I guess I’m up to my ears in hypocrisy now.
You’ve heard me rail against pro football the last couple of years because of the high incidence of long-term brain damage and also because of the nutty notion of picnicking on asphalt — which, if you’ll recall, indirectly led to 30-year-old Kyle Van Winkle getting beaten to death in the Arrowhead parking lot three years ago.
Last week, I confessed to letting myself get sucked back into “Chiefs Kingdom” after watching kicker Cairo Santos lift the Chiefs to victory over the Broncos with his already-legendary “bank shot” off the left upright and through the goal posts.
Now I’ve sunk completely into the quicksand, because you know where I’m going to be Thursday night?
Right…at Arrowhead for the Chiefs-Raiders game.
I want to explain that this is not of my own doing. It’s a fluke. I’m working on a fund-raising project with a civic leader named Dave Fowler, and we’ve become friends. How was I to know Dave had 50-yard-line seats on the club level? And how was I to know he was going to ask me to accompany him and two other friends of his to the Oakland game?
It would have been quite rude to turn him down, don’t you know? Can you imagine what his reaction might have been if I’d said, “Well, Dave, thanks very much, but I really don’t approve of pro football, what with all the concussions, the stupid tailgating and getting out there hours ahead of time to find a parking place.”
So, when he said, “Are you a Chiefs’ fan?” I haltingly said, “Yeah, some.”
At 4:30 p.m. Thursday, then, we’ll be heading out to the stadium, the idea being to beat the traffic. Starting three hours before game time is Dave’s idea, and, of course he’s calling the shots. If it were up to me, I’d leave home 30 minutes before kickoff — like I used to do when I went to games occasionally — park across Blue Ridge Boulevard and plan to be inside the stadium a few minutes into the first quarter…But that’s just me; I’m a contrarian, as most of you know.
I suppose we’ll have a trunk load of coats, hats, blankets and other items to try to stay warm in what is expected to be bitterly cold weather. Like I said, though, Dave’s seats are on the club level — “just a few steps away,” as he said in an email, “from the comforting indoor area.”
If you’ll recall, before the Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium renovations six years ago, the only ticket buyers who could escape the cold were those who had suites on the club level. They could either watch the game from their suites or in gold-level seats immediately below the suites. Now, everyone who has club-level seats has access to the spacious indoor area on that level.
I’ve been in that club area once, maybe twice, and it’s very nice. At the same time, it’s kind of strange, because when you’re inside, you’re in the middle of what amounts to a loud party while the event you came to see in person is unfolding on club-level TV screens.
I also watched one game from Lamar Hunt’s suite. An editor suggested I follow him around at a playoff game, the first playoff game the Chiefs had played in many years. Hunt graciously acquiesced, and I not only accompanied him to the suite but walked around the parking lot with him as greeted tailgaters before the game. I remember he was wearing a red tie emblazoned with a feather pattern. In the suite, I met several important people, but, oddly, the only one I remember is the late, great Chiefs’ defensive lineman, Buck Buchanan, who projected humility and quiet warmth. Tragically, he died of lung cancer in 1992 at age 51.
**
I have to admit I’m looking forward to this experience. I just hope no players get “concussed,” no fans get involved in fights and there are no injury accidents in the parking lots.
The way I see it, though, the latter is a distinct possibility because I have a feeling the Chiefs are going to get bludgeoned. If so, the fans will be in a foul mood by the time they get back to their cars.
But like I said, I’m a contrarian, and as a former newspaper man, I tend to envision what can go wrong rather than what might go right.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
I think Fowler wasted his ticket on you! You’re stinkin’ up the joint with your expectations of failure. With that kind of attitude, your karma could well pull you into a fight with a rude Raider fan. Andy Reid would kick your butt, Fitz. BELIEF is half the game. The other half is MOMENTUM. Wear a hat. In case your band of followers wants to read part 2!
I’m going to see if Dave has any connections with Clark Hunt, Tracy, and if he does, I’m going to see if I can get you a ride on Warpaint.
^^^^^^^^^^
+1,000,000
FITZ, have to say great minds think alike. After 20 years of going to Chiefs games, I quit going this year ’cause I am more tired of the drunken atmosphere there. Course, have to admit I did my share of that in my 30s and 40s!
I have had offers of tickets this year and turned them down, or given to my daughter, an avid Chiefs fan.
