FILE – In this Sept. 23, 2018 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) is carted off the field after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, in Kansas City, Mo. Trying to pick up an extra yard on Sept. 23 cost Garoppolo the rest of this season with a torn left ACL when his leg buckled underneath him. He was hurt in the fourth quarter of a 38-27 loss to Kansas City after trying to cut up field instead of going out of bounds. That gave the 49ers only three games with the quarterback they signed to a $137.5 million, five-year contract after he won five straight games to wrap up last season. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Well I might take a train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I’m going just the same
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come

If you’re going to Kansas City, be sure to look it up on a map first so you don’t wind up in the wrong state. Although, quite frankly, even if you do, it’s not but a hop, skip, and a jump over to the right one. While there is a Kansas City, Kansas AND a Kansas City, Missouri, they’re directly adjacent to one another, divided along much of their boundary only by State Line Road. (On the northern end of town, the Missouri River serves as the boundary — which helps give Kansas a bit of squiggly character rather than pure rectangularness on its northeastern edge.)

But they ARE, indeed, two distinct cities in two distinct states. And the Kansas City Chiefs, who emerged from Super Bowl LIV last night with a 31-20 win over the San Francisco Forty-Niners, call Missouri their home — Arrowhead Stadium sits firmly on the Missouri side of the border, approximately 10 miles east of the state line (and adjacent to Kaufman Stadium, home of the Kansas City (Missouri) baseball Royals.)  Which isn’t to say that Kansas City, Kansans aren’t huge Chiefs fans — of course, they are, as are many of us from the eastern part of the state, particularly since we are, once again, without an NFL team.

The Chiefs, like most NFL teams, are a regional team, not a state team. (You see that “state identity” more at the collegiate level, in my observation.) Nevertheless, when President Trump sent his congratulatory tweet last night following their victory, he goofed, initially referencing “the Great State of Kansas,” rather than Missouri. That tweet was quickly deleted and replaced (in about 3 minutes’ time) with one identifying the correct state:

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game and a fantastic comeback under immense pressure. We are proud of you and the Great State of Missouri. You are true Champions!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2020

But not quickly enough to avoid the furor of social media and incur the ire of some Missourians. Take, for instance, (former) Senator Claire McCaskill:

It’s Missouri you stone cold idiot. pic.twitter.com/O1cAAOFsJ6

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 3, 2020

Wow – that escalated quickly. Calm down, Claire.

I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got some crazy lil’ women there
And I’m gonna get me one.

Look, I’m not gonna lie — I did a #headdesk myself when I learned of the gaffe. But then again, I’m from Missouri and have spent enough time in and around Kansas City that I understand its geography and where its professional sports teams reside. A lot of people do. Then again, a lot of people don’t — or, at least, DIDN’T before President Trump’s momentary misstep inspired them to look into it. (Let’s be honest, much of the country didn’t know and don’t care about the Heartland’s (ope, I’m told that’s a dog whistle these days) Midwest’s geography.)

Now that everyone is paying attention to Kansas City, it seems people are confused: We're from MISSOURI. Check our profile pic – It's our Missouri-shaped patch.

— kcpolice (@kcpolice) February 3, 2020

Many respondents to this tweet took the opportunity to crow about the President’s booboo but, as the KC Police further explained, he was far from alone in his confusion:

We gotta' whole lotta' confused tweets from national media types and such before we ever saw that.

— kcpolice (@kcpolice) February 3, 2020

Not that they’d ever own up to it, those “national media types.”

Dana Loesch weighed in on the controversy, too:

Born and raised Missourian and I agree. Most of the people criticizing him for this probably didn’t themselves know beforehand. This won’t make the state go blue. https://t.co/kQGQxngmRT

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 3, 2020

And the tweet she’s quoting rightly notes the ridiculous take some had on the incident:

STAHP. IT.

Look, 90% of Americans outside of Kansas/Missouri probably have no idea which side the Chiefs play on, just like most don't know the New York Giants play in New Jersey.

Every Chiefs fan I know is a Kansan.

It's a funny mistake. Take a deep breath, ya'll. https://t.co/QJK6zarSEX

— Amy Swearer (@AmySwearer) February 3, 2020

No, this isn’t cause to suddenly vote Democrat if you weren’t going to otherwise. (What are the odds that none of the Democratic candidates were laboring under the same misconception?) Amy Swearer’s exactly right — it’s a funny mistake and people really ought to get over themselves and lighten up.

I guarantee you most Missourians aren’t overly concerned about it. Governor Mike Parson (a huge Chiefs fan) certainly isn’t.

It was meant to be!!!

50 years! #ChiefsKindgom pic.twitter.com/Q0iJUyNdf0

— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) February 3, 2020

And, as the Missouri GOP rightly noted:

Since @GovParsonMO took office, Missouri has brought home the Stanley Cup and the Lombardi Trophy. #FourMoreYears

— Missouri GOP (@MissouriGOP) February 3, 2020

Maybe the St. Louis Cardinals can add to that collection just in time for the (re)election.

Also, to the extent they’re concerned about Midwestern geography, people should know the following: East St. Louis is a separate and distinct city from St. Louis City. The former is located in Illinois, while the latter is located in Missouri. They are separated by the Mississippi River, though you can see one from the other. St. Louis City is separate and distinct from St. Louis County (separate governments, court systems, etc.), though they are immediately adjacent to one another, with St. Louis County ringing St. Louis City west of the river.  The Metro St. Louis area encompasses municipalities in both Missouri and Illinois (just as the Metro Kansas City area encompasses municipalities in both Missouri and Kansas.) There’s also a Missouri City, Missouri — and a Missouri City, Texas, for that matter.