Fan Profiles 1.1 Kyle Garlett

Meet Kyle Garlett. Originally from Kansas but now lives in little old Cheltenham here in England.

How long have you supported the Chiefs?

My dad grew up in Kansas City and I was born the same time Arrowhead Stadium was. The Chiefs are in my blood.

Why the Chiefs?

I’ve always been a Chiefs fan. But if you’ve ever been in the Arrowhead Stadium crowd when the opposition is deep in their own end and facing a 3rd down and long, you could never cheer for anyone else. Favourite moment as a Chiefs fan?

It’s 1991 and for the first time in forever the Chiefs are hosting Monday Night Football. And it’s the Bills in town, the defending AFC Champs. Well… with Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, and Christian Okoye, the Chiefs absolutely murdered the Bills, 33-6.

I was sick during that stretch, going through chemotherapy. But because of a few connections the team invited me to sit with Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier, and a couple of other old time Chiefs in an Arrowhead Stadium suite. For those three hours I completely forgot about cancer, my bald head, or chemotherapy the next day. It was all about football and the Chiefs. I’ll never forget that night or be able to thank the Chiefs enough for giving me that getaway from reality.

Worst moment as a Chiefs fan?

I was working as a writer for Fox Sports when the news crossed the wires that Derrick Thomas had been in a serious accident. I had to write the script for the breaking news, while at the same time my heart was breaking. I had to excuse myself from the newsroom and have a good cry. Any time I think back to that night my chest still tightens up.

Favourite current player?

Eric Berry is just a solid dude off the field, and a leader by example on it. I love what he brings to the team. And as a Hodgkins lymphoma survivor myself I feel very connected to his current struggle. But if anyone has the character and drive to comeback, it’s Berry.

Favourite ever player?

I’d have to go Derrick Thomas with this one. No one thing has been responsible for more noise explosions at Arrowhead Stadium then DT beating the tackle to the edge and forcing a quarterback fumble with the big sweep of his arm.

Favourite non Chief player?

For all-time, it’s Barry Sanders. I got a chance to watch him in high school, and it was like watching a video game. And I always just loved his attitude when he scored a touchdown. No dancing. No showboating. Just hand the ball to the referee. Currently I’d have to go with LeSean McCoy. Same kind of thing as with Sanders. Just does his job extremely well without the need to talk about it.

Least favourite non Chief player?

I have a very real visceral dislike of Philip Rivers. And on the flip side, I find myself in a huge smile anytime he’s seen whining about the officials, his teammates, or his general lack of success.

How did you react to the news of the Chiefs coming to Wembley?

Super excited when I saw the news. Living in the UK it’s sometimes hard to feel like you’re truly connected to your team. This group of course helps with that. And that Sunday at Wembley we’ll have a great Chiefs fan experience.

Favourite piece of Chiefs memorabilia?

I have a Derrick Thomas signed jersey and an old football that was signed by several members of the 1966 Chiefs.

Any other sports teams you like?

I’m a Kansas City Royals fan, and I went to University of Missouri, so count me a fan of the Tigers. And my first ever English Premiere League game was at West Brom, so I’ve become a Baggie by default. Can someone explain to me again how offsides works? (Just kidding)

Other hobbies?

I’m a history nerd, so I love going to old churches and castles and other historic sites around the UK. If there is a building with a plaque to read, I’m all over it.

Do you plan to visit Arrowhead?

I lived in Los Angeles the 20 years prior to moving to the UK and made annual trips to Kansas City for a Chiefs game. I haven’t made it work yet since coming to the UK two years ago, but Arrowhead is always on the agenda.

Life without the Chiefs would be like . . .

Healthier. It would do wonders for my blood pressure and I would eat significantly less tailgate food. But I would be like one of those people in SyFi movies who come from a world with no illness. Sure, you don’t have the pain and heartache. But without it, you don’t really appreciate the thrill of happiness.

What moves would you like to see the Chiefs make this off season?

The offensive line needs to be stabilized. Keeping Hudson happy is the key, and then we can worry about the other parts. I’d also love to see a solid WR addition, but we don’t need a world beater like a Dez

Bryant. A deep threat burner would be wasted in our offense. We just need a couple of guys who good routes and can get open.

Kyle's books

Here is the link to my Amazon author’s page where you can find all three of my books, which includes my two sports books - the first about the worst referee and umpire calls in the history of sports, called The Worst Call Ever. And the second, which is about the worst blunders in sports by players, coaches, general managers, etc. It’s called What Were They Thinking.

My other book book is my autobiography. It’s about my four separate battles with cancer, which included a bone marrow transplant. And then damage sustained from that let to a heart transplant. But then after all that I went on to take up triathlon and I became the first heart transplant recipient to compete at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

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