Senior Chiefs fans challenge San Francisco with friendly competition ahead of Super Bowl

By Nydja Hood

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    KANSAS CITY (KCTV) — The Chiefs aren’t the only ones competing, but so are their fans. Seniors at the Brookdale Senior Center in Overland Park are challenging their San Francisco counterparts to a friendly rivalry ahead of the Super Bowl.

“You’ve gotta fight for your right to party!” chanted Brookdale seniors on Thursday afternoon.

You can feel the team spirit at Brookdale. It starts from the sea of red and yellow you’re greeted with when you walk in the door, to the stories of Chiefs fans that have stood the test of time.

The Overland Park center houses more than 300 seniors and with locations across the country. The center posed a challenge to its San Francisco residents. The losing city has to create a congratulatory video for the winners on Facebook and send them a gift basket.

“We go really big but it’s so important for our residents just the friendships, the companionships, and all coming together as a community to cheer on their love for the Chiefs,” said executive director Jessica Arenholz.

For seniors at the center, their love of the team has transcended generations.

“They came here from Dallas and I was one of the first persons to go to a pro-football game in Kansas City so I’m a Chiefs fan from way back,” said senior Barbara Reese.

From Patrick Mahomes to Len Dawson, these fans have echoed the Chiefs chant for decades with some even having season tickets.

“Len Dawson lived on our block. We lived on Candy Cane lane back in the 60′s, so we’ve known the Chiefs since then,” said senior Darrell Werner.

While some trends may go out of style, wearing red and yellow has been timeless.

“It symbolizes that I’ve inherited a love for the team,” said senior Doug Dimmel.

Dimmel wears his father’s red coat with pride. It’s an inheritance from his father Charles who served on the original committee helping bring the team from Texas to Kansas City.

“This group of men and community leaders had to sell 200 seasoned tickets a piece to get Lamar to bring the team here,” said Dimmel.

He’s referring to Lamar Hunt, former Chiefs owner and CEO. His family has been season ticket holders since the very first game.

“The media doesn’t seem to think they’re going to win. This coat reminds me that there’s a long heritage of people that are pulling for them,” he said.

Seniors will have another rally next Friday as one last hurrah before the Super Bowl complete with live music and teams.

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