he's in. praise god almighty, he's in!

I first saw the news playing blackjack with my brother at a corner table at the Isle today.

I was down about $250 at that point. (And made a tremendous, tremendous rally to get almost back to even from that point on. Hooray Pai Gow!)

Anyways. Every flat screen around us had the NFLN on it.

And the glorious news.

DT is in.

The Hall of Fame.

Derrick Thomas becomes either number 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, or 243, to enter the hallowed grounds of Canton, Ohio, as an illustrious member.

I nearly shed tears watching Clark Hunt give his remarks. I nearly shed tears again getting multiple text messages along the lines of "he's in!", "DT in HOF!", "Wait is over, DTs IN!!!"

My reaction will forever be recorded as the first posted comment to DT's biggest supporter, Bob Gretz', reaction to DT getting in.

For that, I am eternally grateful.

The response speaks for itself.

(Here's hoping Canton, Ohio is a helluva lot more fun that Canton, Illinois ... no offense to anyone affiliated with the Grigsby clan over that remark ...)

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(the link: http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-football/it%e2%80%99s-about-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-12500)

One Response to “It’s About Time”
January 31, 2009 - steve says:
enjoy 15 of them champ! you have earned every one of them. thank you, thank you, thank you, for never letting dr. z’s ridiculous assertations get you down, for never giving up the fight. thank you sir, for this moment. you, by standing up for DT, gave every Chiefs fan … you just gave us what we needed.

on behalf of my little seat in Arrowhead Nation, and I’d be lying if I said what seat in 132 I am next year, since they’re all changing numbers … on behalf of my little section of Arrowhead Nation, thank you for all you did.

Can’t wait until that magical August afternoon when the world will get to appreciate what so many of us did throughout the 90s …

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I've never looked forward to a "roadie" like this one ...

a praise ... tribute ... thanks ... and goodbye, to my coach.

"Baby come here and sit down, let's talk.
I got a lot to say, so I guess I'll start by,
Saying that I love you, but you know this thing
Ain't been no walk in the park for us.

I swear, it'll only take a minute,
And you'll understand when I'm finished (yeah),
And I don't wanna see you cry,
But I don't wanna be the one to tell you a lie so ...

How do you let it go when you,
You just don't know what's on,
The other side of the door
When you're walking out (talk about it),

Everything I tried to remember to say,
Just went out of my head,
So I'm gonna do the best I can,
To get you to understand, cause I know ...

There's never a right time,
To say goodbye,
But I gotta make the first move,
Cause if I don't,
You're gonna start hatin' me.

Cause I don't really feel the way
I once felt about you,
Girl, its not you -- its me;
I kinda gotta figure out what I need.

There's never the right time
To say goodbye,
But we know, we gotta go
Our separate ways.

And I know its hard,
But I gotta do it,
And its killing me.
Cause there's never a right time,
A right time to say goodbye ..."

-- Chris Brown, "Say Goodbye"

------------------------------------

The Chiefs will never employ someone with more integrity, more character, more decency, than Herm Edwards.

And that's part of what draws me to him.

Herm is ... Herm.

He's never going to change who or what he is, to fit the situation. He will never compromise his views, his beliefs, to save his position in life.

Sadly, we have too few Herms in this country anymore.

And in Kansas City, we now have one less than we did at this time yesterday.

Herm's tenure here began on January 9, 2006. Noone, and I truly can say this without reservation, NOBODY was happier to see him arrive than me. Nobody.

Its probably good I no longer work for "former employer", so that I can't resurrect my email reactions to his hiring. But on the other hand, I stand behind my initial thoughts.

I truly believed that, if given the full faith and support of the Chiefs organization, Herm Edwards could take the team you and I love to the Super Bowl within 5 years.

Herm didn't get 5 years. He got 3. Only one of which he legitimately was given a chance to show his value with.

And show his value in that season, first season and a half, he did.

Its not often you can neatly split up a person's tenure into two pretty much evenly matched segments. But with Herm you can.

You had 24 games "pre-Greg Jennings". And 24 games "post-Greg Jennings".

The first 24 games, were everything I expected out of a Herm coached team. OK, scratch that. It far exceeded anything even I could have expected out of a Herm coached team.

Seriously, put yourself in Herm's shoes. You come in to take over an aging, underachieving team that probably should have been blown up and rebuilt from day one. You don't get to pick your coordinators, you inherit them from the previous regime. And then, too add injury to insult, in that first game, you lose your franchise quarterback early in the second half. And have to turn to a journeyman who hadn't even seen the field since 2001 to guide your team.

I don't know. In hindsight, maybe Herm was the exact wrong person to come into that situation. Maybe he was the proverbial hot as hell blonde chick you meet at the bar on a Friday night. You start chatting her up, buy her a couple rounds, and can't believe how much you have in common. You head back to your place to, uuh, have some fun ... and then wake up the next morning, find out she has 4 kids by 4 different guys, two of whom she's unsure who the baby daddy is, and then remember that you didn't use a condom for round three. Maybe that was Herm. The worst nightmare imaginable disguised as the greatest thing ever.

The last 24 games of his regime, the analogy certainly applies.

But the first 24 ... he was Herm. The Herm I was excited to see come to town. The guy who took an aging, underachieving Jets team in 2001 to the playoffs. Then rallied from 2-5 in 2002 to win a division and blow out the Colts 41-0 in the wildcard round. Then went on the road in 2004 to beat the 12-4 Chargers in the wildcard round, before losing in overtime at 15-1 Pittsburgh in the divisional round.

You know, the Herm that looked at Trent Green laying unconscious on the field, looked at Damon Huard warming up ... and promptly won 7 of 10 to position the Chiefs to make the playoffs.

The Herm that took Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, and a ton of contract issues to a 4-3 division topping record, and held a 22-19 lead over 6-1 Green Bay in week 9, with the Packers facing a 3rd and 6 at their own 38 with 3:06 to play.

I've always argued that when it comes to the rise and fall of most things in life, especially in sports, you can point to one specific moment when the rise occurred, and when the fall began.

If the Vermeil era Chiefs began their rise on an improbable penalty-aided toss to John Tait at Cleveland to open the 2002 season ... then the sun set on those years, on those championship aspirations, on that 3rd and 6, when Ty Law got burned, and Jarrad Page was out of position, and Greg Jennings caught a 62 yard touchdown to put Green Bay ahead for good.

Herm's Chiefs didn't win again that year. They only won twice more after that play. But if you're going to judge him for the last 24 games of his regime, you also have to remember the first 24.

You know, the 24 that include the thrilling come-from-14-down last second victory at Arizona. The 24 that include one of the most amazing 7 day stretches in franchise history, to beat the Chargers on a last second 54 yard field goal in the cold and rain ... and then turn around and beat the defending NFC Champion Seahawks on a late touchdown in the 82 and sunny weather. (I obviously liked the latter better. Seriously, that Seahawks game rocked. Anytime its hot and sunny enough on Halloween to have the shirt off in 132, its a f*cking awesome day).

The 24 that include a blowout of our cross state rivals, in their house. That includes a last second goalline interception to beat the raiders ... and includes "Brave" Benny Sapp taunting the donkeys on their bench 4 days later as the Chiefs hold serve at home against denver on Thanksgiving Night.

That includes the "Immaculate Trifecta", as Bob Gretz put it. A win at home in the snow against the Jaguars to keep playoff hopes alive. And then to see the Patriots drop 40 on the Titans, to see the Steelers win in overtime at the Paul ... and to see a team we beat 41-0, the 49ers, overcome a 13 point halftime deficit at fake mile high to nail an overtime victory to propel us into the postseason.

If you're going to bash Herm for the last 24 games, then you have to recognize the over-achieving, the incredible moments and champagne-toasting successes, that the first 24 brought.

In the end, its probably proper to end it this way, a simple termination on a Friday, a week after everyone thought it would happen. I'm not shedding any tears for Herm, and noone else should either. The last 24 games of his regime, was the worst 24 game stretch in franchise history. For that, he must be held accountable. And for that, his termination is justifiable, and probably four weeks overdue.

