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Chiefs, Steelers playoff game moved to Sunday night Ice storm expected to hit Kansas City Saturday night, Sunday morning Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT >> THE CHIEF LEAGUE IS BRACINGFOR THE WORST OF THE APPROACHINGICE STORM.LET'S GO LIVE TO MARKDONOVAN, WHO IS HOLDING A PRESSCONFERENCE RIGHT NOW.>> THE SPORTS AUTHORIT COMPLEX,VARIOUS LEADERS THROUGHOUT THECITY FROM DAY ONE REACHED OUT TOHAVE ME HELP.HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?WE MADE TH DECISION.COMPETENCE TO THE LEAGUE INTHEIR APPROACH.THEY REACHED OUT VERY EARLY TOTALK ABOUT THE APPROACH, TOTALK ABOUT OPTIONS AND PLANS.THE FIRST CONVERSATION I HADWITH LEAGUE OFFICIALS, IT WASLET'S FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY.PROVIDE THE BEST CONDITIONS FORALL OF THE FANS.THEY HAD AN APPRECIATION THAT ITIS ABOUT THE FANS, BUT IT ISALSO ABOUT THE TEAMS, COACHES,AND PLAYERS.IT IS ALSO ABOUT THE STAFF ANDTHE 2000 OR SO PEOPLE THAT SHOWUP TO WORK ON BEHALF OF THECHIE ON GAME DAY TO PROVIDETHE EXPERIENCE AT ARROWHEAD.WE WANT TO ENJOY THE GAME ANDHAVE THE EXCITEMENT OF THE EVENTAT ARROWHEAD.I ALSO WANT TO COMPLEMENT --SELFISHLY, IT -- COMPLEMENT THESTAFF IN THE BUILDING.THEY ARE SO DEDICATED.MONDAY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUTRE-SIGNING - RE--SODDING THEFIELD.THEY WERE HERE AND READY TO GO,AND THAT IS THE COMMITMENT THEYHAVE TO ARROWHEAD AND TO OURFANS.I WILL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS.CAN YOU TAKE US STEP-BY-STEPTHROUGH THE DECISION-MAKINGPROCESS AND HOW THAT LED YOU TOCHOOSE THIS SAFE ROUTE?>> I THINK I TALKED ON MONDAYABOUT LOOKING AT THE WEATHER ASRELATED TO RE-SIGNING --RE-SODDING THE FIELD.THE FIRST COUPLE OFCONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH THELOCAL EXPERTS, THE CITY, THESTATE, THE LOCAL WEATHER EXPERTSHERE ABOUT WHAT WE ARE LOOKINGAT.THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE CLEARLYSAW WHAT WE ALL SAW.THIS IS A STORM THAT HASPOTENTIAL TO BE PRETTY DAMAGING.THE LEAGUE GOT INVOLVED TUESDAYOR WEDNESDAY, AND WE HAD A LOTOF CONVERSATION ABOUTCONTINGENCIES THEN.I SPOKE TO THE COMMISSIO --COMMISSIONER THIS MORNING, ANDHIS FIRST LINE WAS HOW DO WEMAKE THIS A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOREVERYONE, AND WHAT ARE THE BESTOPTIONS?WE ALSO SPOKE TO THE STEELERS.WE ARE FIERCE COMPETITORS, BUTWE ARE ALSO PARTNERS.THEIR COOPERATION HAS BEEN A BIGHELP.WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SEE IFTHEY NEEDED ANYTHING IN THEIRTRAVELS.IT IS A TEAM EFFORT WITH A LOTOF COOPERATION ANDCOMMUNICATION.>> DID THE CHIEFS RECOMMEND THESCHEDULE CHANGE, OR DID THATCOME FROM YOU?>> WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPTIONSAND THE VARIOUS FACTORS THATWOULD MAKE INTO MAKING THEDECISION.THE WAY THE LEAGUE WERE'S, IT ISTHE COMMISSIONER'S DECISION.THE LEAGUE OFFICE TELLS US WHENWE WILL PLAY.WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHETHERAND WHAT THE EXPERTS WERETELLING US.AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IT HASCHANGED SO MUCH IN THE LAST FEWDAYS WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WEHAD THE MOST UP-TO-DATEINFORMATION.AT THE SAME TIME, AS PART OFTHAT CONVERSATION, WE TALKEDABOUT THE USE OF MAKING ADECISION QUICKLY SO WE COULD GETREADY.NOT JUST FOR US FOR THEEMPLOYEES, FANS, AND ALSO HOW ITAFFECTS THE STEELERS.DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE ARECOMMENDATION IN NEW YORK?>> WE DIDN'T HAVE TO.WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSIONTOGETHER.>> WERE YOU MAKE ARECOMMENDATION?>> ABSOLUTELY.I WAS PREPARED.>> ARE THERE ANY CONTINGENCIESIF THE GAME IS BACKED UP, ARETHERE CONTINGENCIES JUST INCASE?>> IT IS THE SAME CONTINGENCIESTO PLAY INTO ANY GAME.PRESEASON WE HAD LIGHTNINGSTORMS.IF YOU LOOK AT THE WEATHER ANDTHE PATTERN WE HAVE BEENPROVIDED BY THE EXPERTS, THIS ISTHE BEST WINDOW TO NOT ONLY PLAYTHE GAME, BUT TO COMMUTE TO ANDFROM THE GAME.>> DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SETNUMBER OF HOURS BEFORE THE GAMETO GET EVERYBODY IN?DO BELIEVE THE ROADS WILL BEGOOD ENOUGH?-- DO YOU BELIEVE THE ROADS WILLBE GOOD ENOUGH?THE PARKING GATES AND TIMESDO CHANGE, OBVIOUSLY.OUR PARKING LOTS WILL OPEN AT2:00.OPEN HEART, WHICH WE HAVE TALKEDABOUT BEFORE, WHICH WILL HE FROM2:00-3:00 -- OPEN PARK, WHICH WEHAVE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, WILLFROM 2:00-3:00.THE GATES WILL OPEN AT 5:00, ANDWE DID FACTOR THAT INTO THEWEATHER FORECAST.IT KEEPS CHANGING, BUT BASED ONTHE LATEST INFORMATION WE WEREPROVIDED, THAT GIVES THE BESTOPPORTUNITY TO GET PEOPLE HEREIN THE SAME WAY.IT WILL ACTUALLY BE WARMER BYTHE END OF THE GAME, SO WEEXPECT THE ROADS TO BE EVENSAFER.>> [INDISCERNIBLE]>> CONVERSATION WITH COACH.IS A BIT OF A BALANCE, RIGHT?WE TALK ABOUT THE BALANCE ANDTRUST.THE BALANCE FOR ME IS THE MANTRATHAT ANDY HAS UNLIMITEDDISTRACTIONS.WE DON'T WANT TO BE TALKING TOTHE COACH ABOUT WEATHERFORECASTS ON MONDAY, TUESDAY,AND WEDNESDAY.SO STARTING WEDNESDAY EVENING,AROUND 7:00 OR 8:00 AT NIGHT, IWILL ROLL THE NEWS OUT AND SAYHERE WITH -- IS WHAT IS GOINGON, HERE IS WHAT MIGHT CHANGE.THIS GOES INTO THE TRUST FACTORTWO, BECAUSE THOSE ARE SORTMEETINGS.IT HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT,BUT NOT THAT FREQUENT.SAME WITH JOHN AN CLARK, ANDWHEN WE GOT TO DECISION POINTFROM THE LEAGUE, HAD ACOMMUNICATION WITH THE CODE --COACH AFTER PRACTICE WHEN HE CANCOMMUNICATE WITH THE TEAM.>> WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE TO GETTHE STADIUM AND PARKING LOTSREADY FOR THE CROWDS?