By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
An accomplished sports author from the Kansas City area is in St. Joseph Wednesday for a signing and presentation of his recent book about the history of the Chiefs.
David Smale last year published The Keys to the Kingdom: An Illustrated Timeline of the Kansas City Chiefs. He'll be at Pony Express Sports & More in the East Hills Shopping Center from noon-3 p.m. Wednesday, and then at Hi-Ho Bar and Grill from 6-7:30 p.m. for a presentation, followed by a sports trivia contest hosted by local sports trivia expert Bob Green.
Smale says he wrote this book right at the beginning of COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and it took him only two weeks to do so with no other sports going on.
"It's a series of short stories about the events and the people that shape the history," Smale said. "I don't cover every year or every player, but I cover key moments in the Chiefs' first 60 years."
Smale is excited to be back in St. Joseph and interact with the thousands of Chiefs fans who come from near and far to take in training camp, which is going on now through August 18.
"I'm thrilled for that city that (training camp) is back," Smale said. "Looking forward to getting back up there and seeing some of the people that I've visited with through the years. I've been up to training camp a number of years myself."
Smale has covered professional, college and high school sports for more than 40 years. He has published 23 books, mostly on sports history.
He was five years old when the Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. He says he grew up around five uncles who were die hard Chiefs fans like his dad, and his passion for the team only grew from there.
