chiefs! steelers! good times!

The streamers.

I read somewhere once, I believe in a Rick Reilly column regarding Jack Nicklaus' win at Augusta, that when you don't know where to begin, when you don't know how to rationally put your thoughts on paper (or in this case, cyberspace), focus on one point and expand from there.

For me, its the streamers.

If you've been to a game at Arrowhead, you know what I'm talking about. Those loyal, die hard fans in the upper deck who somehow smuggle in red and gold streamers, and unleash them on the fans below after every big Chiefs score. In the Vermeil years, you had the streamers flying every what, 10, 15 minutes? The last few years, sadly, we haven't really had a deluge of streamers. Save for last year's win over denver, there hasn't been much to celebrate since mid 2007.

(Yup, the Chiefs are 2-16 in their last 18 home games that count, dating back to Green Bay to open the second half of 2007. Yikes.)

Yesterday though, in the 4th quarter, in overtime, they just came flying down. Continuously. It was like the good old days in there. Fans yelling, cheering, smacking the back of the seats in front of them. Exciting comebacks. Shut down defense. Knocking the other team's quarterback out cold. And a simple little flair pass into the flat that turns into a 61 yard scamper that opens the floodgates on my tear ducts.

It was just ... it was beautiful.

* Huge tailgating contingent yesterday. I'd like to say that its because we all had faith the Chiefs would win, but let's be realistic. Not even I thought we could do this, and I'm just about the most delusional (aka optimistic) person I know. Still, when both the bus and the ambulance are pretty well filled up at 6:30, its a good sign.

* Arrived at the gates around 7. Met some folks who wound up parking next to us, who'd just bought a bus and were about to undertake the process of converting it from school bus to tailgate central. You gotta admire that.

* Also met a ton of Steelers fans. I'll give them this: they travel like no team I've ever seen. Not even Green Bay or Dallas fans filled that stadium like Pittsburgh fan did yesterday. I've never seen the lower bowl so filled with visiting fans. They were everywhere. Towels included.

* To say yesterday's tailgating main course was the best we've ever had ... well, might be stretching it a bit. Nancy's steak kabobs are always a special pleasure, and Monty makes a mean kabob as well. Ditto russ' Raider ribs. But the Philly cheesesteaks yesterday, holy Lord. I stopped at two. I easily could have had five. At least two people proclaimed it the "best tailgate food ever". They really were tremendous. In fact, by the time we finished eating some after the game, there was literally nothing left. I don't remember the last time we didn't have leftovers to take home for Monday's lunch. Nearly 25 pounds of cheesesteak, all gone. And worth every bite.

* To the shock of everyone, we had an early Dusty and Kellie arrival. However, to the shock of noone, I posted one of my worst efforts at washers of the season, extending to the losing streak to the ex-roommate to 2,516,872 (approximate).

* Panic moment of the day: its 11:10ish. We're packing up ... and suddenly realize, I don't have my ticket. Nancy was supposed to leave it on Saturday night, only nobody bothered to remember to grab it. We manage to get ahold of Gusser, who heads down, finds the ticket, and volunteers to drive it out. I start walking from our tailgating spot to Stadium Drive to meet him. Its about a 5 minute walk, no biggie. Gusser, if he'd been driving the speed limit, observing all traffic laws, should have taken 12-15 minutes to make the drive. He literally got to the fence at the same time I did. THAT is a MVP performance in driving! I was in my seat before the anthem. Unreal.

* I don't know who this Trailer Choir band is that performed the anthem ... but if your vision of a band named "Trailer Choir" is a hot blond chick with two fat, no-talent dudes in overalls next to her, you'd be correct. All that was missing was a banjo and some nitwit kid eating grass to complete the "Deliverance" image.

* Loved the Scott Pioli / Mitch Holtgus "Happy Thanksgiving" ad. Also loved the "Mayne Street" ripoff that led into KC Wolf's sketch. Mitch Holtgus is a highly underrated comedian.

* Funniest sign: across the field from me. "KC Wolf Is Really Chuck E. Cheese". The stuff that makes me laugh. I mean, who thinks of random stuff like that? Plus, anytime you get a Chuck E. Cheese reference, you always think back to "Grumpier Old Men":

(max) why would people drive all the way out here for fine Italian dining, when we've got a Chuck E. Cheese in town?
(maria) I don't know this Cheese person ...

That scene always cracks me up.