>> WE HAVE ALREADY STARTEDPRETREATING.THIS IS THE JACKSON COUNTYSPORTS AUTHORITY, ALSO OUROUTSIDE VENDORS AND STADIUMTEAM.WE ARE PREPPING THE ENTIRECOMPLEX, THE ENTRANCEWAYS,PARKING LOTS, AND PREPARING THESTADIU -- INSIDE THE STADIUM,YES.FIELD WIFE, COVERED, HE DID --FIELD LIES -- FIELD-WISE,COVERED, HE DOES -- HEATED,READY TO GO.THE WAY OUR SYSTEM WORKS IS THATWE TREAT AND RETREAT BASED ON ASYSTEM OF EVENTS.IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE ICEAND RAIN, WE STOPPED, THEN GOBACK AND RETREAT IT.WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BEABLE TO PROVIDE A SAFEENVIRONMENT HERE.>> DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONALMANPOWER TO DO THAT?>> WE HAVE ADDITIONAL MANPOWERACROSS THE BOARD.THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THATCAME INTO MOVING AS WELL, MAKINGSURE THE MANPOWER CAN GET YOUR-- GET HERE.MAKING TO THE SECURITYOPERATIONS, PREP, ROAD CREWS,ETC..>> [INDISCERNIBLE]>> I WOULDN'T SIT HERE AND SAYIT IS DOUBLING THE HEADCOUNT,BUT WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION OF160, 170 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES ONSUNDAY HERE WORKING FOR US INTHE VARIOUS AREAS.IT IS A SIGNIFICANT FORCE TOPRESENT THE GAME.>> TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHEN WASTHE LAST TIME IT PLAYOFF GAMEWAS MOVED?HAS IT HAPPENED BEFORE?>> I'M SURE SOMEONE IN HEREKNOWS THE ANSWER.I DO NOT.>> BASED ON A LIGHTNING MOVEMENTOF THE GAME, WE COULD HAVE DONETHIS TOMORROW.WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THELEAGUE.WE WITH HER THE QUESTIONS ANDINFORMATION AND THEN THE OPTIONS-- WHEN WE WIN IT THROUGH THEOPTIONS, -- WHEN WE WENT THROUGHTHE QUESTIONS, INFORMATION, ANDTHE OPTIONS, WE DECIDED THIS WASTHE BEST WAY TO GO.WE HAVE RECEIVED A BUNCH OFQUESTIONS FROM SEASON TICKETHOLDERS.TWO, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE OURSTAFF AND OPERATIONS TEAM CANPLAY AND MAKE READY IN THECHANGE OF TIME.WHAT ABOUT THE TICKET HOLDERSWHO COULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TOATTEND A NEW GAME, BUT NOW FORTRAVEL REASONS CANNOT DO THIS.>> I WILL SAY THAT ANYONE WHOHAS QUESTIONS ON THAT SHOULDCALL THE BOX OFFICE.WE HAVE FULL CUSTOMER SERVICESTAFF ON HAND.WE WANT TO ANSWER THESEQUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY.FOR THE MOST PART, WE HAD SOMEQUESTIONS EARLY ON ABOUT REFUNDSBEFORE HE MOVED TO GAME.WE DIDN'T PLAN ON DOING REFUNDS,WHICH IS A TYPICAL PRACTICE FORUS.>> [INDISCERNIBLE]>> LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE AHANDFUL OF TICKETS OUT THERE.WE HOLD BACK SOME TICKETS FORLAST SECOND MEANS.IF SOMEONE WENT ON THE WEBSITE,THEY WOULD SEE A TICKET FOR SALEBUT THEY ARE VERY SCATTERED.>> WITH THE FAN -- TIME CHANGE,BUT THE FANS GOING TO BE ABLE TOCOME OUT AND STILL HAVE THE HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE?WE WANT OUR FANS TO BE SAFE.WE WANTED TO BECAUSE IT IS, ANDWE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CANTO PRESENT THE GAME WITH APERFECT WINDOW FOR EVERYONE TOHAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCE.PART OF THAT IS GIVING PEOPLETIME TO GET HERE.