Last Chiefs Super Bowl featured a bizarre military reenactment at halftime

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - The world has changed quite a bit since the last time the Kansas City Chiefs appeared in the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans in January 1970.

And while this year’s Super Bowl in Miami will feature Jennifer Lopez and Shakira for the halftime entertainment, Chiefs fans who remember Super Bowl IV describe a somewhat bizarre spectacle.

“There’s never been a halftime show before or after like that,” said Bill McNutt, who served as the Chiefs ball boy at Super Bowl IV.

After a performance from the marching band at Southern University, a massive group of historical performers reenacted military clashes from the famous Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

“I mean, it was so much smoke that some people probably had a little difficulty seeing the second half kickoff," he said .

A reenactor playing the role of General Andrew Jackson darted all over the playing field while mounted a white horse.

“That horse would rear up every time they fired the cannon,” McNutt recalled. “And I thought that guy was a very good horseman because it would be very difficult for me to stay on that horse.”

McNutt said most Chiefs fans were stunned and equally impressed with theatrics and pyrotechnics from the muskets and cannons.

And, in a way, McNutt believes the prolonged reenactment may have benefited the Chiefs. He said an already soggy field was made even worse by the heavy battle equipment dragged across the surface.

“And to bring those cannons on the field, I’m sure the players were probably none too excited about it, particularly Minnesota because they were down 16 to nothing at halftime.”

McNutt remembers the grounds crew, before the game, filling in muddy spots on the field with pecan shells. The shells used to shore up parts of the grass were then spray-painted green. Portions of the endzone covered in pecan shells were spray-painted gold.

McNutt told WDAF about another memorable scene during the pregame ceremonies at Super Bowl IV. Two hot-air balloons were supposed to lift off from the field, one for each team.

The Chiefs balloon ascended without incident. But the balloon with a Vikings mascot in the basket dragged across the field before crashing into the stands.

Luckily, no one was injured, but McNutt still believes it was a sign of what was to come, for Vikings fans.

“I think that might have been a bad omen, for the Vikings,” McNutt said.