A local fan’s lifelong loyalty to the Chiefs
By Kendra Simpson
When it comes to Chiefs fans, loyalty and dedication are obvious. But for one St. Joseph resident, this obsession with the team has spanned for three decades. Larry Cunning in St. Joseph, Missouri, has traveled seas and collected memorabilia for 30 years, and he’s not done yet.
As a boy, Cunning and his friends decided to start watching football together after school. From there, he fell in love with the team’s killer defense and players like Derek Thomas and Neil Smith. Ever since, Cunning has been a die hard, devoted Chiefs fan.
With a loyalty to the team lasting over half of his life, Cunning has acquired several collectibles that few can compare to.
Cunning has also found himself in many historical events for the teams, such as the 1998 Chiefs vs. Seahawks game in the pouring rain and the team’s recent trip to Germany to face the Miami Dolphins. While there, Cunning discovered it really is a small world after all … if you’re a Chiefs fan.
“I’m speaking to a guy from Hamburg and we get to talking and having a beer,” Cunning said. “And he’s like, ‘Well, actually I’m from St. Joe.’ … I said, ‘I’m from St. Joe.’ … He goes, ‘Well, you might know my dad,’ and so he mentions his dad’s name, and I’m like, ‘Our company’s offices are literally right across the street from your dad’s house.’ … We obviously had a great night that night as well. So it was very cool.”
Like most Chiefs’ fans, Cunning is not alone in his dedication to the team and passed his love for the game down to his children, who now also bleed red and gold.
While the Chiefs’ performance is always the main component behind Cunning’s watch parties and game outings, the profound connection between Chiefs’ fans celebrations and sorrows is what keeps his love for the game thriving.
“It’s just fun to get around, you know, friends and family and have a common interest,” Cunning said. “And it’s not political. It’s just literally we’re just having fun or watching the game and we get to be get to be ourselves. You know, I have screamed at the top of my lungs and practically cried, you know, all in the same game sometimes.”
For Cunning, this passion is not defined by wins or losses, but by the community and environment the Kansas City Chiefs have created for their fans. From training camp, to Travis and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, to Taylor Swift, to preseason games, Cunning has and always will be a Chiefs fan through and through.
