Two weeks ago, Missouri had two NFL teams. It now has one. And the one still left hopes to draw fans from the other side of the state.
But the Kansas City Chiefs will tread lightly in St. Louis, out of respect for a fan base still recovering from the relocation of the Rams.
“I’ve gotten texts and emails from fans saying I’m now a Chiefs fan, and we appreciate all that,” team president Mark Donovan said, via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. “But we’re going to take a strategic approach to that -- we’re going to be respectful. They’ve been through a really tough process. We’re going to continue to do what we do, and we think with the success we’re having on the field and the success we’re having off the field, it creates a great opportunity for us.”
The Colts also have welcomed Rams fans to Indianapolis, and the Chiefs hope that their games will be televised more frequently in the now-vacant market.
“We’re in conversations right now with the league on how the league’s going to look at that, and we’ll make our case there,” Donovan said.
Coincidentally (or not), Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was the only member of the Committee on L.A. Opportunities to vote against allowing the Chargers and Raiders sharing space in Carson. Which opened the door for letting the Rams leaves St. Louis for Los Angeles.