The 10 Greatest Sports Moments of my Life

Number 8:

Pete Stoyanovich Hits a 54 yard field goal to beat the Broncos 24-22 as time expires - November 16, 1997



So this may not seem like it was a big deal but this was a very monumental moment in my sports life. My parents have had season tickets to the Chiefs for 28 years and my dad can count on one hand the amount of games they've missed in that time. Unfortunately this was one of them. As we were moving into our new house my parents and I stuck around to help with move while my sisters lucked out and got to go to this game.

The Broncos came to town boasting the best record in the AFC (9-2) but right on their heels were the Cheifs (8-3). The winner of this game would be leading the AFC West and in the driver's seat for homefield advantage in the playoffs, which is a big deal considering how much of an advantage it was to play at Arrowhead in the '90's.

In between moving boxes into the U-Haul we rented we would watch the game on the only TV still hooked up in the house, our kitchen TV which was all of 7 inches. As long as we could see the game though, it didn't really matter. Although none of us thought the game would be as epic as it turned out to be.

While for my parents generation the Chiefs' greatest rivals were the Raiders, my most hated team has always been the Denver Broncos. In fact, there is no greater sports entity I hate more than the Denver Broncos, and especially John Elway. For some reason, even amidst the dominance of the Chiefs in the '90's the Broncos had our number (and Marty Schottenheimer's) and seemed to be able to find the most improbable ways to win games against us, even when we had the better team. It was this turn decade long ability the Broncos had that made me really grow to despise them more and more as the years went on.

The game started well enough as the Chiefs came out and controlled the game. The pundits would've had you believe the Broncos were the better team for the season, especially after manhandling the Chiefs at Mile High in the first week of the season. However, the Chiefs came out ready to send a message, and send a message they did. Leading at halftime the Chiefs parlayed their lead into a 21-10 lead going into the 4th quarter. This is when the tide started to turn...


The vaunted defense of the Chiefs kept the Broncos at bay but as the game wore on the Broncos started to break through. They were able to make their way down for two field goals to bring the game to 21-16, with still a decent amount of time left in the game. This is where my dad chimed in "we are gonna let them get a field goal every time they get the ball and we're gonna lose 22-21." My dad turned out to be mostly correct. The Broncos made their way into field goal range two more times and finally took the lead 22-21 with a short time remaining. This is, of course, where the "I told you so" comes in from my father. We continue to move boxes with little hope the Chiefs can win this game with less than 2 minutes to go. Little did we know...

The Chiefs were able to move the ball down the field but with just a few seconds left had to attempt a 54 yeard field goal to win this game. Now, lets frame this scenario for a second. The Chiefs kicker that year was Pete Stoyanovich who has just celebrated his 87th birthday (not really, but the dude was old and his range not quite what it used to be when he was nailing 59 yarders with the Dolphins). The weather was extremely cold making kicking a football akin to kicking an oblong piece of obsidion at two yellow posts shaking in the wind. This did not bode well for my beloved Chiefs. But we all had to hold out hope.

My parents and I huddled around our small TV in the kitchen. We put the moving on hold to see this....the snap is good...the hold is good....the kick is up and away....IT'S GOOD!!!!!!! Chiefs win 24-22!!! No way he made that field goal. Stoyanovich might as well have walked off the field and retired cause it doesn't get any better than that...only we needed him for the playoffs! The win brought the Chiefs the AFC West crown and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The entire city could've probably heard the eruption from Arrowhead as this kick went through, the hated Broncos had thought they had stolen a victory but not on this day!

Why this made the list:

While this victory in the regular season might seem inconsequential and it ended up meaning nothing as the Broncos came back to Arrowhead a month later and beat us on their way to a Super Bowl victory, it was still an epic moment in my sports life.

The Broncos came into KC with quite the swagger and expected to take the victory and homefield in the playoffs. As aforementioned, the Broncos are my most hated sports entity in all of sports, and I really, strongly dislike John Elway. So, considering all that, to send them packing with a heartbreaking, last second loss was epic in a way I cannot describe. Even as a fresh faced 12-year-old I knew the impact this would have on my sports life.

This win propelled the Chiefs to a franchise best 13-3 record and homefield advantage in the playoffs. While it turned out to do no good as we lost in our first game of the playoffs the excitement around the city was quite amazing. Nothing can make KC come alive and come together quite like when the Chiefs are as dominant as they were this year and througout the '90's.

My childhood is filled with memories of the resurgence of the Chiefs. Making the playoffs 7 times in the '90's, Arrowhead being the scariest place to play in the NFL, having one of the best defenses in the league through the decade, all of it is what made me grow up loving football so much and is a part of why I am so dedicated a Chiefs fan and football fan today. This season was the apex of the Chiefs dominance in the '90's and this game was the apex of the season, so naturally, this is why it made my list.