KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of the coolest things about going to a Kansas City Chiefs game is thinking about the tens of thousands of stories each fan represents.
First-game memories, I-met-my-future-husband-in-the-stands memories — they're all hidden behind screams, red jerseys and face paint.
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As we kick off this season, I asked fans to share a great story from those seats, which led me to Bob DeWitt, who's had season tickets for 50 years.
First, some perspective about Bob. He came to town before the Chiefs did.
"There were no Kansas City Chiefs, there was no American Football Conference,” DeWitt said. “This is in 1941."
DeWitt moved to Kansas City from New York when he was a boy.
He went to Chiefs games in Municipal Stadium when the team moved from Dallas, but the gameday experience changed significantly when Arrowhead Stadium opened in 1972.
"I can remember a group of us went, and we were just in awe," DeWitt recalled.
Two years later, DeWitt and his law partner purchased 10 season tickets.
"I-435 was just in the middle of being built,” DeWitt said. “It was terrible. Took an hour and a half, two hours just to get to the stadium. Season tickets were under $100 per ticket; I can remember that."
His seats are 22 rows up on the 50-yard line. Well, technically…
“Only one of them is on the 50-yard line," he said with a smile.
Today, 50 years later, he still has four of those tickets. And at 93 years old, he rarely misses a game.
"We sit in the visitor's side, which is good because that's the sunny side in the wintertime,” DeWitt said. "And I must say this, you've gotta be in shape to go to these games because people stand up 3/4 of the time."
DeWitt has incredible stories.
During our interview, he showed me photos with Len Dawson, George Brett and Satchel Paige.
He calls Chiefs legends and NFL Hall of Famers Willie Lanier and Jan Stenerud friends to this day.
But it's not just the past DeWitt cherishes. This era of Chiefs football, he says, may be the sweetest yet.
"When you've gone to the games for 50 years, you realize how difficult it is to make the playoffs, to win a Super Bowl," DeWitt said. "Now, most of the Chiefs games are at night, because of television. I don't like that."
DeWitt can be found at nearly every home game, including the preseason.
But you won’t see him if it gets too cold, he told me. He sold his tickets to last season’s subzero playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.
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