* Chiefs win the toss and choose to receive. Solid opening kick for Josh Reed, as Jamaal Charles fields it at our 3. And then took it to the house. I have no idea how Jamaal Charles squeezed through the last line of Steelers defenders. But as soon as he did, and he hit the 40, 45 yard line, he was gone. He hit the after-burners, and was just gone. To say Arrowhead was loud after that, is an understatement.

* Sadly, however, all the positive energy, good will, and optimism that return initially inspired, was whizzed away by yet another baffling, clueless, completely inept offensive performance in the first half. The Chiefs managed three offensive first downs. 42 yards of net offense. 42! And considering we only had one penalty called on us in the half, that means we racked up 47 total yards! That's horrendous!

As the great Jim Mora once noted, "our fans were vomiting in the stands at that performance". That about sums up the first half for the Chiefs offense yesterday.

The worst of it, though, was saved for the Chiefs final possession of the first half. Trailing 17-7, reeling after two straight solid Steeler drives ended in touchdown passes to Heath Miller, the defense managed to force a punt, and the Chiefs took over at their own 30, with 1:10 to go and all three timeouts remaining.

70 seconds. All three timeouts. You only need a couple first downs to at least try a field goal that could pull you within seven at the half. With Succup's leg strength and the fact that there was no wind in there yesterday, you'd need to get to the 43 to try it from 60. We're talking 25 yards. In 70 seconds. With all three timeouts. Extremely doable.

On first down the Chiefs call a screen to Charles (which I was fine with), and it gained a first down. Tick. Tick. Tick. No urgency, no hurry up, and worst of all, no timeout called! What in the f*cking hell was Coach Haley thinking? The next play was a catastrophe, as Cassel was sacked. Still, no sense of urgency, no hurry up. And the Chiefs walked to the locker room with all three timeouts in their pocket, after basically refusing to try to score at the end of the half.

In section 132, this irate, angry as all effing hell 32 year old fired off his frustrations via text, asking "can we pull a jerry jones and fire his ass at halftime", along with a few other anti-Coach rants. To say I was angry, is an understatement. I spent a solid 5 minutes just standing, arms folded, staring at the Chiefs players entrance, trying to ... well, I don't know what I was trying to do. Look angry and mean I guess. But I was furious.

* Funniest text of the day: from Katie right before halftime. "stay away from the little girls". The Junior Chiefs cheerleaders were the halftime show. Great, my ex (jokingly ... I think ...) warning me to avoid pedophilia. Can this day get any better?

(Yup).

* At this point, I had no doubt how the second half would unfold. Pittsburgh would come out, score on the opening possession, then a horribly called or executed play would lead to a turnover, Steelers punch it in to go up 24, and Coach Haley implodes on the sidelines like a spoiled little brat, blaming everyone other than the f*cking idiot calling the plays for the lack of execution. Come on. I know at least half of you reading this are nodding your heads, going "yup, that's exactly what I was thinkin' too, boss".

Only ... well, if I'm going to rip him when he's an idiot, I have to praise him when he does something right.

I have no idea what Todd Haley said at halftime. I have no idea what he did to change this game around. But that team that came out for the second half, was a different team than the one that took the field 90 minutes earlier. You could kind of sense it. The first half, even after Charles' return, the attitude seemed to be "just keep it close, don't embarrass yourself, act like professionals today". The second half, its like Haley decided "f*ck it, we're not here to look good, we're here to win. Let's win this damned game".

* First Steelers drive of the half, the pass goes off Heath Miller's hands, and into Andy Studebaker's. Who falls down at the Chiefs 38 to give us some hope. And here's where you first really noticed the Chiefs weren't gonna go away quietly. (Well, other than that whole "whoa, they got a swagger now!" realization as they came out of the locker room at halftime).

The entire first half yesterday, hell pretty much of the entire season, not just yesterday, Todd Haley has pretty much refused to open the passing game up. For whatever reason, he's decided the dink-n-dunk, play it safe routine is what is best for this team, that playing conservative football gives us the best chance to win.

He's dead wrong, of course, as yesterday proved. But, to his credit: Haley finally got it yesterday.

