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While Seattle and New England were battling on the field, Chiefs Kingdom was taking a different approach to the biggest day in football — treating it as a well-deserved break after years of championship runs.
"It's just a year off. You know, a little recharge," said Ryan Seybert, a Chiefs fan watching the game at Charlie Hooper's in Kansas City's Brookside neighborhood.
The absence of red and gold on the field left many fans feeling the difference immediately.
"It does not have the same feel this year," Hope Clark said over at Brooksider.
Despite nursing what some called a "Super Bowl hangover," fans found ways to enjoy the day.
Many admitted they'd been spoiled by their team's recent success and were placing their bets on other teams for Sunday's matchup.
The pain of watching other teams succeed wasn't lost on everyone, particularly when it came to seeing familiar faces back in the championship game.
"That's the one that hurts, they're (New England Patriots) already back in it," said Gunner Sumy, Chiefs fan. "They should've had years of clawing back, so that's the one that's painful."
For some longtime fans, the Super Bowl remains a celebration regardless of which teams are playing.
"The Super Bowl is the Super Bowl. It's a national celebration, so I join in with everybody and celebrate," said sports fan Bill Kalahurka.
The wings may not have had their usual zest, and the ale may have been more pale, but Chiefs fans were making the most of their year off, confident in what lies ahead.
"Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, we're always going to have a chance at the title with that recipe," said Kellen Schroeder, Chiefs fan.
Kalahurka shared the optimism that many Chiefs fans carried throughout the day.
"All I can say is the Chiefs are going to [the] Super Bowl next year, you can count on that," Kalahurka said.
With the combination of their championship-winning coach and star quarterback coming off an injury, he might just be onto something.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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