But the first 24 games ... those have to count as well. They were fun, they were exciting, and Herm delivered in one season everything Dick Vermeil delivered in 5 (a playoff berth, and prompt loss to the Colts).

Those first 24 games, rocked the house for me. And yet, my favorite game, was in the last 24.

The one that ended the 12 game losing streak.

Chiefs 33. donkeys 19.

Thanks Coach, for one final happy moment at that stadium.

Here's hoping your successor, whoever it is, replicates that magical September afternoon 8 times a year ...

the very definition of "bittersweet"

Nobody ... and I can honestly say that without preconditions, pre-qualifications, ask anyone who knew me on January 9, 2006 ... NOBODY was more happy, satified, fired up, pumped up, ecstatic, at the news that Herm Edwards was to be the man to replace Dick Vermeil as Chiefs head coach.

Nobody wanted Herm in this town more than me. Nobody.

So it is with some sadness and regret that I note that Herm's reign as Chiefs coach came to an end today.

And his alleged rumored replacement ... is my most hated person employed by an NFL franchise last year, Mike Shanahan.

(Just capitalizing the man's name felt weird).

I'm not ready to post my thoughts on Herm's three years here yet. Quite honestly, I don't know what to say. The first 24 games, 3 quarters, and 11 minutes that count, of Herm's reign, I couldn't have been more satisfied with. A playoff berth. Somehow in first place at 4-3, with Green Bay on the ropes with 3:06 to play.

The last 24 games, 3 minutes that count ... were brutally bad. Were historically bad. Were "no Chiefs team ever was this horrific" bad.

So, let me address the people who have written or texted the following to me today:

Damien: "shanahan? you like that move?" and the follow-up: "even though he was a donkey?"

Phil: "are you going to quit on the Chiefs if they go with shanahan?"

Dusty: "wow"

Heath: "you excited about shanarat?"

Anthony: "I love it, he can coach and is great when he's not the gm"

To Damien's texts, I simply replied that I wanted Mike Shanahan because "he's the best mind available". But I should have been more specific.

Week 13, 2005.

The single most amazing, incredible, "holy sh*t, this guy gets it!" moment of coaching I have ever been privileged enough to witness in my lifetime.

To recap: the Chiefs lead 31-27 with 2:07 to play. It is 4th and 2 for denver at their own 47, and Shanahan decides to go for it, mainly because he has no timeouts left (that, and he's at midfield, why not go for it). He calls a run up the middle with mike anderson. Bill Leavy's crew initially marks it as a first down (after the measurement), and we hit the two minute warning.

Only Dick Vermeil challenges the spot.

And wins the challenge. The Chiefs held! Its the Chiefs ball!

The crowd is going nuts. I was going nuts in my little section of insanity known as section 132. Its cold, its a must-win game, and the Chiefs have somehow, someway, won this thing, right? Two minute warning, denver can't stop the clock again, three knees and its over!

Only ... one person in that stadium, despite all the pandemonium, despite all the craziness, never lost his composure.

That man ... was Mike Shanahan.

Who (correctly) called Bill Leavy over to the sideline. And noted that if the runner was stopped short of the line to make ... then 7 seconds didn't run off the clock. Shanahan challenged the clock.

And won his second back.

Putting 2:01 on the clock.

Meaning the Chiefs had to run a play prior to the two minute warning, and had to get a first down to run out the clock. And if we didn't get a first down, denver would get the ball back with about 40 seconds to play.

Mike Shanahan single-handedly kept his team afloat for two minutes ... and one second ... longer than it should have.

THAT is what I want in my head coach. Someone who doesn't get lost in the moment, but rises to it.

As I noted in my thoughts on Obama's inaugural speech and the first three days of his administration, (steve voice) "play time is over. The grown-ups are back in charge".

"The grown-ups are back in charge".

With Scott Pioli, we have a grown-up, not some seasoned citizen in the Depends diaper that has long outlived his usefulness and senility, in the GM's chair.

And with Mike Shanahan on the sideline, well ... the days of calling two timeouts on one play, the days of having to ask Mike White whether to challenge or not, the days of saying your first round pick needs to "take the diapers off", the days of having the smelling salts ready for Gun when he got too excited ... yeah. Those days are over. Playtime is over.

The grown-ups are back in charge.

So if the rumors are true, and its Shanahan's job if he wants it ... then let me, the biggest Mike Shanahan hater known to man, allow me to be the first. Welcome to KC, Mike. Welcome to KC.

(Just forgive me if it takes a few games to get the booing and raised middle fingers out of my system ...)

all i can do is recycle those three magical words ...

"Second f*cking Base!" -- Reggie Jackson, responding to a reporter who asked where his third home run (on three pitches) landed, 1977 World Series.

--------------------

Its always been my favorite quote in sports.

"Second f*cking base".

Its so neat. For starters, you get the gratuitous use of the f bomb for no obvious reason, and that's always special.

But its more than that. Its not just acknowledging something sweet that has occurred (like a home run bouncing back so far because of the force it hit the facade with in the outfield, that it landed back in the infield).

Its acknowledging something ... utterly incredible. Something that, if you're lucky, you witness at least once in your lifetime.

(Like me getting laid, for example. (dusty voice) ha! Good one Steve!)

Anyways. "Second f*cking base". Its how I felt this afternoon, laying on the couch, suffering through day three of "Barf Watch 2009", when the news came across the ESPN ticker that the Chiefs had hired Scott Pioli as their new GM.

This was more than a solid personnel hire. This was more than swinging for the fences, connecting on a 98 mph fastball, and clearing the bases.

This was ... this was "second f*cking base".

Chiefs fans, we can emerge from our long, dark depression. The era of trying to bring "Lamar's Trophy home" is over! Let's repeat that, together. The era of trying to bring "Lamar's Trophy home" is OVER!!! Its deader than Republican hopes of stopping the Obama agenda!

No longer is aiming for second place good enough in the eyes of our front office, or of our owner! With one hire, one simple personnel move, Clark Hunt announced to the nation that simply winning his dad's trophy isn't enough.

He wants Vince's trophy. And I don't mean McMahon.

Consider just the last ten years of Mr. Pioli's employment (1999-2000 Ravens; 2001-2008 Patriots). And tell me this isn't the single greatest personnel decision in franchise history (on paper) ...

* 0 Losing Seasons -- the worst a team he was affiliated with finished was 8-8 in 1999. By contrast, the Chiefs have had 5 losing seasons in that stretch (2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008).

* 7 Playoff Berths -- all but 1999 (8-8, one game out), 2002 (9-7, lost division and wildcard on tiebreakers), and 2008 (lost division and wildcard on tiebreakers). By contrast, the Chiefs have two playoff berths (2003, 2006), and one year missing out on tiebreakers (1999) in that stretch.

* 6 Division Titles -- only the 2000 Ravens squad that got in on his watch, failed to win its division. All 6 Patriots teams that reached the playoffs, won the AFC East. By contrast, the Chiefs won one division title in the last 10 years (2003).

* 5 AFC Championships. Lamar's Trophy? Been there, done that for Mr. Pioli, five times in the last nine years (2000 w/ Ravens; 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 w/ Patriots). The Chiefs have never even played for Lamar's Trophy in the last decade ... and a half.

* 4 Super Bowl Championships. Only the 2007 Patriots failed to win of the Pioli teams that reached the sport's ultimate stage ... and they entered that game 19-0. The Chiefs ... yeah, we know.

"Second f*cking base"? We not only hit it today with this hire, we shattered it. We beat that white piece of pillow in the middle of the dirt like Ike Turner beat Tina, like OJ beat Nicole, like Gregg beat(s) me at NCAA on the Playstation. Beaten like the government mule the Reverend Sharpton is still looking for.

Today, the Chiefs were the center of the NFL universe. For a reason other than losing 23 of 25, other than employing a head coach who actually used two timeouts on the same challenge (vs oakland last year). For a reason other than being the worst team in the AFC.

Today, we mattered again. Today, this team, our team, actually was relevant again.

I guarantee you, it won't be the last time under Scott Pioli that the nation noticed the Red and Gold.

