The 2015 Kansas City Chiefs Draft Party!

Few times of year get me more excited about football than this one.  April means baseball to sports fans, and I am no exception. But to the hardcore Kansas City Chiefs fans, April means the release of the 2015 NFL schedule, and even better, the NFL draft.

To season-ticket holders that also means an added bonus. The Kansas City Chiefs draft party.

I can’t think of another gathering where everyone is a Chiefs fan. Sports bars are never 100% red and gold.

Even the good old Arrowhead herself is a mix of loyalties on game day.

But the draft party…well the draft party is different.

EVERYBODY loves the Chiefs here. Everybody hates the Raiders.

Red and gold everywhere.

Food, samples of what the concession food will be like, which by the way is some of the best in the NFL in my humble, unbiased opinion. And beer!

Cheerleaders everywhere!

They will be mingling with the crowd, posing for pictures, little tiny blonde bundles of optimism that make a person smile and thankful to be alive and a Chiefs fan.

And they make a mind wander to that early September day when Arrowhead will rise from its winter sleep.

The sky will be blue, the weather will be warm, and Arrowhead will shine with the pure joy of a new season and new hope.

But back to the draft party.

If you have never been, you need to go.

You don’t have to be as season-ticket holder.

Most don’t go.

But the tickets are free so find one and ask for theirs.

Get there when they open at 5:30 p.m. and get a good spot.

Wander around, take in the sights, eat the food, drink the drinks, and stock up on deeply-discounted Chiefs gear.

Text photos of you and players, cheerleaders, coaches and your crew.

I like to get there early and pet Warpaint, our beautiful horse and have my picture taken with the lady who rides her.

Retired players will be there, and I like to look them up on Wikipedia and then ask them questions about what it was like to wear the uniform of the greatest NFL team ever.

And they like to tell me.

There are always speeches, and surprisingly important members of the staff are there. The last time I went I got to shake Clark Hunt’s hand. I told him he was doing a great job and he thanked me for saying it.

I told him I missed his dad and he said he did too.

And he meant it.

I leave pretty early, it’s a three-hour drive home and I have to work the next day, but there is plenty to stay for.

Talking shop with the hardest of the hardcore Chiefs fans about the greatest NFL team in the world, on the grounds of the greatest NFL stadium in the world, surrounded by the prettiest cheerleaders.

Well it just does not get any better than that.

I’ll be on the road Thursday, and I’ll have a full report on the party, fan reaction to the picks, and more.

See you there!