Loyal Royals fan has attended 1,000 straight home games
Sports fans often pride themselves on being loyal to their favorite teams. Most of the time though, their friends and families know that loyalty was tested and probably even breached somewhere along the line.
Hey, it happens. It’s not a crime. Just don’t brag too loud in front of those who know better.
In the case of Chris Coats though, that loyalty is one-hundred percent real. The Kansas City Royals fan from Raytown, Miss. has never once considered changing allegiances, and that loyalty was celebrated in epic fashion on Friday.
When the Royals beat the Tigers, 10-3, at Kauffman Stadium, it marked the 1,000th consecutive home game that Coats has attended, including postseason games. The streak started on May 25, 2004, when the Royals were still struggling to rebuild after nearly two decades of futility. It’s continued through many personal trials and tribulations, including Coats battle with a brain tumor. And it’s resulted in numerous celebrations, most notably the Royals ALCS clinching victory last October.
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All things considered, that’s a remarkable streak that goes well beyond the numbers. But the numbers are pretty cool too, and it seems they will continue climbing for the foreseeable future.
“I just love Royals baseball, I love coming out to Kauffman Stadium,” Coats told MLB.com. “Just the atmosphere, coming out to watch a ballgame — no matter how good or bad they play, it was always fun to watch.”
Coats says that with such an appreciation that you wouldn’t know he was once at odds with the Royals. Prior to the 2012 season, a miscommunication and procedural changes led to Coats actually losing his season tickets. The situation was eventually smoothed over, clearing a path for Coats to continue his streak.
It’s an interesting story. You can read much more over at Cut 4.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
