The Chiefs suddenly face an uncertain future in Kansas City.
Despite winning back-to-back Super Bowls and building the NFL’s new dynasty, the Chiefs could leave Arrowhead Stadium and their hometown after a controversial funding bill failed.
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Taylor Swift may be forced to watch Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes in a new city, while the long-term future of MLB’s Kansas City Royals has also been called into question.
The Chiefs are the most dominant franchise in the NFL and the Royals were one of the best teams in MLB over the previous decade.
But Kansas City is a relatively small sports market compared to major U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Residents of Jackson County, Missouri, voted against a sales tax measure that would have helped fund a new downtown baseball stadium for the Royals and contributed to major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan previously threatened that the team could leave Kansas City if the vote failed.
It is now, and leaders must decide how to move forward.
Although Arrowhead is considered one of the best field environments in the NFL, the stadium opened in 1972 and has previously been renovated.
That’s far behind the modern stadiums owned by the Las Vegas Raiders, the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, and the New York Giants and Jets.
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“We respect the process. We respect the decision of the voters of Jackson County,” Donovan said. ” We are disappointed. We believe we have presented the best offer for Jackson County.
“We were prepared to extend the long-standing partnership the teams have had with this country. This is important…We will do and seek to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward. Let’s move forward.”
Veteran Chiefs defender Charles Omenihu tweeted “SMH” after the bill failed.
Fans have fought back by saying the Chiefs — valued at $4.3 billion, according to Forbes — should finance their own new stadium during tough economic times.
“We love you as a player, but you might want to pass on this one if you haven’t been a Jackson County taxpayer your whole life,” one fan tweeted.
“Tell (CEO) Clark (Hunt) to do some really useful renovations, not improve the suites for his rich friends,” a second fan posted.
“These ‘improvements’ weren’t meant for us average fans or season ticket members,” a third fan wrote.
The Chiefs pushed hard to pass the bill and attempted to use their status as Super Bowl champions to their advantage.
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Referring to Arrowhead Stadium as “the loudest in the world,” the Chiefs bragged about being four-time Super Bowl champions while playing on fan dedication to announce “concepts for a complete reimagining and renovation of the Arrowhead Stadium that will move the iconic stadium.” in the future.”
“For more than five decades, Arrowhead Stadium has been the home of the Chiefs and the home of many of our fans,” Hunt said. “It’s where generations of Chiefs fans fell in love with the game.
“History was made here, legends were born here and unforgettable memories were created within these walls. The stadium has become part of the social fabric of our community.
“Today, we are excited to share our plans to extend the life of Arrowhead for future generations of Chiefs fans.”
Fans weren’t exactly impressed.
Now the Chiefs must take the next step, with their NFL future suddenly on the line.
“A billion dollars for parking lots and suites for the rich,” one fan tweeted. “Insult to a proposal. Mr Hunt needs to step up. I say propose a whole (new) stadium and new training facilities for the players.”
“This is one of the oldest stadiums,” tweeted a second supporter. “Buffalo is getting a new stadium and Green Bay has continued to invest in renovations. The Chiefs belong in KC, I hope the Chiefs, the city and the state can pull it off.”
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Jake Trotter, ESPN Editor-in-ChiefSeptember 7, 2024, 4:16 p.m. ETCloseJake Trotter covers college football for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011.…
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