Sports Illustrated produced one of the more informative guides I’ve seen in a long time on Monday—the NFL Owner’s Guide, which looks closely at every owner in the league. The Kansas City Chiefs are owned by the Hunt family, which SI reported is worth $13.7 billion, with the Chiefs valued at $2.1 billion.
Here is what SI wrote on the 53-year-old Chiefs owner, chairman and CEO, Clark Hunt:
In the Owner’s Words: When asked about the possibility of signing Colin Kaepernick, Hunt told NBC Sports Radio, “I’m not going to tell our head coach or our GM not to bring in a player if they think that player can bring us some success on the field and make us better. Now there are certain circumstances where guys get in trouble off the field, and that is something as an organization and as a family we care about.
“We’re not going to bring those types of players in. In terms of a player like Colin, I would have no hesitation bringing him into the organization.”
Political Donations: Hunt has primarily donated to Republican causes, most notably with a $20K donation to the RNC in 2012; $25K to Romney Victory Inc. in ’12; and $10,400 to Team Ryan, a super PAC supporting Paul Ryan, in ’16.
NFL Committees: Management Council Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Digital Media Committee, International Committee (Chairman), Conduct Committee, Compensation Committee.
Next in Line: Hunt and his wife, Tavia Shackles, have three children that could inherit the team. Hunt also has three siblings—Sharron, Daniel, and Lamar Jr.—who own equal shares of the team but are not as involved with the day-to-day operations.
Some additional notes from yours truly:
- The best read I’ve found on Lamar Hunt, Clark’s father and the founder of the Chiefs, is Lamar Hunt: A Life in Sports by Michael MacCambridge. As many of you know, my start in Kansas City came as a member of the Chiefs organization and contributor to Chiefs dot com. In talking with those who were with the organization prior to Lamar’s death in 2006, he was truly one of a kind. Clark has been tasked with carrying on that legacy.
- SI included a note on Clark’s views about Colin Kaepernick, but I’d advise also reading this article written in November 2017 by Terez Paylor, formerly of The Kansas City Star and now of Yahoo! Sports. Per Paylor: Clark Hunt: “When [the NFL protests] rolled around last year, it really wasn’t a big deal for us, and we’ve tried to stay with that this year. Obviously we’ve had some guys who have sat or knelt during some of the games this year, but we’ve continued to work with them and communicate with them that we prefer for them to stand ... But at the end of the day, it’s their decision.”
- I would guess Clark being the chairman of the international committee has a lot to do with Lamar’s ideas of pushing the league worldwide (Lamar was actually the man who coined the term, “Super Bowl”). The Chiefs played a home game against the Detroit Lions in London in 2015 and are set to play the Los Angeles Rams “away” this coming season in Mexico City. Clark, a former college soccer player at Southern Methodist University, attended the World Cup with his family in Russia this past summer, and has been to 11 of the last 12.
- Tavia, Clark’s wife, is heavily involved with the Chiefs Women’s Organization, as well as the cheerleading program. Tavia is also a proponent of new-age Chiefs fashion, spearheading the “Chiefs Style Lounge” efforts in connection with Kansas City’s Fashion Week.
- Sibling nuggets: Sharron is the chairwoman of the Arrowhead Art Collection. Daniel Hunt is the president of FC Dallas. Lamar Jr. is the current owner of the Kansas City Mavericks.