In January 2013, being a Kansas City sports fan was a hellish exercise in masochism. After a few years of hope, it became obvious that the new Sprint Center wouldn’t be bringing an NFL or NBA franchise. The Chiefs were at their franchise’s all-time low point, having cleared house after suffering a 2-14 season as the worst team in the NFL. Two decades had passed since the Chiefs had last won a playoff game. And the Royals? The Kansas City Royals had just suffered their ninth consecutive losing season and their 17th in the previous 18 years.
At the time, general manager Dayton Moore was on the thinnest of ice.