Top 100 all-time Kansas City Chiefs moments: 50-26

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Len Dawson #16 of the Kansas City Chiefs turns to hand the ball off to running back Curtis McClinton #32 against the Boston Patriots during an NFL football game September 25, 1966 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Dawson played for the Chiefs from 1963-75. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

35. Texans move to Kansas City (1963)

Are you familiar with the story of the “Gold Coats?” Without the Gold Coats, Kansas City may not have a professional football team bearing their name.

For a variety of reasons, in 1963, Lamar Hunt was looking for a city to relocate his franchise to. Cities like Miami, Seattle, Atlanta and New Orleans were considered. Since Hunt was running the AFL offices out of Dallas, as well as his other enterprises, he wanted to be able to commute easily and so he focused his energy on cities closer to Dallas which included New Orleans and Tulane University (in hopes of playing games in their stadium).

When Tulane decided they didn’t want their team competing with a professional team for loyalties, Hunt began to take a more serious look at Kansas City which was equidistant from Dallas.

In March of 1963, Hunt met privately with then Mayor of Kansas City, H. Roe Bartle, and gave him an ultimatum: he would need 35,000 pre-paid season tickets for him to commit to moving his Texans to Kansas City. Hunt said 35,000 because that was the number of fans in regular attendance at the Cotton Bowl, and while he was hoping for 35,000 he thought setting the number high would hopefully get him at least 20,000.

Bartle, not knowing Hunt was really willing to commit to Kansas City if it could produce 20,000 sold tickets, then gathered 20 local business leaders of Kansas City together, which became known as the Gold Coats. The Gold Coats created their own legion of 1,000 workers who proceeded to go out and sell 35,000 pre-paid season tickets for a football team… sight unseen and yet unnamed… and they did it in only 60 days. On May 22 of that same year, Lamar Hunt announced he would be moving his franchise to Kansas City.

The Gold Coats essentially signed, sealed and hand delivered a professional football franchise to the good people of Kansas City. All Hail to the Gold Coats!

Next: No. 34