Thus far, the turnouts have not been as expected and the overall economic impact of having the Kansas City Chiefs in town for their preseason NFL training camp hasn’t gone as well as last season. Local businesses aren’t profiting like they did last season in St. Joseph, Mo., and it doesn’t seem as if further practices will remedy the issue.
There are several facets to blame, including the NFL lockout leading up to just one week before training camp. NFL fans simply didn’t plan in advance to attend, which many families have to do, in order to go because they didn’t want to risk not having an event to go to. Others point to the overall economy and realize people just don’t have the money to spend on extras like visiting training camp.
As the St. Joseph News-Press notes, “One of the glaring numbers that points to a disappointment is the camp’s "Family Fun Day." In its first year in St. Joseph, it set a Spratt Stadium record of 10,721 people. This year, attendance just topped 3,000.”
Yet it’s still a positive impact versus having nothing at all for the town, so here’s hoping Chiefs fans continue to come out and support these last several days of camp in order to support not only a team but a town.