In 1850, Alfred, Lord Tennyson published an elegy titled [_In Memoriam A.H.H_](https://poets.org/poem/memoriam-h-h)_._ Tennyson was named England's Poet Laureate that year for his work, and it gave us one of the greatest maxims in the English language: "I hold it true, whatever befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
While this may be true in the more traditional faculties of love (i.e., interpersonal connection), it is clear that Lord Tennyson was never a fan of an NFL team attempting to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. If he were, he would know how Chiefs Kingdom has felt as a fanbase.
No reminders of Super Bowl LIX's outcome are necessary. No need to binge the highlights from the NFL Films archives or revisit the box score. There's really no need to even think about it, yet there's a sense around Kansas City that this is what most of us have done, that we've numbed ourselves to the pain we felt in February.
Over the past six months, we've all turned our attention to other things—different hobbies, different teams in different sports, our families and friends—_anything_ to get away from the elephant in the room.
This Chiefs' season is about adding pages to one of the greatest chapters in the history of the NFL.
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In a way, some of us have even resigned ourselves to ignoring NFL media. Of course, this offseason, we heard the same gasbags on TV, radio, and the internet pine over the end of the Chiefs' dynasty. Many have turned their attention to the Chargers and Broncos as favorites in the AFC West. Sound familiar?
The difference this year has been that a sliver of doubt has crept in for many Chiefs fans. _Are we actually done? Is the dynasty over?_ After an embarrassing loss like that in the Super Bowl, you’d think the rest of the league had cracked the Chiefs’ code.
Wake up, Chiefs Kingdom. The truth is, whether we want to admit it or not, we’ve all been in somewhat of a slumber for the last six months. As a fanbase, we have been nursing the worst hangover the football gods can deal you: a devastating Super Bowl loss. The illusion of being a failure after an objectively successful season that saw the Chiefs go 15-2 and topple the darling Bills and MVP Josh Allen (again) in the AFC Championship Game, only to run into a [matchup nightmare in the Super Bowl](https://arrowheadaddict.com/justin-reid-admits-chiefs-simply-werent-ready-for-eagles-in-super-bowl-59).
But it wasn't just a championship gut punch. It was the loss of immortality that was so close we could taste it—the opportunity to be the only franchise in modern NFL history to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. The sting is as real for the fanbase as it is for the players and coaches, albeit certainly not as deep.
We, as K.C. fans, have felt low before. But as of right now, in this Golden Era, this version of Chiefs Kingdom has been down for too long. It's time to kick it into gear.
God rest Tennyson’s soul, but to hell with all the talk about loving and losing. There is nothing to love about having history snatched from you the way the Chiefs did in 2024. If there’s a prevailing sentiment in Kansas City going into 2025, it’s to get rid of the bitter taste that was left in the collective mouths of Chiefs Kingdom.
The past, without question, should stay in the past when it comes to these Chiefs. Old weaknesses appear to be becoming strengths, and new weaknesses will undoubtedly appear as we head into a new season. But several constants remain, and they are ones fans should harbor a good deal of confidence in.
Having the most prolific clutch-time performer in the history of the sport at quarterback is a good start. Veteran leadership in the locker room is a phenomenal complement to that. Not just guys who can lead, but guys who have proven they can lead a championship-caliber franchise consistently for multiple seasons. Add to that the league’s best head coach and a staff that has also coached its way to the top, and you begin to wonder what exactly the Chiefs have left to prove.
This season isn’t about erasing the past. It’s also not about living in it. This is about adding pages to one of the greatest chapters in the history of the NFL. A new day is on the horizon. A chance for redemption. A chance to redefine history. A chance to let the rest of the world know the dynasty is not dead—it’s alive and well.
The sun is rising on a new season. It’s time to wake up and watch as this version of the Chiefs sets out to extend a streak of dominance that we’ll likely never see again. We’re lucky enough to experience an era of Chiefs football that many before us would have loved, and we have to remember that the dynasty is far from lost.