City needs to get more out of Chiefs camp

For St. Joseph, an NFL training camp is a feather in the cap and a late-summer tradition that’s grown more compelling since the Chiefs started expanding their trophy case in the Mahomes-Reid era.

Those naysayers tend to be from other communities, the same ones that wouldn’t hesitate to try to steal camp away. In reality, Kansas City is the only place other than St. Joseph that would emerge as a serious contender for camp in the near future. The Chiefs trained at their home complex during the pandemic year of 2020 and seemed to have few complaints.

That the Chiefs came back and have now exercised a two-year option speaks volumes about the city of St. Joseph, Mosaic Life Care and especially Missouri Western in creating an NFL-quality environment.

The praise poured in last week after the Chiefs announced plans to return for two years. Chiefs President Mark Donovan said he was “thrilled.” Missouri Western President Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy gave a hearty “welcome back” to the team. Mosaic CEO Mike Poore touted the “world-class care” that the team receives here.

All of that is true. But in an interview with News-Press NOW, Chamber of Commerce Communication Director Kristi Bailey had something interesting to add.

Wouldn’t it be nice, she asked, to get more of those fans to spend the night or make it an extended trip in St. Joseph?

Here is the double-edged sword of hosting Chiefs camp. St. Joseph landed it, in part, because we’re so close to Kansas City. But it’s that very proximity that makes it easy for fans to get here early, watch some drills and then hit the bricks.

Bailey is right. A goal of St. Joseph should be to maximize the impact of Chiefs camp and get more of those fans to stay here and experience the city.

The question is, do we want them to? The Belt Highway looks like a boulevard of broken Kmarts and the Downtown hotel seems like the place where Snake Plissken rescued the president in “Escape from New York.” July is prime weed season.

Chiefs camp is like one of those glossy magazines or brochures you see of St. Joseph. There are lots of tight shots of flowers in windows or a single building façade because they don’t want you to see all the decay if you pan away.

Chiefs camp is impressive, which is a testament to so many people. If we want those fans to step back and experience more of what St. Joseph has to offer, then now is the time to put in the hard work to ensure they like what they see.