Letter to the Editor: Have we seen the last of these victory parades in America?

According to some estimates, some one million people came out to the parade and celebration event in Kansas City for the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday.

Many came with their children, who had the day off from school, to see their beloved Chiefs. Many left worried for their lives as gunshots were fired in the crowd. Multiple people, including children, were shot, and one person was left dead despite approximately 800 police officers being in the area.

My thoughts and prayers go to the families involved in the Kansas City shootings.

Have we seen the last of these victory parades in America? Should the professional sports leagues discontinue these events?

I say no. Fans have a right to celebrate their favorite team’s success, but they shouldn’t have to deal with what Chiefs fans had to deal with on Wednesday. Not only did fans try to protect their kids at the end of the event, but they also needed to do so during the event.

As a huge Chiefs fan, I watched the celebration on TV. It was obvious that the consumption of alcohol along the parade route caught up with some of the players during the on-stage celebration. 

When did it become OK for players to be inebriated and utter foul language in front of thousands of young people who were there to see their favorite players? Unfortunately, this kind of behavior was not unique to Wednesday’s event. It has happened in victory celebrations for years. Why not walk or ride in the parade, speak at the stage event and then celebrate in a private setting afterward? 

Fans, especially parents, aren’t there to watch the players drink and cuss in public. They are there to cheer on the success of their favorite team and their players. Players need to remember, whether they want to be or not, they are role models for kids. They need to take that seriously.

Perhaps my concerns are 10 years too late. Some may say kids have seen and heard it all anyway. 

That doesn’t mean we have to accept this. 

To all the major sports commissioners out there, on behalf of all the kids out there, including my eight grandchildren, I say enough is enough.

Jeff Dorsey
Quincy, Illinois