the second to receive the medal reserved for extraordinary individuals whose positive contributions to soccer at the national level affected the course of soccer history in the United States.
That year, he also saw the U.S. Open Cup Tournament renamed in his honor. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. Dating back to 1914, the single-elimination tournament is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history.
The Kansas City Wizards became the second Hunt soccer team to capture a crown, winning the 2000 MLS Cup over the Chicago Fire 1-0 in Washington D.C., on Oct. 15, 2000. A year later, it was Columbus that added a trophy to the case. On Oct. 24, 2002, the Crew won the tournament that bears his name -the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - in the stadium that he built - Crew Stadium - by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0.
The Wizards kept the momentum going, winning the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, needing extra time to defeat the Chicago Fire 1-0 on Sept. 22, 2004 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the home of the Wizards and the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, which Hunt founded in 1960.
Having taken over the operations of Dallas in 2003, Hunt's youngest son Dan joined the Hunt Sports Group to help make Texas soccer history by breaking ground on the team's sparkling new Pizza Hut Park on Feb. 18, 2004. The 20,500 seat, state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium in Frisco became the first soccer stadium built through a coordination of both private and public funds. Hunt Sports Group, the City of Frisco, Collin County and the Frisco Independent School District partnered to build the facility that features 17 championship-quality soccer fields adjacent to the stadium. Through Hunt's visionary leadership, Pizza Hut Park has become the model for soccer-specific stadiums in the United States.
Since opening on Aug. 6, 2005 with a 2-2 draw between home-side FC Dallas and the MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls), the 117-acre facility has hosted nearly two million spectators and participants.
Entering the 2006 season, Hunt-founded Crew Stadium and Pizza Hut Park were two of the three operating stadiums in Major League Soccer built specifically for soccer. The stadiums have hosted numerous high-profile events, including many memorable soccer games. The U.S. Men's National Team has posted a 4-0-3 record at Crew Stadium. Behind raucous pro-American crowds, the U.S. team earned two World Cup Qualifying victories over rival Mexico, including a 2-0 won on Sept. 3, 2005, which qualified the U.S. for the 2006 World Cup. Crew Stadium also played host to the 2000 MLS All-Star Game and the 2001 MLS Cup.
Pizza Hut Park has also hosted the U.S. National Team, as well as those of Mexico, Ghana and Guatemala. The Park was a host venue for the 2006 InterLiga tournament featuring the top Mexican First Division clubs, and in November 2006 was chosen to once again be a venue for InterLiga 2007. The stadium has also been the site of the past two MLS Cup Championship matches, including the 2006 title game on Nov.12 which saw Houston defeat New England in penalty kicks before an overflow crowd of 22,427 - the largest soccer crowd in the short history of the facility.
At the 2004 MLS Cup, Hunt was presented the Commissioner's Award by MLS Commissioner Don Garber for being one of the league's founding fathers as well as a man who has championed soccer in the United States for nearly 40 years.
As far back as 1982, Hunt was honored for his efforts to help establish pro soccer in America by being inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. Hunt has also been inducted into both, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Hall of Fame, as well as the sports halls of fame of both Missouri and Texas. In 2005, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States, presented Hunt with the Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award.
For as much as soccer was a passion of his, his Kansas City Chiefs always remained one of his most prized sporting entities. His passion for athletics encompassed more than just the game of soccer and football. Appropriately nicknamed "Games" during his childhood, Hunt's love of sports was his true passion, an enthusiasm which led to his involvement in six different professional sports leagues and seven sports franchises.
In addition to his formative role in the creation of the NASL, the AFL, and MLS, Hunt was also involved in the development of,World Championship Tennis. WCT changed the landscape of professional tennis and Hunt's efforts were commemorated in 1993 with his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Hunt was born on August 2, 1932 in El Dorado, Arkansas and graduated from SMU with a B.S. in Geology in '56. While at SMU, he was a three-year reserve end on the Varsity Football Team. Hunt was an avid supporter of his alma mater and was an annual fixture at the Cotton Bowl. He and his wife Norma were also involved in numerous philanthropic and civic efforts in Dallas, across the state of Texas and in the Kansas City community.
