KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The smell of barbecue and sounds of cheers marked the return of Chiefs football Saturday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Bad taste in our mouth at the end of last season, so trying to get back to where we belong, which is at the top,” said long-time Chiefs fan Randy Kohl.
Kohl and his family are season ticket holders this year. They arrived hours before kickoff Saturday to make sure his youngest son, Reid, could get the full game day experience.
“We took our oldest to his first game last year, so we figured it was his turn," Kohl said. "We’re excited for him to be able to experience the best stadium in the NFL. My son, oldest son, he still talks about his experience coming to the first game, and I remember my first game in the early 90s.”
The return of football, albeit preseason, presented an opportunity for John and Christina Cooper to properly show off their newly-renovated van. The "Kingdom Cruiser” made the trip from Joplin.
“We bought it three months ago, almost to the day,” John Cooper said. “Had it painted, our graphics put on, just got my ‘KC 87’ license plate yesterday just in time for the game.”
Whether a first-timer or a long-time fan, football is back, and the fans are here for it.
“Even though it’s a preseason game, it still feels like a regular season home game. The smell and the people out here,” said fan Rickey Patrick. “We’ll win the AFC West again for the seventh year in a row, and we’ll make the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl.”
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