In a stunning development, local taxpayers in Jackson County, Missouri have denied a state tax that would have been used to help renovate Arrowhead Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs. This struck-down deal could lead to the Chiefs having to move to a new county or an entirely new state.
The Chiefs organization was seeking $800 million for the renovations, with $300 million being donated by the organization and president Mark Donovan. However, with the deal shut down by taxpayers, there are a few options to explore.
The Chiefs could come up with a more taxpayer-friendly deal. If pushed through, the team could use those revenues to renovate their 50-year-old venue. The Chiefs could also rely on private investors to jump on the deal, or simply move to a new area.
Funny enough, one politician has already lobbied for the Chiefs to move: the mayor of Dallas, Eric L. Johnson. Johnson posted on his Twitter/X account with a caption that reads, “Welcome home, Dallas Texans.”
For those unfamiliar with the origins of the Chiefs franchise, they were initially established in 1959 as the Dallas Texans by Lamar Hunt. The team moved to Kansas City in 1963.
The Chiefs are one of the most popular teams in the NFL, and are back-to-back Super Bowl champions. They would instantly turn the city of Dallas into a powerhouse, especially if Jerry Jones allowed his Cowboys to share the city.
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According to a report by Forbes in Sept. 2023, the Cowboys still rank first among the most valuable global sports franchises, with an estimated $9 billion value. The Chiefs are number 35 on the list with an estimated value of $4.3 billion. Moving the Chiefs to Dallas would make the city a massive destination for NFL fans.
It would be a bit dubious to think that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would allow another team to muscle in on his number-1 ranking, but perhaps he could cut a deal to share in those profits. This would likely be a city/NFL decision and not a Jones decision, but there could be plenty of money to be made.
The Chiefs’ most logical landing spot would be to move slightly over to the next state, and become the Kansas City Chiefs of Kansas City, Kansas, but that would be predicated on the NFL and several other parties OK’ing the move. Despite local taxpayers denying this first proposal, it would be silly to think that citizens would not welcome an alternative to keep their beloved Chiefs in place at Arrowhead Stadium.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.