The Chiefs and Royals’ joint effort to secure separate goals did not succeed Tuesday night. Voters in Jackson County (Mo.) shot down the measure that would have produced funding for a Royals downtown stadium and greenlit the Chiefs an $800MM package to renovate Arrowhead Stadium.
A vote of 58-42 percent (78,352-56,606) represented the final tally against the two teams. To some degree, this situation differs from the developments that led the Chargers and Raiders out of their respective cities during the 2010s. Though, Clark Hunt and Chiefs president Mark Donovan both indicating the team would potentially explore options outside of Kansas City reminded of those that keyed half the AFC West to relocate years ago.
This vote brings about more of a long-range issue for the Chiefs, as they and the Royals are tied to leases with the Truman Sports Complex through Jan. 31, 2031. But some near-future questions figure to arise from Jackson County voters passing on the sales-tax extension put forth by western Missouri’s NFL and MLB franchises. Despite the Chiefs having renovated Arrowhead in 2010, Hunt cited the venue’s age — the team moved into its current digs in 1972 — as the reasoning for seeking another round of updates.
“We respect the process. We respect the decision of the Jackson County voters,” Donovan said in a statement Tuesday night. “We’re disappointed. We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We were ready to extend the longstanding partnership that the teams have enjoyed with this county. This is important. … We will do and look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”
The Chiefs have been in Kansas City since 1963, moving from Dallas months after their 1962 AFL championship win over the Oilers. Long-term stays have not proven to bind teams to their cities throughout NFL history. Ten of the NFL’s 32 franchises have left their original markets. This includes the Browns bolting Ohio after a 49-year stay (before the NFL handed Cleveland an expansion team in 1999) and the Rams leaving Los Angeles after 48 years (a move sandwiched between the team exiting Cleveland and then departing St. Louis). The Chargers camped in San Diego for 56 years. They left for L.A. in January 2017, moving just two months after the downtown stadium vote failed. Stadium issues drove the Raiders out of Oakland twice.
Hunt’s team making plans to leave a market after 60-plus years would bring new territory in terms of duration, and inroads toward such a move would still qualify as surprising. Regardless of team success in markets, NFL history certainly illustrates how these situations can deteriorate quickly.
The Chiefs were planning to contribute $300MM toward the $800MM for renovations, with a Royals departure for a downtown venue clearing out space for the NFL club. If the teams are to regroup on a Kansas City-based solution, some tweaks will need to be made. Hunt, however, previously said he did not have a Plan B if the sales-tax extension did not pass.
“The people of Kansas City and Jackson County love the Chiefs and the Royals. Today, they rejected plans and processes they found inadequate,” said Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas, who had endorsed the tax extension. “Over the months ahead, I look forward to working with the Chiefs and Royals to build a stronger, more open, and collaborative process that will ensure the teams, their events and investments remain in Kansas City for generations to come.”
The Royals’ effort to move downtown relegated the Chiefs’ stadium situation to a secondary matter; the MLB club’s stadium switch would have brought major changes to a popular area in Kansas City. The Chiefs effectively attaching their renovation plan — which would not have taken effect until 2027, after the 2026 FIFA World Cup stops through Arrowhead — to the Royals’ potential move certainly hurt the NFL team’s chances Tuesday. Players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and former World Series MVP Salvador Perez appeared on an ad endorsing the measure, along with Andy Reid. The efforts going for naught will introduce some uncertainty into the teams’ futures, though it is still a bit early to envision either leaving town.
Seperate church and state, Hunts want a new stadium build it like a man instead of begging for handouts, pathetic
Hunt has never asked or said he wants a new stadium. Instead of making up stories, be a man and read the article.
Its a nice look defending billionaire…
I’m sorry that reading comprehension isn’t your strong attribute. I’m not defending a billionaire. I’m merely only interested in the FACTS.
Yeah the billionaire only wants half a billion dollars! What’s the big deal?
