Royals’ Dayton Moore: Kansas City fans are why the Chiefs made it to the Super Bowl
In June of 2006, I’d been on the job as the Kansas City Royals’ general manager for two weeks. I received a note from then-Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson extending his support and welcoming me and my family to Kansas City. I’ll never forget his words: “Kansas City has the best sports fans in the world.”
A little less than two years later, assistant general manager J.J. Picollo and I sat in the home of an 18-year-old by the name of Eric Hosmer. The reason we were there was to recruit him and sell the vision of the Kansas City Royals. As we spoke to Eric, we spent very little time discussing his developmental path. We found ourselves speaking glowingly about Kansas City’s undying support for its sports teams and how special it would be to win for our fans as a reward for their faithfulness.
The encouragement and support of fans spurs the feeling of hope. When a person, player or team has hope, it becomes the fuel that leads to confidence and trust in self and one another. I believe to this day that the faithfulness of our fans through the many seasons and games is what explains two of the most historic and unforgettable games in Kansas City history: the 2014 wild-card game with the Royals down 7-3 in the eighth inning, and this season’s AFC divisional playoff game when the Chiefs erased a 24-0 first-quarter deficit. Our fans deserve the credit.
The parallels between this year’s Chiefs team to those 2014 and ’15 Royals are easy to see. But truthfully, every team has its own unique identity and characteristics. No two teams are the same. What I can tell you is that every championship team must have a special environment, one that is shaped by steady and committed ownership — and that extends to the front office and coaching staff all working in harmony.
Ultimately, though, the fans are the ones who create the championship environment. And we have incredible fans in Kansas City.
Royals left fielder Alex Gordon and his wife Jamie love Kansas City so much that they’ve moved their family here. As Alex told me, he “would never want to represent another city.” We’ve recently witnessed the swearing-in of a new United States citizen, our catcher Salvador Perez. The wonderful experiences of this loving, supportive and welcoming community inspired him to want to become a citizen of this great country.
“How much this city rallies around sports is second to none,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce told The Star a few days ago. “That’s why I love being here. I want to play here for my entire career because of the type of support we get from this community.”
Last week, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Kansas City: “How they accept you, how they care about you more as a person than they do as a player, and how much passion they have for the Kansas City Chiefs — it’s special.”
To be very clear, players and families love being a part of this community. This is simply because of your unwavering support through difficult seasons and heartbreaking losses, and the forgiveness you show for players’ personal shortcomings once they’ve taken responsibility for their actions.
The success of our sports teams has given us a platform to proudly share who we are, what we represent, and the unity of our community.
Kansas City, let’s continue to win for one another. Not just in our sporting venues, but in all aspects — in our families, neighborhoods, schools, churches and workplaces. So whether you’re in Miami for the big game, gathering with friends and family in front of your TV, or listening to Mitch “drop the hammer” on the radio, let’s cheer as loudly as we can and remind the world, once again, that Kansas City doesn’t just have great fans. Our fans create champions.
Go Chiefs!
Dayton Moore is general manager of the Kansas City Royals.
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Royals’ Dayton Moore: Kansas City fans are why the Chiefs made it to the Super Bowl."