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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Followers lined up Wednesday to get a primary spot in downtown Kansas Metropolis as town celebrates the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ second Tremendous Bowl championship in 4 NFL seasons.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Tremendous Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes had been driving in double-decker buses, joined by teammates, household and Chiefs officers, in entrance of followers standing as much as 10 folks deep because the parade rolled down a important downtown avenue on the best way to a rally at Union Station.
Chiefs proprietor Clark Hunt stood in one of many buses holding the Lombardi Trophy, denoting the Chiefs 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl on Sunday. He later handed it off to gamers, who handed it round.
Most colleges, many companies and a few authorities workplaces within the Kansas Metropolis metro space had been closed to permit followers to benefit from the festivities.
Followers had been usually pleased and in good spirits whereas ready in lengthy traces for meals vehicles, merchandise vehicles and, after all, moveable bathrooms. Some folks slept in a single day to get prime spots throughout from Union Station.
However Shellie Diehl, 46, of Kansas Metropolis, was seated alongside a avenue a couple of block from Union Station as the gang grew to become extra congested in entrance of the rally website. She was joined by her 8-year-old daughter, Skyler; 16-year-old daughter, Taylor; and a buddy.
Diehl stated she got here to the Chiefs parade in 2020 and determined to have mother-daughter time whereas celebrating Skyler’s first parade.
“The final one was a lot enjoyable, we determined we needed to come to this one,” Diehl stated. “We’re huge Chiefs followers, and we wished to have a good time an excellent day with the neighborhood.”
After many years of championship drought, town is gaining expertise with victory parades. 4 seasons in the past, the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers for the crew’s first Tremendous Bowl championship in 50 years. That adopted the Kansas Metropolis Royals successful the World Sequence in 2015, town’s first baseball championship in 30 years.
Some followers admitted that Kansas Metropolis could be getting just a little spoiled.
“Type of getting used to it, however that’s OK,” stated Liz Barber, 50, of Shawnee, Kansas. “It’s good.”
David Cordray, 38, from Kansas Metropolis, stated “We had a 50-year-drought, so it’s about time we had our personal dynasty.”
A bunch of about 25 Chiefs followers from Kansas Metropolis who arrived about 6 a.m. cooked up a breakfast feast, full with corn on the cob, bacon and potatoes and all of the trimmings — and so they had steaks prepared for later within the day.
Dominic Zamora, 18, of Kansas Metropolis, stated the chums arrived about 6 a.m. to arrange their tailgate, persevering with a practice each time he and his pals attend Chiefs video games. He stated he expects to return for extra parades within the coming years.
“With Mahomes, there’s extra to come back,” Zamora stated. “It’s going to be enjoyable, and I’m excited to point out up.”
Manuel Palacio, 48, of Kansas Metropolis, was wearing a cow’s swimsuit in a tribute to Kansas Metropolis’s “Cowtown” nickname.
He stated he was a longtime Buffalo Payments fan who transformed to the Chiefs in about 1993 after dropping a wager with a Chiefs fan.
“I needed to convert,” Palacio stated. “It’s like being an Oakland Raiders fan; in some unspecified time in the future it’s a must to cheer for the crew who retains successful,” he stated, laughing.
Palacio stated he and his prolonged household spend the season watching the Chiefs video games at dwelling and determined “when — not if — we win the Tremendous Bowl, we’re going to go down there and have some enjoyable, have a good time collectively.”
Officers started planning the parade weeks earlier than the Chiefs defeated the Eagles on a discipline aim with 8 seconds remaining within the recreation.
Kansas Metropolis police stated about 675 regulation enforcement officers from greater than 20 businesses, together with fireplace departments and transportation leaders, had been fanned out alongside the route for the anticipated crowd.
The Metropolis Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee agreed to earmark $750,000 for parade-related bills, and Mayor Quinton Lucas estimated extra time prices for police and firefighters would whole greater than $1.5 million.
The the Kansas Metropolis Sports activities Fee is anticipated to contribute one other $1 million in non-public donations, and the Jackson County Legislature voted so as to add $75,000.
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Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas Metropolis contributed to this story.
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This story has been up to date to right that it’s Kansas Metropolis’s second championship in 4 seasons, not in two years.
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