Catching Up with a Chiefs Fan
Before the Super Bowl LIX rematch I caught up with a friend to talk Chiefs, Eagles, and BBQ
This Sunday, we get to see my Philadelphia Eagles face off against the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since Super Bowl LIX, AKA The Beatdown in the Bayou (trademark very much not pending), and most notably since Travis Kelce and life-long Eagles fan Taylor Swift got engaged (I included that for my girlfriend).
This is the fifth time the Eagles will be playing the Chiefs in the past 5 years, including ofcourse, two Super Bowls where each team won. To make things interesting, the all-time series record between the Chiefs and Eagles, dating back to their first meeting in 1972 after the NFL-AFL merger, is tied at 6-6.
The rivalry between these teams reminds me of that Colts-Patriots rivalry in the early aughts. Two signature quarterbacks leading two dominant teams with different styles to compete in high-stakes environments.
There have been high-level quarterback duels, shady holding calls (depending on who you’re asking), missed touchdown catches, and Nick Sirianni screaming in a tunnel for some reason. But aside from the past 3 years, the Eagles and the Chiefs have a surprisingly similar history.
Both teams witnessed success in the early days of the NFL. I’m talking like your grandpop’s NFL. The Eagles won championships before the NFL-AFL merger in 1940, 1949, and 1960. The Chiefs won AFL championships in 1962 and 1966. They also lost the first-ever Super Bowl to Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers in 1967, but came back years later to win it all with Len Dawson in Super Bowl IV. But after early success, both franchises saw championship droughts of over half a century.
The franchises share Hall of Fame coaches. Dick Vermeil coached the Eagles for 7 seasons (leading them to the Super Bowl with Ron Jaworski in 1980) and 4 seasons with the Chiefs. Big Red Andy Reid lifted the Eagles into relevancy for over a decade, leading our boys to 4 NFC Championship Games and 1 Super Bowl, before winning 3 Super Bowls with the Chiefs.
Speaking of coaches, Doug Pederson was Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator for the Chiefs before being hired to be head coach of the Eagles, where (as we know) he won it all in 2017. And while we’re at it, current Super Bowl-winning head coach Nick Sirianni got his start in the NFL as an offensive quality control coach on Todd Haley’s staff in…drumroll please…KANSAS CITY!
We both have a Kelce brother. So thank god for that. I even rooted for several Chiefs players growing up, mostly because I played with them in Madden. To me, the Chiefs were known for their smooth running backs. Names like Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson, and Jamaal Charles. All of that has seemingly set these two similar franchises on a collision course.
The last 9 months as an Eagles fan have been absolutely incredible. But I wanted to get a sense of what it was like on the other side. So I hit up my friend Megan, a Kansas City resident and lifelong Chiefs fan, to get her insight on what it’s been like since the Super Bowl loss, and what Chiefs Kingdom expects from Mahomes and Co. this year.
Tell me about your history as a Chiefs fan? What was it like before Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes?
I was born a Chiefs fan. My Dad used to blast Schottenheimer Polka to get us pumped before a game. Thankfully Tech N9ne eventually came along with a much cooler hype song. We had the classic 90's whole-home intercom system, and we’d listen to Mitch Holthus call the game, and the radio was always 15 seconds ahead of the TV. We’d hear “TOUCHDOWN KANSAS CITY” before we even saw the ball snapped.
For the majority of my life, being a Chiefs fan meant heartbreak. Before the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era, it felt like we were right on the edge of greatness but could never quite get over the hump. We had so many incredible players: Derrick Thomas, Tony Gonzalez, Priest Holmes, Jamaal Charles, Neil Smith, Dante Hall, (just to name a few) but the team always underdelivered. Kansas City has one of the most loyal fan bases in the league, but our excitement always had to be tempered with an equal bracing for disappointment.
Alex Smith gave us a taste of playoff football. Andy Reid shifted us to a winning culture, and Mahomes changed everything.
How’d you feel about the Super Bowl loss?
That Super Bowl loss, ooph. That was painful. The team on the field didn’t feel like the Chiefs we’d been watching all season. They looked out of rhythm and never fully in control. I don’t mind losing when it’s a fair fight, but that game didn’t feel like the Chiefs I knew, especially coming off the AFC Championship win against the Bills; that’s the team I expected to see.
Still, looking at the big picture and what this team has accomplished in such a short time, it’s surreal. I never thought I’d see this level of success. It’s insane to see and feel the Chiefs hate, but that’s what happens when you’re on top. I was guilty of that when Tom Brady and the Patriots were dominating.
What’s the current feeling amongst Chiefs fans?
I’d say there is a mix of concern, frustration, optimism, and that familiar sense of bracing for disappointment. But this team has a strong history of resilience, and we’ve started 0-1 before.
What are the expectations for the Chiefs this season?
Well, our new norm is a first-round playoff bye, a nail-biter against the Bills for an AFC championship, and a Super Bowl appearance. Anything less than that suddenly feels like a failure. That’s a huge shift from a lifetime of hoping for just one playoff game. We need high-level execution, big plays from Mahomes and our young receivers, a solid offensive line, a dominant defensive front, and steady coaching with a few wild plays sprinkled in from Andy Reid.
How do Chiefs fans feel about the Eagles?
A complicated mix of respect and rivalry! Definitely a formidable opponent. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are so fun to watch and incredibly hard to stop. My boys (ages 10, 8 and 6) play football in the back yard almost 24/7, and I’ll see at least one backward hurdle attempt a day. That was legendary.
One thing you’re looking forward to in the Chiefs vs. Eagles game?
I’m hoping for not only a win, but near-perfect execution on both sides of the ball. We have a Super Bowl loss and week one loss to recover from. We need to protect Mahomes to allow for quick throws, limit turnovers, stop the run, exploit the matchups, and see big yardage from our RBs. Small mistakes are costly against a strong team like the Eagles, and we saw too many of those in the Chargers game. I’m excited to see how the team responds. Hopefully no spitting lol.
Best BBQ in Kansas City?
There’s no such thing as bad BBQ in KC. But the best…..I have to go with Joe’s. Please come visit, and I’ll treat you to the Z-Man sandwich, fries, and a giant side of mac-n-cheese.