BONUS BLOG: My First Chiefs Game

A tunnel stretched out before me with a cool fall evening breeze blowing in my face, laced with the smells of smoke, barbecue and slightly bitter undertones of Boulevard Wheat. The reverberating sounds of Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" beat through my bones. I stood, on a concrete path, my heart in my throat, beating with uncontrollable nerves and excitement, as I prepared to walk through the tunnel and emerge on the other side and begin an evening I would never ever forget. 

I wore my custom red and yellow “Chiefs” wind breaker, my sideline pass hanging from my neck and my white cane in my right hand, I took a tentative step and propelled myself forward and into the gaping maw of the Chiefs tunnel and out onto the field at Arrowhead Stadium. I reached the end of the Chiefs tunnel, and set foot onto the field and onto haloed ground.

(From left to right) Curtis & Cheryl Rayburn, Clay Berry, myself, my wife.

 

I arrived at Arrowhead three hours earlier with my coworker and good friend Clay Berry and my wife Kat. 

“Got some Bengals fans parked in front of us” proclaimed Clay as we parked the car. 

We walked through the parking lot, through what can only be described as a gauntlet of music, animated games of catch, raucous conversation, the smells of smoke and beer and most importantly, buffets and the best spreads of food and barbecue you can imagine. We made our way through the rows of cars and pick-up trucks, with their beds open and tailgates out, displaying large grills with delicious meats laid across them. We chatted with fans, sampled the local delicacies and participated in a couple of loud native chants of “GO CHIIIIIEEEEEEFS”

We entered the gate of Arrowhead Stadium a short time later, where I was immediately presented with a “Chiefs Kingdom Chamption” football, which had already been signed by 2017 league’s leading rusher Kareem Hunt. We walked through what seemed to be a small city, complete with restaurants and gift shops. We took a stroll through the Chiefs Hall of Fame, pausing long enough to take our picture next to the Chiefs only Super Bowl trophy from 1969. We found our way to what appeared to be a small night club, called the “Locker Room Club” and ate our first of two dinners while watching the occasional Chief stroll by into the locker room, just feet away. 

Kat and I at the Locker Room Club.

“Cheetah alert. Cheetah alert.” Clay said, as Tyreek “The Cheetah” Hill walked passed.

“There’s Kelce” said Clay (I’m pretty sure my wife’s heart skipped a beat at the sight)            

Soon I found myself standing on the sidelines, exchanging pleasantries with several former Chiefs, as they passed around my game ball to sign. Mitch Holthus joined and partnered up with me as my wide receiver in a game of catch in front of an early Arrowhead crowd. Harrison Butcker practiced field goals (nailing one from 55 yards out). Bengals’ kickers practiced punts (a couple of them coming extremely close for comfort) and Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes zinged by after flawless pass to his receivers, all running different routes.

Mitch Holthus and I wearing our custom brailled Chiefs' windbreakers

As the players hurried back to the locker room to prepare for game time, Mahomes sprinted passed me and stopped long enough to shake my hand and tell me he appreciated me coming out.

Ten minutes later, after exiting the tunnel, I used that same hand to throw out the first pass of the game. I was escorted to the 20 yard line. Awaiting my pass was Chiefs ambassador Trent. I positioned my game ball in my hands, as I had been practicing. I tried to forget I was standing on the 20 yard line in the middle of Arrowhead on Sunday Night Football in front of a huge crowd. I tried to forget that I had just shook hands with Patrick Mahomes. I tried to forget all that and focus on the pass. 

Getting ready to throw the first pass.

The pass was not quite a perfect tight Mahomes spiral, but it was on target, and caught for a first down. Trent rushed me, wrapped his huge arm around my shoulder and handed me my ball, as we waved to the crowd and cameras.

For the first half I had the privilege to sit between “The Voice of the Chiefs” Mitch Holthus and Kendal Gammon as they announced the play-by-play for the game. It was something like a dream. It was something that I just had not come to grips with yet.

I sat inches from Mitch Holthus in person as he described in flawless detail, each and every play of the Chiefs game, every description dripping with excitement and emotion. During small breaks and commercials, “The Voice of the Chiefs” never flatered. Taking notes, memorizing stats on the fly, taking more notes, all while keeping up with and providing commentary on the action on the field with perfection and not missing a beat. 

Me sitting next to Mitch Holthus in the broadcast booth.

Clay, my wife and I spend the rest of the game in the KCFX suite, eating our second dinner of the night, large burgers and stadium fries and gulping down ice cold cokes. As the game wore on and the score stacked up, we were in the fourth quarter, and the night I had been waiting so long for, that I had relished in every moment, was nearing its end. 

I tried to think of the best way to end the night.

Should we finish our tour of the Hall of Fame? 

Should we get more to eat and listen to Mitch’s broadcast in the KCFX suite? 

Finally, I decided to view the game from the one vantage point I had not yet experienced - as a normal fan. I took my wife’s hand and we walked out into the cool night, sat down in two vacated stadium seats, cheered for the offense, did the Tomahawk chant and watched the rest of our game together as Chiefs’ fans.

There is my wedding, the birth of my daughter, and then there is Sunday night.

Visit Alphapointe's Facebook page for videos from Sunday night.

For photos from the whole weekend click here.