page_title: Kansas City Chiefs
section_title: Mascots and cheerleaders
hierarchical_section_title: Kansas City Chiefs / Mascots and cheerleaders
caption_attribution_description: English: KC Wolf, mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs (National Football League) at Arrowhead Stadium mini camp
context_page_description: The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's American Football Conference West division. The team was founded in 1960 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt and was a charter member of the American Football League. In 1963, the team moved to Kansas City and assumed its current name. The Chiefs joined the NFL as a result of the merger in 1970. The team is valued at over $2 billion. Hunt's son, Clark, serves as chairman and CEO. While Hunt's ownership stakes passed collectively to his widow and children after his death in 2006, Clark is the operating head of the franchise; he represents the Chiefs at all league meetings and has ultimate authority on personnel changes.
  The Chiefs have won three AFL championships, in 1962, 1966, and 1969. They became the second AFL team to defeat an NFL team in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game, when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The team's victory on January 11, 1970, was the final such competition before the leagues' merger went into full effect.
context_section_description: The Chiefs' first mascot was Warpaint, a nickname given to several different breeds of pinto horse. Warpaint served as the team's mascot from 1963 to 1988. The first Warpaint (born in 1955, died in 1992) was ridden bareback by rider Bob Johnson who wore a full Native American headdress. Warpaint circled the field at the beginning of each Chiefs home game and performed victory laps following each Chiefs touchdown. On September 20, 2009, a new Warpaint horse was unveiled at the Chiefs' home opener. Warpaint is now ridden by a cheerleader, Susie.
  In the mid-1980s, the Chiefs featured a short-lived unnamed "Indian man" mascot which was later scrapped in 1988. Since 1989 the cartoon-like K. C. Wolf, portrayed by Dan Meers in a wolf costume, has served as the team's mascot. The mascot was named after the Chiefs' "Wolfpack", a group of rabid fans from the team's days at Municipal Stadium. K. C. Wolf is one of the most popular NFL mascots and was the league's first mascot inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.
  The Chiefs have employed a cheerleading squad since the team's inception in 1960. In the team's early days, the all-female squad was referred to as the Chiefettes. In addition to the Cheerleaders, in the early 1970s, there was also a dance/drill team that performed for pre-game and halftime. From 1986 to 1992, the cheerleader squad featured a mix of men and women. Since 1993, the all-female squad has been known as the Chiefs Cheerleaders.
caption: K. C. Wolf, the Chiefs' mascot since 1989
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