Puppet Lady Selected for Ford Hall of Fans

Story Originally Posted on The Miami County Republic (2/3/20)

Janel “The Puppet Lady” Carbajo was selected as one of three finalists for the Ford Hall of Fans, winning her trip to the Super Bowl to see her Kansas City Chiefs.

Janel and her husband Tom flew out to Miami on Thursday, Jan. 30.

David Baker, the president and executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, knocked on her Hyatt Regency hotel room door on Friday morning.

Janel Carbajo is going to Canton, Ohio, to be enshrined in the Ford Hall of Fans which is located inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Baker presented Carbajo with the news, letting her know she was newest member of the hall of fame.

“Thank you for loving the game so much,” Baker said. “Thank you for your passion. Thank you for caring about the Chiefs.

“We are having you for the Merlin Olson luncheon today, and you are going to the Super Bowl,” he said. “But we are also going to have you in Canton, Ohio.”

Carbajo was in tears.

“Oh my gosh, thank you so much,” she said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys, I get to go to Canton, Ohio. Go Chiefs.”

She gave Baker a big hug.

“This is a great job,” he said.

All three of the finals were chosen, getting a knock on their door by Baker that morning.

Janel Carbajo will be entering the Ford Hall of Fans with Denver Broncos fan Rob Garner and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan Keith Kunzig.

In addition to her trip to Miami to see the Super Bowl and the hall of fame selection, Carbjo won a 2019 Fort F-150.

More than 150,000 fans cast ballots for the Ford Hall of Fans.

One of those fans was Kari Guinn, who works at Indian Trail Middle School in the Olathe School District. Guinn’s name was drawn and she won Super Bowl tickets and a 2020 Ford truck.

Kansas City Chiefs Hall-of-Fame lineman Will Shields showed up at the Carbajo home in Spring Hill, wearing his golden jacket to let her know she was one of six finalists for the Ford Hall of Fans.Carbjo, the “puppet lady,” was nominated to join the Ford Hall of Fans this season.

She has been going to the Kansas City Chiefs games since her first date at Arrowhead with her boyfriend Tom. It has been a standing date for the two since they got married.

Three decades later it has become a family affair for Janel and Tom, joined by their children Kelsey, Macy and Kaden.

Kansas City Chiefs fans might now know her by name, but they always recognized the “Puppet Lady.” She has the puppets out fighting on her way to and from the game and, of course, the Chiefs puppet always wins.Janel and Tom went to Arrowhead Stadium for a Kansas City Chiefs game. The two are married with three children, Kelsey, Macy and Kaden. It is always a date when the Kansas Chiefs are playing at home, Janel said.

“I have always considered going to the Chiefs game as my standing date with my husband,” she said. “Once our children came along, we acquired more tickets for them to attend with us, and it’s been a family affair ever since”The “Puppet Lady” started years ago after getting a unique White Elephant.

“We had a White Elephant Christmas party with Tom’s wrestling team and I ended up with a Sylvester Stallone puppet,” she said. “We took it to the game with us basically as a toy to help keep our oldest daughter occupied while at the game.

“We had a Chiefs mini helmet that Tom put on it so it was his idea to get another puppet and the opposing helmet and that is how it all began.” she said. “Going to the Chiefs Kingdom shows, listening to Mitch Holthus and meeting the players is very exciting. The players say I see you on the big screen all the time. It’s pretty cool.”

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