KANSAS CITY, Mo. — History will be made Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs host the fourth straight AFC Championship at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Before every game, you can count on Chiefs Kingdom tailgating in the parking lot.
It's something Tyler Harp, the owner of Harp Barbecue, knows all too well.
"[I] Grew up in Independence, just 5 miles from the stadium so I've been doing this about as long as I can remember," he said.
Harp explained what he considers the perfect tailgate to be.
"Good drinks. Good friends," he said. "For us, it's always kind of been Mitch Holthaus, turning on the radio."
What you may not know is like a lot of things in football, Lamar Hunt is behind it. In the 1980s the charismatic Chiefs owner encouraged fans to come hang out at the stadium.
"I always think about it often and how special it is, but I didn't really know that was a Lamar Hunt thing and he pushed for that," Harp said. "It's awesome to learn and it makes a ton of sense. The fact that he was ahead of the competition curve is pretty impressive."
Current Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has carried on his dad's tradition of hitting tailgates too.
Mike Powell, of Mike P's BBQ Sauces and Rubs, told KSHB 41 News that he once met Clark.
"He asked to take a picture with me, so he and the wife they took a picture," Powell said. "It was crazy man."
When asked if he ever imagined the stadium he grew up tailgating at hosting its fourth straight AFC Championship game, Harp said it's unreal.
"It doesn't even sound right," he said. "We're incredibly fortunate and I think one of the things that makes this group of Chiefs fans so special is we realize how fortunate we are. We don't take it for granted."
