KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jim McCarty was born and raised a Green Bay Packers fan, and when he moved to Kansas City in 2009, he found a group who loves the team just as much as he does. On Sunday, that group will watch the Packers take on the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
It's Christmas year round at the McCarty home, a Packers Christmas, that is. McCarty's Packers-themed tree goes up when the season starts in September.
"It has to be up, it has to be lit, it has to be fully decorated," McCarty said.
He joined the Packers nation at a young age.
"Couldn’t even tell you how many games I’ve been to at Lambeau," McCarty said. "It’s in my blood."
McCarty's home is filled with Packers gear, from cases of Spotted Cow to his official ownership certificates and a signed towel from Lynn Dickey and Ray Nitschke, two Green Bay Packers legends.
"His namesake is a little bulldog running around here with a Nitschke jersey on," McCarty said.
The Green Bay Packers Club of Kansas City makes KC feel a bit more like home. They get together for watch parties.
"Everybody brings in some Spotted Cow if it’s allowed, and everybody’s cooking brats, and we have cheese," McCarty said. "And it’s great to have that camaraderie, great to have that togetherness. It’s great to be able to have, like you said, that family, the Packer family, together."
This doesn't mean he's anti-Chiefs.
"We’ve got a lot of great friends down here who we love, and they’re just great Chiefs fans, and it’s a mutual respect for that," McCarty said.
He believes that, in reality, Packers and Chiefs fans are one in the same.
"Everybody comes together, everybody’s looking for a good time. We love to tailgate, we love to eat, we love to have drinks, we love to talk football, and we love our Packers and we love to watch them win," he said.
McCarty's just hoping that the tree can stay up until February this year, going into the Super Bowl.
"You get the banter, but it’s all in good fun, it really is, but tomorrow the gloves are off," McCarty said.
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