As we approach spring, the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals are finalizing their wish lists for new stadiums. Both franchises could leave the state of Missouri, or one could remain while the other might seek refuge in Kansas.
Constructing a new sports stadium is considerable in complexity. Many data points and significant financial resources must be evaluated to determine whether relocating the stadium to another city is beneficial or preferable to staying and developing the current site.
Rumors continue circulating about the Kansas City Chiefs, suggesting that Wyandotte County and the Legends have offered a significant amount to persuade the Chiefs to move from Missouri to Kansas.
According to Bob Fescoe of 96.5 The Fan, it may be too late in Missouri to change the Chiefs’ course. The Kansas City Royals also contemplate a project at 119th & Nall in Johnson County.
Missouri has the potential to save the day, but unless it can offer a financial package of around $5 billion, I can’t envision either franchise making Missouri their home.
Both franchises face ineffective leadership in Kansas City and Jefferson City. Missouri politics is slippery, with agenda-driven politicians prioritizing their interests over the public’s. Kansas has its share of politicians who behave similarly.
However, Missouri may be close to losing its third football team: the Cardinals, Rams, and now the Chiefs. What does that imply for state politicians?
Kansas has made the Chiefs a magnificent offer, including a Domed stadium, a new practice facility, a new Chiefs Hall of Fame, shops, restaurants, condos, and apartments. Additionally, a major Casino will be adjacent to the new sports complex.
The only unresolved issue is where the Chiefs’ training camp will be. There is strong sentiment to keep it in St. Joseph, but Missouri could build a training complex for the Chiefs to ensure they don’t lose all the revenue.
However, Kansas has ample land to expand a new training facility, allowing for the addition of multiple fields.
Either way, Chiefs fans remain split on leaving Arrowhead. The place the Chiefs have called home for sixty years has magnificent benefits. First, the site lines are unique.
A new stadium won’t offer fans those same advantages. Still, with a dome stadium, the Chiefs can envision getting a Super Bowl, a Final Four, and being in the rotation for the NFL Combine once it starts moving from city to city.
Arrowhead has been a magnificent structure for the Chiefs and their fans, but it’s time for a change. While I’m not as sentimental about Arrowhead as others, I understand why they are passionate about keeping the Chiefs in Missouri.
Clark Hunt and Mark Donovan must decide the right balance between history and revenue. Running an NFL Franchise is not cheap, and yes, the owners make a lot of money, but the stadium debate is a loss for fans.
If the offer in Kansas City, Kansas, is truly what has been rumored for months, the Chiefs must seriously consider that option.
The Chiefs are a staple of our combined communities, and the stadium where they play will not stop fans from attending games. However, once it’s built, Arrowhead will become a distant place, just like Municipal Stadium was before the franchises moved to the Truman Sports Complex.
The Chiefs and the Royals deserve a new stadium. They’ve given Missouri every chance to succeed, yet they’ve failed repeatedly.
Who knows where they will ultimately end up, but it’s safe to assume that one, if not both, might no longer call Missouri home.
