Super Bowl bound!

For some Kansas City Chiefs fans, Sunday afternoon was the first time they had ever seen their team become AFC champions after a thrilling 35-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium. For others, it has been 50 years since they have experienced the feeling of advancing to the Super Bowl when the Chiefs eventually beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV back in 1970.

One thing is for sure, fans and players will never forget the feeling as the Chiefs punched their ticket to Super Bowl LIV on February 2 in Miami, Fla. against the San Fransisco 49ers after many years of heartbreaking postseason losses. Behind a dominant performance from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an excellent performance from their defense, the Chiefs were able to get their hands on the coveted Lamar Hunt trophy.

To quote Yahoo! Sports writer and former KC Star beat writer for the Chiefs, Terez Paylor, “To Chiefs fans, after years of postseason heartbreak — more than those outside the state of Missouri understand — it just meant more.”

As a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, I wasn’t able to soak in the moment, but I was able to watch the game with my mom and dad, who are die-hard fans of the team, and I knew how special this was to so many people around the area. So, I decided instead of letting you read my thoughts on the game that I would give readers and fans a chance to recap their feelings as the clock hit 0:00 in the fourth quarter.
Chiefs fans, sit back and enjoy it, this one is for you.

Bob Garner, Lebanon, Mo.

I was so excited on Sunday. I went to Kansas City on Friday, just to be around the atmosphere. It was so cool to see all the buildings lit up in red! On game day, the local TV starts Chiefs game day at 8 a.m., and coverage went until 11 p.m. I really was confident we would win, especially if Chris Jones could play. Our offense is incredible, and the defense and special teams are making plays all over the field. I believed we would get ahead enough to force Tennessee out of their element and have to throw the football. When Mahomes made the great run at the end of the first half for the TD, I knew we were going to win. As the game wound down I thought of all the games we were so close like the Christmas Day loss to Miami; the Lin Eliott missed field goal, the loss to Indianapolis when there were no punts, the loss to Indianapolis when we had the 28 point lead, and of course the Dee Ford offsides last year. I just kept saying out loud, “50 years, 50 years.” I was crying at the end. I was so happy. Then to see Mrs. Hunt get to hold and kiss the Lamar Hunt Trophy and the emotion on Andy Reid’s face … it was special. I was 19 years old when we won it the last time, and I will be emotional when we win Super Bowl LIV! 50 years baby.

Graham Hutton, Lebanon, Mo.

When the Chiefs went down 17-7, I looked at my wife and said, “If last week taught me anything, it’s don’t panic.” But this is the life of a Chiefs fan. As a fan base, we’ve grown accustomed to disappointment. Not winning a home playoff game since 1993, all the playoff losses to the Colts (2013 still stings), the phantom holding against Fisher in 2016 against Pittsburgh, the Mariota pass to himself in 2017. And who can forget, “Offside, defense, number 55.” We’ve all heard the joke about wanting Chiefs player to be pallbearers at our funeral so they can let us down one last time. But this year, man. When Mahomes threw the 60 yard TD to Watkins, I ran to find my wife, gave her a big kiss, and said, “We’re going to the Super Bowl!” When the game went final, my 8-year-old daughter ran to me, I picked her up, and we hugged. She’s as big a Mahomes fan as I am, and I’m glad she’s getting to experience a very different Chiefs team than I grew up watching.

Trent Millsap, Lebanon, Mo.

Being a somewhat younger Chiefs fan at 22-years-old, I’ve still experienced my fair share of playoff letdowns from the Chiefs. Whether it be in 2014, blowing a 38-10 lead against the Colts, or losing at home to the Steelers in 2017 after giving up no touchdowns, or in 2018 blowing a lead at home to the Titans, or even falling just short in last year’s AFC Championship game to the Patriots. That’s a lot of misfortune in a short period of time, but that has been the case for Chiefs fans for 50 years. Watching the Chiefs win on Sunday, especially with my family who all have seen everything that’s happened between the last Chiefs Super Bowl appearance to now was pretty surreal. Regardless of what happens in the Super Bowl, it’s a new era of Chiefs football that will hopefully provide much more fortune than misfortune for the organization and its fans.

For the complete article, see Wednesday’s print edition of The County Record, or view http://digital.laclederecord.com/ online.