as al pacino said in "scent of a woman" ...

Its time to take a flame thrower to this place, to One Arrowhead Drive.

After Herm's first retarded challenge yesterday, the LJ to Tony G TD pass, I nearly came unhinged in my seat, I was so irate the red flag hit the field. To recap: LJ has just thrown a halfback pass to Tony G. He caught it, both feet in bounds. Refs ruled incomplete. There was defensive pass interference on the play as well.

At that spot, midway through the 1st quarter, with 1st and goal upcoming at the 1, you do NOT challenge that call and risk blowing one of your two guaranteed challenges with so much time left on the clock. Even if you are 100% confident you will win the challenge, remember -- you only get two challenges. (Three if you win the first two). Do you really want to waste one of those challenges in that spot? Hell no! And this is the 2nd week in a row Herm has done this: his challenge in denver last week on a 9 yard reception was every bit as retarded as this one was.

Anyways, I shared my displeasure with the folks around me, and with some friends via text message. The only buddy who agreed with me was Gregg. Everyone else argued in favor of the challenge for various reasons. But one reason really just stood out above all the others:

"stop thinking like a playoff team...have to take all the small victories we can."

Look it, when you're 2-11, I can see the "take all the small victories you can get" argument. I don't agree with it, but I can at least see it.

But "stop thinking like a playoff team"? (steve sighing in disgust) That's why we're 2-12! That's why we've lost 21 of our last 23 games! Because NOBODY affiliated with this organization is thinking like a playoff team! They're perfectly content to play the "we're rebuilding", "that's what happens when you play a bunch of kids", "too many rookies", "too many injuries" cards. Too much "we gave a good effort, we just need to finish" crap.

Or as so memorably noted in "The Rock":

(stanley) I'll do my best.
(mason) your best? Losers always whine about their best! Winners go home and f*ck the prom queen!

I couldn't have said it better myself. Which is why I quoted it.

Simply put, the Kansas City Chiefs are run by losers. We are run by people who don't put winning as their number one, only thing that matters goal. We've got a GM focused on ticket sales. (Isn't that what your sales staff is supposed to do?)

(And as a side note: for the 2nd time this year, a former Chiefs great was honored at halftime, and Carl was nowhere to be found. Really? You're so scared of a few fans booing you, that you refuse to show up and honor arguably your single greatest personnel move of the last 20 years, stealing Willie Roaf for a 3rd rounder? If Carl is that spineless, that gutless, has that small of a package, he has no business running a business of any kind, let alone a professional sports franchise. And if his package is that small, he has no business frequenting certain "reputable singles sites" either, he'd be laughed out of the chat rooms, that's for sure ...)

We've got a head coach who excuses incredible on-field lapses in judgment, holds noone accountable via benching, roster cuts, or coaching changes. (Isn't that what a head coach is not supposed to do, tolerate failure and mistakes, and not make changes when the situation demands change?) And now, it appears, based on the text above, we've got a sizeable portion of our fanbase that is more than willing to cut these guys some slack, and doesn't expect or demand a playoff-caliber effort every time out.

You know who you are, that sent that text message. And its an attitude like that, that's why you're rooting for a 2-12 team, champ. Because you don't demand the best.

Speaking for myself, I want a return to the days when Marty cut players who f*cked up on kickoff coverage. I want a return to the days when Gunther had to have smelling salts delivered to the sidelines, because he nearly passed out from rage at his defense having the audacity to surrender a touchdown up 24-0 against the Rams in 2000. I want a return to the days of Vermeil chewing everyone's ass out in full view of everyone.

Enough of the coddling. Enough of the excuses. Enough of the "let's enjoy small victories" sh*t. There's only one thing that should matter in a professional sports league. Winning.

The people leading this franchise clearly don't know how to do that. And until we get some folks in here who do make "the main thing the main thing", as Dick Vermeil used to preach, there's no reason for any of us to care.