Maybe he will just walk like a man and take his team with him.
He didn’t ask for a new stadium and is pitching in $300m dollars for renovations. Try reading the whole piece before flying off the handle like an internet tough guy.
Great, he only needs to pony up another $500m. I don’t see a need for public funding. He agreed to pay one player more than that so he has the money to be freely given away.
Say you don’t understand NFL economics without saying you don’t understand NFL economics…
I prefer partnerships where both sides get something. It is really a question of how much KC gets via taxes as opposed to how much it will cost them up front.
The problem is the up front costs always outweigh the tax revenue
I’m surprised this isn’t covered on MLBTradeRumors. I feel like the Royals would be more likely to move than the Chiefs.
Yes, to Oakland. Again.
That would be awesome.
I love democracy.
St. Louis has been waiting for an NFL team lol.
The St Louis Chefs
STL is perfectly happy getting the Chiefs on TV, thankyouverymuch.
St. Louis on line 1
I presume Roger Goodell will now dangle the Chiefs as a possible prize to those potential ownership interests in foreign markets. The Carlsberg Chiefs does have a nice ring to it…lol.
Interesting idea. ‘International’ Jags have been in play for a decade, or there about.
I think Shad has an ownership interest in one of the Premier League clubs so his connections in Europe are probably much stronger than those of some other NFL owners.
Hunts aren’t asking for a new stadium ….haha….they just want some renovations, and will probably get them in the near future, they aren’t going anywhere, the Royals on the other hand is the reason the vote didn’t pass, they’re trying to strong arm a yes vote from the city, and the planning was not well thought out and very deceptive, let’s not lose focus
Those are important details to know. Thanks for sharing.
Who cares what they want it for…they’re asking taxpayers for $500mm. Private sports franchises should never receive a dime for their stadiums unless the team is willing to share the revenues generated there. (Don’t start on its “leased” by the team; the terms of stadium leases are extremely beneficial to the teams.
If you own a billion-dollar company that generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per year, don’t nickel and dime the public for the next forty years to pay for it.
I mean I agree that the billionaire owners should foot more of the bill for new stadiums, but you do realize what will happen if the ask is owners should pay the full cost right? Ticket prices, amongst other things, will go sky high. And when fans don’t pay those prices the team will lose revenue and they’ll eventually look to go somewhere that will cover the costs of a new stadium. It’s a lose-lose situation regardless.
The NFL players gave Hunt a F- for a grade this offseason. And the franchise was 31st worst organization in the league, again graded by the players.
Says all I need to know about Clark.
Hilarious. Who the eff cares about these so-called grades?? Super Bowl after Super Bowl says all I need to know about Clark.
The Super Bowls are 100% due to Mahomes and Reid, nothing w/ Clark. KC didn’t even sniff a SB for 50 years under their ownership.
How did Mahomes and Reid become Chiefs?
The GM that drafted Mahomes and signed Reid after Philly let him go.
Who cares about these grades? Players do cause it’s the players grading the teams themselves.
There’s 0 reason a multi billion dollar industry should have anything under a C far as being graded overall.
There’s especially 0 reason your own players should be saying you receive a D+ for treatment of families of players.
link to nflpa.com
Who cares about grades?
Players do. Cause it’s the players grading their teams.
So you’re saying players opinions don’t matter? Well that very plantation slave owner of you.
0 reason any team should have under a C overall and 0 reason Chiefs or any team should have a D+ for treatment of families. That should be an automatic A.
Plantation slave owner? That’s definitely the stupidest take I’ve ever read on this app and that’s a saying a whole lot. Congrats moron.
Little defensive there task master lamestanley. It’s a joke not a Johnson don’t take it so hard.
Slave owners also didn’t care about their workers opinions on things like work conditions and how they and their families were treated. Pick up a history book once in a while little guy.
History is all I read, tough guy. Why don’t you take your racist BS somewhere else. There’s plenty enough bigots in the world. We don’t need anymore here.
