The Kingdom Reigns
Fans gathered in downtown Kansas City for the Chiefs victory parade Feb. 5.
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Kansas City Chiefs mascot KC Wolf greets fans from the back of a pickup truck at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LIV victory parade Feb. 5. The Kansas City Chiefs won 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers.
PHOTO | Catherine Crayon'
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Fans swarmed downtown Kansas City in preparation for the Chiefs’ victory parade Feb. 5. One million people were estimated to be in attendance.
PHOTO | Catherine Crayon'
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Chiefs practice squad player Keith Reaser claps along with the music at the Chiefs’ victory parade Feb. 5.
PHOTO | Catherine Crayon'
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Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders wave towards the crowd with pom-poms in their hands to kick off the Chiefs victory parade Feb. 5. The Chiefs won 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers in Miami, Florida Feb. 2.
PHOTO | Catherine Crayon'
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Head coach Andy Reid and his wife Tammy Reid greet attendees of the Chiefs victory parade Feb. 5. This served as Reid’s first Super Bowl win in his 21-year head coaching career.
PHOTO | Catherine Crayon'
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is joined by his girlfriend Brittany Matthews and other Chiefs players and coaches at their Super Bowl LIV victory parade Feb. 5. Mahomes earned Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LIV.
PHOTO | TNS'
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Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill is surrounded by fans as he rides on the back of a golf cart at the Chiefs victory parade Feb. 5. Hill had 105 receiving yards at Super Bowl LIV.
PHOTO | Alison Long'
With the weather at a crisp 27 degrees, an estimated 1 million Kansas City Chiefs fans crowded the downtown area Feb. 5 for a parade in celebration of winning Super Bowl LIV 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers Feb. 2.
The big game, which was viewed by 102 million people Feb. 2, marked the Chief’s first victory in fifty years since their 1970 victory against the Minnesota Vikings. Fans covered the downtown area, even arriving hours before the parade to guarantee a spot against the barricade or in front of Union Station, which held the rally at 1:30p.m. that afternoon. People even went as far as climbing up trees to get a view of the Super Bowl-winning team that took the stage. One fan fell out of a tree, resulting in one of the five arrests at the celebration.
“When I was at the parade, the crowd was insane,” junior Megan Aldaco, “Me and a friend were being pushed up against the barricade.”
Although the World Series parade, which occurred in November of 2015, had nice fall weather, the Super Bowl parade was met with snow and cold temperatures which froze the city. These dramatic temperatures didn’t stop Kansas Citians from celebrating their team and their city. With the estimated one million fans who attended the Chiefs parade and 800,000 fans who attended the Royals parade, Kansas City knew how to prepare for the crowds following the Royals celebration past fiasco. Schools across the metro, including Sion, even closed in preparation for this celebratory day.
“It was so cold,” Aldaco said, “but it was nice seeing everyone come together to celebrate.”
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City’s own star quarterback, is only 24 years old, played on an NFL team for 3 years and has already achieved the highest accomplishment in football. He also received Super Bowl MVP. Although some players, like Mahomes, were driven down the route on a double-decker bus, many walked on foot and interacted directly with the fans.
“Mahomes is probably my favorite player,” junior Anna Donnelly said. “He’s been my favorite since the beginning of this season.”
Though 1 million attended the parade, many chose to view the parade at home. Channels like Fox 4, 41 Action News and WIBW streamed the parade live.
“I definitely enjoyed watching the parade in the comfort of my home, especially after the crowd at the Royals parade and mix that with the cold weather we were getting,” April Schendel said. “I’ve been following the Chiefs all season, and I love them, but I needed the day to relax especially after the Super Bowl festivities from the previous weekend.”