Fans filled Power & Light for ‘the biggest party’ to watch Chiefs win Super Bowl title
As the clock reached zero in Super Bowl LVII, confetti fell on the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City on Sunday night after the Chiefs came back to win in the final seconds.
Flag-bearers ran across the stage, and the crowd that had watched tensely jumped in celebration, embracing, cheering, and high-fiving. Fans sang “We Are the Champions” after the team was presented the Lombardi Trophy.
The whole of downtown was alive — cars honked at passing fans and strangers congratulated each other. Fans ran through the streets to give people in passing cars handshakes.
Hours earlier, thousands of fans had poured into KC Live! wearing Chiefs jerseys and painted red faces to watch their Kansas City Chiefs, who would go on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
A lucky red coat
Kurt and Christy Starks said the odds of winning were good, especially considering Kurt was wearing his lucky coat.
While it might seem strange, the Wichita natives say the Chiefs’ success is largely due to Kurt’s eccentric outerwear. Bedazzled glasses complete the festive look, and Christy wears a banana-clad coat to match.
“When I wear this, the Chiefs play well,” he said.
He bought the coat over a year ago. It’s been a good year, he said.
He correctly predicted a close game with the Chiefs pulling ahead in the end. He thinks the team needed a little bit of a challenge, and they would rise to the occasion.
“When the Chiefs are underdogs, they play well,” he said.
Kansas City’s biggest party
Jacine Hern and Chris McCurley wore jerseys in honor of their favorite players and on McCurley’s hand, a replica Super Bowl ring.
They made the trek to Kansas City from Chillicothe, Missouri, because watching the Super Bowl in the Power & Light District was, as Hern put it, “the biggest party.”
The couple is used to the drive, however. Season ticket holders, they usually attend the games at Arrowhead so they can see Patrick Mahomes in person.
While McCurley only slept an hour before the AFC championship game, Saturday night he slept soundly. He was not the least bit nervous for Sunday’s game.
“We have the best offense in the league,” he said.
All eyes on Patrick Mahomes
Lauren Desautels from Kearney, Missouri, watches every Chiefs game, but she knew she wanted to go all out for the Super Bowl.
Spending her day in Kansas City Live! guaranteed she would have a good time, she said.
She sat on a ledge overlooking the crowd before the 5:30 p.m. kickoff.
“I thought it would be a fun atmosphere,” she said. “Very lively.”
Most importantly, she looked forward to watching her favorite player. She wore his jersey to the watch party.
“I’ve got my eyes on Patrick Mahomes,” she said.
Chiefs fans old and new
Londell Johnson of Kansas City, Kansas, said he helped convert his friend Tama Bush, also of KCK, into an avid Chiefs fan. Although, Bush admitted, it helped that the Chiefs have been doing so well.
While Johnson was excited for a hard-fought game, which he was betting would ultimately end in a win for Kansas City, he was just as encouraged by the atmosphere in the entertainment district.
He said it was heartening to see the city rally around a common interest. He loves seeing Chiefs fans of all walks of life gather together to celebrate.
“It should be done more,” he said. “It will be done more, considering the more we win.”
‘It’s the Kelce Bowl’
Ready to see the Chiefs in action, Kya Davenport of Kansas City and her group of friends were looking forward to the halftime show almost as much as the game.
“I love Rhianna,” Davenport said Sunday afternoon at the Power & Light District.
Some of the crew had traveled from Springfield to show their dedication to the Chiefs. One of them, Jordyn Thomas, used to live in Kansas City and still claims loyalty to the city of fountains.
She expected a win from the home team, but said she would have enjoyed the game regardless of the outcome. She was eager to see what would come from the league’s first Super Bowl face-off between siblings, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Philadelphia’s Jason Kelce.
“It’s the Kelce bowl,” she said. “It’ll be fun no matter what.”
