Governor's Cup (Missouri)
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| First meeting | 1970 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latest meeting | 2014 | ||||
| Next meeting | None (Rams relocated back to Los Angeles for 2016 NFL season) | ||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Meetings total | 11 | ||||
| All-time series |
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| Largest victory |
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| Current win streak |
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The Missouri Governor's Cup was a trophy awarded to the winner between Missouri's two National Football League (NFL) teams. Originally played for between the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Cardinals, the last trophy in the original series was awarded in 1987 due to the Cardinals' move to the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area following the season. Beginning in 1996, the year after the St. Louis Rams relocated from Los Angeles, the Governor's Cup series was reinstated and was played from 1996–2015 in the preseason. The Rams would relocate back to Los Angeles in 2016. The trophy was also awarded to the winner of the interconference regular season matchups between the Chiefs and Rams. The local press occasionally referred to the game as The Battle of Missouri, The Show-Me State Showdown, or the I-70 Series.
History
1968–88
The contest began in 1968 when St. Louis had the football Cardinals[1] until the Cardinals' relocation in 1988. The Governor's Cup game was resumed in the 1996 season between the Chiefs and the Rams until the Rams' relocation in 2016.
The Chiefs posted a 16–7–2 mark in its Governor's Cup series against the Cardinals from 1968 to 1987, going 3–1–1 in the regular season record and 13–6–1 in preseason play.[2]
1996–2015
When the Los Angeles Rams relocated to St. Louis, the rivalry among Missourians re-emerged. Both the Rams and the Chiefs possessed the two most productive offenses in the NFL in the early 2000s, and the meetings often resulted in shootouts. Former Rams coach Dick Vermeil was hired by the Chiefs in 2001 after he had won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams with one of the NFL's most powerful offensive squads in history.
Once the Chiefs created their own high-powered offense with the arrival of Vermeil, the rivalry became even more exciting. In often meaningless preseason games, the Chiefs and Rams gave all their energy to secure the Governor's Cup, their spot as the best offense in the league, and bragging rights for their respective city in Missouri.
Dick Vermeil faced off against his old coaching buddies with the Rams—including his offensive coordinator of "The Greatest Show on Turf", Mike Martz—whom succeeded Vermeil for the Rams head coaching job.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
All-Time pre-season results
The Chiefs and Cardinals met every pre-season to determine the best NFL team in Missouri. The Chiefs lead the pre-season series 13–6–1.
The 1972 meeting was the first event in Arrowhead Stadium, which opened despite continuing construction.
All-Time regular season results
Note: The Governor's Cup was awarded between the Chiefs and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1968 through 1987, the Cardinals' final season in St. Louis. The Chiefs led the regular reason series 3–1–1.
| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 22, 1970 | St. Louis Cardinals 6 | Kansas City Chiefs 6 | Municipal Stadium |
| December 1, 1974 | Kansas City Chiefs 17 | St. Louis Cardinals 13 | Busch Memorial Stadium |
| November 23, 1980 | Kansas City Chiefs 21 | St. Louis Cardinals 13 | Busch Memorial Stadium |
| October 2, 1983 | St. Louis Cardinals 14 | Kansas City Chiefs 38 | Arrowhead Stadium |
| November 23, 1986 | Kansas City Chiefs 14 | St. Louis Cardinals 23 | Busch Memorial Stadium |
St. Louis Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs
All-Time pre-season results
The Chiefs and Rams met in most pre-seasons from 1996 through 2015 to determine the best NFL team in Missouri. The Rams, who moved to St. Louis in 1995, led the Missouri pre-season series 9–6, before returning to Los Angeles in 2016.
All-Time regular season results
Note: The Governor's Cup was not awarded for games between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs, only since the Rams relocated to St. Louis in 1995. The Rams would relocate to Los Angeles in 2016.
The Chiefs led the regular season series 6–0.[3][4]
| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Stadium | Game notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 26, 1997 | Kansas City Chiefs 28 | St. Louis Rams 20 | Trans World Dome | Isaac Bruce becomes the first NFL player since 1968 to throw a touchdown, catch a touchdown and rush for a touchdown in the same game. |
| October 22, 2000 | St. Louis Rams 34 | Kansas City Chiefs 54 | Arrowhead Stadium | Game played a week after Governor Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash while campaigning for a seat in the United States Senate. He was scheduled to attend the game. A moment of silence was held beforehand. |
| December 8, 2002 | St. Louis Rams 10 | Kansas City Chiefs 49 | Arrowhead Stadium | Dante Hall records two kick returns for touchdowns in the first quarter. |
| November 5, 2006 | Kansas City Chiefs 31 | St. Louis Rams 17 | Edward Jones Dome | |
| December 19, 2010 | Kansas City Chiefs 27 | St. Louis Rams 13 | Edward Jones Dome | |
| October 26, 2014 | St. Louis Rams 7 | Kansas City Chiefs 34 | Arrowhead Stadium | Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis combine for four touchdowns. |
See also
References
- ↑ Dean, Rick. Grbac to get playing time tonight, The Capital-Journal, 22 August 1997
- ↑ Chiefs-Rams news release for 9/2/05 preseason game
- ↑ Chiefs-Rams news release for 11/5/06 regular season game
- ↑ Herb, Patrick. BATTERING RAM: Johnson and Chiefs take Governor's Cup 31-17 KCChiefs.com, 5 November 2006.