"Second f*cking base". God bless it! Holy crap, it feels good to say that phrase and know its my team that hit the bag ...

a day to celebrate?

denver fired head coach mike shanahan today.

shanahan, affectionately known as "shanarat" in my circle, for both his obvious rat-like appearance (the overbite, dear Jesus, how annoying can you get. Plus he always looked like he had a tail tucked between his legs) and for his amazing rat-like ability to escape from any situation (like a rat on a sinking ship).

I always envisioned the day that man met his demise in denver, I'd be doing backflips down the hallway. (To be fair, that's not possible right now; my old mattress is sitting there waiting for big item pickup on Friday). I thought I'd be so ecstatic that I'd immediately drive to that little piece of heaven on the gravel road of 15th Street in unincorporated Douglas County and promptly drop $100 on some quality adult entertainment performed by someone not named "Breezy".

Sadly, I don't feel that way.

I feel ... fear.

Look it, I am thrilled that shanarat is gone from denver. The man is a tremendous head coach. He's unquestionably one of the top 5 offensive minds in the game. He is always locked into the immediacy of the situation. Unlike our current head coach, he never wastes challenges, calls two timeouts on the same play, or lacks a basic understanding of clock management 101, game management 101, or talent development 101. I think it speaks volumes that denver has spent the last 3 years "rebuilding" from the 2005 AFC Title Game appearance ... and in 2 of those 3 years, simply needed a week 17 win to reach the playoffs.

mike shanahan is a brilliant head coach, and the Chiefs are unquestionably better off now that he's out of denver.

At least until we see who his replacement is.

To me, the obvious hire for denver at this point is Bill Cowher. I will probably puke in whatever I'm drinking if and when it happens ... but how can it not? Cowher wants final say, and the ability to hire his front office. Well, denver needs both a coach and a GM now that shanarat is gone. Cowher (I would think) wants to take over a team that's at least talented. denver is definitely that -- 24-24 the last three years, only four years removed from hosting the AFC Title Game. And Cowher has to want an established proven QB in place, I would think. jay cutler may still have a ways to go ... but he's far better than anything we've got. Or that oakland has. And I don't think he's any better or worse than Phil Rivers.

And what of shanarat? PFT posted my nightmare scenario tonight. Let's say "Stanley Roper" pulls a, uuh, Stanley Roper, and the Chargers get rolled Saturday night by the Colts. (Note: I do not think this will happen. I actually believe the Chargers will not only win Saturday night ... they will reach Super Bowl XLIII. I LOVE their draw, and they're peaking at just the right time. Just like the Giants, the Steelers, the Bucs, the Ravens from earlier this decade).

But let's say Indy wins something like 30-10. There's no way San Diego can bring Stanley Roper (aka Norv Turner) back. No way. 8-8 is bad enough, and a firable offense given the talent there ... but they still got in. Its not how you get in, its how you finish. A solid ass kicking at Qualcomm, and AJ Smith has to pull the plug on Mr. Roper.

And why wouldn't he consider shanarat as the replacement?

Cowher in denver. shanarat in San Diego.

Both could happen before we even know who the hell Clark Hunt has in mind for a GM candidate. Let alone before we learn the fate of our coaching staff.

Yeah, its nice to see we pushed Carl out the door two weeks early for this ...

a painful post to, uuh, post

So I read today on espn.com that Herm is "somewhat disappointed" with the ongoing GM search to replace Carl Peterson.

Really. "Somewhat disappointed".

Herm, let me speak directly to you, as your (former) biggest backer, your (former) biggest fan, the person who nearly nutted on himself when you were announced as head coach.

I. Me. Steve. Am "extremely disappointed" in your piss poor tenure as our head coach.

And cannot wait until the unemployment door slaps your ass a week from Monday.

Sir, you entered this job with a world of possibilities in front of you. You literally had the ability to shape a franchise in the palm of your hand. Instead, too often, the challenge flag resided in that palm, and was needlessly and stupidly tossed onto the field as a result.

Your clock management skills make a 7 year old look bright and intelligent. As I once famously noted on the old site, following your one and only playoff defeat as our head coach:

-----

I just ... truly, I stood there watching that game, watching our "offense" on the field, and three things flowed through my brain. (1) vodka. (2) orange juice. (3) Brett and Shannon's kid, he's what, 5 months old? Looking at him on the floor, drooling and doing whatever the hell else little kids do, it hit me that 5 month old Jack has more going for him upstairs, right now, than ANYONE on our offensive coaching staff. I'd rather have a 5 month old point to a f*cking toy to determine a play to run, than have anyone on this staff call a play at this point. I can see it now:

(jack) (points at star)
(steve) ok, that means run! Pitch left. Break!
(jack) (smiles)
(steve) ok, 3 wide, out pattern to Gonzalez! Break!

-----

Its amazing how that was the "high" point of the Coach Herm era.

Herm, you're "somewhat disappointed" in the GM search? Buddy, its a search that wouldn't be necessary if you weren't 2-21 in games that count over the last year and a half. Its a search that wouldn't be necessary if you and your good pal Bill Kuharich hasn't botched the franchise QB pick worse than the Supreme Court f*cked up Bush v Gore.

And its a search that wouldn't be necessary if you had any clue, concept, or even slight intuition into what it takes to win in the modern NFL.

Ball control, power running, and power defense don't win in this league anymore, pal. It hasn't won in this league for a while. I sadly took a long, long time to recognize this ... but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit by and watch the team I love (and pay to support) p*ss away another hire.

The future of the NFL is offense, specifically the spread offense. With a defense that has just enough man coverage options to force 4 punts / turnovers per game. You get that, you can win 12 games, a division, and a conference championship in this league.

With Herm at the helm, we have no shot of any of those things occurring.

The beginning of the end was Miami in 2006. A well coached, disciplined team doesn't lose that game. Not at 5-3, facing a 1-7 squad in ideal weather conditions. We not only lost, we weren't a factor. Ditto three weeks later in Cleveland, when a 7-4 Chiefs squad was embarrassed by a 2-9 Browns team going nowhere fast.

As detailed elsewhere on this site, we have either led or been within a possession at the half in 10 of our 14 games so far this year. We have lost 8 of those 10. It takes an utterly inept, clueless coaching staff to continually fail as miserably and consistently as Coach Herm and his staff have failed.

And the same was true down the stretch last year -- in our 9 game losing streak to end the year, we led or were within a possession at the half in 7 of those games. We lost all 7. To go 2-15 in your last 17 contested ballgames, you have to try to be that bad.

My way of saying ... I am doing the unthinkable tomorrow.

I will not be in my usual spot in section 132, row 26, seat 2.

I will not be showing up for the final home game of the Carl Peterson era. And what should be the final home game of the Herm Edwards experiment.

If you are going tomorrow, good for you. I hope you bundle up, stay warm, and boo the living hell out of everything and everyone affiliated with this franchise, including our sudden risen Lord and Savior Clark Hunt. (Really? It took you 3 f*cking years to figure out the game had passed Carl by. Really? 3 years? You couldn't figure it out on your own before now? And yet people think he's not going to f*ck up the GM hire. Because clearly, if it takes him 3 f*cking years to grasp that Carl Peterson has outlasted his usefulness, Clark Hunt will make a damned good hire to replace him. If we give him 3 years to hire someone, I guess.)

Anyways, I will not be there tomorrow. I don't see any reason to go. This team has whizzed on every loyal fan in the club level it has. It has raised my ticket prices 200% in 7 years for 0 playoff wins. (yay!) I'll be damned if they're getting even $.01 more out of me than what I've already written off.

Clark, do us all a favor. Hire yourself a liason who grasps modern day football. Appoint him as our de facto owner. And let him call the shots in replacing Carl and Herm. Because if it took you three f*cking years to see this abortion that Carl and Herm constructed isn't good enough to meet minimal competition standards, you have no business picking their replacements ...

(crowded house voice) hey now hey now ... wait ... DO dream its over!!!

"steve just bought two bottles of champagne to celebrate king carl's demise, and he doesn't intend to share ..." -- me, on my facebook page an hour ago.

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And so, this is how it ends.

Not with some grandiose press conference, some congratulatory, self-serving "mission accomplished" type charade. It ends with a press release, late in the afternoon, a day after arguably the greatest collapse in franchise history.

The reign of King Carl is over.

