By Liam Carson, Special to Broncos Wire
The room erupted when the Broncos punched in a late touchdown to seal a win over the Raiders last Thursday, a burst of orange and blue exploding in the middle of Chiefs Kingdom. Inside Fox & Hound in Overland Park, the roar drowned out the usual sea of red, the Patrick Mahomes jerseys and the passion that defines Sundays in Kansas City.
For Broncos fans living deep in enemy territory, watch parties like this are more than a game; they’re a weekly escape from the Red Kingdom, a place to cheer on their orange and blue. Weekly Broncos watch parties are organized in the Denver Broncos Fans in Kansas City Facebook group, giving faithful Denver fans a place to escape the sea of Red.
“Broncos fans always find each other,” Kathi Pugh said. “We’ve been doing this for decades.”
Denver fans living in Kansas City are unsurprisingly outnumbered. For Denver fans living in Kansas City, cheering on the Broncos can often feel like whispering in a crowded room. In a city where Patrick Mahomes and the football games at Arrowhead Stadium dictate most people’s mood, Broncos loyalty often lives underground.
That’s what makes these weekly watch parties so special. It gives the Denver faithful a rare space where the outnumbered can finally out-shout the majority, share old memories and celebrate the team that connects them to home.
“I feel like I’m the gorilla in the room surrounded by a hundred Chiefs fans,” Matthew Gray said. “You’ve gotta be low-key about being a Broncos fan here.”
Gray is a new member of the Broncos fan community in Kansas City, but he has been welcomed with open arms since he learned about the watch parties.
“All the people here are friendly,” Gray said. “I walked in alone, and they just welcomed me right in.”
For Gray, it’s not always about the football game on the TV; it’s about the community these watch parties bring.
“My favorite part about these watch parties is the fellowship,” Gray said. “Being around other people who can cheer with you.”
Living in Kansas City means constant Chiefs celebration. Of course, there is a lot to celebrate, Super Bowls, broken records and cheering on the most successful NFL franchise of the last five years. After years of Broncos losing seasons, living in the heart of their rivals’ success, most KC Broncos fans learned to keep their fandom hidden, but this season, with the Broncos leading the AFC West, some have learned to talk trash.
“I come for the rivalry, I love trash talk and I love when Chiefs fans are humbled,” added Matthew Gray.
These watch parties have moved homes left and right, but it’s not about where these Broncos fans get their wings and beer; it’s about the Denver community deep in the heart of Chiefs’ Kingdom.
The parties started in downtown KC in the early 2000s: Coaches on 103rd street, a Denny’s on 148th, and now Fox & Hound in Overland Park, Kansas. Each stop built a new chapter in a fan community that refuses to fade. Newcomers arrive nervous, but the regulars pride themselves on making sure no Broncos fan watches alone.
“Back in the day, we were downtown,” Pugh said. “Then we moved to Coaches. Then the Denny’s. Broncos fans follow the crowd.”
All these fans have one thing in common: they are Broncos fans, but each of them has a different story. For some fans, it’s about growing up in Denver and attending games at Mile High Stadium; for others, it’s as simple as a color.
“My favorite color was blue, and the Chiefs were red, so when the Broncos showed up on TV, I said, ‘Okay, I can rock this,’” one fan said with a laugh.
For James K. Noe, it’s always been about the Broncos and the Mile High Orange and Blue. Noe has lived in Kansas City long enough to know better than to brag about the Broncos anywhere near Arrowhead Stadium.
“I may live in Kansas City, but I’ve always bled Denver,” said Noe.
He moved to KC in 1987 for work, but two years later, he found the team that would claim his loyalty for good. Denver’s 1989 season hooked him, and he never let go.
“I moved to Kansas City in ’87 for work, but I became a Broncos fan in ’89,” he said. “That year just grabbed me.”
This group took years to build. It started with a few fans packed into tiny bars and grew through friendships and a Facebook group that still keeps everyone together. The spots have changed, but the people in orange always come back.
“We’ve been doing this for decades,” Pugh said. “Fans come and go, but the group stays.”
One last time, Broncos fans yelled their signature chant in the back of Fox & Hound, “and that pass was IN-COM-PLETE.” After three long hours of yelling at the TV and cheering on the Broncos, Denver defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 10-7, last Thursday night.
As the game wrapped up, the Broncos’ energy didn’t fade. Fans in blue and orange hung around, laughing, talking and taking their time before stepping back into a city painted red. Chiefs Kingdom was outside, but for a few hours, this little corner of Overland Park felt like Denver.
“Broncos fans always find each other,” Pugh said during Thursday night’s Broncos watch party.
This Sunday, the Broncos and Chiefs face off for the first time this season. If the Broncos can come away with a win, they will have full control of the AFC West race, and of course, these Denver fans will find a place to gather and cheer on their Broncos deep in the heart of Chiefs Kingdom.