Posted by You can take the girl out of Kansas City, but you can’t take Kansas City out of the girl.
What are the chances? The Kansas City Chiefs are in the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years, and their opponents are from the city I currently live in – San Francisco! It would be fun to live in KC now with a buzz and energy permeating the city, but hey – it’s fun to live in San Francisco because I get to spread my Kansas City Chiefs pride ALL AROUND TOWN!
From day one, my family has been Chiefs fans and attendees. My Grandad – Dick Smith – was one of the original Chiefs Red Coaters – ambassadors from the business community who helped sell season tickets when the Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. Unfortunately, he passed away a few days ago and I’m on my way to Kansas City for his funeral as I write this. But I like to think he felt free to pass once he knew the Chiefs were on their way to the Super Bowl.
I started going to Chiefs games when I was a toddler. (My dad said the Chiefs weren’t very good at that time, so my parents didn’t have to worry about the crowd noise affecting my hearing 🙂 ) Throughout my childhood, I loved going to Arrowhead. The majority of my extended family had a block of seats together, so every game was a family reunion where I got to hang with my aunts and uncles and cousins. And I thought it was so cool that I got to sing, “We’re going to beat the hell out of you!” with the entire stadium after every Chiefs score (I’m a goody-two-shoes rule follower, so having permission to yell “hell” was exciting stuff!). At least once every game, my family members would all stand and wave our arms wildly – like we were stranded on an island flagging down an airplane – to say hello to my Grandma Ginny and Grandad who sat on the other side of the stadium. It was truly a wonderful family affair.
But in addition to the amazing memories, I have ones of heartbreak too. In particular, the AFC Championship game in 1995 when our kicker missed three field goals, including one at the last second which would have taken us to the Super Bowl. My 12-year-old self was devastated. I still remember the car ride home where I felt like I had a brick in my stomach. I was so upset.
But now, our time FINALLY has come. And I am so proud to be a Chiefs fan and even prouder to represent KC and expand the Chiefs Kingdom to the west coast.
Chiefs pride on a cable car. 
Chiefs pride near Ghiardelli Square 
Chiefs pride at the ‘Full House’ House 
Kansas City pride in front of Alcatraz (shirt: Charlie Hustle) 
Chiefs pride in front of the Mrs. Doubtfire house. 
Chiefs pride in front of a San Francisco city backdrop 
KC pride in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. (Shirt: Charlie Hustle) 
Chiefs pride at my home … though this flag was taken down shortly after we put it up because we overhead some people on the sidewalk say, “Look, there’s a Chiefs flag. We should throw a rock through their window.” They were kidding (I think), but our neighborhood is full of restaurants and bars, so I’m not quite sure I can trust the drunk people stumbling home at 2 a.m. to joke in the same way.
Beloved Body 