Super Bowl in Kansas City but only if the Chiefs get a rolling roof at the Truman Sports Complex as part of a renovated and expanded Arrowhead Stadium, the National Football League announced yesterday (most likely dates - Super Bowl IL in 2015 or Super Bowl LI in 2017).
What a great boon to the Kansas City area this would be. However, they have been trying to get a rolling roof that would be shared by Arrowhead and the next door Kaufman Stadium for several years. Will this announcement encourage Jackson County to finally approve the renovations? Who knows, we will have to wait and see.
So why did they choose Kansas City, when did not yet have a climate controlled stadium?
It was because the Chiefs, at least in part, are owned by Lamar Hunt (the son of Oil tycoon H. L. Hunt). What is so special about Hunt? Well that is something knew that I never knew before last night. It appears that Hunt founded the former American Football League. When I heard that on the news last night, I started doing an internet search and Wikipedia said,
A college football player and avid sports enthusiast, in 1959 he applied for an National Football League expansion franchise and was turned down. In response, Hunt helped organize the American Football League, which led to the creation of the Super Bowl (the name was coined by Hunt, who got inspiration from his daughter's super ball) and a merger between the leagues in 1970. These events helped shape professional football in the United States and are greatly responsible for its current popularity.
So a man who was turned down for an expansion team, went out and lead a group of investors to form a competitor, eventually merging that group into the original group and creating the first Super Bowl (which he even came up with name for), is finally honored with a Super Bowl at his home field. Will those in Kansas City, MO and specifically Jackson County accept the additional revenue that will bring thousands of sports fans and journalists into the area? These fans who rent hotel rooms, shop, eat and in general spend money in the local Kansas City economy.
Time for KC to get off their butts and do something.
and that's the way I see it! and now for your thoughts...
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Kevin Surbaugh, of Topeka, KS owns KevinsView.com and is an ordained minister (97) who spent 2 yrs (1995-96) with the ministry of Jesus People USA, which runs Cornerstone Festival in western IL and operates Grrr Records at its headquarters in Chicago, IL.
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