I had offer for Thursday as well — outside — but turned it down because I hate e cold weather. Also, I don’t know how Andy Reid gets so lucky getting a so-so offense and team to have a 9-3 record! This IS NOT A SUPER BOWL BOUND TEAM.
So you go to game with a nice man in Dave Fowler, who I know from when he stepped in at Park University. He did good job keeping stability there. But even nice guys are not getting me to that game. I will watch in warmth of my condo.
You’re alluding to Dave having served a stint — a year, I believe — as interim president at Park. He is rightfully proud of that.
I agree with you about the atmosphere; it’s gone way downhill from back in the 70s and 80s, when you could count on a pleasant outing to the stadium. Fortunately, we should be free of that where we will be.
Sounds as though the Club Level ticket holders have an self enclosed bubbled environment. Watch the game on TVs inside a club, only a short walk from primo parking. Sounds like a great gig!
Just this once, Kaler…
I don’t watch pro football, read the stats, or even have a favorite team. I usually watch the first half of the Super Bowl so I can at least “talk the talk” the Monday afterward.
What I do know, is there is a real advantage to playing at home. So don’t bet on that BLUDGEON-ING. I say the Chiefs will win by 3!
I know you well enough to know you liked the word, John.
Jim:
Wear hand and foot warmers!
I am forwarding your column on to a dear friend, Georgia Buchanan, Buck’s widow. She is a loyal Chiefs fan. Lamar Hunt managed all the details for Buck’s funeral at the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Hartsfield, Sr. spoke. Randy Covitz covered it. I spoke, along with several others. My tribute was to Georgia and Buck both and what a great team they were for civic and philanthropic projects in K.C. I was with Georgia last Sunday and will see her again next week.
She will love your wonderful comment about Buck in your blog.
I am fowarding it right away.
Will be thinking of you Thursday night. I will be watching the game from bed.
Cheers,
Laura
Great tribute to Georgia, Laura…Yes, I met her that day, too. They were a fantastic couple, and we were so lucky they stayed in Kansas City after he retired from the Chiefs…I remember talking to him once — might have been at that game — about the Black Chamber of Commerce. I said, “Are you the president?” and he said, “Oh, no, I’m just the chairman.”
Again, you make the mistake of thinking the readers care that YOU, the egotistical, ethical writer, advocated an opposite position 2 weeks ago and now reverse yourself. Sir, “normal” folks, i.e., your readers, do this all the time in everyday life. Go, return, report. Bring us back some food.
(Side note: My brush with fame and with Buck B. came in 1987. As a first year teacher at Paseo, I asked him to come speak to my economics class of 17 students. I believe he was in charge of the Black C of C. Of course, I was star struck, but the students were somewhat indifferent. A few put their heads down on the desk to sleep. He broke off from his canned speech, went over and sat next to the sleepy kids, and talked to them in a gentle voice about manners, respect, and then asked personal questions about their lives for the rest of class. He won those kids over, and the next day, after going home and reporting to their older KC parents, uncles, etc., their experience, the students came into school the next day, beaming with the prestige and the joy of having made friends with a legend.)
No. 86 Forever: Thank you for absolving me — albeit in your own unique way — of once again reversing course. Good to know other people do this, too!
…Tremendous story about Buck’s appearance at your Paseo High School class. (I didn’t realize you had taught there.) Just from the one or two brief conversations I had with Buck, I would have expected him to react exactly as you described. He had great patience, it seemed, along with the warmth and humility.
If there were exemplary illustrations next to words in the dictionary- Mr. Buchanan’s photo would show under the word ‘Class.’
Ok, I too must admit I’ve had a smattering of following the Chiefs a little this year. You know my stand on football and concussions….so, my “following” tends to be mostly listening….and watching the nail-biter field goal attempts!
Enjoy the game on Thursday, probably one of the biggest games the Chiefs need to win, so I would appreciate you attending some imagery or meditation sessions prior to attending to get you in the WIN mindset!
Believe me, I will be rooting for them to win, but like Bob Mayer (above) I think they’ve been pretty lucky the last two games. The Raiders have a lot of offensive weapons — including a better quarterback than ours — and it just seems like the Raiders, of all teams, might be the Cinderella story this year.
The Sirens have sucked in another one.
Oh brother…Coming up next…Fitz goes to the ballet one time this season and pretends to be an expert at that! ” Her plies and pirouettes were not up to snuff. She’s no Misty Copeland….”
I think I once saw a stripper by that name, back in Louisville, when I was showing fake i.d. to get into the Savoy Theatre.