Rather than completely bury the man though, I come to attempt to objectively look at the man who literally saved football in Kansas City.

Because the only reason I'm able to write this tonight, is because in December 1988, a young, promising, up and coming executive with one championship under his belt (with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL) chose to take on the biggest rebuilding project in the NFL.

People forget just how wretched this team was when Carl arrived. It was only two years earlier, coming off the first playoff berth in 15 years, that former GM Jim Schaff fired coach John Mackovic largely on the advice of his place kicker. Let that one sink in -- Nick Lowery was calling the shots when it came to the coaching staff. Not even Detroit is that dysfunctional.

Carl came in to overhaul a franchise that had posted one winning season in the last 17 years (1986). He hired the franchise's 7th head coach in those 17 years (Stram, Wiggin, Bettis, Levy, Mackovic, Gansz) when he hired Marty Schottenheimer, fresh off a firing in Cleveland, to join him in the rebuilding effort.

(Ironically, Marty was not Carl's first choice. That was Vince Tobin, who eventually led the Cardinals to a few solid seasons and a road win in the 1998 wildcard game at Dallas. Marty wasn't Carl's second choice either -- that would be then Duke head coach Steve Spurrier. Its probably good the first two choices fell through ...)

Carl's first team won as many games (8) as we won in the entire Gansz era. The Chiefs were a missed Nick Lowery field goal (he missed three) at Cleveland away from reaching the playoffs that first year.

His second year, the Chiefs won 11 games, and were a bullsh*t holding call away from winning the franchise's first playoff game since Super Bowl IV. (Lowery hit the 42 yard attempt, missed the 52 yard follow-up). We made our first MNF appearance in nearly a decade, a tough loss at denver in week 2 that is best remembered for steve atwater nearly decapitating Christian Okoye to preserve the win.

His third year, though, the magic really began to happen. The last non-sold out game at Arrowhead was the opener in 1991, against Atlanta. Every single game since September 1, 1991, has aired on local television. That doesn't happen because of slick marketing, or fan-friendly gestures. It happens because you build a winning team that the fans can connect with ... and still connect with even after the wins stop coming. I know many bash Carl for the sellout streak. And while I agree that too much attention has been paid to it by the front office ... I kind of admire him for it. To take what was the Detroit Lions of the 1980s and almost literally overnight turn it into the juggernaut it became, is nothing short of amazing.

The two highlights of that third year, were arguably two of the greatest games in franchise history. October 7, 1991. Buffalo. Kansas City. I have long argued this was Arrowhead's finest hour. And the final home game that season, the first playoff game in Arrowhead history against the raiders.

1992 saw a slight step back, as the Chiefs limped into the finale at 9-6 ... facing the 9-6 denver broncos. On Christmas Eve. For the final spot in the AFC postseason field. As elway was harrassed, sacked, beat up, demolished on play after play, as the noise level just kept rising, with Dale Carter returning an INT for a touchdown, DT with the strip, fumble recovery, and touchdown, and Kevin Harlan exclaiming with glee "not even Santa Claus can save the denver broncos today!"

But like I said, 1992 was a definite step back. And Carl knew it. Which is why he (and Marty) made three of the boldest moves in franchise history to get team back on track.

First, they fired the offensive staff. Brought in Paul Hackett to install the West Coast offense. Then, Carl traded our first round pick to San Francisco for Joe Montana. Finally, Carl signed Marcus Allen away from the arch rival raiders.

Those three moves provided the backbone to the team's first division championship in 22 years. And helped provide the backbone for five of the greatest years in franchise history.

That 1993 team was arguably Carl's finest. After winning a tough wildcard round game against the Steelers, the Chiefs traveled to Houston, to face an Oilers team on an 11 game winning streak, with a virtually unstoppable offense, a ferocious defense, and home field advantage on its side. Chiefs 28, Oilers 20. Sadly the fun stopped the next week in Buffalo, in what not only would be the Bills' last gasp at greatness, but would be arguably the high point in the Carl Peterson years, our one and only appearance in an AFC Title Game.

1994 started with so much promise, delivered so many memorable games -- the home opener against the 49ers, the Monday Nighter for the ages in denver, the "hugh millenated" game here against denver -- ended with a thud in Miami on New Year's Eve.

Expectations were low entering 1995, with a new starting QB (Steve Bono), a new starting RB (Greg Hill), and a daunting schedule.

No season has ever -- ever! -- brought me more joy, pleasure, and fun than that 1995 team.

That team had 6 win talent. They won 13. They went 8-0 in the division. The only losses were at Cleveland the week after the Browns announced they were moving; at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day (no shame in losing to the eventual champs in their building), at at Miami in a do or die Monday Nighter for the Dolphins playoff chances. The season ended sadly, a tough 10-7 defeat on a freaking freezing Sunday afternoon to the Colts, but still, that 1995 team was my favorite ever.

And set up what arguably should have been the best team of the Peterson era. Instead, the 1996 team was possibly his most disappointing. After opening with Super Bowl expectations, opening 4-0 ... the Chiefs limped along. Made a panic QB switch to Rich Gannon that worked for a week. And ultimately ended with a three game losing streak, and our first postseason-less season in the decade.

1997 saw a return to excellence. A couple solid free agent signings (Elvis Grbac, Andre Rison, Mark McMillian) sparked some incredible early victories. The Bad Moon Rison game at Oakland. The goalline stand against Buffalo. The Pete for President kick against denver. The pole-axing of the 49ers. All leading up to the worst 21st birthday gift a Chiefs fan could get -- a home playoff defeat to the denver broncos.

1998 opened well, at 4-1. But it was obvious something wasn't right. There was no running game, in the wake of Marcus Allen's retirement and Greg Hill's release. The quarterback controversy was in full effect. And after beating the Seahawks in the monsoon, 6 straight losses followed, culminated by the alleged Monday Night Meltdown against the broncos. At 7-9, it was Carl's first losing season. And it was Marty's last.

Perhaps this was the moment Carl should have stepped aside. It had been a tremendous decade. Maybe that was the moment Carl should have gone, in retrospect. But Carl soldiered on, hiring Gunther Cunningham to replace Marty as head coach.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not sure I have ever supported a Carl Peterson decision more than I did the decision to give the job to Gun. As excited as Gun was for the opportunity, as excited as other people might have been over the hire, NOBODY was more fired up and pumped than me. I freaking love Gunther Cunningham.

In many regards, the hire of Gunther was the beginning of the end. 1999 was a good year. The Chiefs were a missed Pete Stoyanovich field goal away from winning the AFC West. And I have long argued, 1999, had that kick gone through, that was the Chiefs best chance at reaching a Super Bowl under Carl. If you search the site I'm sure I've posted why I think that.

But the kick missed from 45 yards out. The raiders won in overtime. And the Carl era began to unravel. Our franchise player died that offseason, as Derrick Thomas succumbed to injuries suffered in an automobile accident. The 2000 season was a disaster, with the team flat out quitting on Gunther, with Gunther's mental health being called into question, and ending with Carl firing Gunther ... and Gun finding out by showing up at work and checking the Internet and reading in the Star he was out.

Carl brought in his good friend Dick Vermeil to try to right the ship. My thoughts on the Vermeil era are fairly well known. I was not a fan. But Vermeil had a plan, and set out to execute it.

Carl signed Priest Holmes to rejuvinate the running game. He traded a first round pick to St. Louis for Trent Green. And in arguably the greatest trade in franchise history, he stole Willie Roaf from the Saints for a third round pick.

The 2001 Chiefs were a rebuilding squad, and played like it, finishing 6-10. The 2002 squad was what you'd expect out of a young group: up and down. One week looking solid, the next week looking pathetic. Smells like 8-8, which is what we finished ... with the most Jekyll and Hyde team imaginable -- the best offense in the league, and the worst defense in the league.

To fix this, Carl opened the bank entering the 2003 season. He signed Shawn Barber and Vonnie Holliday to shore up the defense. And for a while it worked. The 2003 team opened with the best start in franchise history at 9-0. But the Bengals game showed we could be beat deep. The donkeys exposed our run defense in early December. And the Colts were literally unstoppable in the divisional round game, beating us 38-31 at Arrowhead in one of the funnest games I've ever witnessed.

