Kansas City Chiefs: Parking Fee Not A Big Deal

The Kansas City Chiefs have raised the price of gameday parking to $40.  This has caused a lot of public anger, but should it have?  A look at the facts says probably not.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been getting crushed on social media for the past couple of days after announcing an increase of their parking fees at Arrowhead Stadium.  For those who may not have heard, the cost of gameday parking has risen to $40 if you pay at the gate.  The other big change is that the stadium has now drawn lines in the parking lot that restrict the room for tailgating.

The scapegoat incident for this is the recent decision to sue the Kansas City Chiefs by the family of a man who was killed in a violent confrontation in the parking lot last year.  The family of Kyle Van Winkle is holding the Chiefs accountable for his death, with his lawyer specifically claiming the team promotes drunkeness by encouraging tailgating.  The Chiefs decisions to make these changes have been linked by many to this event.

The outcry has been led by Bob Fescoe of 610 Sports.  His position is a popular one…because nobody likes paying more money for anything.  Fescoe has used his radio show as a bully pulpit to decry the changes as a travesty and an act of by the team to deter from Arrowhead Stadium’s tradition of tailgating.

“Why does it take so long to get out of the tollbooth, and the second is why is it so difficult to direct me once I’m in?” ~ Kansas City Chiefs Team President Mark Donovan on fan complaints

The outcry has been strong enough that Team President Mark Donovan took to the podium to explain why the Chiefs are increasing the cost.  In his address to the media and Chiefs Kingdom, Donovan outlined the reasons for the changes, namely the chief complaints: “Why does it take so long to get out of the tollbooth, and the second is why is it so difficult to direct me once I’m in?”.  He also explained that the Changes really are not that big.

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