manana: the most anticipated post of the year, version 20

"I ... I ... I ... I ... I
Can't get you out of my head.
God knows I've tried,
But I just can't forget

Those crazy nights,
And all the things that we did.
I ... I ... I ... I ... I
Can't get you out of my head ..."

-- "Out of My Head" by Theory of a Deadman. Tremendous.

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So ... "the most anticipated post of the year" is ready*. I'm still proofing the Excel spreadsheets, and making sure my tiebreaker procedures are accurate according to nfl.com standards (there's a clusterf*ck at 9-7 for the final AFC wildcard slot, and by "clusterf*ck", I mean "three teams tied after going five deep in the tiebreakers". I'll give you a little hint -- one of the "losers" at 9-7 in the tiebreakers (I think they're a loser, if I read the tiebreakers right) is the Browns. Look at their schedule. There's no way they'll be worse than 8-4 after week 13.)

(*: yes, this is the 20th edition! Dating back to my chicken scratch handwriting on a piece of Big Chief notebook paper in study hall in high school. OK, ok, it was probably on a Trapper Keeper piece of paper, but still. 20 years! Someone tell the Vice President, because this IS a "big f*cking deal"!!!)

What I wanted to do in this post ... is prep you for what's coming.

Because when "the most anticipated post of the year" hits sometime tomorrow evening, it will contain a prediction I have never made before. And at the risk of blowing my load early ... (dusty voice: it wouldn't be the first time! (rimshot!)) ... screw it, its time to start firing.

I'm all in. Not "debating for fifteen minutes while the ESPN cameras are on me, then pushing a handful of chips, before a "why not" look appears on my face" all in. I am all f*cking in.

Lamar's Trophy is coming home.

I cannot even begin to describe how psyched I am for this season. I haven't been this geeked entering a season since 2006. I believe in this team. I believe in what we have. I believe in what we are going to be.

What I can't get out of my head ... is one crazy night. And four things that "we" did. First down, second down, third down, fourth down. Against the Chargers, to open the 2010 season.

The division changed for the better that night. The balance of power shifted from the beaches of California, to the dried out grass of western Missouri.

And you know what? I don't want to get that magical night out of my head. That fourth down stand, Glenn Dorsey's big hambone knocking Phyllis Rivers' pass to the ground, as every die hard in the Kingdom exploded in ecstasy ... I don't want to get that out of my head.

The walk up the spiral ramp. The pounding of the signage. The tomahawk chops and chants.

As great as that night was, as magical, as awesome as that night was, it ain't chicken sh*t compared to what we're going to experience on January 22, 2012.

Believe Chiefs fans. For the first time in my life, I'm all in. The chips are in the middle of the table. Am I pushing in with an Ace / 5 suited? Possibly. But I'm pushing in.

I have NEVER been as confident in a Chiefs team beginning the season, as I am with this one. I believe. I'm all in, as you'll see when "the most anticipated post of the year" hits.

I just hope you will join me on the bandwagon, and witness a season I believe none of us are going to want to get "out of our heads" anytime soon ...