November 5, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 176 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   IN RECOGNITION OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS' 60TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 5, 2019

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
sixtieth season of the Kansas City Chiefs football and the unremitting 
dedication of their fans. As the U.S. Representative for Missouri's 
Fifth Congressional District and a lifelong Chiefs fan, I am proud to 
honor Kansas City's home team with this Congressional Record.
  Sixty years ago, the Chiefs were founded as the Dallas Texans by the 
widely revered Lamar Hunt. Recognized as one of the greatest sportsmen 
in American history, Hunt served as the guiding force behind the 
formation of both the American Football League and the Kansas City 
Chiefs franchise. Hunt's determination and influence served as the 
catalyst that would bring his ``impossible dream'' to reality when his 
league took to the field for the '60 season. Hunt continued to chase 
this dream as he moved his Dallas Texans team to Kansas City where the 
organization would be renamed as the Kansas City Chiefs.
  Hunt's vision for the organization was reaffirmed on June 8, 1966 
when the AFL-NFL merger was announced by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, 
and the Kansas City Chiefs went on to participate in the inaugural 
Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers on January 15, 1967. Only 
three years after that inaugural game, the Chiefs claimed Kansas City's 
first major sports championship victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 
Super Bowl IV. Not only did Hunt's passion help put Kansas City on the 
``big league'' map, his influence and commitment helped pave the way 
for much of the modern growth of professional football.
  In the late 1960s, Hunt played an integral role in the original 
development plans for Arrowhead Stadium, a facility which provided the 
Chiefs and their fans with one of the most decided homefield advantages 
in all of sports. While other venues of a similar vintage have long 
since been termed obsolete or have been demolished, Arrowhead continues 
to serve as a point of pride for Chiefs and fans alike. In a true 
exemplification of the avid nature of Chiefs fans, Arrowhead recently 
broke the record for the loudest stadium on September 29, 2014. 
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, no sports fans in the 
world are louder than Kansas City Chiefs fans at Arrowhead Stadium, 
registering a record 142.2 decibels--louder than a jet taking off from 
an aircraft carrier.
  Additionally, under Hunt's stewardship, the Chiefs developed an 
intensely loyal fan base, not just in Mid-America, but across the 
country and the globe. Hunt took great satisfaction in the fact that 
the Chiefs boasted season-ticket holders from forty-eight of the fifty 
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada. He was also 
appreciative of the fact that Kansas City was selected to represent the 
NFL on the world stage in four American Bowl contests: Berlin, Germany 
(1990), Tokyo, Japan (1994, 1998), and Monterrey, Mexico (1996). Like 
jazz was to the music scene or Royals baseball to America's favorite 
pastime, the Chiefs brought Kansas City to the forefront of the 
national consciousness.
  In the decades to come, the organization would experience many highs 
and lows, including a promising '71 season that featured a team record 
eleven Pro Bowl performers and ended dramatically in the longest game 
in NFL history, an AFC Divisional Playoff game played on Christmas day. 
It took 82:40 and double overtime to close out the game. This loss 
served as the Chiefs' last playoff appearance for fifteen years. The 
years following brought trials and tribulations, but strengthened the 
team overall, earning them NFL playoff appearances in 1986, 1990 
through 1995, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013, and 2015 to 2017.
  Today, Kansas City and ``Chiefs Kingdom'' continues a custom 
throughout the region that was forged by charity and the love of the 
game--Red Friday. Red Friday began in 1992 as an idea pitched to Lamar 
Hunt by the first President of the Red Coaters, the late Jim Shultz. 
The Red Coaters were founded in 1963, and members were obliged to sell 
tickets and received a red coat for selling so many. Made up of 
businessmen and women dedicated to the Chiefs and their community, the 
Red Coaters still share the same mission of giving today.
  The first Red Friday featured the Red Coaters and Hunt himself on the 
streets of Kansas City selling newspapers with a special Chiefs edition 
to benefit local charities. After debuting on the west side of town, 
Red Friday moved north to the river, back to Westport, then to the 
Arrowhead parking lot. The Chiefs-themed newspapers turned into Red 
Friday magazines. Then those Red Friday magazines turned into Chiefs 
Kingdom flags sold to raise money for charity. The tradition continues 
to unite Kansas Citians and Chiefs fans across the country, 
transcending generations and bringing together a city of nearly 500,000 
for a common cause to paint the town red.
  Today, the Kansas City Chiefs continue to breathe life into the dream 
Lamar Hunt had when he founded the organization through its sustained 
ability to bring fans together in a true display of community and 
pride. The profound legacy the Kansas City Chiefs have paved builds 
upon and preserves a rich history that has given a way for many 
athletes and members of the organization to inspire, unify, and empower 
generations of football players and spectators alike.
  Madam Speaker, please join with me as we commemorate the sixtieth 
anniversary season of the Kansas City Chiefs.

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