Other Sports Is KC a Baseball town or a Football town? - Page 3

Deberg_1990 · 08-17-2015, 06:18 PM

So this tweet got me thinking that KC is primarily a baseball town. At least when the Royals are good.

Just looking through the posts it feels like apathy has set in again with the Chiefs....

Disgussss.....

Last night's #Royals game got a 19.8 rating in KC, the highest in any market for an ESPN baseball game in six years. http://t.co/QRLGq6uHYw
— Royals Review (@royalsreview) August 17, 2015

Mama Hip Rockets · 08-18-2015, 08:43 AM

Now that the Royals are awesome, I'm not really even interested in the Chiefs anymore. I will watch the games, but with little expectation or passion. That playoff game where they blew the huge lead to the Colts really took the passion away for me. I'm too scared to attach myself to them right now.

**Nzoner** · 08-18-2015, 08:58 AM

It's a winner's town,if you win,they will come.

**loochy** · 08-18-2015, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srvy

Its a winners town.

Like Patton said America loves a winner hates a loser and KC is America.

Win what? MLS cup?

**loochy** · 08-18-2015, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bambi

j/k, baseball obviously

What would you like most to happen in 2015?

Chiefs win the AFC West 4%
Sporting Kansas City win MLS Cup 4%
Royals win the World Series 69%
FC Kansas City win another title 0%
Missouri football win the SEC title 5%
Kansas basketball win the NCAA tournament 8%
Kansas State football win the Big 12 2%
World peace 6%
Other 1%

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

well that's just because the royals is actually the most realistic option.

KCCHIEFS27 · 08-18-2015, 09:40 AM

It's like Howie Long said. Baseball is America's past time, but football is America's passion. Even when the Chiefs were putting terrible to mediocre teams out on the field the fans still came. The Royals? Eh, not so much. Overall, I think KC is a great sports town.

**ChiTown** · 08-18-2015, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loochy

Win what? MLS cup?

- no shit. This town has not won a World Championship that matters since 1985. We're persistent, but a winner we are not.

**morphius** · 08-18-2015, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCCHIEFS27

It's like Howie Long said. Baseball is America's past time, but football is America's passion. Even when the Chiefs were putting terrible to mediocre teams out on the field the fans still came. The Royals? Eh, not so much. Overall, I think KC is a great sports town.

The 1980's had a lot of fans going? The Royals were not even TRYING to be competitive, so people stopped going. The Chiefs were awful long enough in the 80's, so people stopped going.

DanT · 08-18-2015, 10:29 AM

Given that there is no obvious reason why a town would have to be one or the other, let alone a clear-cut way to decide which one it is, I'll just give my viewpoint, which I realize depends heavily on the era in which one grew up.

I was born in KC in 1965 and lived there until 1988, including working as a food vendor at Truman Sports Complex from 1982-88 and even a few NBA games (Kings) at Kemper before they left for Sacramento. I've lived and died with the Royals and the Chiefs from as long as I can remember.

I do not really remember the Chiefs first golden era, though. I distinctly remember the Royals ascension to glory in the seventies and the long run they had as either a perennial playoff contender or as a team that was just shy of playoff contention. That run did not end in 1985. The Royals were a solid franchise up through 1994, the strike season. They were also immensely appreciated by a fan base whose older members could recall the Kansas City Blues and the Kansas City A's.

The Chiefs were a fairly miserable team for most of the 1970's and 1980's. Success back then was to give the Raiders and other good teams a tough game. When Carl Peterson came to town, they polled the fans to find out what success would look like, and if I recall correctly the plurality opinion was simply to be in playoff contention.

The way the Chiefs fans supported the team in the early 1990's was astonishing to me, given how little support they provided in the 1980's. The way that the Chiefs fans got behind the team in the early 1990's was something that received national attention of the same sort that the Royals fans are now getting...except that I think the Royals fans have been even more remarkable in their enthusiasm and surprising to onlookers from other cities.

So I think it's clear that KC loves a winner. It's also clear that KC will stick by the Royals (and A's) and the Chiefs when they go through long eras of losing. All and all, though, I feel like they stuck with the baseball teams in a more steadfast manner than they stuck with the football teams.

