Why Kansas City Kilgore’s hair is half shaved off

This year's annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) would have been called the Bowl of the Virus. Waiting to show their team spirit in the upcoming Super Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs spared themselves a risk of close contact with a COVID-19 patient.

A barber tested positive COVID-19 on Sunday while he was cutting hair for 20-plus players and staff members of the Chiefs, according to sports networks ESPN on Thursday. When the barber’s test results were shared with the players, he was midway through a haircut for center Daniel Kilgore. The haircut service ended immediately. Kilgore was the barber's second client after wide receiver Demarcus Robinson on Sunday. The Chiefs reacted nimbly enough to prevent its athletes from being exposed to high risks of infection with the coronavirus. One of the most eye-catching scenes was made by Kilgore whose hair was shaved off only halfway.

The team's core player quarterback Patrick Mahomes was about to get a haircut but fortunately happened to avoid contact with the barber beforehand. All the players and the barber alike were wearing face masks. However, what if the news on the barber's test results had arrived late? What would have happened if the Chiefs had taken lax action? The Super Bowl could have been called off this year. The Kansas City Chiefs are scheduled to battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 55th Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, next Monday morning.

Only a third of the stands at the stadium, 22,000 out of 75,000 seats, are allowed to be taken according to the CDC's COVID-19 guidelines for the Super Bowl. Some 7,500 health care workers will be invited to enjoy the championship at the stadium as a tribute to their dedication and sacrifice at the forefront of the war against COVID-19.


leper@donga.com