Tear Down Arrowhead Stadium

Dec 1, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; General view of the Arrowhead Stadium during the NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It is time for Arrowhead to go. I know it was recently “renovated” along with Kauffman Stadium which, in my opinion, should be downtown but that is another story. Renovations aside, and no thought of tax dollars wasted, it is time to reduce the home of the Chiefs to rubble and start over again.

Yes, the tailgating experience is top notch. It is a former world record holder for the loudest stadium. From a seating stand point there really is not a bad seat in the house. There are plenty of concession stands and almost enough bathrooms. At capacity the facility holds 79,451 people, ranking in the top five in the NFL.

Opening in 1972, it is not as if Arrowhead is ancient, and it has plenty of life left in it. Despite all of those things Arrowhead must go. Burn it down, blow it up, and take the wrecking ball to it as it simply will never do.

At this point I probably have most Chiefs fans mad at me and you might think this is another one of my anti-Chief rants. It isn’t. It is actually something quite different than you might think. The reason for my wrecking ball dreams is quite simple. I want Kansas City to host a Super Bowl.

I want to experience the euphoria and dazzle of being the host of America’s largest sporting event. The All-Star game gave us a little glimpse of what it could be like. I am a baseball first guy but lets face it, The All Star games pales in comparison to the Super Bowl.

The talk since last week’s open air Super Bowl in New York is that it has paved the way for other cities with open stadiums and cold winters to host as well. I am not convinced, and I will sum up the reason in two words. New York.

Arrowhead Stadium Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Call me a guy with a Midwestern chip on his shoulder if you must, but the fact is Kansas City will never get the opportunity that New York did. Philadelphia may get a shot simply by being on the East Coast, but I doubt it.

The Patriots will probably get a chance because they are the darlings of the NFL and the media. Chicago being “The Second City” has all of the factors in it’s favor a New York does so it has a great chance of hosting. Cities like Buffalo, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Cincinnati will never get that opportunity.

Even storied football towns like Green Bay and Pittsburgh will likely be far down on the list of NFL executives.

The solution. A new Arrowhead with a retractable dome. I know it has been discussed before as part of the long term renovation plan. I saw the silly drawings of the canvas looking lid that would slide on tracks to cover Arrowhead. Apparently the voters of Jackson County saw the bad idea as well because they voted the bond down.

The NFL promised Kansas City a Super Bowl in 2015 if they could have a climate controlled building but that hope died with the bond. It should have. It was a terrible idea.

Being somewhat of a traditionalist I like outdoor football and I don’t want a place that is completely closed in all the time. My dream, and I know it is only a dream, is for Arrowhead to be torn down and rebuilt as a retractable roof stadium similar to Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The Truman sports complex is fine if the Chiefs want to stay there. It does offer decent access in and out and plenty of tailgating space but a retractable roof will bring Super Bowl glitz to Kansas City.

I want for Kansas City the economic boom and adulation that was heaped on Indianapolis in 2012. That Super Bowl raised 384 million in spending, 324 million in GDP, and 46 million in state and local taxes. Kansas City could use that boost in dollars and image and as a Kansas City guy I say we deserve it.

Kansas City has been successfully hosting NCAA events for years and with the All Star game we proved we were “big league” enough for a large scale national event. Kansas City and it’s fans were given many rave reviews for our food, amenities, and general fan graciousness as well as passion for the game. Can you imagine what a Super Bowl would be like?

All it takes is climate controlled building. So Chief fans, fellow Kansas Citians, are you with me? Tear down Arrowhead and give us a retractable dome. Give us a Super Bowl!