Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals is going to cause some marital strife for a Fort McMurray couple.
Troy Dickson supports the Chiefs.
Kirsti Dickson started cheering the Bengals a few years ago, shortly after they moved in together.
“Just one Sunday he’s there in his undies in the recliner, flicking it on,” recalled Kirsti. “I’m not into sports, but I can either get behind this or be miserable for one day a week for 16 weeks of the year. So I decided to get behind it.”
Kirsti originally liked the Baltimore Ravens, before switching allegiances.
“It wasn’t the Bengals. It was the Tigers Heads. That’s what they were called to Kirsti,” joked Troy, referencing the Bengals’ striped helmets.
The couple will watch the game together in their garage. It’s mostly decorated in Chiefs colours, though Kirsti does have a Bengals corner.
“We are nuts watching. We cannot go to the bar. We cannot go in public,” Troy said.
So one of the Dicksons will be victorious. What about the one whose team is not successful? They’ve agreed the loser will support the winner in the Super Bowl on Feb. 13.
But there will be consequences.
“The loser has to handcuff a four-litre jug of water to their hand for 24 hours straight,” said Troy.
Regardless of the outcome, it won’t be the most memorable Bengals/Chiefs game they’ve ever watched. On Oct. 4, 2015, they attended a Bengals 36-21 win over the Chiefs in Cincinnati.
They left there engaged.