The 2004 squad, like the 1996 and 1998 team, entered with Super Bowl expectations. And like those two teams, it failed to live up to the hype, falling out of playoff contention by mid November and finishing 7-9. Carl geared up for one final push in 2005, signing Kendrell Bell, trading for Pat Surtain, drafting Derrick Johnson.

But 2005 fell one game short. You can pick the game that cost us the playoffs, either the home collapse against Philly or the road collapse against Dallas. Vermeil walked away after the 2005 season, and Carl got a 4th opportunity to hire a coach. He chose Jets head coach Herm Edwards, sending a 4th rounder to the Jets as compensation for hiring Herm.

2006 ... if anything, I think 2006 is the moment it became painfully clear the game had passed Carl by. Somehow, someway, that squad found a way into the playoffs. But the cupboard was bare. There wasn't any young talent to step up for the aging veterans whose time was up. Six straight failed drafts (already detailed on this site) had finally caught up with us.

The floor fell out in 2007, ending with a 9 game losing streak and the worst season in 30 years. And 2008 has been worse.

Resulting in today's "resignation".

I just spoke with Gregg, and the phrase he used was "bittersweet". I guess that's kind of how I feel as well.

Look it, there is no denying the impact Carl Peterson had on this team, on this town, on the entire Midwest. The Chiefs would not be in Kansas City right now if Carl had not arrived 20 years ago. That's not said for shock value or impact value, its fact. There's no way this team would have stayed here in the moving years of the 1990s. We'd be in Charlotte or St. Louis or Baltimore or Nashville.

For that, I am grateful. But ...

There's also no denying Carl stayed past his time. Carl, for his own legacy, should have left after the 2006 season. He would be viewed in a far more favorable light had he left after that last gasp season than he is viewed today.

There's no denying we are in the state we are in because Carl Peterson f*cked up six straight drafts. We literally have NO talent from the 2000-2005 drafts on the roster. 3 players total. Out of 47 picks. What should be the core of our team, doesn't exist. That is Carl's fault. And he should be held accountable for that by every Chiefs fan for eternity.

Carl was ... excuse me. Carl is a pompous horse's ass. He never put the fans first, despite his denials to the contrary. The Chiefs under Carl Peterson, especially the last half of his reign, were all about maximizing profit. Nothing else mattered, or so it seemed. Ticket prices are up 100% from 1998 to today, with zero playoff wins to show for it. Parking is up nearly 75%. Concession prices are sky high.

He never treated anyone outside of his inner circle with respect. He viewed journalists with disdain. (Although to be fair, I despise most of the same "journalists" Carl had issues with). He boycotted radio stations for daring to challenge his views of the franchise. He infamously told his first round pick and that pick's agent to "shut the f*ck up and sit the f*ck down". He fired a head coach over the Internet, then had the gall to tell him he looked "confident and classy" as he was escorting him off the premises.

The parking and tailgating situation is still beyond ridiculous. To force cars inside a frigging tape measure to cram in as many cars as possible, when the lot isn't going to fill up, is outrageous. To refuse to allow people to save spots when the gates open, to ensure a group can tailgate together, is a whiz on the entire Arrowhead Nation Carl professes to love.

And only two double header days since 1998, none since 2003. In the words of the Monday Night Countdown crew ... Come On Man! Double Header Day is THE greatest day of the summer! Or at least it was. Yet another tradition destroyed by Carl in the name of greed and profit. Along with firing Warpaint for a Wolf. With kicking the TD Pack Band to the curb. With kicking thousands of die hard loyal club level fans out of their section to bleed corporate America a little dryer.

In the end, Carl outstayed his welcome, and the game passed him by. Like Jack Steadman before him, that will be how many Chiefs fans (deservedly) remember him, as a arrogant ass of a has-been that presided over some of the worst football this region has ever seen.

But to solely remember him for that ... would be making the same mistake I often make about Steadman. Steadman started out as one of the sharpest minds in football. As did Carl. But both refused to change. Both refused to recognize the changes in the game they loved. And in the end, both will limp away, a pathetic shell of the dynamic force they used to be.

Bittersweet. Its a good word for today. With an emphasis on the "sweet" part ...

for the stats geeks

Since I'm one of you, let's look at a few reasons why this coaching staff will continue to whine about giving their best, while every team they face uses us as the proverbial prom queen.

First, let's look at my least favorite stat this season: the opening drive of the 2nd half. The Chiefs have led or been within a possession at the half in 10 of their 14 games so far this year. Meaning just about every week, we have reached the half in position to win the game. That says that the initial game plan, at least, is solid enough to put us in a position to win. And yet, we've lost 8 of those 10. A big reason why? When we get a chance to seize control of the 2nd half, to impose our will on the opposition with a solid drive to begin the half, to set the tone ... we fail miserably:



The stats don't lie. The Chiefs have scored zero, zip, nada, not a single touchdown on their opening possession of the 2nd half in games we were a factor in. 0 for 10. In fact, look at the 2nd half scoring for crying out loud! Something clearly is going wrong in the locker room at halftime, because our offense is non-existant after the break! In only one of those 10 competitive games have we scored more than 1 2nd half touchdown, the week 4 win against denver.

The reason for this is simple. We're coaching scared. We'd rather lose a close one, know we "gave it our best", than risk embarrassment and a blowout by opening things up, taking some risks, and going for the big victory.

Our coaching staff is not thinking like a playoff team. They're thinking like a collection of individuals aiming to avoid the unemployment line. And when you start coaching like that, well, the 2nd half of 2007 and all of 2008 is what happens.

Continuing the theme of coaching scared ... another statistic, trend, whatever you want to call it, that drives me to drink is punting on makeable 4th downs. By that, I mean either (a) 4th and 1 outside of your own 30, or (b) 4th and less than 5 from midfield on. The latter has always infuriated me. I have never understood why you would willingly give up the ball on the opponent's side of the field, when the average NFL play gains nearly 5 yards (4.6 at last check). Why would you give up a golden scoring opportunity (you're already more than halfway to the end zone) if you don't have to?

The 4th and 1 thing though, has really started to bug me of late. I know there is serious risk involved in going for it on 4th down, especially on your side of the field. But come on man! Its a friggin yard! How often on a yard to go does the defense stop you? 10% of the time, if even that? I'd venture a guess that on yard-to-go plays where the offense runs it or throws a safe, short pass, they convert 90% of the time. At least.

So far this year, the Chiefs have chosen to punt on 13 "makeable" 4th down opportunities. In 8 of those 13 opportunities, the punt has blown up in our face, as our opponent thanked us for showing no balls and promptly put points on the board:



What I love about this, is that virtually every single time I argue Herm should have gone for it, his decision to punt blew up in his face. We've had 13 makeable 4th downs using my definition of makeable. 8 of those 13 when we chose to punt, the opposition immediately dropped points on us. I love it. Its what teams that get it do: they take your screw-up and shove it down your throat.

Herm had two chances against the Jets to really grab ahold of that game. He chose to punt both times, and both times the Jets immediately put 7 up on the scoreboard. He had a chance to really knock the Bucs out of the game here at Arrowhead. Yeah it was 24-10, but the Bucs only touchdown had come via special teams. Their offense had done nothing up to that point. Herm punts from their 40. The Bucs offense gets a quick drive off, puts points on the board as time expires, and has all the momentum entering the 2nd half, and they wound up overcoming a 24-3 deficit to win 30-27. Against the Saints, you have a chance to keep hope alive, a very makeable 4th down with 10 minutes to go, down 7. Herm punted. The Saints promptly bled 7 minutes off the clock and tacked on the seal-it field goal.

And yesterday, against the Chargers, Herm again had two chances to deliver the knockout punch, both times up 11. Both times he punted. He got away with it once. By the time we saw the ball again after the 2nd punt, we were trailing with less than 30 seconds to play.

What I also find interesting, is look at who the top risk takers on 4th down are in the league. In the top 10 teams (including ties) for most 4th down attempts, you will find the Patriots (4th), Saints (5th), Colts (7th), Cardinals (T-8th), Jets (T-8th), Bucs (T-10th) and Redskins (T-10th). All are .500 or better right now, and only the Saints are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in that group. What should this tell you?

