I live in the Kansas City area and in these parts there are a few truths that define us. First, we have the best BBQ in the world. Ignore what anyone else says. Kansas City BBQ is where it’s at. Second, we love our sports teams passionately. So passionately that we have “Red Friday” anytime the Chiefs are playing and third? Our sports teams suck. Especially the Chiefs. These are the truths. They are the rules we live by. This is our way of life.
Image Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Except…I don’t understand a single thing about football (I mean, isn’t that what Europeans call soccer?) and this season the Chiefs, the butt of lots of football jokes due to crappiness, is, uh, the only unbeaten team in the NFL. As of Sunday they’re 8-0 and Kansas City has gone CRAZY with Chiefs fever. Everyone’s watching the games, talking about the scores, getting amped up for the next…game I guess? They play some horse team called the Broncos. Yes, everyone in the city is going crazy about the Chiefs’ sudden transformation from Worst Team Ever to awesome.
Except me. I’m the lone girl out. Say something to me about “the big eight-oh” and I’ll congratulate your grandma for her big birthday. Everyone else wears red to work to celebrate game day? I wonder if we’re playing an elaborate game of Star Trek and the entire cosmetics department is gonna “die” on the next mission. Yep. I’m that girl. I don’t know what a quarterback is and I think something kinda dirty when I hear the words “tight end.” Pigskins are bacon in my world, folks. Or pork rinds. It’s all about food for me.
But right now my city is on FIRE with pride so I guess it’s time that I learn something about baseball. FOOTBALL. I mean football. So in the spirit of, um, team spirit, here are some important things to understand about football.
- Know your rivals. I’m hearing that the “horse team” is in fact the Denver Broncos and they are a major rival.
- Even if you think the other team has snazzier uniforms or color schemes you have to stay loyal to your home team.
- There will be drunk people. They are your entertainment.
- You can “tailgate” at home. It is apparently the best part of the game.
- Snacks.
- People are supposed to tackle each other.
- Many teams have racially inappropriate names. Just go with it.
- Some team names make no logical sense. Also go with it.
- Losing is akin the Apocalypse.
- At the end of the day it isn’t about the details of the game. Instead it’s all about the fun you have with friends and family watching the games and rooting for the home team. It’s about connectedness A little bit of togetherness is a good thing.
I will probably never understand beans about the mechanics of the sport. I’m more of a baseball girl, but that’s okay. In the end it’s not about the game. It’s about the shared experience with the people in your world. (And the snacks.)
The Hudsucker 
Coming into every football season, my dad and I make predictions and I said to him that the Chiefs, with Alex Smith at quarterback, Andy Reid as coach and Jamaal Charles receiving will be a force to be reckoned with. I don’t think, even I could have predicted that they would be 8-0, but I definitely thought they’d be a team to watch and I’m so glad they are. I love Alex Smith and I’m so glad to see him doing well after getting snubbed by San Fran last year. All that is to say that this was a good read. I loved hearing the perspective of someone from KC. :)