Tag: Arrowhead Stadium

Chiefs to have ‘dry run’ at Arrowhead Stadium for training camp practice today

It’ll be a chance for the rookie Kansas City Chiefs players to get the inner workings of game day down.

The Kansas City Chiefs are having a dry run of sorts at Arrowhead Stadium today for training camp.

The Chiefs will hold training camp practice at Arrowhead Stadium in front of about 2,000 fans as a part of two season ticket member events being held during training camp. The team plans to go through some of the different things that will happen on game day. It’ll serve as a learning opportunity for the young players who’ve never been through an NFL game before and won’t ahead of the start of the season due to canceled preseason games.

Andy Reid explained the process during Friday’s media availability.

“Tomorrow we have our practice in the stadium,” Reid said. “I look forward to opening that up to the fans and giving them an opportunity to see, and also, we have to get the mechanics of game day down. We’ll function like that as a staff, all stay on the same sideline and come out of the tunnel and so on—the things that the guys don’t have a chance to do during preseason games. So, all in all, it will be beneficial. It’ll be beneficial for Mark Donovan and his crew to be able to set the stadium up and be able to go through that procedure—a good dry run for everybody.”

This process won’t just be a dry run for the coaches, players and staff, but also the stadium crew as they welcome fans to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time during the pandemic. It’ll serve as a nice ramp-up period before the Chiefs welcome 5,000 season ticket members for a similar event on Aug. 29 and nearly 17,000 fans to the stadium for Week 1 against the Houston Texans on Sept. 10.

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Chiefs Wire Podcast: Fans welcome at Arrowhead Stadium this season

Mitch Carney, Talon Graff, and Ed Easton Jr. rank the top five Chiefs opponents and predict scores for the new season.

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week we’re ranking the top-five opponents and predicting scores for the new season.

During this show, Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman shares his thoughts on the Chiefs announcing limited capacity of fans at Arrowhead Stadium and talks Breeland Speaks’ return this season. Mitch Carney, Talon Graff, and Ed Easton Jr. rank the top five opponents and predict scores for the new season in the weekly roundtable. Lastly, We hear from Chiefs rookie linebacker Willie Gay Jr. during his training camp press conference earlier in the week.

Listen to the latest episode here.

Chiefs announce plan for reduced capacity at Arrowhead Stadium

Arrowhead Stadium will have 22% capacity in 2020 and single-game tickets go on sale on August 24.

The Kansas City Chiefs have finalized their plan for reduced capacity and announced the single-game ticket on-sale date.

The team, following the guidelines set forth by the NFL, and in coordination with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, City of Kansas City Health Director Dr. Rex Archer and City of Kansas City EMS Medical Director Dr. Erica Carney have decided on a 22 percent capacity cap initially at Arrowhead Stadium. As the season progresses, there is potential for increased capacity at Arrowhead Stadium, in accordance with health and safety recommendations of local authorities and health experts.

Arrowhead Stadium had a total capacity of over 72,000 people in 2019, meaning that just under 17,000 fans will be allowed in for games in 2020. The team has also developed a specific set of health and safety regulations that fans in attendance will have to follow at games.  You can find all of the policies and protocols at www.chiefs.com/stadium/covid. Some of the changes include:

  • Arrowhead Stadium going completely cashless.
  • All bags, including previously approved clear bags, are completely prohibited from Arrowhead Stadium.
  • Masks are required to be worn at all times except when eating or drinking.

Single-game tickets for the first three games are set to go on sale to season ticket holders beginning on Monday, Aug. 24. If there are remaining tickets, not purchased by season ticket holders, Jackson Country residents will get first dibs before the team opens up tickets to the general public. One bonus if you do attend any of the first three games, the Chiefs will be handing out commemorative face masks to all fans in attendance.

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Gallery: Everson Griffen’s 2019 season with the Vikings

It was reported on Wednesday that Everson Griffen had signed a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Here are photos from his 2019 campaign.

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Chiefs announce plan for reduced capacity at Arrowhead Stadium for 2020 season

This plan impacts Kansas City Chiefs season ticket holders and single-game ticket purchasers.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced their plan addressing seating capacity concerns in anticipation of fans returning to Arrowhead Stadium during the 2020 season.

The final seating capacity and adjustments that need to be made have yet to be determined by the Chiefs. However, as the team anticipates guidelines related to seating capacity from the CDC, NFL and local authorities they’ve come up with a plan to offer the most possible flexibility to their season ticket holders.

