POV: date=September 2008

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League. In 1963, the team moved to Kansas City, Missouri and were renamed the Kansas City Chiefs.

From 1960 to 1969, the Chiefs were one of the most successful franchise in the AFL, winning the league championship three times (1963, 1966, 1969) and having an all-time record of 92-50-5.Pro Football Hall of Fame: Kansas City Chiefs Official site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Accessed 12 May 2008. The Chiefs hold the distinction of being the second AFL team (after the New York Jets) to defeat an NFL club in an AFL-NFL World Championship Game when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Despite their success in the American Football League, their victory in Super Bowl IV remains the club's last championship to date. However, the Chiefs' fanbase is considered one of the best, with Arrowhead Stadium boasting a league best 149 game sell-out streak and a home record of 104-40 since 1990.

Franchise history

see: History of the Kansas City Chiefs

1960's

In 1959, Lamar Hunt, son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, began discussions with other businessmen to establish an American football league that would rival the National Football League. After failed attempts to purchase and relocate the NFL's Chicago Cardinals to his hometown of Dallas, Texas,Kansas City Chiefs History — 1960's KCChiefs.com, Accessed 21 June 2008. Hunt established his team, the Dallas Texans, and chose little-known assistant coach at Southern Methodist University, Hank Stram. Hunt chose the coach from his alma mater after the offer was denied by Bud Wilkinson and Tom Landry.

The Texans shared the Cotton Bowl with the NFL's cross-town competition Dallas Cowboys. While the team averaged a league-best 24,500 at the Cotton Bowl, the Texans gained less attention due to the league's relatively unknown existence. In the franchise's first two seasons, the team managed only a 14-14 record. In 1962, Hunt looked to relocate the franchise to another city and rid the team of the Cowboys' and NFL's shadow. While the Cowboys managed only a 5-8-1 record in the NFL, the Texans strolled to an 11-3 record and a berth in the team's first American Football League Championship Game against the cross-state Houston Oilers. The game was broadcast nationally, and not only did the Texans gain national attention, but also the AFL demonstrated that it was just as relevant as the NFL. With the longest game in American football, the Texans defeated the Oilers 20-17 in double-overtime. At the time, the game was the longest in professional football history until the Chiefs played the Dolphins in a 1971 game that lasted 82 minutes. It remains as the longest Pro Football Championship game ever played.