Want the paper the Chiefs held up during Super Bowl celebration? Here’s how to get it
They were kept under lock and key at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
In the business, they’re known as “instant papers.” They aren’t really newspapers but in reality single-sheet front pages with big headlines and photos held up for TV cameras by exuberant players wearing championship T-shirts and caps.
But with the Chiefs trailing the 49ers by 10 points in the fourth quarter last Sunday, our instant paper was nearly extinct.
Thankfully, the Chiefs rallied, confetti fell on the turf and players triumphantly held up Kansas City Star front pages proclaiming CHAMPS!
And here’s how you can get a copy. Pick up the Sunday, February 9 edition of The Kansas City Star from a retailer or home delivery (or order one in our online store) and look inside for our 32-page Super Bowl commemorative section. Each special section will contain a replica copy of the instant paper held up by the Chiefs.
Here’s how the page got onto the field so quickly. In the days leading up to the Feb. 2 game, we designed a front page using a photo of a jubilant Patrick Mahomes from earlier in the season. The Miami Herald, owned by the same parent company as The Star, printed these pages. The Herald also printed two versions of its own instant paper: one for a 49ers victory and the other featuring the Chiefs, which also was seen on the field after the game. The other version will never be seen by the public.
As the clock hit zeroes, a pre-designated “runner” was tasked with getting copies into the hands of players and coaches, in cooperation with Chiefs officials.
Had the Chiefs lost, these papers would’ve been destroyed. Instead, each one is a collector’s item.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 4:25 PM.