After 50 years of waiting, Kansas City has welcomed home theirSuper Bowlchampions!
On Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs made their way back to the Missouri city to celebrate theirhistoric victory over the San Francisco 49erswith a parade of epic proportions.
The celebration began around 11:30 a.m. local time, with the procession starting at Sixth Street before heading south on Grand Boulevard through downtown Kansas City.
Red double-decker buses carried players and coaches down the route as fans cheered on champions like head coachAndy Reid, MVP quarterbackPatrick Mahomesand tight end Travis Kelce.
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Other players like safety Tyrann Mathieu took their excitement to the streets, hopping off the buses in order to walk, taking selfies with fans and giving each other piggyback rides along the way.
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Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Demarcus Robinson even went shirtless as they walked, despite the frigid temperatures (it was just 26 degrees, according toWeather.com).
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was also on hand, and drove in a red pick-up truck with Rep. Sharice Davids while wearing a Mahomes jersey.
After making it past the Sprint Center,the parade ended at the city’s landmark Union Station, where avictory rallystarted around 1:30 p.m.
Thousands of fans decked out in Chiefs red — includingPaul Rudd— crowded around a stage, with some even climbing trees to get a better look. Others were otherwise occupied —WDAFreported that one couple got engaged as they waited for the Chiefs players to arrive.
Several members of the Chiefs organization, including chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, president Mark Donovan and general manager Brad Veach gave brief remarks before the team hit the stage.
Mahomes, 24, followed next, jokingly warning the crowd they’d have to stay with him as he was losing his voice.
Kelce spoke too, still wearing the championship belt, and amped up the crowd with his energy.
“I’m wearing about half the beers I’ve been trying to drink,” he joked. “Twenty-one years, that’s how long it’s just been turning for my guy Andy Reid…. and what we do? What we do? We unleash a can of whoopass on everybody.”
Mayor Lucas — who was in Miami, Florida, on Sunday tocheer onhis home team — first announced the parade plans on Twitter shortly after the final whistle.
“LET’S HAVE A PARADE WEDNESDAY!!!!!!” the mayor excitedly tweeted.
“We’re gonna celebrate our great champions, celebrate our great city and celebrate our great fans,” Lucas later added in a promoclip for the celebration. “We look forward to having a great time with you.”
Jackson County executive Frank White called Wednesday’s parade “one party you don’t want to miss” in thevideo.
“Let’s celebrate and turn downtown KC into a sea of red,” he said. “Let’s show everyone why Arrowhead Stadium is the loudest stadium in the world.”
Some local schools even canceled classes for the occasion, with Dale Herl, superintendent of the Independence, Missouri, School District, calling off school for a “Red Snow Day.”
“Super Bowl Champions! We DO have school on Monday and Tuesday, but will have a Red Snow Day on Wednesday for the parade. No school Wednesday, February 5th. Early Ed Centers and Kids Safari sites are also closed on Wednesday,” Herlwroteon Twitter after the win.
Long-distance fans were able to join in on the festivities throughlivestreams from local news outlets.
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Game MVP Patrick Mahomesled the Chiefs to 31-20 victoryover the 49ers on Sunday night at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It was the team’s first Super Bowl win in 50 years.
Immediately after the big game, Mahomes sharedhis excitement on Twitter,writing, “WE JUST WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #CHIEFSKINGDOM.”
source: people.com
