Chiefs Rookie Arrives Late to Practice After Flying Home for Halloween — But the Reason Left Andy Reid Smiling
Kansas City, MO – November 1, 2025 – Kansas City Chiefs rookie offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia arrived at the facility nearly an hour after Saturday’s optional practice began, his SUV still carrying red dirt from Oahu’s backroads. The 21-year-old didn’t oversleep or ignore team rules — he boarded a last-minute redeye to keep a promise.
Suamataia, a second-round pick with deep Samoan roots, flew to Hawaii to surprise a 12-year-old foster boy he calls his “little brother.” The child, nicknamed Maka, lost his entire family in a 2023 boating accident. Suamataia met him this summer during a Chiefs-sponsored Pasifika youth event and quietly stepped into a mentor role.
The rookie’s childhood mirrors the struggle. Raised between California and Hawaii after his parents divorced, he watched his mother juggle multiple jobs. Polynesian coaches, elders, and neighbors became his “extended family,” helping him reach BYU and the NFL. Now, he’s doing for Maka what others once did for him — showing up.
“I told him I’d be his big braddah for real — no ocean, no excuse,” Suamataia said, voice tired but steady after a jog-through. He left Kansas City right after Thursday’s win, landed in Honolulu at dawn, and spent Halloween night trick-or-treating in matching ghost costumes across Waianae’s quiet streets.
Head coach Andy Reid initially prepared to issue a fine — team policy demands accountability and late arrivals normally cost $20,000. But once Suamataia explained the trip, the legendary coach closed his notebook. “Blood’s thicker than the playbook, but so is aloha,” Reid said, grinning beneath his mustache. “Family fuels the fire.”
Teammates, fresh off back-to-back Super Bowls, backed him immediately. “Kings blocks for Pat the same way he blocks for that kid — all heart, no hesitation,” tight end Travis Kelce said. In a locker room built on culture, Suamataia’s gesture didn’t weaken trust. It strengthened it.
Already earning starter reps protecting Mahomes’ blindside, Suamataia says his legacy won’t be measured in Pro Bowls or contracts. “Growing up, holidays were potlucks with aunties filling the gaps,” he said. “If I can turn one kid’s lonely night into something he remembers with joy — that’s the block that matters most.”
The Chiefs enter their bye week before facing the Bills, and Suamataia will return to left tackle with stronger legs, heavier purpose, and a deeper sense of home. One flight, one promise, one Halloween — and a reminder that even gladiators in red and gold still live by island family rules.
No Kings in Chicago: Bears Owner George McCaske Breaks Silence With a Message That Stirs the Nation
The "No Kings" movement — a nationwide wave of protests defending democracy and rejecting authoritarianism — has now reached Soldier Field. And this time, the voice leading the conversation wasn’t a politician or an actor. It was Chicago Bears owner George McCaskey.
On Saturday, October 18, more than 7 million Americans from all 50 states took to the streets under the banner "No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns" to oppose what they view as President Donald Trump’s growing authoritarian tendencies. In Chicago, hundreds of Bears fans gathered outside Soldier Field waving navy-and-orange flags and holding handmade signs reading "Democracy, Not Monarchy" and "No Kings in Chi-Town."
What began as a post-victory celebration after the Bears’ 24-17 win over the Vikings soon turned into a peaceful rally for unity and freedom. That’s when George McCaskey made his unexpected appearance. Witnesses say he was leaving a team meeting when he noticed the crowd — and instead of walking past, he walked straight into it. Cameras captured the moment he grabbed a fan’s portable mic and delivered a message that stunned the nation.
"America always prides itself on being the most democratic nation in the world," McCaskey said. "But here’s the irony — the more we talk about democracy, the more power seems to rest in one person’s hands. If one man can decide for millions, is that really democracy? Look at the Bears — there’s no king here, just Monsters of the Midway who fight for each other."
The crowd erupted. Within minutes, clips of McCaskey’s impromptu speech spread across social media under hashtags #NoKingsInChicago and #BearsStandTogether, racking up millions of views. One fan wrote: "When your NFL owner speaks more truth about democracy than your own politicians — that’s why we’re proud to be Bears Nation."
Political analysts immediately weighed in. Some praised McCaskey’s words as "a powerful statement in defense of American democracy," while conservative commentators accused him of "bringing politics into football."
A source close to the Bears clarified that McCaskey hadn’t planned any speech — he simply reacted to the movement outside Soldier Field. "This wasn’t about politics," the source said. "It was about values — teamwork, fairness, and the belief that no one stands above the group. That’s the Bears’ DNA."
The "No Kings" protests — organized by more than 200 progressive groups including Indivisible and MoveOn — took place in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and thousands of other towns, marking the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history.
By Sunday night, the navy lights of Soldier Field glowed across Chicago — matching the symbolic colors of unity worn by protesters across the country.
And while the movement began as a political statement, in Chicago it became something deeper — a reflection of leadership without dominance, unity without ego, and strength without hierarchy.
As one Bears fan said while leaving the stadium: "In Washington, they argue about power. In Chicago, we just roar together."