“People around the country and around the world are getting accustomed to a constantly changing environment and the same goes for all of us in Chiefs Kingdom,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “While our goal all offseason was to have a full stadium as we begin our Super Bowl title defense, it is out of consideration of the health and safety of our fans, employees, coaches and players that we move forward with a reduced-capacity plan that adheres to local guidelines and expert recommendations. As we looked at ways to navigate this unusual season, our first priority was to offer a fair and flexible plan for our loyal and valued Season Ticket Members, and we believe we accomplished that. While it will be a different experience for everyone, we are looking forward to welcoming fans to Arrowhead this fall.”

The team does not believe that their capacity in 2020 will allow for them to fairly re-seat every season ticket holder. Because of that fact, they’ll have two options for season ticket holders to weigh. They can be refunded in full for their 2020 season tickets or they can receive a credit toward season tickets in 2021.

Season ticket holders will automatically be credited toward season tickets in 2021. So if you don’t want that you’ll need to contact the Chiefs’ ticket office. Those with season tickets who do choose to use the credit toward 2021 will be given a number of perks:

  • STMs will be automatically included in a single-game presale for any available seats in 2020, once a final capacity is determined.
  • Their credit can be utilized to purchase single-game tickets for a reduced-capacity 2020 season, if they choose.
  • They will receive their 2020 Season Ticket Member box with exclusive gifts.
  • STM pricing will remain flat for 2021 and they will accrue a year of STM tenure for the 2020 season, regardless of if they attend any games or not in 2020.
  • In the event that the club is permitted to host a full-capacity crowd for any potential playoff games, STMs that did not opt for a refund will be given the first opportunity to purchase their seats.
  • Parking or hospitality club passes purchased as part of a Season Ticket Membership can be managed exactly like tickets – either as a credit for 2021 or a full-refund, if requested.

Without the ability to accommodate season ticket holders, the team will also be issuing refunds to those who have already purchased single-game tickets and parking passes through what is considered a primary ticketing marketplace. Once they have a final idea of seating capacity at Arrowhead Stadium, the team will have a “reduced-capacity single-game on-sale” where season ticket holders will get first dibs at claiming seats before it’s opened to the general public. The team also anticipates only selling tickets for a few games at a time in anticipation of the ongoing changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to changes to seating capacity, the Chiefs pledge to continue working with local health experts to ensure the safety of all fans, staff, coaches and players. All aspects of gameday including parking, tailgating, guest service, food and beverage, retail and stadium operations are under review to finalize procedures for the upcoming season.

To find out more about the Chiefs’ plan, visit their website.

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Would you sign a COVID-19 liability waiver to attend a Chiefs game in 2020?

If you plan on going to a Kansas City Chiefs game this season you might have to.

If you plan on going to a Kansas City Chiefs game this season you might be asked to sign a COVID-19 liability waiver. According to a new report from The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, the NFL is considering requiring fans who attend games to sign electronic liability waivers to shield teams from potential litigation. These types of waivers will become common practice as event-based businesses look to reopen amidst the pandemic.

The league is still operating under the assumption they’ll be able to start their season on time and play with fans in stadiums. In fact, they’re allowing local authorities to dictate the number of fans allowed in the stadium as opposed to a blanket number for all teams to follow.

The waiver will be just the first of a number of upcoming proposals to make attending NFL games safe for both fans and teams according to Kaplan’s report. One proposal includes a mandate for the fans attending games to wear facemasks. Another would require NFL stadiums to become completely cashless operations. All of these proposals are expected to be in front of NFL decision-makers following the 4th of July holiday.

The NFL already created a buffer zone by tarping off the first 6-8 rows of stadium seating. This puts fans far enough away from NFL sidelines that it protects the fans, players and staff from any potential exposure. They’ll also be using those rows to recoup lost money by selling advertising rights for that area of the stadium.

It’s clear that the NFL is committed to having fans attend during the upcoming season, but the motivation is strictly financial. An entire season without fans would reportedly cost the NFL billions of dollars.

So tell us, Chiefs Kingdom, would you be willing to sign a COVID-19 liability waiver to attend a game this season? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter and the Chiefs Wire forums.

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Supreme Court of Missouri rules in favor of Chiefs in tax case

A multi-year legal battle is over for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A multi-year legal battle has come to an end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs won’t have to pay $1 million in back taxes to the State of Missouri, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday. They reversed the decision of a state panel from back in January that claimed the Chiefs owed back taxes to the state.

