KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Blame it on the coronavirus.
While the Kansas City Chiefs’ “Run it Back” tour continues on course, with the team set to square off in Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Run it Back tour will start to look different should they win.
On Monday, city leaders announced that the city and team would not host a public celebration in the event of a Super Bowl win.
The decision was reached after consideration by the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department, the Kansas City Sports Commission and with support from the Chiefs.
“We are so disappointed that we won’t be able to execute a parade or citywide celebration,” KC Sports Commission President and CEO Kathy Nelson said in a release. “Should the opportunity for celebration present itself, we are considering some options for the future when it is once again safe to gather. But we want to encourage everyone to focus on cheering the Chiefs to victory safely and to follow the health and safety guidelines that are currently in place.”
Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in the release that if the team wins, they would look for ways to celebrate when the time is appropriate.
“We certainly understand and support the city’s decision,” Donovan said. “We hope that this journey ends with a victory in Tampa and if that’s the case, we will continue to work with the experts to celebrate safely when the time is appropriate.”