How The Dallas Texans Became The Kansas City Chiefs

The “tenacious” son of a Texas oil tycoon wanted to make his mark in professional sports. He did that with the now-defunct American Football League and the Dallas Texans.

By Michael Marks & Caroline CovingtonFebruary 5, 2021 2:13 pm, ,

In the late 1950s, Lamar Hunt, the son of a Texas oil tycoon, was determined to make his mark in professional football. After years of unsuccessfully trying to buy or start a new NFL team, Hunt decided to start an entirely new league – the American Football League. And he started with a new team in Dallas – the Dallas Texans.

But the AFL led to a rivalry with the NFL that ultimately led to Hunt moving his beloved Dallas team to Kansas City where they became the Chiefs. The Chiefs play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Michael MacCambridge is an Austin-based sports journalist who wrote a book about Hunt, “Lamar Hunt: A life in Sports.” He says Hunt was a “terrifically tenacious” man who saw an opportunity to expand professional football in America.

“At the time, there were only 12 teams in the NFL, and Hunt recognized that as the game grew in popularity, there would be markets in other cities that would want to have a major pro football team,” he said.

But MacCambridge says Hunt was heartbroken when he had to move the Texans to Kansas City.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– Why Dallas ended up with two professional football teams, the Texans and the Cowboys

– Why the Texans struggled to capture a strong fan base

– What led to Hunt moving the Texans to Kansas City

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