English NFL fan looking for a team to support

[thetrickytree]

Hello People,

As an Englishman I have no affiliation with any NFL team so despite loving the game, I don't get to feel the ups and downs of really supporting someone. As I'm sure you understand sport of any kind is better if you care about the result. This led me to the obvious conclusion that I needed to pick a team to support. But how? I decided that the thing I loved about following soccer over here (Nottingham Forest are my team and first love) was the noise and fore passion of the fans, so I did a little research and was informed by quite a few different people that KC Chiefs fans have passion in abundance, are very noisy and also know the game.

Therefore I would like to respectfully ask.... Will you adopt me into the Chiefs family, and if so please could you educate me in what I need to know to be a Chiefs fan. I want to hear about the history, the rivalries, the cult heroes, the important moments in Chiefs world.

Thanks in advance,

Paul

[Chiefs4life24]

Welcome home Paul

[rodu]

lesson 1, read up on the career of #58 Derrick Thomas

[thetrickytree]

Cheers for the welcome Chiefs4Life, and I shall be starting lesson 1 just as soon as this has been posted rodu. Thanks guys

[Eydugstr]

Welcome to the forum & to the Chiefs. Right now things are a little slow-going, but they'll pick up in April when the draft rolls around.

[N TX Dave]

You can start here http://www.chiefs.com/team/chiefs-history.html to get the history of the team, it is many hours of interesting reading about the team we love. It is broken down but decades

[Chiefs4life24]

There is a celebrity I can't remember his name, he did a video about the Chiefs noise and legend you should watch it on you tube

[thetrickytree]

Thanks people for the info, links etc. I have read my official history and watched plenty of you tube vids now. So now I'd love to ask a couple more questions. Firstly what makes a game day for you all. For instance my beloved soccer team have their stadium on the banks of the River Trent here in Nottingham, and the feeling of walking over Trent Bridge, seeing the stadium lit up with the Nottingham Forest Logo lit up proudest on the side of the stands. Having a beer at one of the pubs either end of the bridge, listening to the noise of the crowd as you queue at the turnstiles, coming up into the stands and seeing the green pitch ready for action, all this makes me feel like a kid again, all excitement and starry eyed. So what does it for you.

[thetrickytree]

The other question I'd like to ask, and please forgive my ignorance, is how does the draft work? And what do you guy want the Chiefs to do regarding the draft. Unfortunately over here we get a 45 min highlight programme on a Tuesday night during the season and nothing else in terms of American Football coverage. Our biggest selling national newspaper carried a 1 inch by 2 inch story to cover the Superbowl. I have tried to get an understanding but every article I find is written by an American press for the American market and therefore assumes its reader knows the basics. As far as I can see the draft order goes in reverse of the success each team had in the previous season. And this year the Patriots have no pick? I presume this is something to do with "deflategate". Anyway any help on the basics of what happens come draft time would be appreciated.

[ctchiefsfan]

Thanks people for the info, links etc. I have read my official history and watched plenty of you tube vids now. So now I'd love to ask a couple more questions. Firstly what makes a game day for you all. For instance my beloved soccer team have their stadium on the banks of the River Trent here in Nottingham, and the feeling of walking over Trent Bridge, seeing the stadium lit up with the Nottingham Forest Logo lit up proudest on the side of the stands. Having a beer at one of the pubs either end of the bridge, listening to the noise of the crowd as you queue at the turnstiles, coming up into the stands and seeing the green pitch ready for action, all this makes me feel like a kid again, all excitement and starry eyed. So what does it for you.

Paul....

Please forgive my tardiness in replying. Always takes me a while to recover when the Chiefs season ends.

First off and most importantly, WELCOME TO CHIEFSCROWD!!!! You have chosen the right team if you are going to be an "out-of-area" American Football fan! Our Chiefs probably have more out-of-area fans than any other team in the NFL. I'm a Chiefs fan from Connecticut....just a bit over 1,300 miles from Arrowhead. There is a pub in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is totally devoted to the Chiefs. That's over 1,100 miles away from Arrowhead. The Chiefs have the most devoted fan following in the NFL....and that is despite the fact that Kansas City is one of the smallest markets in the NFL.

You mentioned walking over the River Trent, having a beer at a pub on the way to the game....The Chiefs version of that is all about "tailgating". The parking lots are packed for many hours before the game. And everybody is cooking! BBQ! Grilling! Music! Face-painting! BEER??? What would all that food be without beer????

You mentioned a "pitch". Some of the guys here might not have caught that reference. I went to school in Edinburgh long ago and far away so I got what you were saying. Here is a youtube of the "pitch" at Arrowhead...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VImNBuJW3sQ

Arrowhead the the loudest outdoor stadium in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Here's a youtube of when we set the record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ3djcCpAHY

You mentioned rivalries....that is a bit of a generational thing. Back in the '60s and '70s the Oakland Raiders were PUBLIC ENEMY #1. And Chiefs fans from back then still DESPISE the Miami Dolphins. For "less old" Chiefs fans the damned Denver Broncos are the main rival. Personally, I LOVE it when we beat the Broncos....but I despise the Raiders more than any other team in the NFL.

As for the draft.....I will address that another time. It's complicated and most of the guys here understand the draft far better than I do, but after I get back from work I'll try to provide the basics.

Again....​WELCOME TO CHIEFSCROWD!