Sea of red: Chiefs fans show up for first day of public camp
Jul. 29—Wherever the Chiefs go, the fans follow. St. Joseph has been painting the town red, and fans from all over are making their way into the city.
Thursday was the first day for Chiefs camp to be open to the public. Fans were lined up when the gates opened at around 8:30 a.m. for the practice that started at 9:15 a.m.
Fans will need a ticket, which is free, to get into camp this year. There are also no autographs from the players available this year because of NFL COVID-19 protocols. But the coronavirus did not stop fans coming to St. Joseph.
"We got up at 3 o'clock this morning and drove all the way," Micheal McCready, a Chiefs fan coming from Wichita, Kansas, said. "This is wonderful, ... we got to get back to normal if that is possible."
McCready lived in Kansas City, Missouri, growing up. He lived next to Arrowhead Stadium and watched it get built. This is the first camp he has attended in a decade, and he said it is nice to be back in St. Joseph.
Fans made the drive from Kansas City as well. One fan attended training camp in 2019 and even went down to Tampa Bay for events and to watch the Super Bowl.
"I went to (camp) the year they won the Super Bowl. We couldn't go last year," Marshall Turner said. "I didn't go to the Super Bowl but just some of the events down in Tampa. I am used to being out in public now with COVID, but obviously, it feels good to get back out here."
Turner is wanting to see how the Chiefs handle some uncertainties at the wide receiver position. That is what motivated him to come to camp, he said.
"I know we got some holes at wide receiver this year," Turner said. "Want to see how good Hardman has got and how good Pringle has got since we didn't get anybody in the offseason at that spot."
The players are the obvious reason for fans making hours-long drives.
"I don't have to do anything but watch," Harvey Williams, a fan from Kansas City, said. "See what is going on, see how the players are doing. I want to check out some speed, strength and see how the coaches are going with them. Just getting in the mood for some football."
Chiefs camp is open to the public until Aug. 18. Fans who want to get their hands on tickets need to go to chiefs.com/tickets/training camp.
Zach Fisher can be reached at zach.fisher@newspressnow.com
Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowFisher
