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Remembering Lamar Hunt on the anniversary of his bold move to Kansas City
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- Remembering Lamar Hunt on the anniversary of his bold move to Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — May 22 is a special day in Chiefs Kingdom. In fact, you could say that it’s the anniversary of the day the fanbase was born.
On May 22, 1963, oil tycoon, American Football League (AFL) founder and owner of the Dallas Texans, Lamar Hunt , moved his team to Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium and renamed the team as the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Just over four years later, the AFL and the National Football League merged together, and Hunt’s Chiefs found themselves in the inaugural Super Bowl. Fittingly, Hunt actually coined the term “Super Bowl” as well in a letter to then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle.
“I have kiddingly called it the ‘Super Bowl,’ which obviously can be improved upon,” Hunt wrote in that letter.
While the Chiefs were defeated by the Green Bay Packers in the first-ever Super Bowl, it was Hunt who recommended that the championship trophy be presented as the Lombardi Trophy, a nod to legendary football coach Vince Lombardi.
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Since then, the Kansas City Chiefs have gone on to become one of the most successful NFL franchises in the league’s history, with seven Super Bowl appearances and four championships.
Hunt’s legacy lives on as well, not just in Kansas City but across the sport. The AFC Championship trophy was officially designated as the Lamar Hunt Trophy in 1984, honoring his legacy and contributions to the sport.
A nine-foot statue of Hunt sits outside Arrowhead Stadium at the Founder’s Plaza along with eight fountains symbolizing the original eight AFL franchises.
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Additionally, Lamar Hunt played a vital role in bringing soccer to the United States as one of the initial and primary investors in Major League Soccer (MLS). His contributions to the soccer sphere were recognized with the US Open Cup trophy bearing the Hunt name in addition to the AFC Championship trophy.
“I’m not sure that he envisioned it, but great men like him have the ability to see around the corner and see things that are coming that others can’t. I think that he had a belief, a ‘build it, and they will come,’ type of mentality,” US Men’s National Team and KC Wizards legend Alexi explained.
63 years after Hunt moved his club from Texas to the Midwest, it’s safe to say it was a wise choice.
Hunt passed away at the age of 74 on December 13, 2006 in Dallas.
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