92.3 BOB-FM is an affiliate of the Kansas City Chiefs, and each year we get invited to Kansas Cit Chiefs Radio Affiliates Day, which usually happens in pre-season.  Normally I don’t get the chance to go because I’m at the Missouri State Fair or covering high school football, but this year with Al McCurdy bringing us Smith-Cotton Football, I finally got the chance to go.

For the last two years, my son Gabriel has begged me to take him to a game.  I decided this affiliates day would be a good chance to do it.

Let’s take the time to talk about fan experience.  First off, Kansas City is known for tailgating.  However, you pay the premium for this right as the price for parking a car for tailgating is $27.  It is interesting to pull up and see the various parties occurring. I saw the simple hot dogs and hamburgers to roasts and much more.

KC definitely knows how to BBQ.  I got a pleasant surprise in the VIP tent, with B.B’s Lawnside BBQ catering and the ability to go through that live several times was worth it.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had their barbeque.  I found it interesting talking with other affiliates in the tent that they said they know Sedalia and always make a point to stop at Kehde’s Barbeque or The Wheel Inn.

We got our tickets and walked up to Arrowhead.  I encourage people to get there early, because sometimes their are surprises for the kids.  Midwest Ford set up a bouncy house and a football game for kids to do.  My son enjoyed it tremendously.

When getting into the stadium, you do need to prepare for security procedures, including metal detectors, so get in early.  We walked to our seats in the 3rd deck and enjoyed the view from above.  The roar of the crowd as the Chiefs came on the field was quite loud, even without full capacity.

In pre-season I wondered how long the crowd would stick around. Most stuck through the first half, with a score of 23-7.  Once the third quarter started and the Seattle Seahawks got to a 37-7 lead, the crowd started leaving.  We took the time to go ahead and watch the rest of the game down in the lower deck since the stadium emptied out.

We also took the time to go look through the Kansas City Chiefs Museum, and loved the wall with all the Kansas City Chiefs players and seeing the Super Bowl Trophy from Super Bowl IV.  I made it a point to look at the memorial for Derrick Thomas.  I remember how much he hustled on the field and how much he meant to this team.

I remember getting to sit down there in the mid 1980s, so it had been awhile.  A lot of the families around Gabriel and I also came from the upper deck as they said they don’t normally have the chance to see the field from that level. We got to see the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders up close, and even with the lopsided score, they tried to get the crowd involved as best they could.  The touchdown from running back Nate Euchis got the crowd to cheer one more time, and ended the game 44-14.

This is a season of change with Head Coach Romeo Crenel at the helm.  He has been known as a defensive coach and I think that may progress this season.  It will be interesting to see how the offense reacts with Jamal Charles back at running back and Matt Cassell at quarterback.  They need to improve over their preseason numbers, as in three games they have only managed to score 58 points and allowed 92.  I have seen many a team not put up good numbers in pre-season, do well in the regular season.

The Chiefs may not have won, but I hope people get the chance to follow them.  Whether you go to Arrowhead or watch them on TV, just remember to turn down your TV set and listen to Sedalia’s radio home of Kansas City Chiefs action on 92.3 BOB-FM.

 

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