BigRedChief
11-22-2006, 11:29 PM
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16079027.htm
http://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gifhttp://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gifBy Nathan Van Dyne
The Gazette
(MCT)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some show up in limousines. Others arrive by bus.
The dress code is relaxed so long as at least one piece of clothing is bright red or blinding yellow.
They gather - close friends and complete strangers - to eat, drink and celebrate into the night.
Every game day is a holiday at Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs fans, who are among the most passionate and most likely to wear team colors in all of the NFL. Thanksgiving or not, they will be out early for Thursday night's game against Denver.
THE APPEAL
More than four hours before kickoff, a steady stream of traffic rolls slowly along Interstates 70 and 435. Pregame chatter screams from radios, interrupted only by the occasional honk or cheer.
Car after car is decked out in everything Chiefs. One, a dune buggy with the license plate CHF BUG, sports three team flags, red and white seats and headrests made to look like angry footballs.
The look of anger would be fitting for any other day with this snail's pace on the freeways. But game days are different. The fans wait patiently for the vehicle in front of them to inch forward, knowing this is just part of the drill. So is forking up $20 for parking.
Truman Wright doesn't mind the wait or the expense. Indeed, he rises at 3:30a.m. for noon kickoffs despite living in a nearby suburb. Wright's family has owned season tickets for the past 27 years. The three seats and parking permit have been passed down through generations like a precious heirloom.
"We're here at the same spot every week," said Wright, who plans to give the tickets to his sons next season. "We're here every morning at 5:30 when the gates don't open until 8:30.
"Win or lose, we're drinking booze," he added, before reaching into the cab of his pickup to show off a license plate bearing those words.
The game draws fans such as Wright. The atmosphere keeps them there.
THE FEAST
A gentle wind blows through the parking lot, carrying strong scents of barbecue that have come to represent this city. Smoke rises from thousands of grills, ranging from the most advanced to a few pieces of charcoal shoved under an old, rusty skillet.
The menu, whether typical fare or elite cuisine, caters to everyone.
Wright doesn't get too attached to any one entree. It could be burgers and brats in Week1 with friends from St. Louis and then teriyaki chicken and Greek souvlaki in Week14 with friends from Philadelphia.
When his buddies from Canada fly in for a weekend, it's a smorgasbord of fresh seafood - bacon-wrapped scallops, crab cakes and 60 pounds of boiled shrimp.
Kansas City resident Marvin Fight likes to keep it basic when he cooks for a group of up to 20 people, including his 14-year-old son, Marvin Jr., and his 9-year-old daughter, Brittany.
"This is breakfast, that's lunch and that's dinner," said Fight, pointing to hamburgers, bratwursts and Italian sausages.
This is tailgating at its finest - football and a feast.
So it's no wonder the NFL selected Kansas City as host for the first Thanksgiving night game and the first live regular-season broadcast on the NFL Network.
"It ought to be pretty crazy," Chiefs kicker Lawrence Tynes said. "We're giving some people about a 12-hour head start to get going so they'll be in rare form."
THE FANS
Ty Rowton is a longtime Chiefs fan - "Since I was in my mama's womb" - and his dedication to the team helped land him a spot in Canton, Ohio.
Rowton and rabid supporters of other NFL teams were honored in a special fan section of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 - the same year Barry Sanders, Carl Eller and John Elway were inducted into the Hall.
It was a dream weekend for Rowton. He met some of the legends of the game and brought home a football signed by Sanders and Eller - but not Elway.
"Elway grabbed my ball to autograph it," Rowton recalled with a laugh. "I told him I didn't want it. I was like, `No, man. Why would I want an autograph from a guy that ripped my heart out all these years.'
"He said, `You're the ultimate fan.'"
Arrowhead Stadium is full of ultimate fans. Rowton, who has attended 142 straight home games, dresses head to toe in Chiefs garb, topped with a triangular foam cap with his nickname - "XFactor" - printed on the sides. He is a member of KC Superfans, a group of passionate backers replete with business cards and a Web site.
Tim Oerman is another member and, like Rowton, stands out in a crowd. He's painted red - bright red - and wears red sunglasses and a garish blazer.
Oerman, aka Red Xtreme, wanted a vehicle that stood out as well so he purchased a 1972 Chevrolet bus painted red and yellow with Chiefs logos on the sides and the hood. He plans to add red seats and carpet designed to look like a football field.
It's a dedication that doesn't waver even if the team does.