Simple: the successful teams take calculated risks that are designed to pay off. The Patriots are 13 for 18 on 4th down. The Colts are 11 for 16. Tells you they aren't fooling around on 4th and forever; they're putting themselves in makeable 4th down situations, and then trusting their offense to get the job done. And most of the time, they have.

"Stop Thinking Like a Playoff Team". That line so enraged me yesterday, I can't even begin to explain it. But these stats do. Our halftime adjustments don't work, as evidenced by being 0 for 10 on opening drives in finding the end zone. Our sideline strategory is horrid, as evidenced by passing up on 13 very makeable 4th down opportunities to extend potential scoring drives (and seeing 8 of those decisions blow up in our face, twice directly leading to game winning touchdown drives).

When you can't adjust to your opponent, when you can't take advantage of the opportunities presented to you because either you're too stupid, too stubborn, or too outdated to take advantage of those opportunities, its time for a change.

I want a coach who gets it, who understands where the league is headed and tries to be at the front of the revolution, rather than stubbornly stick to his outdated "punt and play defense" model that is broken beyond repair. I want a coach with the balls to go for 4th and 1 with the game on the line. I mean, as much as I hated the Vermeil era, God love the guy, Vermeil would never let 13 golden opportunities like the ones above go for nothing. He'd never punt in all 13 of those spots. And he sure as all hell would never head an offense that was 0 for 10 coming out of the locker room.

I don't know what the solution is. I don't know who the coach of this team should be. I don't know who the GM of this team should be. I do know who should not be filling those positions though, and its the current two occupants. The game has passed both Carl and Herm by. They come from an era that simply doesn't fly in this league anymore. And the sooner Clark Hunt grasps that reality, and sends those two packing, the faster this team can return to being the competitive playoff-caliber squad we came to expect over the last 20 years.

another tradition bites the dust

Folks who know me, will never accuse me of being a traditionalist.

On social issues, I lean far left on everything except two issues. I personally am anti-abortion (although I would not overturn Roe v Wade). And I don't give a crap about gun control, both sides are nuts on this issue.

But when it comes to the team I love, our Kansas City ... Chiefs!!!, I am a die hard "traditionalist".

I don't want Arrowhead to change names (even though I accept it as inevitable). If widening the concourses and adding amenities destroys the home field advantage, I'd rather leave things alone. (Thankfully, the designs look promising in maintaining our status as the loudest stadium in football when, you know, we're even semi-decent).

But this week, Carl Peterson kicked me in the balls. And look at my profile pic -- I'm not a jock. I'm not wearing protection. He just cocked that leg, swung, and nailed me below the border. Me, and every other Chiefs fan.

He took a gigantic squat and defecated on the single greatest tradition this franchise has left.

He fired the TD Pack Band.

The reason for this is obvious: why allow a band to occupy 4-5 rows of premium seating behind the goalpost in the east end zone, when you could sell those at (currently) $84 / seat?

I'll tell you why you don't do it, Carl.

Tradition.

Here's my problem with the modern NFL. And the Sports Guy kind of hit on it a couple weeks ago in his picks column, in how home field advantage has disappeared due to the design of new stadiums and the catering to the fat cats vs us average fans. And he has a point.

But he's missed the bigger picture.

When I say "Arrowhead", what comes to mind? Luxury suites? Fancy overlooks on top of the press box? Finely manicured grass? Wide concourses, a bathroom for every section, multiple vendor options no matter where you look?

Hell no!

What comes to mind is being in line at 8am, before the gates open, to party. Then setting up a 3 hour party, no matter what the weather is, no matter how crappy our team is. Filing into the stadium ready to yell ourselves hoarse for the next 3 hours, and then shutting the place down in the postgame tailgate.

You think of the balloon launch on Opening Day. You think of the fireworks going off during the Anthem, of the "home of the Chiefs!!!" Of the (steve grinding his teeth at acknowledging biggest waste of taxpayer money known to man ...) flyovers over the east end zone as the Anthem reaches it climax.

You think of pathetic KC Wolf sketches that once a year, make you laugh.

You think of the familiarity of sitting by the same people year after year, of cultivating friendships outside of the stadium with those folks. Speaking for myself, I hang out at my seat neighbors pool all summer. I'm the hot hot pool boy for Christ's sake, OC style! I was an honored invited guest at the people in front of me's wedding two years ago, as were the others in my section. In 131 / 132, we're a family. That's Arrowhead dammit!

And the biggest part of it, the part everyone could most recognize ... was that familiar trumpet coming from the east end zone. Tony DiParto. His lovely daughter Patti DiParto-Livergood. The other six members of the TD Pack Band. Hell, even visiting teams loved the setup -- it was just this year that Chris Johnson took over the bongo-playing duties of the band after a touchdown.

I remember in programs from years past (yet another tradition sh*t canned by this administration -- no Gameday Programs anymore. Ridiculous. It destroyed the best part of the walk to the Overlook), how it was highlighted, shouted out, how one of the very first things Carl did when taking the job here was to hire Tony DiParto to direct the band again.

I think it would only be fitting for (hopefully) the last major decision that man will ever make as the head of this franchise, to be to fire the greatest Chiefs fan walking this planet. A man who literally has poured his life into cheering for this franchise in the most visible way possible.

After next Sunday, the TD Pack Band is gone. Another tradition bites the dust. Another thing that made Arrowhead ... uuh, Arrowhead, removed.

All in the name of corporate greed, of making an extra buck to throw at a stupid free agent signing.

The Chiefs have promised a fitting sendoff at the Dolphins game next week for the TD Pack Band. The only fitting sendoff I want to see is Carl Peterson (finally) show a spine, take the field to "honor" the band, and for Clark to do his best Vince McMahon routine and tell Carl "you're fired! Get out of my stadium, you're fired!" If anything this season could bring tears to my eyes ...

How do you fire the Band? How do you kick the DiParto's to the curb? Unless you're so consumed by the bottom line, by profit, by pure greed, that you can't see what ultimately matters?

Another tradition bites the dust. But hey, those four rows of seats, that's gonna make a huge difference between Arrowhead hitting 118 decibels when a game that matters is played, I'm sure ...

one position the draft shouldn't fill

Tough, tough loss yesterday.

I take every game with denver personally. I simply cannot deal with losing to those people. I don't care how bad we are, how good they are, or vice versa, I want to kick their ass and take names every time we line up against them.

You want to know why I love Gunther Cunningham so much? Part of the reason why I hated Dick Vermeil as head coach? Its simple. Gun went 4-0 against denver. Vermeil went 4-6, the most crippling defeat being the 2002 contest that cost us the postseason.

(Although I have always loved Vermeil's "I'm putting my perfect record up there on the line, 0-4" comment. That one has always cracked me up).

The Chiefs biggest problem right now, as I see it, is that we have noone to rush the passer. Our pass rush is a joke. Its god awful.

Jason Whitlock hit on this in his postgame column this morning, the need to draft a pass rusher.

And I couldn't help but think, why do we need to draft a pass rusher?

Isn't this something important enough to enter the free agent market and get the best available developed talent?

I don't like to compare sports ... but if you're going to look at rebuilding done right, you don't look any further than the 1990 Atlanta Braves. Bringing up Glavine, Smoltz, and Avery at the same time. Developing Ron Gant, David Justice, Mark Lemke, Jeff "Unbutton Her" Blauser. Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz did an awesome, awe-inspiring job in rebuilding that franchise.

But they still needed a third baseman.

So in the 1990 offseason, they didn't sit back and wait for the farm system to deliver (which it eventually would with Chipper Jones). They hit the free agent market and signed the best option available, Terry Pendleton.

The Braves, of course, went on to make the playoffs 14 consecutive years after that signing. Obviously continued scouting, development, and solid free agent signings (Greg Maddux) were a big reason why.

But that one signing, of Terry Pendleton, got them over the hump.

Which again, begs the question. Why are we counting on the draft to solve our pass rush problem?