Who cares? Players do. And if they get matching contracts from NFL teams they may go with the team that has a better reputation. Just like real people do in real life.
Oh my! So, if my Raiders can start winning multiple championships, but lose the respect of the players, I’m going to side with winning more SBs.
Problem is if the players don’t respect the raiders they won’t be winning many if any superbowls
I’m glad 58% of the people in Jackson County have their priorities straight. The public welfare system for filthy rich owners needs to stop.
I was always under the impression the NFL as an organization has monies set aside for teams who want to build new stadiums (as loans or bonds).
If they don’t, they should.
I think they do…but those loans and bonds have to be paid back by the team. This is asking for free money that never has to be paid back. I’d take that too.
And hey, I’m a benefit to the community. I pay taxes, send my kids to school, participate in activities, host events at my house that people like to come to, etc. Can I apply for tax money to renovate my house? I shouldn’t have to pay it back. (We could all make this argument, as asinine as it is…but it’s the same concept as the ones sports teams make.)
And yet the city of Oakland, and their fans, are protesting the fact that the A’s are leaving.
Nice of the voters to have the balls not to get bullied
Well done
Plenty of other cities that will take the jobs and revenue.
Those mostly low paying jobs that are seasonal? They could probably do that without having to fork over $500 million. Study after study has shown that subsiding sports stadiums is a bad investment.
2031 is a ways away. All this will get worked out in due time. Neither team is going anywhere.
This result is a warning to the Chicago Bears … you paid $200 million to acquire Arlington Park, build your new home on that suburban site, don’t go begging for one from the corrupt city of Chicago.
As a Jackson county resident I voted no because it’s a bad plan, not because of the tax.
Most don’t want a downtown stadium. There is NO parking. It will also raise the rent for all the small business owners who took a chance and have made the crossroads area a really nice place now.
The tax needs to be spread out to neighboring counties as well. Even if it is weighted heavier to Jackson county. Doing it would actually give them more money. They could build two new stadiums in the same location.
Personally I live the two stadiums we have. I’ve never had a bad experience.
As for the grading the chiefs get for their player facilities. Those aren’t in the stadium but next door. They are mostly brand new. That is completely on the Hunts for not making a better facility.
The grading on the teams are made by the players. Krafty Bob got the WORST two years in grade and claimed he knew nothing about the vote. The NFL owners are scum, they only want to line their pockets with cash.
This is so great. The NFL thought their scare tactics would work but oops. Guess what idiots people are getting smarter re rich guys and taxes. Thanks Trump.
The NFL made it clear it doesn’t need taxpayers money
Way to go, Jackson County!
The Chiefs should move to London now…the NFL is just aching to put a team there. They would definitely have to change their name, though! [sarc]
if they move to London they could change it to Indians without as much fuss as if they did it stateside. Make a play for a huge untapped market
I think “Indians” in London may conjure a different image than “Indians” does in America.
Good!!!!!
No welfare for billionaires!
Move em back to Dallas. We don’t have an NFL team.
I think all three entities should chip in equally on stadiums – Owners, local governments, and the league office itself – as all three benefit.
Finally, a comment with some common sense. EVERYONE has a vested interest in keeping the teams in KC. It is more a matter of how much each party benefits from a deal, and that should dictate how much each party kicks in.
I would expect the same for my business then as well. Except for the league office part.
This vote will give the ownership of the Chiefs the green light to talk to other cities like San Antonio, only problem the Raiders used San Antonio as a bartering chip to get the Las Vegas deal. Question is will San Antonio let themselves be played again by the KC ownership.
To steal a line from a study on public vs private funding on for a stadium, owners want to “socialize the costs but privatize the profits”. Think of what improvements could be made in Kansas City for all citizens with $500 million. The Hunt family is worth over $20 billion. The investment in the stadium will only boost the team’s overall value which is currently at close to $4 billion. Pretty simple who should carry the “burden”.