Joe Kinsey
Videos by OutKick
Bills superfan Kristen Kimmick didn’t get to see her beloved team win the AFC Championship Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, but she finally got that closure she has been looking for since her father, a Vietnam vet and avid Chiefs fan, passed away just before his team won the Super Bowl a year ago. She got to leave his ashes at Arrowhead.
“I got my closure even if it wasn’t my Bills Super Bowl closure,” Kimmick wrote Sunday on Twitter after spreading her father’s ashes, as his team celebrated heading back to the Super Bowl. “I love you dad. It’s your team again.
The Kimmick family story was told last week by Buffalo’s WIVB, and it’s pretty remarkable how Kristen ended up at Arrowhead to have her moment.
Hi dad. We finally made it. pic.twitter.com/OezrZGkMQX
— y-Gimmick with a K (@Kimmick86) January 24, 2021
Her father, Ronald, was stationed in Kansas before being shipped off to Vietnam. While there, he became a Chiefs fan, even though he was from western New York. Eventually, Ronald came home from the war, life happened, and he became a single parent to Kristen in Buffalo. He remained a Chiefs fan, while his daughter would eventually grow into a diehard Bills fan.
“We always talked about going to Arrowhead together, but my dad would just say, ‘We’re not going to waste money until the Bills are good,’” Kristen told WIVB.
Sunday, Kristen brought her dad’s ashes to the game and sprinkled them at the stadium. Ronald had finally made it to a game with his daughter.
I got my closure. Even if it wasn’t my Bills super bowl closure. Godammit what a heart break. I love you dad. It’s your team again. pic.twitter.com/4GDras0H3S
— y-Gimmick with a K (@Kimmick86) January 25, 2021
Wow. @4KelseyAnderson I cannot thank you ENOUGH for how beautiful this tribute to my Dad, my best friend, and my hero turned out. Thank you so so much again. And 👏🏼LETS 👏🏼 GO 👏🏼 BUFFALO 👏🏼❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/1s0N7FD5gO
— y-Gimmick with a K (@Kimmick86) January 20, 2021
Posted by Kristen Kimmick on Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Posted by Kristen Kimmick on Sunday, August 9, 2020
My dad, a @Chiefs fan, has been passive aggressively torturing my soul since 2011 with this shirt.
I’ve waited 17 years to finally say this…. SUCK IT OLD MAN. BYE. 🙌🏼🙈😭#BillsMafia #gobills pic.twitter.com/pFFdPbK0a7
— y-Gimmick with a K (@Kimmick86) January 4, 2018
In 2014 my dad, a @Chiefs fan, and I didn’t talk for a week when the @buffalobills got eliminated. Tonight is sweet.
I loved every single one of those four phone calls you hung up on me, old man. EAT THIS.
— y-Gimmick with a K (@Kimmick86) January 7, 2018
It’s a nice story and made me think of my dad and how we used to go at it with the Redskins (me) and the Cardinals (him) and 4 times going to St. Louis to watch them play and razing each other the whole time. I think I would’ve gone down to row 1 and blew the ashes up into a breeze blowing over the field hoping some would stick in the natural grass and eventually feed that grass and become a true part of the stadium. I’m sure he was very proud of her and her life. Congrats for loving each other.
My Aunt, Uncle, and I spread my Dad’s ashes at the old location of the Broncos’ Mile High Stadium, and quietly at the current field. He was a massive fan who got to see them win twice. And his Broncos won the Super Bowl just 3+ years later!