I'm on record for wanting Tim Tebow in this draft. If we're going to stick with the spread offense (and we should), he's the perfect person to run it. I also think we need to find a scat back / Warrick Dunn type running back as well. But pass rusher, let's leave that to the professionals. Let's find one that's already proven himself.

Find it in free agency.

Prospective free agents, 2009 offseason:
(source: www.footballsfuture.com)

DL unrestricted: Julius Peppers, Panthers. Albert Haynesworth, Titans. Terrell Suggs, Ravens. Bertrand Berry, Cardinals. Tank Johnson, Cowboys. Shaun Cody, Lions. John Thornton, Bengals.

LB unrestricted: Ray Lewis, Ravens. Eric Barton, Jets. Karlos Dansby, Cardinals. Mike Peterson, Jaguars. Bart Scott, Ravens. Jonathan Vilma, Jets. Channing Crowder, Dolphins. James Farrior, Steelers. Carlos Polk, Chargers.

I'd target Berry and Bart Scott. The Cards won't match any decent offer because, well, they're a cheap franchise. And the Ravens will be doing everything they can to keep Lewis and Suggs, so Scott should be able to be signed away.

Sign those two, plug them into a defense with a very solid secondary already in place, and let's see what happens. At the very least, the pressure on DJ and Tamba Hali should be lessened and they should improve. (Assuming Tamba lays off the good stuff in the pregame ... allegedly ... giggity ...)

as jim nantz would say ...

Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004.

The roommate got to witness history live, as did our buddy Tim. I was stuck at family events ... until Mickelson reached the 9th, when I'd had all I could take.

I said my goodbyes, headed out the door, drove like a maniac to get home.

I walked in the door, fired up the TV, as Mickelson stood on the 12th tee, 3 back of Els with 7 to go (and Els had just eagled 13).

He just nailed the tee shot on 12, birdie result. Birdie 13. Birdie 14. A shocking par on 15. Then the shot of the tournament to that point, the first time I cried, when he drilled it on 16 to within 12 feet. And the glorious, magical words of Verne Lundquist on the putt for bird. "Mickelson ... Yes Sir! There You Have It! He's Tied with 2 to go!"

Par on 17, Tremendous tee shot on 18. Incredible approach on 18, that DeMarco's 3rd shot gave him a great read from.

As Jim Nantz famously called it ...

"Is it his time? ..."

I say that ... because the 25 Hall of Fame semi-finalists have been announced for the 2009 NFL Hall of Fame. Up to 5 of these guys will make it.

Here are the 25 semi-finalists, in alphabetical order, with primary team / team they'll go in with, before any semi-colon, and other teams they played for after it:

* Cris Carter, WR, Vikings; Eagles.
* Roger Craig, RB, 49ers; raiders, Vikings.
* terrell davis, RB, donkeys.
* Dermontti Dawson, C, Steelers.
* Richard Dent, DE, Bears; 49ers, Colts, Eagles.
* Chris Doleman, DE, Vikings; Falcons, 49ers.
* Kevin Greene, DE, Rams; Steelers, Panthers, 49ers.
* Russ Grimm, G, Redskins.
* ray guy, P, raiders.
* Charles Haley, DE, 49ers; Cowboys.
* lester hayes, CB, raiders.
* Cortez Kennedy, DE, Seahawks.
* Bob Kuechenberg, G, Dolphins.
* Randall McDaniel, G, Vikings; Bucs.
* Art Modell, owner, Browns; Ravens.
* John Randle, DT, Vikings; Seahawks.
* Andre Reed, WR, Bills; Redskins.
* shannon sharpe, TE, donkeys; Ravens.
* Bruce Smith, DE, Bills; Redskins.
* ken stabler, QB, raiders: Oilers, Saints.
* Paul Tagliabue, commish.
* Steve Tasker, ST, Bills; Oilers.
* Ralph Wilson, owner, Bills.
* rod woodson, CB, Steelers; Ravens, raiders, 49ers.

Oh, and

* Derrick Thomas, LB, Chiefs.

Realistically, I see three sure-fire, guaranteed to get elected HOFers in there. sharpe, who contrary to what us Tony G lovers think, is THE greatest tight end in league history. Bruce Smith, who dominated offensive tackles for a decade for some tremendous Bills teams. And Rod Woodson, who was as dominant of a defensive back as you'll ever find.

Figure those three easily cruise into the finalist round, and the HOF. That leaves 12 finalist slots (and 2 HOF slots) for my boy Derrick.

(The two Senior nominees are Bob Hayes and Claude Humphrey. They are voted on separately).

Here's my guess as to how it unfolds.

Finalists (15 total):

* Cris Carter
* Dermontti Dawson
* Chris Doleman
* Kevin Greene
* Russ Grimm
* Charles Haley
* Lester Hayes
* Bob Kuechenberg
* Art Modell
* ken stabler
* shannon sharpe
* Bruce Smith
* Derrick Thomas
* Ralph Wilson

HOF:

* Rod Woodson.
* shannon sharpe.
* Bruce Smith.
* Russ Grimm.
* Derrick Thomas.

I think Bob Gretz, whose speech every year in DT's honor gains another vote or three, will be so glorious, so incredible, that this year, he gets the 2-3 votes he was missing last year to put him over the top. I have to believe, after every damned thing has gone wrong on the field for the Red and Gold, that a tremendous honor for the player that defined my generation of Chiefs fans is going to go right.

"Is it his time ... YES!" -- Jim Nantz as Mickelson's 12 foot putt skirted the edge, then dropped in, to win his first major, 2004 Masters.

Hopefully this means we're planning a road trip for the first week in August to a little slice of heaven known as Canton.

Ohio, not Illinois. Good God, nobody will ever confuse Canton, Illinois with a "little slice of heaven" ...

two years ago today ...

I am beginning typing this at about 6pm. It was right about that time, two years ago tonight, that our tailgating group took top honors at the Thanksgiving Night game against denver.

That night, anything seemed possible. A flawed, beat up, horrendously managed team won 19-10 to get to 7-4, in control of its own playoff destiny. The celebration that night was amazing. (Its in a "classic" recap posted in July).

Since that night ... the Chiefs are 7-25. They have lost 19 of 20, after today. We've started 5 different guys, and played 7, at quarterback. Our franchise running back is likely gone after the season. Our fanbase is so disgusted that it is avoiding the product in record numbers. And we can definitely say that a defense that held the vaunted donkeys rushing game to 38 yards that night, is in utter ruin.

On the bright side ... at least the other team I follow religiously looks good at this point. (fireman ed voice) J E T S Jets Jets Jets!

Here we go ...

* The "core group" today was down to 4. So we made the decision last night that we weren't hauling the tailgating vehicles out, we weren't getting up at the ass crack of dawn, we'd all arrive at Russ and Mona's by 9:30 and just tailgate. Solid decision.

* The sandwiches were delicious. The bloody mary's were delicious. And it was nice to avoid the awkwardness that all the cracks in the current group have created. To say nothing of meeting some new folks. Kind of a Royals Sunday tailgate atmosphere, only at a Chiefs game. Good friends, having a good time, over some good food and booze. I liked it.

* Headed down to the Grigsby's tailgate about 10:45. Had a lovely 30 plus minute stay. Its always good to see good people doing, uuh, good. Which most everyone down there appears to be.

* Got to the seat about 11:30. I opted not to drink during the game today, save for the flask. Mainly because I'm sick of giving this franchise even $0.01 more than they deserve of my money, let alone $10 for the Labatt Blue 24oz.

* KC Wolf's sketch was actually kind of funny for the second week in a row. This week's was a James Bond ripoff. The "magically appearing ATV" trick was actually laugh out loud funny. At least to me. I love the "conveniently and strategically placed ATV" that Wolf finds every week to aid him in his revenge quest.

* Every frigging regular person in 131 / 132 was there today. It was unbelievable. Every single one, save for Gary and his wife (they were there; they just used their other tickets today, ran into him in the bathroom line). I only note this, because you have to figure this might be the final time that opening statement can be said.

* Hootie! Hootie! OK, just Darius Rucker, performing the National Anthem, but man was I fired up.

