54 Years with the Chiefs

By Lizzy Gomez

 

Jim Durkin selling programs to Chiefs fans. 

As fans walked up the stairs into NBT Bank Stadium for the Chiefs game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Monday night, one voice projected above all the others.

“Hey, hey, hey - It’s Monday and it’s deal night!” said Jim Durkin, the man who sells programs at the top of the stairs to fans when they enter the ballpark. “You wanna hear the deal?”

For some Chiefs fans, Jim Durkin is as much 
a part of NBT Bank Stadium as the Chiefs themselves. Durkin, 78, has been working at Chiefs games for 54 years, selling everything from beer and ice cream sandwiches to programs.

Joanne Demma, a close friend of Durkin’s who has been attending Chiefs games for 30 years, says fans know when Durkin is working the game even before they enter the stadium.

“You could be out waiting in line for your ticket and you’ll hear Jim up here before you see him,” Demma said. “When he’s not here, it’s like, ‘Where’s Jim tonight?’ And then he comes back and they say, ‘Where have you been? We’ve missed you!’”

For the past two seasons, Durkin has often been missing from his usual spot at the top of the ballpark stairs. Approaching 80 years old, Durkin tried twice to retire from his duties with the Chiefs. Both times he was called back. Most recently, fans wrote letters to Chiefs General Manager, Jason Smorol, specifically asking for Durkin to return to NBT Bank Stadium for the 2014 season. Durkin, who says his only job is to please the fans, came back on Opening Day.

“Opening Day was special because everybody comes up, wants to know how you’re feeling and how your winter was.” Durkin said. “It was just like, ‘welcome home.’”

Monday night was no different. Fans walked by, shouting greetings to Durkin, and many made a stop at his booth for no other reason than to say hello and ask about his wife, Rose.

Jim Durkin with Chiefs fan and
close friend, Joanne Demma.

Durkin extended the kindness back to a number of fans who purchased programs by hinting to them which programs contained vouchers for free pizzas and other prizes. Every time a fan won, Durkin celebrated the moment with everyone within earshot.

“Hey, hey, look at here!” Durkin said. “There goes another winner! Another winner! Everybody’s winning tonight!”

As the Chiefs scored four runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead over the RailRiders, Syracuse radio personality, Clark Motondo (better known as Skip Clark), stopped by Durkin’s booth to say hello. Motondo says his 13-year-old son Zachery, who has Down syndrome, looks to Durkin as one of his heroes.

“He goes, ‘Mr. Durkin, Mr. Durkin!’” Clark said. “He can hear him coming up the stairs. He just smiles, he just glows and he always comes by and gives him a hug or shakes his hand.”

Durkin says the relationships he formed over the years with fans like Demma and the Motondos are the greatest benefits of his duties with Chiefs.

“Every customer I sell to, I talk to,” Durkin said. “I might talk to you for four seconds, but I recognize and I appreciate every customer.”