"Even when the Chiefs (stink), the Chiefs are still the Chiefs and you still get that enthusiasm from the crowd," said Rob Hyder, a 49ers fan who lives in Olathe, Kan. "I've been to Niners games, Raiders games. Here it's so distinctive - everybody's a Chiefs fan."
THE FACILITIES
Tailgating takes place at every NFL venue, but Arrowhead Stadium is in a class of its own partly because of the original design.
The Truman Sports Complex opened more than two decades ago - a rare model of convenience with separate stadiums for football and baseball.
Britton Moats, who works for a security firm in Wichita, Kan., has been to other NFL stadiums - including Invesco Field at Mile High - and maintains none comes close when it comes to tailgating.
"It's a lot roomier; it's more accommodating; it's easier to get into," said Moats, who has ticket stubs dating back to 1978. "You learn to appreciate the whole package - the atmosphere, the tailgating. You've got the smells of barbecue from the grills, you've got the people, you've got the traffic to deal with - it's the whole experience."
It's an experience that has caught on in a big way.
The Chiefs have a consecutive sellout record of 138 games dating to the 1990 home opener at Arrowhead, which seats 79,451.
That doesn't include the hundreds of fans who watch or listen to the games from the parking lot, which holds 26,000 vehicles.
After playing in New Orleans and Miami for eight years, cornerback Sammy Knight signed as a free agent with the Chiefs before the 2005 season.
New Orleans has the French Quarter. Miami has South Beach. Kansas City has the Chiefs.
"The atmosphere here is a lot more wild and crazy," Knight said. "The fans come out here with their faces painted and just excited about the Chiefs because we're pretty much the life of the party in Kansas City."
THE GAME
The party will start early today and likely won't end until sometime Friday.
"I think they're going to have a hard time finding room for everybody because even if they can't go to the game, there is going to be so many people out here," Oerman said.
In a city where fans don't need an excuse to get excited, the Arrowhead faithful has a few - a nationally televised game, a holiday and the Denver Broncos.
"I think it's going to be crazy for the fact that it's going to be a night game and it's against Denver," Knight said. "Our fans are going to be there - whether it's hot or cold."
They will be there to give thanks - for football, fun and their beloved Chiefs.
"We're going to see if we can get us a big firebox and actually bring in a pig or something and cook it on the grill," Oerman said.
Rowton had a different idea.
"No, we're eating a donkey," he said.
http://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gifhttp://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gifBy Nathan Van Dyne
The Gazette
(MCT)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some show up in limousines. Others arrive by bus.
The dress code is relaxed so long as at least one piece of clothing is bright red or blinding yellow.
They gather - close friends and complete strangers - to eat, drink and celebrate into the night.
Every game day is a holiday at Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs fans, who are among the most passionate and most likely to wear team colors in all of the NFL. Thanksgiving or not, they will be out early for Thursday night's game against Denver.
THE APPEAL
More than four hours before kickoff, a steady stream of traffic rolls slowly along Interstates 70 and 435. Pregame chatter screams from radios, interrupted only by the occasional honk or cheer.
Car after car is decked out in everything Chiefs. One, a dune buggy with the license plate CHF BUG, sports three team flags, red and white seats and headrests made to look like angry footballs.
The look of anger would be fitting for any other day with this snail's pace on the freeways. But game days are different. The fans wait patiently for the vehicle in front of them to inch forward, knowing this is just part of the drill. So is forking up $20 for parking.
Truman Wright doesn't mind the wait or the expense. Indeed, he rises at 3:30a.m. for noon kickoffs despite living in a nearby suburb. Wright's family has owned season tickets for the past 27 years. The three seats and parking permit have been passed down through generations like a precious heirloom.
"We're here at the same spot every week," said Wright, who plans to give the tickets to his sons next season. "We're here every morning at 5:30 when the gates don't open until 8:30.
"Win or lose, we're drinking booze," he added, before reaching into the cab of his pickup to show off a license plate bearing those words.
The game draws fans such as Wright. The atmosphere keeps them there.
THE FEAST
A gentle wind blows through the parking lot, carrying strong scents of barbecue that have come to represent this city. Smoke rises from thousands of grills, ranging from the most advanced to a few pieces of charcoal shoved under an old, rusty skillet.
The menu, whether typical fare or elite cuisine, caters to everyone.
Wright doesn't get too attached to any one entree. It could be burgers and brats in Week1 with friends from St. Louis and then teriyaki chicken and Greek souvlaki in Week14 with friends from Philadelphia.
When his buddies from Canada fly in for a weekend, it's a smorgasbord of fresh seafood - bacon-wrapped scallops, crab cakes and 60 pounds of boiled shrimp.