After a sweet midfield pass to Chambers to pick up a key first down, Cassel dropped back and let it fly to Mark Bradley. First down Chiefs at about the Steelers 20. And then, on 3rd and 9 at the Steelers 21, knowing you at least need the three (to get back within a possession) but really, knowing he needed the six, Haley called one of the most beautiful fullback jailbreak passes I've ever seen. Leonard Pope, faking the block, then sprinting wide, wide open to the end zone, as the triple WRs on the left side of the formation had pulled both safeties to that side. It was Pope vs ... uuh, well, he was pretty much uncovered. NOBODY expected Leonard Pope to engage his man, then take off for the end zone. Cassel threw a perfect pass, and all of a sudden, its 17-14, Arrowhead is getting louder, and even I started to think "maybe ... just maybe ..."

* My text message after the Pope TD (seriously, watch the replay. This thing is just beautiful. OUTSTANDING! play call by Coach Haley on that one, just outstanding!) was simple. "were getting the taint here". The Steelers kept driving. Kept driving. And then, paydirt, as Roethlisberger was fooled by the coverage, and dropping into coverage Andy Studebaker made his second pick of the quarter, this one three yards deep in the end zone. And off he went. The 50! The 40! The 30! The 20! Sweet f*cking Jesus can he do it!

(No).

Sadly, tackled at the eight yard line. But three plays later, the Chiefs (correctly) opted to kick the tying field goal on 4th and goal, and just like that, the game was tied for the first time all day. We'd gone toe to toe with the defending Super Bowl champions for 45 minutes, and had battled them to a draw. Bring on the 4th quarter!

* The Steelers open with a sweet pass to Hines Ward to put them in business at the Chiefs 46. And that's as close as they got. Three incompletions later, out came the punting unit. For the first time, you could see those asshole Steeler fans nervously clutching their towels. Also, not coincidentally, for the first time, I started waving the red towel I had with me. You're damned right I went there. Wasn't quite as fun as Gregg waving his red hat to mock those smug assholes, but it was still sweet.

* And then, just like that, momentum crushed. Matt Cassel takes a (chuck barkley voice) TURRIBLE sack on 2nd down, loses the ball, and the Steelers have it at our 27. Five plays later, touchdown. 24-17 Steelers. To make matters worse, on the ensuing kickoff, as I'm screaming "take a f*cking knee!" at Charles, he decides to run it out of the end zone. Thanks to a block in the back, the Chiefs are now starting at their own 9. First down, nothing. Second down, nothing. Its 3rd and 9, clock ticking down near the 6 minute mark. Cassel comes to the line ... and calls timeout. The boos start raining down. Same old Chiefs, I'm sure many were thinking. (Myself included).

Only, I watched the Cassel / Haley interaction during that timeout. Last week in Oakland, Haley was berating Cassel for doing the same thing. This week, it was a calm, rational discussion on what the play should be. You could make a legitimate argument that this was the ballgame. Convert or else. There was no yelling, no screaming, no blaming anyone, it was ... it was professionalism. Which is what I'd begged and pleaded to see all week. And here, at the biggest moment of the game, the two key players (QB and coordinator) are as calm as can be. I turned to Monty and Chris and said "we're converting this, and we're tying this game". The smug Steeler fans behind me just started laughing. "You haven't converted this all day! You aren't starting now!"

The play, BAM!, a perfect strike to Lance Long streaking down the middle. Gain of 30 to the Steelers 40. Arrowhead starting to get louder, starting to feel it. Arguably the biggest conversion of the season so far.

And here's where I think the "new" Todd Haley, or at least the one I want running my team, took control of this game. The Todd Haley of the previous 9 weeks, calls a run to Charles there, to calm things down. The Todd Haley of yesterday orders up a bomb to Chris Chambers. 48 yard completion. Chambers just blew by the Steelers defenders. He was WIDE open. Sadly, the pass was underthrown, so the defender caught up and made the tackle. But I loved the concept there. You've just converted a huge 3rd and long. Rather than take a moment to gain your bearings, you drop another bomb on them. Loved it.

Then on first down, the fake up the middle to Charles, when everyone in the stadium KNEW it was going to be a run ... and instead, its a wide receiver reverse to Bobby Wade that gains 8. Awesome. You could feel it, the rising optimism, the rising crowd noise. The nervous as all hell Steelers fans.

Two plays later, a shovel pass to Charles for the tying score. Haley admitted after the game that he'd been waiting all game to use that call. I'd say he picked the perfect time.

