Kansas City Chiefs: Raiders Move Highlights Chiefs Loyalty To KC

The Raiders are officially leaving Oakland for Las Vegas. This should be a strong reminder to Kansas City Chiefs fans about how the team once chose to stay.

One of the biggest points of pride for the Kansas City Chiefs is the die hard fan base they enjoy. Despite decades of disappointment, Chiefs fans remain some of the best in the NFL. However, the same could have easily been said of the Oakland Raiders and their fans. Yet that team is pulling up stakes and heading to Las Vegas. It should be a reminder to the KC faithful that our team has stayed loyal to the city and fan base.

Clark Hunt, like any NFL owner, endures his fair share of unfair criticism. Let’s face it, it’s pretty easy to hurl insults at a billionaire from the safety of our anonymity. However, Hunt has let all of that slide off his back (he is a billionaire after all). In fact, the Chiefs CEO has still embraced the fan base and city despite the talk that has been around over the years.

Truth be told, when it comes to NFL owners, Chiefs Kingdom is kind of spoiled. You need look no further than our AFC West rivals to see the truth in that. The Chargers are jumping ship from San Diego to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Raiders are leaving Oakland (again) for Las Vegas. Oh, and let’s not forget that the Rams decided to bolt from St Louis (just down the road) for Los Angeles as well.

There Was A Time…

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The Chiefs could have easily chosen that path once before. In 2006, Kansas City voters decided against adding a rolling roof to Arrowhead Stadium. That pulled the Chiefs out of the running for hosting a Super Bowl, which Clark Hunt had wanted desperately. Instead of doing what some of his contemporaries have been quick to do, Hunt brushed it off and stayed loyal to KC.

In the wake of that defeat, the Chiefs and Clark Hunt decided to focus on the good things. They signed a lease renewal with Arrowhead Stadium through 2031. In fact, to show there were no hard feelings, the Hunt family even upped their contribution on stadium renovations. The city’s bill dropped from $425 million to $375 million. The Hunts would be paying $125 million of their own money.

There is no other way to put it, the Chiefs and the Hunt family showed loyalty to their host city. As we have seen in the past couple of years, that is not something every team would do. Many owners believe that their NFL teams are strictly their own property. In truth, that isn’t wrong. A city’s only real claim to a professional sports team is the stadium they play in.

That’s something to remember the next time we think about going off on a tangent about Clark Hunt.

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Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs shouldn’t overlook the value of an owner who shows loyalty to their host city. In today’s NFL, we are seeing that becoming increasingly rare. As owners are now apparently more willing to bolt for greener pastures, those who choose to stay in place should be recognized. The Chiefs aren’t leaving Kansas City any time soon, and Clark Hunt is a major reason for that.