KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While most sports teams have a mascot representing their name — think Swoop the Philadelphia Eagles mascot — it’s not always the case.
The Kansas City Chiefs mascot has long since been one of the few teams whose mascot wasn’t exactly based on their team’s name.
The team used to have a live Pinto horse named Warpaint, but he was officially retired in 2021 and fully replaced with KC Wolf (who debuted in 1989.)
He’s named after a “group of rowdy fans who had occupied a section at the old Municipal Stadium” — known as the “wolfpack,” according to the Kansas City Star.
With a large, furry face, 85-inch-wide hips, dancing and other antics, KC Wolf was placed into the Mascot Hall of Fame. The mascot isn’t only spotted on the field, he’s also out at sports competitions, charity events, parties and other events in the Kansas City area.
Contrary to popular belief, the Chiefs say the team wasn’t named after Native American tribes. They, instead, were named after former mayor of Kansas City H. Roe Bartle. His nickname was “Chief”, and it was suggested for the team since he “was instrumental in attracting Lamar Hunt’s American Football League franchise, the Dallas Texans, to Kansas City in 1963,” according to the team.
Even with this distinction, the team used Native American culture for imagery and messaging in what the team now admits was “racially insensitive.” Using KC Wolf as their official mascot helped remove “offensive imagery and other forms of cultural appropriation” from the team.
Their old mascot Warpaint was ridden by a man wearing a headdress, then the teams cheer captain and eventually KC Wolf.
Dan Meers now makes the decades old mascot come to life with his years of experience entertaining. He’s been in a fuzzy suit since the 80s — starting with University of Missouri’s Truman the Tiger then the St. Louis Cardinals Freebird.
KC Wolf is the only recorded wolf in the entire state of Missouri.