* Its at this point I get an "urgent" text from Brent. "you have no qb still time to put in mcnabb". I forgot we swung a deal this week that traded my starting QB to the Salty Bananas, and I didn't log into my team on Sunday morning because I was running late and forgot about it. Thankfully, McNabb was inserted into the starting lineup, and team tito should move on to 7-3-1 after tonight.

* Still plenty of time left for Pittsburgh though. Amazingly, the defense forced a three and out. "Is this for real? Are you kidding me?" All common phrases heard at this point. The Chiefs are getting the ball back with a shot to win! Short lived though. Chiefs also go 3 and out, and punt back after the two minute warning. Roethlisberger opens the drive at his own 20, 1:47 and two timeouts to go, only needing a field goal. First down, one of the craziest sacks I've ever seen, Derrick Johnson literally riding the back of a hunched over offensive lineman, reaching out, grabbing Roethlisberger's jersey, and somehow, through sheer determination, dragging him to the ground. Arrowhead is going crazy! But, since it is the Chiefs ... illegal contact. Why in the hell Wallace Gilberry was on the field, let alone in pass coverage, is beyond me. (To be fair, prior to yesterday, I did not know we had a player named Wallace Gilberry on the roster). But that negated the sack. Roethlisberger does what he does best: drives the Steelers. They get to the Chiefs 43, facing a 3rd and 5, a little over a minute to go. Time to stand guys. The crowd noise at this point was just unreal. At this point, I had the same thoughts flashing through my head that I did for the KU / MU game last year. "Yeah, I want my team to win, but holy crap, this game has been way too good to end with something shady". The only thing I didn't want was some amped up Chiefs defender committing a pass interference call.

* So Roethlisberger drops back, and the blitz just engulfs him. Down goes Ben! I believe there were :57 remaining when he went down. The Chiefs had one timeout left.

And never used it.

(steve getting really angry) Todd, you did a tremendous job of coaching yesterday. Really, you did. (Well, once someone knocked you with a 2x4 in the head at halftime and convinced you to open things up). But your clock management skills are worse than piss poor. Herm's were piss poor. Yours are 1,000 times worse.

You completely f*cked up the closing drives of BOTH halves yesterday. Completely FUBAR'd them. I'm not saying the Chiefs would have driven to try the game winning field goal had we called that timeout with :57 to go. But we'd have gotten the ball back with about :50 left, at our own 20. 40 yards in 49 seconds. The way the passing game was flowing in that fourth quarter, you mean to tell me we couldn't have at least made it interesting?

* Steelers win the coin flip. I did the research this morning, Chiefs overtime games in the 2000s prior to yesterday. Here's the list:

1/2/00: Raiders 41, at Chiefs 38.
9/10/00: at Titans 17, Chiefs 14.
9/9/01: Raiders 27, at Chiefs 24.
12/16/01: at Chiefs 26, broncos 23.
9/22/02: at Patriots 41, Chiefs 38.
10/20/02: broncos 37, at Chiefs 34.
10/12/03: Chiefs 40, at Packers 34.
9/17/06: at broncos 9, Chiefs 6.
12/3/06: at Browns 31, Chiefs 28.
12/30/07: at Jets 13, Chiefs 10.
11/2/08: Bucs 30, at Chiefs 27.
11/11/09: Cowboys 26, at Chiefs 20.

Call me crazy, but when you're 2-9 in the decade in overtime, why wouldn't you stop that clock and try to win it in regulation? Dumb, dumb move by Todd Haley. Thankfully, he got away with it.

* Steelers open with a couple nice runs, a short pass to Hines Ward, and have a 2nd and 3 at their own 40. Ben scrambles, and is taken down. Hard. Replays show he pretty much got kneed in the head. I turn to the Steelers fan behind me and ask "who's the backup QB", because I truly have no clue. Turns out ... its Charlie Batch! I think at this point, all of Arrowhead was breathing a sigh of relief. Considering the Steelers were flagged for a blatant hold on the play, they've now got 2nd and 13 at their own 30, and Chuck Batch is under center.

* Three plays later, the Steelers have 3rd and 2 at the Chiefs 35. Seems Chuck Batch had no problems moving the ball against our defense. Shocking, I know. I get why the Steelers called a run in this spot. What I don't get is why they called the running play they did (a pitch to Moore). If anything, you just pound it up the middle there. You need two yards for the first down. No matter what though, you CANNOT lose yardage because you're right on the edge of trying the field goal. Its a 53 yarder at that point. If you lose yardage, you'll have to punt. That's why a pitch made no sense. Belcher just swallowed it up, Steelers lose 4, and in comes the punter.

