Missouri State, Chiefs legend Art Hains talks about recovery and retirement
By Kris Ketz
Click here for updates on this story
SPRINGFIELD, Missouri (KMBC) — For more than four decades, the voice of Missouri State sports belonged to Art Hains.
Whether it was football or basketball, Hains called the action with passion and precision. “If it’s a Missouri State Bears game, Art Hains will be there, put that in the bank,” one tribute video declared.
A Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Hains spent 44 years broadcasting Bears games and 16 seasons hosting pregame, halftime and postgame coverage for the Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network.
But his career and his life changed in 2022 after a Missouri State football game.
“After the game, I started feeling a little weakness in my legs, which I attributed to carrying my heavy equipment case down the street,” Hains said.
Doctors later discovered he had contracted the West Nile virus. The illness left him paralyzed and fighting for his life.
“It had to be a mosquito bite,” Hains recalled. “Probably when I was out mowing. I’d mow my own yard right up until I got sick.”
Hains spent months in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, including time at the University of Kansas Health System and a facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. Even while recovering, he stayed on the air, broadcasting Chiefs games from his rehab bed.
“They put a sign on the door that said, ‘Broadcast in progress,’ and everyone knew not to bother us while the Chiefs game was going on,” he said.
A year later, in August 2023, Hains made an emotional return to the broadcast booth in Springfield.
“The first time I went, it was kind of emotional,” Hains said. “My wife was crying. I could see her through the glass. But that’s the place where I’ve been for so many years.”
Missouri State built a special ramp so Hains could access the booth again, and he handled the rest, calling Bears football with the same steady voice fans had missed.
Now retired from Missouri State, Hains still lives in Springfield. He says he’s grateful to have made it back behind the microphone, even once more.
“Every day now depends on how comfortable I am in the chair,” he said. “If I’m comfortable in the chair, it’s a good day.”
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.