KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While other sports teams using Native American nicknames and imagery have faced decades of protests and boycotts, the Kansas City Chiefs have largely slid under the radar.
Until now.
The Chiefs will appear in their first Super Bowl in 50 years Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, and what is traditionally the nation’s largest TV audience will watch Kansas City fans break into a “war chant” and mimic tomahawk chops. Although many defend the display as a fun fan tradition, others view it as offensive and racist to Native Americans.