One city mayor wants the Kansas City Chiefs to move back 'home'

Voting in Kansas City, MO did not create the results that the Chiefs or Royals were looking for. On the ballot was a tax that would have funded renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and a new home for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. Voters denied the use of public funds on the projects by a surprisingly wide margin.

While there's no way to predict what it means for the future of either franchise, it opens up the possibilities for where the Chiefs (2031) and Royals (2030) will play when their leases on their current homes are up.

And in the meantime, other cities are already vying for the teams to consider an outright relocation.

Dallas wants the Chiefs to come be the second team in massive metro area

It didn't take long for current Dallas mayor Eric L. Johnson to make his pitch to the Chiefs, sensing a possible opportunity for his city. He sent overtures on social media shortly after the vote, and spoke to the Dallas News about his very real hopes to see the Chiefs consider Dallas as its new (but also, old!) home in the near future:

"Dallas was named the top sports city in the United States because we play to win. As I have said previously, our market is big enough, growing enough, and loves football more than enough to support a second NFL team—especially a franchise (and an owner) with deep roots here."

Johnson is, of course, referring to the Chiefs' early days when they started as the Dallas Texans. They relocated to Kansas City after three seasons. Team chairman Clark Hunt's family made its fortune in oil, and has roots in Dallas. The Hunt Sports Group also owns FC Dallas which plays in MLS.

Dallas, already widely populated, remains one of the fastest-growing metros in America and has the population to claim a need for more professional sports.

About 500 miles from Kansas City, such a move would be a massive uproot for the Chiefs, but not nearly the most seismic relocation in American pro sports. The Rams, of course, moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles, a trek of over 1,800 miles. The Seattle SuperSonics became the OKC Thunder, a nearly 2,000 mile relocation.

This hypothetical move would be shocking, though, considering the recent success the Chiefs have had in Kansas City. Even seeing the Chiefs move from the beloved Arrowhead Stadium to a new home in the KC area would be a shock to local fans. Moving to another state 500 miles away? That would be cause for an uproar from one of the most passionate fanbases in the country.

More broadly, while Dallas is surely big enough to support two pro football teams, how would the Chiefs and Cowboys play alongside each other in the metro area? Would the Cowboys be the "big brother" as the established brand and America's Team? Or would recent success suddenly dwarf the Cowboys' dominance and overwhelming presence in the area?