OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Ninety-two-year-old Oscar Klein could be one of – if not the most – loyal Kansas City Chiefs fan in franchise history.
"Oh, Chiefs fan forever,” said Klein, who has been a season ticketholder since 1963.
Klein, who served in the Navy during World War II, has purchased Chiefs season tickets since H.R. Bartle brought the team to Kansas City from Dallas. And on Wednesday, he’ll ride in the Chiefs Kingdom Championship Parade as a VIP guest of 41 Action News.
When asked why he’s remained so loyal over the past 56 years, his answer is as simple as it is effortless.
"Ha ha, well, they're our team!” Klein said. "I follow them all the time. The games I can't get to, I watch on television."
Those were the times Klein would pass his tickets to one of his four children, carrying on the legacy of being a Chiefs fan.
"Being a Chiefs fan... and all my family being Chiefs fans and attending a number of the games, it was natural that we wanted to support them all the way,” Klein said.
Given his age and difficulty both walking and standing, he never dreamed he would be able to attend the parade itself.
"Well, I wasn't sure that I was going to get to the parade,” he said, “but I have a granddaughter who insisted that she give it a whirl."
That’s when Jennifer Coon and her husband took to social media hoping at the very least to gain some insight on how to navigate bringing someone like her grandfather downtown.
“Gramps became very popular, very quickly,” Coon said. "I really didn't expect the ball to start rolling as far as getting the attention of the media."
Now that is has, the military veteran will have a front row seat, riding in the victory parade.
"Most of them would appreciate the fact that one of us at least get a special honor,” he said. “I know and there aren't a lot left, but I'm fortunate enough to be one of them.”
