Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce promised thousands of fans celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl championship that the team would be back for more.
At a raucous rally at downtown Union Station after a parade, Mahomes and Kelce joked about supposed pundits predicting a rebuilding season for Kansas City, which won 38-35 over the Eagles on Sunday.
“I don’t know what rebuilding means,” said regular-season and Super Bowl MVP Mahomes. “In our rebuilding year, we are world champions.”
Kelce noted that detractors predicted the Chiefs wouldn’t even make the playoffs.
“It was the best season of my life,” Kelce said. I owe it to the fans, I owe it to the guys around me on stage, I owe it to everyone in the Chiefs Kingdom and the whole organization.”
Celebrating his second Super Bowl victory with the Chiefs, coach Andy Reid told the crowd “there’s no place you’d rather be, and no better place to be than here, my friends.
“It’s rare to be able to say that you are the best team in the world, you have the best players in the world, you have the best organization in the world and, above all, the greatest supporters in the world.”
Everything for a place of choice
The rally festivities concluded a day that began with some fans sleeping in — and others arriving before sunrise — to secure a prime spot downtown to celebrate the second Super Bowl championship. of the Chiefs in four years.
Players, coaches, team officials, family members and others rode double-decker buses past the crowds en route to Union Station.
Many players got off the buses to dance, sign autographs, take selfies and occasionally hand out beers to people along the route.
A few lucky fans were able to touch the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Most schools, many businesses and some government offices in the area have been closed to allow diehards to enjoy the festivities.
Most were in high spirits as they waited in long lines for food trucks, cargo trucks and, of course, portable toilets.
Police did not immediately report any major problems at the event.
Four seasons ago, the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers for the team’s first Super Bowl championship in 50 years. This followed the Royals’ World Series victory in 2015 — the city’s first baseball championship in 30 years.
Shellie Diehl, 46, of Kansas City, sat about a block from Union Station with her 8-year-old daughter Skyler, 16-year-old daughter Taylor and a friend.
Diehl was at the Chiefs’ parade in 2020; this time she allowed herself some mother-daughter time while celebrating a debut show for Skyler.
“The last one was so much fun that we decided to come to this one,” Diehl said. We love the Chiefs and wanted to celebrate a great day with the community.”
About 25 supporters arrived around 6:00 a.m. and prepared a feast for lunch; they also had steaks, for later in the day. Dominic Zamora, 18, said the group of friends continued a tradition of “tail gateat Chiefs games.
“With Mahomes, there will be others,” Zamora said. It’s going to be fun and I’m excited to be there.”
Officials began planning the parade weeks before the Chiefs beat the Eagles on a field goal with eight seconds left.
Kansas City Police said about 675 law enforcement officers from more than 20 agencies, along with fire departments and transportation officials, were deployed for Wednesday’s event.