Professional baseball has a long history in KC, going back to the Federal League and even earlier. There was a solid tradition of Negro League baseball. I grew up in KC's black belt and I remember lots of older gentlemen describing their days playing baseball. I do not remember many folks talking about their "glory days" playing football or watching football.

In my opinion, if you had to pick just one, I would say that KC is a baseball town.

DanT · 08-18-2015, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphius

The 1980's had a lot of fans going? The Royals were not even TRYING to be competitive, so people stopped going. The Chiefs were awful long enough in the 80's, so people stopped going.

I worked a post-strike game against the Raiders at Arrowhead in 1982 (an NFL strike season) that seemed to have fewer than 20,000 fans in it (although the official attendance was 26,307 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_K..._Chiefs_season). Granted, it was cold as hell and the Chiefs sucked, but that was not deep into the 1980's. That was 1982. When I was a kid in the late 1970's and early 80's, you could go out to Arrowhead on game day and be sure to get a ticket cheap to see the game and have plenty of elbow room because half the stadium would be empty.

Pablo · 08-18-2015, 10:46 AM

The Chiefs used to be the talk of the town as soon as Training Camp hit. The Royals were awful, the Chiefs were our only hope for a competent team and everybody bought in. Last season, nobody talked about the Chiefs until the Royals season was up. After the all-star break, every radio station, TV station, casual sports fan was all about the Royals and their push. Then they did something we haven't seen the Chiefs do it two decades. Won the city over by going on a real, amazing playoff run. The Chiefs are getting such little run right now it's mind-blowing.

You don't see much Chiefs gear when you go out and about in KC, it's all Royals, all the time. And that's just a couple of middling years and a real playoff run. If the Chiefs went to the AFCC, this town would get so hard the erection would be visible from space. But until then, it's a Royals town. There's room for both, but the Chiefs have to do their part.

BigBeauford · 08-18-2015, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pablo

The Chiefs used to be the talk of the town as soon as Training Camp hit. The Royals were awful, the Chiefs were our only hope for a competent team and everybody bought in. Last season, nobody talked about the Chiefs until the Royals season was up. After the all-star break, every radio station, TV station, casual sports fan was all about the Royals and their push. Then they did something we haven't seen the Chiefs do it two decades. Won the city over by going on a real, amazing playoff run. The Chiefs are getting such little run right now it's mind-blowing.

You don't see much Chiefs gear when you go out and about in KC, it's all Royals, all the time. And that's just a couple of middling years and a real playoff run. If the Chiefs went to the AFCC, this town would get so hard the erection would be visible from space. But until then, it's a Royals town. There's room for both, but the Chiefs have to do their part.

It helps that Royals gear looks way better than Chiefs gear.

Pablo · 08-18-2015, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

It helps that Royals gear looks way better than Chiefs gear.

This is absolutely true as well. The Ronald McDonald scheme isn't the best look. Some poor bastards are actually Chiefs and KSU fans.

dls6501 · 08-18-2015, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

it's becoming a bit of a soccer town in the younger generation as well

KC will never be a soccer town. LOL

**Nzoner** · 08-18-2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loochy

Win what? MLS cup?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiTown

- no shit. This town has not won a World Championship that matters since 1985. We're persistent, but a winner we are not.

Sorry I should've said a chance at winning town,you give KC fans the belief the teams can do it and they win in the regular season somewhat regularly they will come.

keg in kc · 08-18-2015, 03:11 PM

It's a town that will support a winner, regardless of sport. Like most places...

