After graduating from Calvin University, I knew I wanted to move out of state and have a new experience. Obviously, starting a new life in Kansas City came with major changes—some I was prepared for, others less so. One I didn’t see coming was the adjustment to the sheer intensity and (frankly) obsession that comes with living in a city where the NFL dominates everything.
When I first planted roots in 2022, watching football wasn’t a big part of my life, and I didn’t particularly care for it to be. After moving in with new housemates, I felt peer-pressured to watch, and honestly? I’m embarrassed to say the appeal made sense to me.
Most of the games were close. Typically the Chiefs would fall behind, and then in the last quarter, you’d wonder if they’d come back, and spoiler alert: more often than not they would. Enough times that they made it to the Super Bowl in 2023.
That year I celebrated by going to a bar with a few friends I’d made. It was an almost spiritual experience, akin to what Luke wrote about. Even though the place was overpriced and I barely knew anyone, I’d unknowingly stepped into a camaraderie: we gasped, screamed, held our breath, cheered, and hugged as we dared ourselves to keep watching.
And once we came from behind and won, it was a fairy tale, and I was living happily ever after. It was such a surreal high, and I wanted more.
With a very intense personality, I went from barely watching to watching almost every Chiefs game!
This became a part of my routine as I settled into my first solo apartment. I’d cook my own warm soup, turn the TV on, and keep a book handy for all the commercial breaks. It was such a cozy routine, and I still have fond memories of these days. Although I had friends, finding joyful activities in solitude was important.
The Chiefs didn’t disappoint and made it to the Super Bowl again in 2024. Once again, I celebrated by going to a bar with friends, and I had a great time. The wings were tasty, and spending quality time was valuable. I laughed when a cringy, overly religious commercial made someone there yell, “fuck Jesus” and when Travis Kelce decided to violently shake the coach for not being put in. Yes, Taylor Swift’s fiancé. And the game couldn’t have been more exciting—constantly back and forth, and we only won in a nail-biting, overtime victory!
Yet for some inexplicable reason, the magic wasn’t there, and I couldn’t replicate the feeling from the year prior. I drove home, and it didn’t feel life-altering.
I’ll add a note that that Wednesday was a Super Bowl parade, where someone opened fire. It shook the whole city and turned a day of celebration into one of grief.
The best word I can use to describe the next year is strange. Our record was amazing, but we weren’t actually good. Many of our games were close and won on controversial calls. There were several accusations of biased refereeing, and while I’m not going to bring you an NFL conspiracy—all I’ll say is that too many weird things happened for my comfort. Nevertheless, we somehow made it to the Super Bowl in 2025.
This was exciting because we were on the brink of a three-peat: a feat not accomplished in the Super Bowl era, and it felt like we were about to make history.
Confidence and excitement were high. Friends speculated on what a safe Super Bowl parade would look like, and I remember more than one person commenting they just knew they didn’t have to worry this year.
Unfortunately, the hope quickly drained as I sat on my friends’ couch to watch in horror as my team absolutely fell apart. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but it was a complete and total annihilation. The final score, 40–22, only looks mildly acceptable because the opposition played their backups in the last quarter, enabling the Chiefs to grab sixteen more points.
Yes. Backups. In the Super Bowl. What’s more humiliating than that? I don’t want to know.
Afterward, I walked home, and for the first time, ended a Super Bowl in Kansas City without fireworks.
Michelle Ferdinands (’22) graduated from Calvin University with degrees in mathematics and computer science. She lives in Kansas City and works as a software engineer. She loves to run and read, and she’s always up for an adventure.