* Having said that, why didn't the Steelers go ahead and try the field goal anyways? It would have been a 57 yard attempt, but there was no wind in that stadium, you've got a rock solid kicker with a good leg in Jeff Reed, and the ensuing punt only netted you 18 yards anyways. Plus there's that pesky little detail known as "if the kick was good, we win the game". I'd have at least lined up in the field goal formation, if only to pooch punt it. That seems to me to be a better play that letting the punter boom it into the end zone.

* Chiefs take over at their own 20. Jamaal Charles goes offtackle on first down ... and keeps going ... and keeps going ... he turned what should have been a 1, 2 yard gain into a gain of 11 and a first down. And then came the understated, undervalued, however you want to phrase it, THE key play of the game.

On 2nd and 5 (I think, it was 5 or 6 yards to go after the short pass to Pope on first down), Cassel drops back to pass and airs it out for Chambers deep. The Steelers defender is there just waiting for it. Its a layup interception. Only Chris Chambers never gave up on it, and somehow managed to knock the pass out of the defenders hands and onto the ground. I have no idea how that pass was incomplete. No idea. But Chambers made the play. Which set up ...

* 3rd and 5 at the Chiefs 36. Cassel calls a short, simple crossing route for Chambers, designed to get the first down, which he does. Only, he keeps going. And keeps going. And doesn't stop until he's at the Steelers 4! (dan dierdorf voice) Just a simple little flare ... Arrowhead was rocking now. Out comes Ryan Succup and Dusty C for the field goal attempt. I hit my knees in the traditional section 132 manner. The snap, the hold, the kick, its good! Chiefs win!

* The first thing I did, after the congratulatory hugs, high fives, and "wohoo!"s, was grab that red towel thingy, and just start waving it and chanting "Here we go Steelers, Here we go!" You're damned right I went there. I was a model of civility for 3 1/2 hours around thousands of annoying as f*ck Steelers fans. If you're gonna give it guys, be ready to take it.

(Although to be fair, I did simply congratulate the Steelers fan in front of me for a good game. He and his wife were perfectly acceptable football fans. It was the four loudmouthed drunks behind us that p*ssed me off. Especially the large blonde chick who kept screeching at every play, good or bad. Yes, screeching. I made sure I waved the towel in her face).

* The next thing, a congratulatory moment with the old roommate and his family. It was a relief to see that I wasn't the only one who had, uuh, some redness in their eyes.

* The walk up the ramp after a win is one of my favorite moments of the Arrowhead Experience. The jubilation, the chanting, the Tomahawk Chop, just beautiful. Oh, and with another accessory too. God love him, there was one person there yesterday who believed we'd win. Monty brought in the victory cigars. Rarely has a cigarillo tasted as good as that one did on the walk back to the buses.

* I finally get back up to the buses, and I'm pretty much one of the last ones to arrive. The celebratory high five with Dusty. Me noting that "the last time we won a home game, we hadn't even met each other yet" to Kellie and Katie. The hug with Mona. Then Sheila broke out the bubbly. Dusty lobbied for Monty to break out the stereo. Yeah, we weren't going anywhere for a while.

* After about an hour of postgame tailgating, it was off to Russ and Mona's for more, uuh, postgame tailgating. Seeing the donkeys get killed at home never gets old, even if I do want them to win this division if we can't (and I'm guessing at 3-7, 4 games behind San Diego with 6 to go, that we can't).

* Finally got home about 7pm last night. Sadly, there were no crazy post-game antics to report this week. No nudity in the hot tub, no falling down drunk on the stairs, just good times over some good booze and some tremendous Philly cheesesteaks. Anyways, after getting home, I poured myself a celebratory vodka and apple juice (highly underrated mixer, and believe me, I've tried mixing vodka with just about everything known to man) and crawled into bed to watch "The Amazing Race" and some football. And within 10 minutes, I fell asleep. I was just spent. (That, or intoxicated. Possibly both). Slept straight through until 7:32 this morning, which is what I set the alarm for last night. (Yeah, I'm leaning "intoxicated" at this point, definitely).

Still, what a great capper to a great weekend. I still need to recap the initial BuKCs party of 2009-2010, that was tremendous fun on Friday night. But this recap comes first. Because it was a

* Victory Sunday! I could definitely get used to a few more of these ...