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KC Chiefs and Royals Have Passionate Fans

By Charles Lam

Apr 26, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas Royals fans Steve Nick (left) and Meghan Ketz pose with cutouts of third baseman Mike Moustakas and catcher Salvador Perez (both not pictured) during a MLB game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 26, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas Royals fans Steve Nick (left) and Meghan Ketz pose with cutouts of third baseman Mike Moustakas and catcher Salvador Perez (both not pictured) during a MLB game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Growing up in Kansas City, there are fans of the KC Chiefs and KC Royals everywhere. Why are fans of certain teams so passionate about their teams though?

Passion: strong and barely controllable emotion. I feel that during KC Royals games and many other games that I watch. Sometimes it leans into what some say is insanity.

After years of research, Social Psychologists have found what they call,  in-group, out-group bias. A fan identifies with their team and their fans (in-group) and loathes the other group that dislikes their group (out-group), says Ronald E. Riggio Ph.D.  

The in-group, out-group bias causes what we know as rivalries. I feel this most every game I watch, especially Chiefs games against the Broncos. I was born in Kansas City, Missouri to parents who are Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and Missouri Tigers fans. I was born to loath any team that dislikes “our team”.

My grandpa would get so mad at Denver’s quarterback, John Elway, that he would throw a fake brick at the TV set in anger.

I’ve watched the KC Chiefs lose many close games to Denver and even saw them pull off a few upset wins. The passion is real.

Here’s a great example of passion and foolishness all in one. (Thanks Dwayne for the win.)

When your team loses, it’s like you have lost and vise versa win your team wins. Your brain thinks you’re in a real relationship with this team. Journalist Eric Simons, writer of The Secret Lives of Sports Fans said it best.

"In the case of sports, there is compelling evidence that this is basically a real relationship in your brain. In a very real sense, the sports team becomes a part of you. You just feel like whatever success it achieves is a personal success, and whatever failure it has is a personal failure. You can’t cut the team off without cutting off a part of yourself. Even if the team is losing, you have so much of yourself wrapped up in it that you can’t just walk away. To do so is to give up on a part of yourself."

If that wasn’t crazy enough, just think of the odds your favorite team has of winning the World Championship. In the NFL alone, there are 13 teams that haven’t won a Super Bowl. They are…

"Bills, Browns, Bengals, Jaguars, Texans, Titans, Chargers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions, Panthers, Falcons and the Cardinals."

In the NFL, there are 32 teams, but only ten teams make it to the playoffs each year. Those aren’t great odds of winning it all, especially, when only one team gets to raise the trophy and bask in its glow for a year.

All the other non-championship winning teams and their fans will go home disappointed, but yet we are back again the next year and the year after that thinking that this season could be the season that “we” raise the trophy.

Next: Top 15 Leaders in Receiving Yards All-Time

The fans want to witness something they have never seen before, so they can have a memory that lasts forever. Take a look at this YouTube video that explains the science of this craziness.

What’s the most memorable moment as a fan have you had? What are some things you do when your team losses? Do you celebrate each win? If so, how do you celebrate? Leave a comment in the comments’ section below.

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