Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt passes on

[Sylvanfan]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6271074?FSO1&ATT=HMA

Sad day, esepcially for a Chief fan like myself. Lamar Hunts innovations are one of the biggest reasons the NFL has grown to what it is today. Because of him Football was forced to move off the East coast and accross the entire U.S.A. The origiinal AFL franchises that merged with the NFL are all still alive and well (except the Raiders). Many of his idea's made football a much more exciting game as well as his leagues acceptance of African American athletes has allowed the NFL to progress from what used to be a boring run the ball 3 times and punt into the product it is today. He had to be one of the top 10 most influential men in pro sports in the 20th century.

[burn_baby_burn]

I knew he wasn't doing well yesterday. But I didn't think that he wasn't going to make it through the night. A sad day indeed. I think it is important to remember what a inovator Lamar Hunt was for professional football in the US. He was huge for the NFL and the AFC Championship trophy is not named after him by mistake. I'm just sad that the Chiefs never had a chance to win his own trophy for him.

Thank you Lamar for everything that you have done for the game of Professional Football. And for bringing the Chiefs to Kansas City. You will never be forgotten.

[Bobblehead]

It's a sad day when any of the "old guard" owners pass away. They were the ones who built the NFL into the league it is today, some of them putting their personal motives aside infavour of league well-being (the method of revenue sharing being a prime example). They weren't all saints (Art Modell, c'mon down) but they do generate revenues, and have competitive balance that other leagues(NHL & MLB respectively) can only dream of acheiving.

[burn_baby_burn]

Here is a good article from the KC Star.

It is very long so if you don't feel like reading it all, scroll down to the part about how he got the idea for the AFL. I think most NFL fans will appreciate that.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/special_packages/lamar_hunt/16234939.htm

[Displaced Flames fan]

Some interesting notes about Mr. Hunt...

He is in no fewer than 8 Halls of Fame

Huge figure in the soccer world as well as the tennis world.

Is part owner of the Chicago Bulls

Has trophies named after him in Football and Tennis.

Took him only twelve years from the creation of the AFL (the NFL's rival keep in mind) til his induction into the Pro Football HOF (the NFL's HOF).

Called Herm Edwards after every game to talk football and always asked Herm "Am I botherin' you?" to start the conversation.

Eddie Kennison says that Hunt would periodically have hand written letters delivered to his locker telling him how much he appreciated Kennison's play and how glad he was the he was a Chief.

Named the Super Bowl. Came up with the name because his son was playing with a 'super ball' at the time. We've all had one of those I think.

Great, great man and a huge loss to the NFL and the entire sports world.

[Saint Troy]

Tough day for Chiefs fans and the NFL as a whole. The NFL is what is in large part due to Hunt, Mara and Rozelle, a huge loss for Kansas City. Hopefully his family keeps the Chiefs very strong in a great football market.

[Sylvanfan]

The cool thing about Hunt is that he was offered a chance to buy into the Cowboys franchise after he'd started the AFL and set up the Texans as a result of the stoodgy old NFL refusing to let owners buy and move a team to Dallas. But Hunt didn't want to abandon his other AFL owners and declined the offer. A few of those AFL guys suffered some tough losses in the early years but had they stuck it out those investments were well worth it today. The Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Titans, and Raiders are all worth a pretty penny today.

[Bobblehead]

Here is a good article from the KC Star.

It is very long so if you don't feel like reading it all, scroll down to the part about how he got the idea for the AFL. I think most NFL fans will appreciate that.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/special_packages/lamar_hunt/16234939.htm

This made me laugh...
“When I knew the AFL was going to make it was after the first year of the AFL, and someone went up to Lamar’s dad, H.L Hunt, and said, ‘Your son, with this new league, has lost $1 million,’ and Lamar’s dad said, ‘Well, at that rate, he can only go another 100 years.’ That statement by Lamar Hunt’s dad said this AFL isn’t going to go away. That’s when the NFL realized that.

[burn_baby_burn]

This made me laugh...

I had heard Madden say that before. That is pretty funny.

Here is a cool website about the old AFL.

http://www.remembertheafl.com/AFL.htm

[Sylvanfan]

After JL Hunt made that comment about his son, the NFL stood up and took notice that Lamar was dead serious about his ambitions, and his family wasn't about to pull the rug from beneath his feet. Before that they dismissed him as some crazy vagabond they wanted nothing to do with.