Chiefs

5 most influential sports figures in KC for 2025? A few names might surprise you

As 2025 comes to an end, SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, looks back at the year in sports through some of its most influential figures.

Star columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss five people — two players, two administrators and a coach — who helped shape the region’s sports landscape and helped tell the story of our teams.

Who made the list? It starts with Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, who last week announced the franchise would leave its home of more than a half-century, Arrowhead Stadium, and relocate to Wyandotte County, Kansas, for the 2031 season.

Also, Chiefs beat writer Pete Sweeney breaks down the Chiefs’ Week 18 at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. What’s at stake for the Chiefs, beside draft position?

Check out this week’s podcast.

This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 1:16 PM.

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Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
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