Tony performing taps for his own pep band's funeral
As if the economic news isn't bad enough, Tony DiPardo's legendary TD Pack Band will no longer be a fixture at Arrowhead after this dismal 2008 season. Their bandstand in the east endzone of the stadium was not included in the new redesign for Arrowhead Stadium.
Fans could hear the familiar horn sounds of the Pack Band after a Chiefs huddle was broken or after a first down was made. The 8-piece unit has been under the direction of DiPardo's daughter Patti DiPardo Livergood for 20 years, but Tony is still around and kicking at age 96. And yes we can blame this poor decision again on Carl Peterson who has spearheaded the stadium renovation project. And again, the little soccer-loving Hunt boy has not been heard from regarding another major development with the proud franchise his father built.
Many fans will not miss Patti belting out tunes before the game as her vocal skills are questionable, but with the TD Pack Band going the way of Warpaint, the horse that was the team's official mascot before the buffoonish KC Wolf started stalking the stands, many old fans will have less and less tradition to remember on game day. The TD Pack Band may have been the only pep-style band in the NFL and gave Arrowhead a uniquely sonic tradition all its own.
Chris Johnson doing some tribal drumming during the Titans' drubbing of the Chiefs in October
