Kansas City Chiefs

Thursday, 22 October 2009 - administrator

Franchise History

The Kansas City Chiefs are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). They were founded in 1960 by Lamar Hunt where they became a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). Their first game was played on September 7, 1963. Originally named the “Dallas Texans,” they were renamed when they moved to Kansas City in 1963. The Mayor of Kansas City, Harold Roe Bartle’s nickname was “Chief.” The Kansas City Chiefs have won three league championships (1962, 1966, 1969) and were the second AFL team to defeat an NFL franchise in an AFL-NFL World Championship Game, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV (1970). The Chiefs have the most playoff appearances for an AFL team (tied with the Oakland Raiders) and the most AFL Championships.

Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City, Missouri.

1971

In 1971, the Chiefs played their last game at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium, which happened to be the longest game played at 82 minutes and 40 seconds, against the Miami Dolphins, and lost, 27-24. In 1972, the Chiefs moved to their new Arrowhead Stadium at the Truman sports complex just outside of Downtown Kansas City. Their first game at the stadium was against the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 24-14. In 1972, linebacker Willie Lanier won the NFL Man of the Year Award and in 1973, quarterback Len Dawson won the NFL Man of the Year.

1974

In 1974, Hank Stram was fired as the Chief’s head coach. And for the next seven years, the Chiefs have five head coaches. John Mackovic became the head coach in 1983 after Marv Levy was fired. Mackovic took the Chiefs to their first post-season appearance in 15 years since the 1986 NFL Playoffs. But following the team’s loss to the NY Jets, John Mackovic was fired. Frank Gansz became the head coach for the next two years (8-31). In December of 1998, Lamar Hunt hired Carl Peterson as the President, General Manager, and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. Two weeks later, Peterson fired head coach Frank Gansz and hired Marty Schottenheimer as the Kansas City Chiefs’ seventh head coach (1989-1998).

The Schottenheimer era

In Schottenheimer’s tenure, the Chiefs had a 101-58-1 record and clinched seven playoff berths. Four years after Schottenheimer became head coach, the Chiefs’ 1993 season was most successful in 22 years. The Chiefs defeated the Houston Oilers to the 1994 AFC Championship game and remains their last post-season victory to date. The AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills were the Chiefs’ first and only AFC Championship game appearance to date. Following the 1998 season, Schottenheimer announced his resignation and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham took over coaching duties for the next two seasons.

On January 12 2001, Carl Peterson hired Dick Vermeil as the eighth head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2003, the team began the season with nine consecutive victories, a record in Chiefs history. In 2005, the Chiefs were the fourth team since 1990 to miss the playoffs with a 10-6 record. But prior to the end of the season, head coach Dick Vermeil announced his retirement. Within two weeks, the team hired Herman Edwards, a former Chiefs scout and head coach of the NY Jets, as their tenth head coach.

In 1996, Kansas City was awarded a Thanksgiving Day game against the Denver Broncos in response to Lamar’s Hunt lobbying for a third Thanksgiving Day game. Lamar Hunt was hospitalized at the time of the game and died on December 13. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos in the first Thanksgiving Day game in 1969 (19-10).

In 1960, the Texans’ logo consisted of the state of Texas in white with a yellow star marking the city of Dallas. Lamar Hunt reverted to red and gold for the uniforms, and remain the colors to this day even after their relocation to Kansas City. The state of Texas logo on the helmet was replaced by an arrowhead design, sketched by Lamar Hunt on a napkin. The grey facemask bars on the helmets were grey from 1960 to 1973 and were changed to white in 1974. The red helmet is matched with either red or white jerseys with the opposite color numbers and names. The Chiefs reintroduced the all-white uniform combinations for the 2006 season. In 2007, the Chiefs honored Lamar Hunt and the AFL with a special patch that featured the AFL’s logo from the 1960’s with the Lamar Hunt’s initials (“LH”) inside the football. In 2008, this special patch is permanently affixed to the Kansas City Chiefs jerseys.

The Chiefs’ first mascot was “Warpaint" (1955-1992), who was ridden bareback by Bob Johnson, wearing a full Native American headdress. Warpaint was a nickname given to breeds of pinto horses. Warpaint would circle the field at the beginning of each of the Chiefs home games and would perform vicgtory laps following each of the Chiefs’ touchdowns. Since 1989, the cartoon-like K. C. Wolf, portrayed by Dan Meers in a wolf costume, has served as the team’s mascot. “K.C. Wolf” were named by the Chiefs’ “Wolfpack.” The Wolfpack is a group of die-hard fans from the Municipal Stadium days. K.C. Wolf was the league’s first mascot inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006. On September 20, 2009, a new Warpaint horse was unveiled at their home game opener against the Oakland Raiders.

The Chiefs have played at the Arrowhead Stadium since 1972. The stadium has a capacity of 77,000. At the end of the 2008 season, Arrowhead Stadium had a consecutive sell-out record of 149 games since 1990. The Chiefs average 77,300 fans per game from 1996 to 2006, which makes them second in the NFL. They have an official fan club called “Chiefs Nation” which gives members the opportunity to purchase priority tickets and receive VIP treatment. At the end of the “Star Spangled Banner” at home games, the fans usually replace “home of the brave” part to “and the home of the CHIEFS!”

Since 1989, KCFX, “101 the Fox,” has broadcasted all of the Chiefs games, as The Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network. The Chiefs and KCFX hold the longest FM radio broadcast partnership in the NFL.

Owner, Hunt Lamar and Head Coach Hank Stram of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City, Missouri.

Franchise History

1960 – 1962: Dallas Texans (AFL)
1963 – 1969: Kansas City Chiefs (AFL)
1970 – Present: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)

Coaching History

1960 – 1974: Hank Stram (129-79-10)
1975 – 1977: Paul Wiggin (11-24-0)
1978 – 1982: Marv Levy (31-42-0 )
1983 – 1986: John Mackovic (30-35-0)
1987 – 1988: Frank Gansz (8-22-1)
1989 – 1998: Marty Schottenheimer (104-65-1)
1999 – 2000: Gunther Cunningham (16-16)
2001 – 2005: Dick Vermeil (36-29-0)
2006 – 2008: Herman Edwards (15-33-0)
2009 – Present: Todd Haley

Championship History

League Championships
AFL Championships (3)
1962, 1966, 1969
AFL-NFL Super Bowl Championships (1)
1969 (IV)

Conference championships (None)

Division championships (8)
AFL West: 1962, 1965, 1966
AFC West: 1971, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2003

Playoff appearances (15)
AFL: 1962, 1966, 1968, 1969
NFL: 1971, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2006

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Bobby Bell (1983)
Willie Lanier (1986)

Len Dawson, quarterback (1987)

Junious (Buck) Buchanan (1990)

Lamar Hunt, owner (1972)

Jan Stenerud (1991)

Hank Stram, head coach (2003)
Recent History
After starting the 2007 season with a 4-3 record, the Chiefs lost the remaining nine games. The Chiefs began their 2008 season as the youngest team in the NFL, with their starting lineup averaging 25.5 years of age. At the end of the 2008 season, the Chiefs ended with their worst, 2-14 record, including a 34-0 shut-out to the Carolina Panthers. At the end of the season, Carl Peterson, President, General Manager, and CEO of the Chiefs, resigned, and former New England Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel, Scott Pioli, was hired. On January 23, 2009, Herman Edwards was fired as head coach and Todd Haley signed a four-year contract as his replacement. According to Forbes in September 2009, the team is valued at US $1 billion.