This all started back in 2014 when an audit from the Missouri Department of Revenue flagged a number of purchases made by the Chiefs during Arrowhead Stadium’s largest renovation completed in 2010. Taxpayers paid for the majority of the $375 million dollar renovation, which included a new press box, new seating arrangements, new concourses and more.

The Chiefs kicked in over $100 million of their own funds for the project. The Missouri Department of Revenue claimed the team avoided paying state sales taxes on $23 million in purchases made to the tune of nearly $1 million. The Chiefs, however, believed they were exempt from sales taxes for a number of reasons.

First, their contributions were paid into a common fund controlled by the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. Everything purchased in the renovation belonged to Jackson County and not the team. Second, the Missouri Finance Development Board had granted a tax credit specifically for that fund, exempting both the team and the county authority from specific state taxes.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court decided in favor of the Chiefs and Jackson County Sports Complex Authority in a unanimous decision.

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Chiefs single-game tickets go on sale Friday

Have some leftover money from your stimulus check? You can buy Chiefs’ single-game and group tickets on Friday.

Kansas City Chiefs fans can begin to plan for the games they hope to attend during the 2020 NFL season With the NFL’s 2020 schedule reveal coming Thursday evening, the Chiefs will open single-game ticket sales for home games the following day on Friday, May 8.

Here’s the info from the Chiefs PR press release:

Season Ticket Members will have an online presale beginning Friday at 11 a.m. The club will notify Season Ticket Members via email with instructions on how to participate.

In continuation of the team’s long-standing policy, the taxpayers of Jackson County, Missouri, will have a presale opportunity to purchase single-game tickets for the 2020 season from 8 – 10 a.m. on Friday. For the first time, the Jackson County taxpayer presale will take place online only, and purchasers must use a credit card with a billing zip code within Jackson County to participate. The Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office will not be open for any walk-up sales

Tickets may be purchased at www.chiefs.com by the public beginning at noon Friday. All single-game and group tickets for Chiefs home games are subject to availability and dynamic pricing. Ticket delivery will be mobile entry only.

For fans who are concerned over potential cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic, don’t fear. Kansas City plans to offer full refunds under circumstances related to the pandemic. Check it out:

If a game is canceled and cannot be rescheduled or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending, such as a public authority restricts gatherings to no more than a small number of people, primary ticket and parking purchasers will receive a full refund for any impacted games, including any fees paid. Season Ticket Members will have the option for a refund or can credit the cost of their variably priced ticket(s) for any affected games. Any resale tickets purchased would be subject to the refund policy of the marketplace used for purchase.

That’s a great policy to ease the minds of fans who want to commit to seeing the Chiefs play but are concerned about the season starting on time.

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LOOK: Artwork re-creates Arrowhead Stadium using names of every Chiefs player

Learn more about this tribute to the Chiefs’ 60th season and Super Bowl LIV championship.

Philadelphia artist Dan Duffy makes art out of words, and not in the traditional sense. He doesn’t write books or poetry. Instead he takes handwritten words and forms them into images of various icons, places and moments in history.

Recently, Duffy has ventured into the world of the Kansas City Chiefs. He first created an image to commemorate QB Patrick Mahomes’ incredible 2018, featuring every stat from the MVP-winning season. Now, Duffy has made a new tribute for Chiefs Kingdom that celebrates the franchise’s 60th season and Super Bowl LIV championship.

“Kansas City is one of the great football towns in the country. The Chiefs organization is absolutely deserving of this win, and I wanted to do something special for the fans,” Duffy said in a press release. “Plus, us Philadelphians were rooting for ‘Big Red’ to get his first championship and we couldn’t be happier for him and his family!”

The word art of Arrowhead Stadium features the name of every player who played on the Chiefs from 1969-2019 — 1,292 in total.

Arrowhead Stadium is known as one of the most iconic NFL stadiums, and Duffy believed that it would be the best image for his unique work.

“It’s a notorious place to play and figured it’s one image that Chiefs fans everywhere can relate to,” Duffy told Chiefs Wire.

Duffy’s process for creating this type of work is meticulous, with over 150 hours spent on this piece alone.

“I collect up to 50 reference images and sketch a completely original drawing of the stadium,” Duffy said. “Then it’s just line by line writing each name in chronological order. Once the initial sketch is done, it comes down to adding color and shading to make it pop.”

The plan for Duffy is to continue creating sports word art, with the goal of re-creating every major sports stadium in history using the names of every player from their respective franchises.

You can find more of Duffy’s work on his website and on his Twitter account.