08-17-2015, 06:18 PM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3834454	Is KC a Baseball town or a Football town? So this tweet got me thinking that KC is primarily a baseball town. At least when the Royals are good. Just looking through the posts it feels like apathy has set in again with the Chiefs.... Disgussss..... Last night's #Royals game got a 19.8 rating in KC, the highest in any market for an ESPN baseball game in six years. http://t.co/QRLGq6uHYw — Royals Review (@royalsreview) August 17, 2015
Posts: 66,914

08-18-2015, 08:43 AM	#31
Mama Hip Rockets You don't faze me, Gobble. Join Date: Dec 2005 Casino cash: $10005644	Now that the Royals are awesome, I'm not really even interested in the Chiefs anymore. I will watch the games, but with little expectation or passion. That playoff game where they blew the huge lead to the Colts really took the passion away for me. I'm too scared to attach myself to them right now.
Posts: 13,675

08-18-2015, 08:58 AM	#32
Nzoner a haw haw haw Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: MIZZOU Casino cash: $26365802	It's a winner's town,if you win,they will come. __________________ *Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.*
Posts: 27,111

08-18-2015, 09:40 AM	#35
KCCHIEFS27 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: KS Casino cash: $10019064	It's like Howie Long said. Baseball is America's past time, but football is America's passion. Even when the Chiefs were putting terrible to mediocre teams out on the field the fans still came. The Royals? Eh, not so much. Overall, I think KC is a great sports town. __________________
Posts: 3,088

08-18-2015, 10:29 AM	#38
DanT Veteran Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Davis, CA Casino cash: $4361711	Given that there is no obvious reason why a town would have to be one or the other, let alone a clear-cut way to decide which one it is, I'll just give my viewpoint, which I realize depends heavily on the era in which one grew up. I was born in KC in 1965 and lived there until 1988, including working as a food vendor at Truman Sports Complex from 1982-88 and even a few NBA games (Kings) at Kemper before they left for Sacramento. I've lived and died with the Royals and the Chiefs from as long as I can remember. I do not really remember the Chiefs first golden era, though. I distinctly remember the Royals ascension to glory in the seventies and the long run they had as either a perennial playoff contender or as a team that was just shy of playoff contention. That run did not end in 1985. The Royals were a solid franchise up through 1994, the strike season. They were also immensely appreciated by a fan base whose older members could recall the Kansas City Blues and the Kansas City A's. The Chiefs were a fairly miserable team for most of the 1970's and 1980's. Success back then was to give the Raiders and other good teams a tough game. When Carl Peterson came to town, they polled the fans to find out what success would look like, and if I recall correctly the plurality opinion was simply to be in playoff contention. The way the Chiefs fans supported the team in the early 1990's was astonishing to me, given how little support they provided in the 1980's. The way that the Chiefs fans got behind the team in the early 1990's was something that received national attention of the same sort that the Royals fans are now getting...except that I think the Royals fans have been even more remarkable in their enthusiasm and surprising to onlookers from other cities. So I think it's clear that KC loves a winner. It's also clear that KC will stick by the Royals (and A's) and the Chiefs when they go through long eras of losing. All and all, though, I feel like they stuck with the baseball teams in a more steadfast manner than they stuck with the football teams. Professional baseball has a long history in KC, going back to the Federal League and even earlier. There was a solid tradition of Negro League baseball. I grew up in KC's black belt and I remember lots of older gentlemen describing their days playing baseball. I do not remember many folks talking about their "glory days" playing football or watching football. In my opinion, if you had to pick just one, I would say that KC is a baseball town.
Posts: 4,231

08-18-2015, 10:46 AM	#40
Pablo Ultrabanned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $1839356	The Chiefs used to be the talk of the town as soon as Training Camp hit. The Royals were awful, the Chiefs were our only hope for a competent team and everybody bought in. Last season, nobody talked about the Chiefs until the Royals season was up. After the all-star break, every radio station, TV station, casual sports fan was all about the Royals and their push. Then they did something we haven't seen the Chiefs do it two decades. Won the city over by going on a real, amazing playoff run. The Chiefs are getting such little run right now it's mind-blowing. You don't see much Chiefs gear when you go out and about in KC, it's all Royals, all the time. And that's just a couple of middling years and a real playoff run. If the Chiefs went to the AFCC, this town would get so hard the erection would be visible from space. But until then, it's a Royals town. There's room for both, but the Chiefs have to do their part.
Posts: 40,487

08-18-2015, 03:11 PM	#45
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	It's a town that will support a winner, regardless of sport. Like most places...
Posts: 58,682