The Kansas City Chiefs are the toast of the National Football League led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The perennial MVP candidate has the luxury of throwing to two All-Pro weapons — wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce — as well as an offensive line that allowed the third-fewest sacks this year.
Head coach Andy Reid's team hung 51 points on the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round playoff game, then knocked off "King" Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans in Sunday's AFC Championship Game to earn a trip to Super Bowl LIV in Miami. The Chiefs remarkably haven't hoisted a Lombardi Trophy in almost 50 years, which was also the last time the franchise appeared in the Super Bowl.
The last time Kansas City claimed a title, founder and owner Lamar Hunt was leading the charge, and Kansas City was still part of the American Football League (AFL). Quarterback Len Dawson was named MVP of Super Bowl IV when coach Hank Stram's Chiefs won a matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, on January 11, 1970.
After a 12-4 regular season and (thanks to Tennessee beating the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens) hosting the conference championship title game at Arrowhead Stadium, the 50-year drought is finally over.
They'll now await the winner of the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers.
Kansas City's Last Super Bowl Appearance
Including this year, Kansas City has reached the postseason playoffs 18 times since their last Super Bowl but have yet to claim another championship. It's been a while since that Super Bowl at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, so just in case you need a refresher, here is a look at some facts from what was going way back in 1970:
Living Costs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTX810Zv4k
— Average Income Per Year: $9,400
— Cost of a Gallon of Gas: 36 cents
— Head and Shoulders shampoo: 79 cents
— Typewriter: $28.88
— 25-Inch Color TV: $739.95
Notable Events
— 43 Nations Ratify the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
— Paul McCartney Announces The Beatles Break Up
— Apollo 13 Accident During Moon Mission
— Kent State University Shootings
— The Ford Pinto is Introduced
Sports Champions
— Nebraska Cornhuskers Named AP National Champions
— UCLA Bruins Win Sixth NCAA Title in Seven Years
— Willis Reed, New York Knicks Win NBA World Championship
— Orioles Defeat Reds, Pete Rose to Win the World Series
— Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins Win Stanley Cup
Notable People Born in 1970
— Mariah Carey (singer)
— Melania Trump (U.S. First Lady)
— Matt Damon (actor)
— Ted Cruz (politician)
— DMX (rapper)
Songs of the Year
1. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" — Simon & Garfunkel
2. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" — The Carpenters
3. "American Woman" — The Guess Who
4. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" — B.J. Thomas
5. "War" — Edwin Starr
Inventions of the 1970s
— Home Videocassette Recorder (VCR)
— Floppy Disk
— Pong Video Game
— The Bar Code
Safe to say that just a little bit has changed since the last time Kansas City won the big game, huh?
This article was originally published January 17, 2019. It was updated one year later when Kansas City, finally, got over the hump.
