Kansas City Chiefs fans pack Power & Light District in hopes of a win
Cold and anxious, Kansas City Chiefs fans Sunday afternoon packed into the city’s Power & Light District in hopes of an AFC Championship win.
More than 100 fans filled the district in the heart of downtown Kansas City as the Chiefs took on the Tennessee Titans, creating a sea of yellow and red jerseys. Fans, many with beers in hand, could see their breath as they cheered.
Before the singing of the national anthem, lifelong fan Geraldo Martin, 31, said if the Chiefs won he would help “paint the city red.” Like other fans, Martin said he felt a sense of unity watching at Power & Light, where the crowd roared during big plays.
“I feel like I’m at the stadium,” he said.
Drinks were poured. Stereos blasted music. In the sub-freezing temperatures, some fans bundled up in blankets.
Tuan Le, 27, said he came for the environment. Other places in the city were packed, he said.
“Let’s go, Kansas City!” a man shouted into an intercom.
Fans jumped up and down in excitement, throwing high-fives and giving each other hugs, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw to Tyreek Hill for a touchdown near the end of the second quarter, making it 17 to 14 with the Titans up.
A man ran across the stage, waving a large Chiefs flag.
Among those in the crowd were fans Jeff and Sheri Hall, who drove from Mooreland, Oklahoma, to Kansas City, where their daughter lives. Where they’re from, residents are either fans of the Chiefs, the Denver Broncos or the Dallas Cowboys. If the Chiefs win Sunday, they said, they might come back to Power & Light to rally among other devotees during the Super Bowl.
“It’s the place to be,” Jeff Hall said.
It would be nice to see the Chiefs not blow it now, some fans noted. Others joked that if the Chiefs won, they would have to call in sick for work Monday because of the night of drinking that would follow.
Not among the crowd was Charles Penn, who became locally famous after he he left Arrowhead Stadium before the Chiefs came back against the Houston Texans. Earlier Sunday, he was spotted leaving Arrowhead Stadium to watch the game at home.
Asked at Power &Light how he would watch the Super Bowl if the Chiefs won, one fan responded: “Let’s get through this game first.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2020 at 3:40 PM.
