what happened, was I sorry that this was my first-ever professional football game? Not at all. I’d choose this game again, if I could.
That’s because I saw up close what real fans are like. And real fans believe.
