Reunion planned after fan’s skeleton was carried away during Chief’s Super Bowl parade
Chiefs wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette has some precious cargo to return.
A skeleton that went missing from a group of Chiefs fans during Wednesday’s Super Bowl parade, prompting an online search for the possessor of the bones, is being returned.
The skeleton was nabbed from a group that included Mallory Mong, a University of Kansas student from Overland Park who also made an appearance with her dad, Grant Mong, at the 2020 Super Bowl parade.
Die-hard Chiefs fans Grant Mong and daughter, Mallory, of Overland Park, said a little cold weather wasn’t going to keep them from celebrating. “Bring it on!” he said. #chiefsparade pic.twitter.com/DoQa2zsKa5
— Judy Thomas (@judylthomas) February 5, 2020
She was at the parade with family members including her dad and some of his friends who showed up to the parade adorned in costumes and hats to hype up the crowd. But they were also hoping to get the attention of Chiefs players.
The Mongs stood in the crowd at 19th Street and Grand Boulevard, near Reactor Design Studio owned by their family friend Clifton Alexander, who also owns the skeleton.
“He had it at the studio and so the night before, my dad grabbed it and knew it would be a part of our parade shenanigans!” Mallory Mong told The Star Thursday.
The skeleton caught the eye of Smith-Marsette, who walked over to see it.
“The players LOVED the skeleton. We told them it was the skeleton of all the quarterbacks Mahomes ‘buried’ on the way to the Super Bowl,” Mong said.
The wide receiver promised to bring the skeleton back, then jogged away with the bones raised in the air.
“He did not bring it back,” Mong tweeted.
Over the next few hours, the skeleton was pictured partying with the Super Bowl champions, even taking rides on their shoulders and on top of the double decker buses.
After the festivities concluded, Mong tagged Smith-Marsette on Twitter and asked: “Where’s my skeleton??”
He tweeted back: “He still somewhere celebrating the parade he’s probably dead from all the partying.”
He did not bring it back
@_ihmirr_ where’s my skeleton?? #chiefs #chiefsparade #chiefsskeleton pic.twitter.com/yY5r33BYaD— Mallory Mong (@mallorymong1) February 16, 2023
On Thursday, Mong offered Smith-Marsette a deal, tweeting: “I’ll take the Prada glasses or a chiefs jersey and we call it even.”
On Saturday, Mong got a response.
“I’m looking to return him safely to y’all!!!” Smith-Marsette tweeted, along with a selfie with the skeleton, which sat behind him in a vehicle.
I’m looking to return him safely to y’all!!! https://t.co/Nkm6YyXhyf pic.twitter.com/SDLXaxXAJw
— Ihmir Smith-Marsette (@_ihmirr_) February 18, 2023
Grant Mong told The Star on Sunday that the skeleton will be returned home after “his absolutely WILD escapade from our hands into the loving arms of so many Kansas City Chiefs players as he rode the bus down Grand Street and into the hearts of so many adoring fans.”
Grant added that, after watching the past few days unfold, he’s certain Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes can trust Smith-Marsette with the ball.
“Ihmir Smith-Marsette has proven to be quite the Chiefs Wide Receiver with great hands. We trusted him with our skeleton and he DID NOT disappoint,” he said. “Ihmir Smith-Marsette is so kind to have made the effort in getting him back home safely. Truly the very best!”
As for the reunion? The exact details are yet to be released, but once “Bones” returns to his office, he can expect a promotion.
Rest assured, Mong said: “This skeleton is not laying cold, lifeless in some gutter in Kansas City, Missouri.”
While he used to be housed in the basement of Reactor Design Studio, Grant has a good feeling “Bones” will soon be promoted to an upstairs cubical.
The Star’s Lisa Gutierrez contributed.
