Chiefs fans embrace early mornings to attend training camp
By Chris Fortune
When training camp comes to town, many fans put sleep aside in favor of finding a favorable spot to enjoy the festivities.
Practice began at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, but a half hour before it was scheduled to begin, a crowd of fans already had positioned themselves on the hill north of the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex to catch a glimpse of players walking to the practice fields.
“I’ve actually been up all night working,” Lenard Parker said. “So I haven’t been to bed yet, but I wanted to spend time with the family, so I came on out.”
The Chiefs will enter the season looking to become the first NFL team in history to three-peat. It’s an accomplishment Parker got to witness while living in Chicago, albeit in a different sport when Michael Jordan graced the NBA hardwood.
“We got the great coach and the great quarterback, and now it’s just championship city,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of going back to Chicago with my Bulls.”
Attending training camp became a family tradition for Parker, who has lived in St. Joseph for the past 25 years. His daughter Aebra was surprised by the heavy attendance on Friday, but she enjoyed seeing the excitement from fans.
“We weren’t expecting the line that was out there today because usually we make it on like a Tuesday or Wednesday,” she said. “It’s a little more died down, not as long of a line we have to wait in.”
Noah Greene also noticed the crowd size for training camp. His parents woke up at 6 a.m. and made the drive from Lee’s Summit.
“It’s really big and I don’t really like it because I’m trying to find a seat, and I don’t like standing so it’s hard to find a seat, but we did find one,” Greene said.
Early mornings, excitement and a lack of sleep were common themes for many training camp attendees.
Diana McGillem and her neighbors started preparing for the trip to St. Joseph at 5 a.m. They took pictures with a couple of Chiefs cheerleaders as practice began.
“I’m just in awe,” McGillem said. “This is an amazing experience, and I get to experience it with my best friends.”
“Well, I don’t think I slept,” her neighbor Jerry Morris said. “This is my first time (at training camp).
The Chiefs will practice again at 9:15 a.m. Saturday. You can view the training camp schedule here.