Kansas City resident Marvin Fight likes to keep it basic when he cooks for a group of up to 20 people, including his 14-year-old son, Marvin Jr., and his 9-year-old daughter, Brittany.
"This is breakfast, that's lunch and that's dinner," said Fight, pointing to hamburgers, bratwursts and Italian sausages.
This is tailgating at its finest - football and a feast.
So it's no wonder the NFL selected Kansas City as host for the first Thanksgiving night game and the first live regular-season broadcast on the NFL Network.
"It ought to be pretty crazy," Chiefs kicker Lawrence Tynes said. "We're giving some people about a 12-hour head start to get going so they'll be in rare form."
THE FANS
Ty Rowton is a longtime Chiefs fan - "Since I was in my mama's womb" - and his dedication to the team helped land him a spot in Canton, Ohio.
Rowton and rabid supporters of other NFL teams were honored in a special fan section of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 - the same year Barry Sanders, Carl Eller and John Elway were inducted into the Hall.
It was a dream weekend for Rowton. He met some of the legends of the game and brought home a football signed by Sanders and Eller - but not Elway.
"Elway grabbed my ball to autograph it," Rowton recalled with a laugh. "I told him I didn't want it. I was like, `No, man. Why would I want an autograph from a guy that ripped my heart out all these years.'
"He said, `You're the ultimate fan.'"
Arrowhead Stadium is full of ultimate fans. Rowton, who has attended 142 straight home games, dresses head to toe in Chiefs garb, topped with a triangular foam cap with his nickname - "XFactor" - printed on the sides. He is a member of KC Superfans, a group of passionate backers replete with business cards and a Web site.
Tim Oerman is another member and, like Rowton, stands out in a crowd. He's painted red - bright red - and wears red sunglasses and a garish blazer.
Oerman, aka Red Xtreme, wanted a vehicle that stood out as well so he purchased a 1972 Chevrolet bus painted red and yellow with Chiefs logos on the sides and the hood. He plans to add red seats and carpet designed to look like a football field.
It's a dedication that doesn't waver even if the team does.
"Even when the Chiefs (stink), the Chiefs are still the Chiefs and you still get that enthusiasm from the crowd," said Rob Hyder, a 49ers fan who lives in Olathe, Kan. "I've been to Niners games, Raiders games. Here it's so distinctive - everybody's a Chiefs fan."
THE FACILITIES
Tailgating takes place at every NFL venue, but Arrowhead Stadium is in a class of its own partly because of the original design.
The Truman Sports Complex opened more than two decades ago - a rare model of convenience with separate stadiums for football and baseball.
Britton Moats, who works for a security firm in Wichita, Kan., has been to other NFL stadiums - including Invesco Field at Mile High - and maintains none comes close when it comes to tailgating.
"It's a lot roomier; it's more accommodating; it's easier to get into," said Moats, who has ticket stubs dating back to 1978. "You learn to appreciate the whole package - the atmosphere, the tailgating. You've got the smells of barbecue from the grills, you've got the people, you've got the traffic to deal with - it's the whole experience."
It's an experience that has caught on in a big way.
The Chiefs have a consecutive sellout record of 138 games dating to the 1990 home opener at Arrowhead, which seats 79,451.
That doesn't include the hundreds of fans who watch or listen to the games from the parking lot, which holds 26,000 vehicles.
After playing in New Orleans and Miami for eight years, cornerback Sammy Knight signed as a free agent with the Chiefs before the 2005 season.
New Orleans has the French Quarter. Miami has South Beach. Kansas City has the Chiefs.
"The atmosphere here is a lot more wild and crazy," Knight said. "The fans come out here with their faces painted and just excited about the Chiefs because we're pretty much the life of the party in Kansas City."
THE GAME
The party will start early today and likely won't end until sometime Friday.
"I think they're going to have a hard time finding room for everybody because even if they can't go to the game, there is going to be so many people out here," Oerman said.
In a city where fans don't need an excuse to get excited, the Arrowhead faithful has a few - a nationally televised game, a holiday and the Denver Broncos.
"I think it's going to be crazy for the fact that it's going to be a night game and it's against Denver," Knight said. "Our fans are going to be there - whether it's hot or cold."
They will be there to give thanks - for football, fun and their beloved Chiefs.
"We're going to see if we can get us a big firebox and actually bring in a pig or something and cook it on the grill," Oerman said.
Rowton had a different idea.
"No, we're eating a donkey," he said.