Native American Motifs

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Kansas City Chiefs is the name of an American Football Team. The team is based in Kansas City in the state of Missouri. The Kansas City Chiefs form part in the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team was created in 1960 by Lamar Hunt and was initially called the Dallas Texans. In 1963, it changed to Kansas City Chiefs when Kansas City was relocated to Missouri. From 1960 to 1969, the Chiefs were a successful franchise in the American Football League (AFL), winnning three league championships (1962,1966 and 1969)and having an all time AFL record of 90-50-5. The Chiefs were the second AFL team, after the New York Jets to defeat an NFL franchise in a AFL-NFL World Championship Game when they won over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970. However, this was the Chiefs' last victory and appearance in a championship game (Super Bowl). Moreover, they were the second team to, after the Green Bay Packers to make appearance in more than one Super Bowl. They were also the first team to appear in the championship game in two different decades.

KANSAS CHIEFS PAST LOGOS

Dallas Texans Team Logo

State of Texas in white with yellow star marking Dallas (1960-1962)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=413


Primary Logo

Primary Logo (1963-1971)
A chief running with a tomahawk and football across midwest
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=2aqyixgohws3xwl7zir9


Script Logo

Chiefs written in red (also used in yellow)
(1988)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=856


Anniversary Logos

Chiefs/Texans Franchise 25th (1984)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=1mffk0jua9ggrd04rny9

Chiefs/Texans Franchise 35th (1994)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=0xuixj0pqymggqtjsgdh


Chiefs/Texans Franchise 40th (1999)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=859

Kansas City Chiefs 40th (2002)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=858


Memorial Logos

Memorial Logo(1983)
Joe Delaney
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=ixbc22g6x7rehhphz2t4

Tribute for Director of Player Personnel Whitey Dovell(1992)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=bpfmvwjlwubq3r9lk2ue

Derrick Thomas memorial (2000)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=4619

Hank Stram Memorial(2005)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=5963

Lamar Hunt Memorial (2006)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=bx4ezbc5pv3h69nxalvo

Lamar Hunt AFl Logo (2007)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=a6pnopzfe7rrs38a3002p2hz5


Miscellaneous Logo

Community Quaterback Kansas City Chiefs (2002)
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=b7thegledh3ywpi23ghs

THE CURRENT LOGO

1972 - Present

When the Kansas Chiefs first started to play, they used to be known as the Dallas Texans. Back then, the team's logo comprised of the state of Texas in white with a yellow star marking the location of the city of Dallas. As the team was relocated to Kansas City in 1960, they had a new logo which featured a native American figure running and holding a pigskin. This logo was used during the 1960s but as the club moved to Arrowhead Stadium in 1972, the logo changed and remained till this day.The current logo design was not initially used as the team logo. It was only used as a design on the Chief's helmet. It became the team's official logo in 1972 when the team moved to Arrowhead Stadium.

The design of the Kansas City Chiefs logo, which is the one just above is a design originally sketched by Lamar Hunt on a napkin. Throughout research, I have learned that Hunt's inspiration for the interlocking "KC' came from the design of the"SF" inside the oval of the San Francisco 49ers logo. The Kansas City initials appear in a white arrowhead with black and wavy stroke. Very simple logo and quite easily understood for the target audience.

I personally feel that the logo is conceptually strong and its simplicity makes it more effective as it communicates the concept and the culture of the Kansas City Chiefs. The arrowhead that forms the logo symbolizes the Native American culture as the bow and arrows are well known to be the hunting tools of the Native Americans. The logo has been used as the team's official logo since 1972 and I think its effectiveness is yet to be questioned.

Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Chiefs#cite_note-Uniform_History-59