‘Goosebumps.’ Royals players are thrilled by Chiefs’ run to Super Bowl LIV
Royals left fielder Alex Gordon was at Arrowhead Stadium earlier this month for the Chiefs’ AFC Divisional Playoff game when he had a sense of déjà vu.
The Chiefs had fallen behind Houston 24-0 when Gordon was transported back to Game 4 of the Royals’ 2015 American League Division Series. The Astros led 6-2 in the eighth inning of that game, and the Royals’ season was on the brink.
“I was looking down on the sideline and I saw (Chiefs tight end) Travis Kelce pacing the sidelines kind of yelling at his guys, and just getting the guys fired up and kind of reminded me of (Mike Moustakas) in Houston when we were down by lot and no one expected us to win,” Gordon said Friday at FanFest. “He kind of went down the dugout and started yelling at everybody and got everybody fired up and then we came back (and beat the Astros).
“So (it) just brought back good memories. I told my guys that I was with at the game, I was like, ‘Watch this: Travis Kelce’s gonna have a big game, and he’s gonna lead the comeback,’ and sure enough, three touchdowns later, it was was pretty special I just got goosebumps talking about it.”
Gordon wasn’t the only player to get chills watching the postseason success of the Royals’ neighbor at the Truman Sports Complex.
Outfielder Bubba Starling has been a Chiefs fan his entire life. He wore No. 16 for the Gardner Edgerton High School football team in honor of Len Dawson, who was quarterback of the last Chiefs team to win a Super Bowl.
Starling watched last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game with his family and struggled to grasp what was happening when the Chiefs had clinched a spot in Super Bowl LIV.
“It’s almost like I had goosebumps,” Starling said. “Everyone’s taking pictures and I was just trying to take it all in. I think it’s going to happen more often. Here in the next few years with (quarterback Patrick) Mahomes and the team that they have. But in the present there it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to the Super Bowl,’ it’s so crazy.”
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy is eager for Kansas City to have another parade ... one he can watch.
Duffy said one reason he cheers for the Chiefs is because the players share the same passion as the Royals.
“After meeting a lot of the Chiefs ... and seeing the way they operate, conduct themselves, the way they care, they share the same passion that we have about this city,” Duffy said. “When you’re here, you just know, you know what it’s about. And it’s not really something you could articulate. Those guys love this city like we do.
“And if they win, I’m confident they will, but if they win, it’s gonna be really cool to kind of have a different view of how the parade is gonna be. I barely got to soak in the (Royals World Series) parade. ... It’ll be cool. I’m looking forward to seeing that Super Bowl. I think they’re gonna win, and I’m excited for the parade.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2020 at 8:26 AM.
