let's go campin!

No, I'm not going floating this weekend ... but if someone wants to put together a late-summer float trip, I'm all about it. (Unless it screws with the August 15th tailgate. I honestly think this thing will actually live up to the hype. I have no idea how. Other than using the FOX Baseball promo voice. Grigsby! Glass! The "Beast Riders"! The "Ambulance Chasers"! One More Time! Only at Arrowhead! Only on ... (local cbs tv if we're lucky ...)

But ... its July! Almost August! which means three things.

1. I am fired up that my favorite 6 week stretch of the year is here weather wise. Its pretty much guaranteed that between now and Labor Day, we'll have hot conditions, no rain, plenty of days at the pool, a few tailgates at the Sports Complex ... and did I mention "hot conditions"? I freaking LOVE this stretch of the year.

2. Everybody has abandoned Steve and refuses to go to Sunday Royals games (and tailgate) because (insert legitimate reason here to not give piss poor franchise $.01 of your money).

But best of all, it means

3. Training camp is underway!

In the "fake mailbag" a couple weeks ago, I predicted the Chiefs would reach the playoffs as a wildcard at 9-7.

I stand behind that pick, for 8 reasons:

1. Matt Cassel. When Coach Haley says this kid prepares "more than Kurt Warner", I pay attention. Whatever you think of Mr. Warner and his wife's boa, there is pretty much nobody in the sport who made something of himself like Mr. Warner did. He came from nowhere (literally, stocking groceries in a HyVee in Iowa) to take three different teams to a Super Bowl in 11 years. Considering no Chiefs team in my lifetime has done that, I'm impressed. So if Coach Haley says Cassel's preparation, dedication to game film, and practice reels put Warner to shame, well, I'm damned proud I shelled out another $840 plus parking to see how it turns out.

2. Inside Linebacker. I understand Mike Vrabel isn't thrilled to be here to finish out his career, and I am less than thrilled that Monty Beisel is back for a second tour of duty with this team. I'm neutral on Zack Thomas, who I was jokingly compared to for years on end back in the day. (Mr. Thomas married his best friend's sister. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that ain't gonna happen with me at this point). But I firmly ... no scratch that. I am absolutely effing convinced that the 3-4 defense wins in this league, and nothing matters more than your ILB's in that defense. To have three proven, veteran savvy guys in there (plus Beisel's special teams expertise), I'm optimistic.

3. Goodbye TG. I personally don't give a crap what whiny bitchy malcontents think about setting records nobody gives a crap about. My way of saying, addition by subtraction.

4. A focused LJ. Remember Larry? I still do. I know I am a blind, rabid, "see no evil" supporter of the guy ... but really? A focused LJ is still among the 5-6 best backs in this league. He's literally playing for his financial livelihood. (Like, sadly, a lot of us are in Obama's America). I believe in him still. You don't suddenly forget to run the football. Unless ...

5. LDT is old. How do I know he's old? He lived in my old dorm when he was a freshman ... and I was a senior at TCU. He can't be San Diego's primary option to run the ball anymore. Darren Sproles, God love him, has proven he can't be a primary back. San Diego is EXACTLY where we were in the late 1990s in their backfield situation. An aging, still somewhat viable great player (us: Allen) and someone that can't handle the difference between "must deliver" and "reality" (us: Greg Hill, Donnell Bennett, Kimble Anders, etc). If San Diego can't run, then you tee off on Rivers (exactly what teams did last year). We can steal this division. Just like the Chargers did last year from our "good friends" in denver. And speaking of them ...

6. Two words: josh. mcdaniels. Readers of this site, and people who know me, know that I hate everything affiliated with the denver broncos with a friggin passion. Hell, I've already basically told one of my best friend's girlfriends (who is a donkeys fan) that she'd better bring a change of clothes if she's gonna survive tailgating on December 6th. (I kid, I kid. She's safe. Any fellow donkey fans she brings that aren't immediate relatives though, well, we tip port-a-potties on visiting fans for a reason).

But seriously, you sh*t can shanarat for this? You trade a potential franchise QB for kyle orton for this? denver is the new oakland. And speaking of which ...

7. I like tom cable. Actually, I like him a lot. I think he's a solid hire, will be a solid head coach, and I quite honestly fear what he brings to the table.

There's just one problem.

He looks like the spitting image of "deadbeat ex-roommate". Right down to the red-haired goatee.

And I refuse to believe that after all the financial sh*t that sad sack of crap put me through, that someone that looks like him will find a way to prosper. So oakland is no threat.

But finally, why I think this season could be epic ...

8. No realistic expectations.

Think back over the last 20 years of Chiefs football. 1989 there were no realistic expectations. We were the first team out. 1995 NOBODY outside of Gregg had ANY belief in that team. Even I thought we had no hope. That team only turned out to be the (co-best) record holder in franchise history, and my single favorite Chiefs team ever. 1999 was a "transition" year. We were (depending on your viewpoint) a missed field goal as time expired (me) or a horrid overtime kickoff (most folks) away from a division title, a layup wildcard round playoff win, and setting off a whole series of events that would have completely altered the franchise. 2001 was supposed to be a throwaway season, only we gained a franchise QB, our all time yardage RB, and an explosive WR threat out of the season, none of whom was here in 2000. (Green, Holmes, Kennison for the less informed out there). 2002 was another "transition year", again, we were the first team out of the playoffs. 2005, 2006 not much was expected. 2005 we were the first team out, 2006 the last team in. Even 2007, nobody outside of me had faith, and we led the division as late as November 25th (at 4-5 granted, but still).

When nobody expect good things from this team, good things happen. (Conversely, save for 1993 and 2003, when great things are expected, this team falls flat on its face.)

I think these guys are going to give us a season to remember. I am really, really fired up about this season. Give these guys a chance. Maybe they'll give us 9-10 denver games from last year to celebrate this season.

And if they don't ... hey. It's not the first time I've been dead wrong about something ...