From soldier to entrepreneur: One Chiefs fan’s journey ignites passion for team, family and cigars
LAS VEGAS (KCTV) - He was born in Kansas City and raised just outside of the city limits in Adrian, Missouri.
Brad Mark lived a quiet life growing up. He’s always been a Chiefs fan, but his passion for the Chiefs exploded when he joined the army.
“I think it’s the old adage of you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and when I couldn’t go to those Chiefs games or see the games, it’s when I really missed home,” he said.
Mark was stationed in Germany and while living there he couldn’t watch any baseball games or many American sports leagues. He could catch the occasional NFL game and, it turns out, that distance makes the heart grow fonder.
He eventually left the Army and attended school in Springfield, Missouri. One spring break, he and a friend came to Las Vegas, where he fell in love with the city. After college, he immediately packed his bags.
He has run successful businesses since being in town, but his passion for the Chiefs and his family never went away. He was a season ticket holder for 17 years and would fly back every weekend to attend the games with his son.
“Football to me is time with my son,” says Mark. “It’s been that father-son bond.”
Even after selling their tickets a few years back, every Sunday they still get together to watch the Chiefs play.
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Last year, because of his other passion for cigars, he opened Smok Cigar Lounge in Las Vega. He fell in love with cigars after his wife’s family brought him some from Cuba.
It was so much of a passion, that he became certified.
“I’m an internationally certified Cigar Sommelier,” Mark said. “There’s only about two or three hundred in the world, but we have four on staff here at Smok Cigar Lounge”
Mark loves the culture, community, and stories around cigars.
“When you’re smoking a cigar for two hours and just enjoying time with each other. There’s nothing better in the world to me.
He also loves the stories behind the cigars themselves, noting that it takes over 300 hands working together to make a cigar before it ever makes it into the hands of the individual who eventually enjoys it.
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“These cigars are pretty cool. They are master aged Toscano cigars. It’s an Italian company, almost 200 years old. Their first-ever crop got flooded, so they decided to get some wood to burn and dry out the leaves and created fire-cured tobacco,” Mark said. “The Italian film director Serio Leone that did all the spaghetti Westerns, well he’s an Italian guy, and he’s from the same hometown as the Toscano cigars are made. These cigars cut in half is what Clint Eastwood had in his mouth during all those old spaghetti westerns.”
This Sunday will bring together three of Brad’s passions: The Chiefs, his family, and cigars.
He’ll gather with his cigar family and his real family in his new lounge to hopefully see the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.
On the team’s success in the last few years, Brad said, “So glad that this (winning the Super Bowl) actually happened in my lifetime. And not once, but twice! And it’s gonna happen a third time on Sunday! It’s incredible!”
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