a couple quick thoughts

* Sorry to see Gil Meche retire today. Whatever I and other Royals fans may have thought about the contract and the signing four years ago ... one thing remains: for one day, the Royals were relevant again. For one glorious day, someone wanted to play for us. Let's hope we have more players like that working their way through the farm system.

* I am working on my year-end Chiefs grades and thoughts. Unlike my junior year of college, when somehow my 32% entering the final in my Chemistry 1001 class, and no doubt posting worse than that on said final, somehow finagled me a C ... I don't grade on a generous curve. I do, however, hope to have those thoughts at least emailed out tomorrow, and posted tomorrow night or sometime Thursday.

(Note: that whole first semester of junior year deserves its own post. I need to get on that, a retro-active look at my favorite four months of college. Anytime you justify a 2.2 GPA to your folks with the "ok, so I was drunk, high, and playing 007 until I passed out every night. That might explain my disappointing grades" defense, it's one helluva semester.

On second thought, I know my folks read this on a somewhat regular basis. Aw, screw it, they know who I am at this point. I mean, my brother and I learned Santa Claus wasn't real when we snuck down one Christmas, and saw Dad playing the Legend of Zelda at 4am on the brand new original Nintendo set "Santa" brought us. Disappointment payback: it is a b*tch. Retro-diary has to happen!)

* Also hope to have up a few other Chiefs thoughts in that post as well, including a look back to the first round of the 2005 draft, a day best known for "The Voice of Reason" and I nearly coming to blows over who the Chiefs should pick ... and five years later, we can both still make the argument that we were right. ("The Voice of Reason" strongly wanted who we eventually picked. I wanted someone that slid a few more slots. For the short term, I'd argue G was right. For a ten year outlook, I think I was more dialed in. Either way, five years out, you can't say who was more right. You gotta love that).

* But finally ... a hopeful look forward.

If I had to name my favorite teams / drivers / athletes in a given sport, the guys I root for no matter what, unless they face each other, then I have a decision to make, they would appear as such:

MLB: Royals.
NBA: Bucks, Knicks.
NHL: Stars.
NCAA major sports: Jayhawks, Orangemen.
NASCAR: Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart.
Golf: Phil Mickelson.

And the NFL, where I root for the Chiefs no matter what ... as well as the Jets.

Who on Sunday, have an opportunity to do something no team I have a die-hard passion about has ever done before in my lifetime in the NFL.

Reach a Super Bowl.

Only three times have the Jets or Chiefs played to get there, and all three times, they were decided underdogs on the road, and it showed. The 1993 Chiefs got demolished in Buffalo 30-13. The 2009 Jets played well for three quarters, but collapsed down the stretch to lose to Indy 20-17. And in a game far closer than the final score indicates (a late garbage time TD sealed it), the 1998 Jets lost at Real Mile High to the broncos 23-10.

Sunday, the Jets can achieve what has been an impossibility in my life to this point: NFL greatness.

I have friends whose teams have reached Super Bowls. I have friends whose teams have won Super Bowls. But most of my friends, have never seen their team get there. The Jets aren't really "my team", they're my fallback crush. But I still love 'em. And here's to hoping Sunday, sees me shed a few tears as The Sanchize kneels in victory formation, and the Jets reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the pre-Woodstock days. Yup, it really has been that long. Sadly, only one year longer than for the Chiefs ...