One of the most beautiful sounds in the Midwest is the Tomahawk Chop roar from Chiefs Kingdom. It’s hard to imagine how Sundays during football season would be without the sea of red at Arrowhead.
So what’s the story behind the name?
Lamar Hunt, American Football League founder and Dallas Texans owner, decided to move his team out of Dallas and into a city where field and broadcast time would not have to be shared.
When Kansas City Mayor Roe Bartle heard that Hunt was looking for a new home for his football team, he put his city in the running, promising to add more seats to Municipal Stadium and triple the season ticket base.
In 1963, the Dallas Texans relocated to Kansas City. Hunt and head coach Hank Stram had initially planned to call the team the Kansas City Texans until general manager Jack Steadman suggested “Chiefs” as a way to pay homage to Bartle.
Bartle’s nickname “The Chief” came from his time as a Boy Scout Executive. Since Bartle convinced Hunt to move the team to Kansas City, it was only right.
The interlocking KC inside the arrowhead was designed by Lamar Hunt on a napkin, and the San Francisco 49ers logo influenced the well-known white arrowhead with red lettering.
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