The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their first Super Bowl in 50 years on Sunday. For KC fans, its been a long road to finally get to this point.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl.
This is the 544th piece that I have written for Arrowhead Addict dating all the way back to 2010 and I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing the opening to a piece more. I’m still in shock. I actually teared up a little (again) just picking out the featured picture for this piece. It’s unreal. It’s amazing. I’ve dreamed of being able to write a piece like this for so long and, now that its finally here, I find myself at a loss for words to describe how much it all means.
The first time it really hit me hard was when Patrick Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins for that long touchdown to go up 35-17. I let the emotions bubble up for just a second, but still refused to really let my guard down. Then when Frank Clark sacked Ryan Tannehill on 4th down with under two minutes to go, it was official. I was overcome. As the seconds ticked down and the 35-24 win over the Tennessee Titans was official I was on cloud nine. Then the tidal wave of emotions really hit me when Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was finally able to lift the trophy with his dad’s name on it as red and gold confetti filled the air.
I’m sure every fan base feels a wave of emotion when their team makes it to the Super Bowl. I’m sure there are cheers and tears no matter how many times you have seen your team win. I know I’m biased, but I truly believe that for many of us long-time Kansas City Chiefs fans, the emotions are elevated by just how long it has taken us to get here. All the rough seasons, all the great seasons that ended in disaster, it all really feltl like heartbreak was a defining characteristic of being a Chiefs fan.
Some of you reading this may be old enough to have seen the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV; others may be new fans that just came on board thanks to Patrick Mahomes and this new era of Chiefs football. However, many of you reading this are like me. You have been a fan of this team for decades, but you’ve never seen the glory of those early Super Bowl-era teams. You have waited a lifetime to see the Chiefs make this game. That long road, that pain and disappointment, makes this moment all the sweeter.
So I thought on the day after the Kansas City Chiefs locked up their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years, we should take a little walk down memory lane to see just what we’ve endured to get here. While the road was rough at times, I truly believe that this Super Bowl means that much more because of it.