Lamar Hunt was a visionary businessman who had a profound impact on the world of sports. He was the founder of the American Football League (AFL), the Kansas City Chiefs, and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as a co-founder of World Championship Tennis and a promoter of soccer and tennis in the United States. He also coined the term “Super Bowl” for the championship game of the NFL, which he helped create by merging the AFL with the rival league. He was inducted into several halls of fame for his contributions to various sports.
Hunt passed away on December 13, 2006, at the age of 74, after a long battle with prostate cancer. His death was mourned by many fans, players, coaches, and executives who admired his passion, innovation, and generosity. He left behind a legacy that continues to shape the sports landscape today.
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Lamar Hunt’s Early Life and Career
Lamar Hunt was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on August 2, 1932, as the son of oil tycoon H. L. Hunt and the younger brother of tycoons Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, and attended Culver Military Academy and The Hill School in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1956, with a B.S. degree in geology. He was also a college football player who rode the bench but was an avid sports enthusiast.
Hunt inherited a fortune from his father’s oil business, which he used to pursue his dream of owning a professional football team. He applied for a National Football League (NFL) expansion franchise in 1959, but was turned down by the league. Undeterred, he decided to form his own league, the American Football League (AFL), with seven other businessmen who shared his vision. He became the owner of the Dallas Texans, which later moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs.
Hunt was instrumental in making the AFL a success, as he hired talented coaches and players, negotiated lucrative television contracts, and challenged the NFL for supremacy. He also came up with the name “Super Bowl” for the annual championship game between the AFL and the NFL, which he envisioned as a spectacle akin to the World Series or the Rose Bowl. In 1966, he helped broker a merger agreement between the two leagues, which resulted in the creation of the modern NFL. His Chiefs won three AFL championships and one Super Bowl title under his ownership.
Lamar Hunt’s Impact on Soccer and Tennis
Hunt was not only a football pioneer, but also a visionary in other sports, especially soccer and tennis. He was one of the first American businessmen to recognize the potential of soccer in the United States, and he invested heavily in the sport. He founded the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1967, and later owned the Columbus Crew, the Kansas City Wizards, and FC Dallas of Major League Soccer (MLS). He also helped establish the United Soccer Association, the World Soccer League, and the United Soccer League, as well as the Soccer Bowl, the championship game of the NASL.
Hunt was also a co-founder of World Championship Tennis (WCT), a professional tennis circuit that revolutionized the sport in the 1960s and 1970s. He helped introduce innovations such as the tie-breaker, the colored ball, and the electronic line judge, as well as increased prize money and exposure for the players. He also built the WCT Tennis Complex in Dallas, which hosted many prestigious tournaments and events.
Hunt was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1982, the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, among others. He also received several honors and awards for his contributions to sports, such as the FIFA Order of Merit, the Lamar Hunt Trophy, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Lamar Hunt’s Cause of Death and Legacy
Hunt was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998, and underwent several treatments and surgeries over the years. He continued to be involved in his sports ventures until his health deteriorated in 2006. He died on December 13, 2006, at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, surrounded by his family and friends. He was survived by his second wife Norma, whom he married in 1964, and his four children, Sharron, Lamar Jr., Daniel, and Clark Hunt.
Hunt’s death was met with an outpouring of grief and tributes from the sports world and beyond. He was praised as a visionary, a pioneer, a leader, and a gentleman, who had a lasting impact on the sports he loved and the communities he served. He was also remembered as a humble, generous, and kind person, who treated everyone with respect and dignity.
Hunt’s legacy lives on through his family, who continue to own and operate his sports franchises, as well as through the many leagues, teams, tournaments, trophies, and stadiums that bear his name or his influence. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and important figures in the history of American sports.