* I was pleasantly surprised at the attendance today. I guessed 35,000 would show up in my picks. I'm guessing it was close to 60,000. The lower bowl was filled. The club level wasn't shabby. Even the upper deck was pretty populated in the decent seats. To show up in decent numbers to watch a 1-9 squad that's lost 18 of its last 19, is impressive.

* Bills won the toss, and deferred. I don't understand why every team doesn't do that. Of course, I've never understood why you'd want to play defense first, I'd always want to send my offense out and put the opposition on notice that we're shoving it down your throat today, so get your gag reflex ready. But that's probably just me.

* Speaking of get the gag reflex ready, our first drive everyone! Charles cut to reach the end zone was sweet. It was the first time we had scored a touchdown on our opening drive this year. That is ... Jesus, that is horrendous.

* The Bills response? A beautiful drive that ends with a 4th and one plunge into the end zone. They had runs on that drive of 11, 13, 14, and 15 yards. You just have to admire that.

* The Bills scored on 9 of their first 10 possessions: 5 TDs and 4 FGs. They also had the TAINT to add 7 to their total. Call me crazy, but when you can't stop the other team, and they're scoring with their defense, you're in trouble pal.

* Another awful Chiefs stat, courtesy Mitch and Len: the Bills converted a 3rd and 7 on their second drive, that ended in a field goal to go up 10-7. After that conversion, the Chiefs had faced 3rd and 7 or 8 15 times this season. The opposition had convered 11 of those 15 times. Again, call me crazy, but when 3rd and long is easily makeable against you, you're probably 1-9.

* LJ's long run! That helped the fantasy team. Although you watch, I guarantee you his getting tackled at the 2, and not scoring, is going to somehow cost me my playoff game against Anthony when our two week battle is done next week.

* Awesome bootleg by Thigpen, to Gonzalez, for the touchdown.

Now that we're hitting the point the Chiefs opted to no longer give a sh*t, I'll do the same, and go rapid style and end this. That, and the Colts / Chargers are getting ready to kick off, huge game tonight in my never ending quest to see denver miss the postseason:

* Thigpen needs to learn how to throw a slant.

* Bills QB Trent Edwards is really good at play action.

* If Thigpen hadn't thrown pick number two before the half, the Bills utter incompetence at clock management could have really aided us. (They ran out of bounds on 2nd down, then had to burn a timeout after 3rd down because a gimpy player couldn't get off the field. If neither event occurs, they kick the FG with about :20 on the clock, instead of 1:36).

* Edwards TD run right before the half is arguably the single worst play run against us this year. Someone should be sh*t canned for that.

* The halftime show was horrendous. Absolutely horrendous.

* Blatant hold in the end zone on Edwards' second TD. Walker just mauled Jarrad Page at the goalline to spring Edwards for the six. Not called, despite side judge and referee Leavy being right there to see it.

* Nice of the sun to make an appearance after the half. It was a little chilly with the cloud cover. And yes ... I was in shorts.

* Stat courtesy of kansascity.com: of the 16 NFL head coaches with at least 75 career games as head coach in the league, guess who has the worst winning percentage of any of them? Herm Edwards, at .420 and falling after today. When you're worse than Norv Turner, its probably time to make a change. Beginning with the man who not only hired you, but gave away a 4th round pick that turned into Leon Washington to bring you to town.

* I left after the Bills went up 47-27. I couldn't take it anymore. If the team I love doesn't care enough to man up and play some defense, why the hell should I stick around and watch.

* The Chiefs have 6 sacks as a team. 19 individual players have at least 6 sacks. Can someone explain to me why Tim Crumrie has a job?

* Speaking of horrendous coaches, my God, Mike Priefer everyone! If this isn't the worst special teams unit in franchise history, I cringe to think of what's worse. Twice in this game, we had returners crash into each other because neither one called the other off. We had three muffed kickoffs. We had Mike Cox dive to field a ball in front of a returner. The punting game today was horrendous. At least Connor Barth hit his field goal attempt, a tough 45 yarder with the swirling wind conditions.

* I guess, in the end, that you have to view this objectively. This is just another defeat in a long line of them, another setback in a season full of them.

But today ... I don't know. Today felt different. I honestly don't feel angry, or upset. I really don't feel the need to drink this one away, even though I probably will. I'm not frustrated, or punching counters, or even taking a walk to vent.

Today was just another game. Nothing special, nothing to get emotionally attached to, just another Chiefs football game. Nothing more, nothing less.

I don't know whether that's a good thing, or a bad thing ... but I know I don't like it ...

so here's the plea ...

There have been a lot of changes to what we have known the "Arrowhead Experience" to be over the last few seasons.

We have lost loved ones, both due to tragic passings, and tragic marriages. We have split into different tailgating camps.

We have seen the on field product transform itself time and time again. From dominant offense, to dominant team, huge disappointment, to "luckiest team alive" with the Immaculate Trifecta, as Bob Gretz phrased the New Year's Eve miracle two years ago ... to what we are today -- a young, rebuilding, genuinely entertaining, visibly improving team that is still at least a year, probably two, away from being a viable threat.

(Words I would not have written three weeks ago. But even me, the most frustrated of all fans, even I have to admit -- when you go on the road to the AFC East leading Jets and have the ball with a shot to win, when you host the NFC South front running Bucs, and have the ball with a shot to win, and you hit the road against the one-game-back Chargers, and have the ball with a shot to win ... you can't argue this team isn't entertaining. Even if they keep finding new ways to lose ...)

Anyways, my point is this. I swore at the beginning of this season, I would not beg anyone to show up for any game other than denver. I think, for the most part, I've kept my promise. No "fire up the fanbase speeches", no "show up if you're a real fan" emails. No passionate pep talks, no lengthy discussions on why we're going to win, just simple, stick to the point commentary that has been anything but complimentary of these guys.

(Again, save for denver. That one is special to me).

Like I said, I've kept my promise.

Until Sunday.

Because Sunday, the Chiefs universe, the tailgating world, the "core" as I know it when it comes to One Arrowhead Drive ... the center no longer holds.

The Bus Man isn't coming.

I don't want to get into too much detail, partly because I don't think its right, but mostly because I fear for what lies ahead. If you remember the root cause of what caused Randy's downward spiral four years ago, history is tragically repeating itself. The Bus Man is having surgery on Thursday in an attempt to stave off the same physical situation going from bad to horrid.

I got a call last Tuesday, asking if I would be willing to fill in as "The Bus Man" this Sunday for the Saints game. To keep at least one tradition alive. Even if the Tradition Holder can't be there.

I have rarely been as honored in my life as I was to be asked. Then, reality set in.

I had never in my life driven a stick shift vehicle before yesterday. My lack of skill in that department has resulted in some embarrassing moments, like having to ask the neighbor to back Brent's car up because neither Gregg nor I knew how to do it ... to conning Dusty's mom that "sure, Steve can drive us home" in Dusty's car at the summer company picnic this year. (Note to Dusty's mom: ANY time the phrase "sure, Steve's good to drive" is involved, its a scam. Its a friggin scam. Don't believe it).

Anyways, yesterday, I got a crash course in driving a manual transmission. I got some pointers and practice piloting the tailgating bus. I think I'm ready.

My question, my plea, my heartfelt request, is this:

Will you join me?

I know I put far, far too much emphasis on symbolism, on tradition, on things that nobody else finds even remotely amusing or interesting, save for maybe Gregg and occasionally Damien if he's bored enough. (And sometimes Dusty if he's in, uuh, Dustyland). And I know that nobody looks to the past more than me, nobody I know of studies history, no matter how pointless said history seems to be, and treasures it, like I do.

I hope Sunday (and likely next week as well against Buffalo) is an aberration, a temporary suspension of the tailgating glory and greatness and madness that has gotten us into a couple Price Chopper commercials, has won us the Tailgaters of the Game twice (including less than a month ago), and has led to so many great memories and friendships, which is what really counts when its all said and done. I hope Sunday is a temporary speed bump. I pray its just a temporary suspension of play.

I fear Sunday is the final transition from the founding generation of tailgating, to us, the heirs.

Because let's face it. For the first time ever ... the kids are running the show.

Hence this week's special plea. If this is our first shot at running things, let's do this right.

I hope you'll make the personal sacrifice to get up early, load the coolers, bundle up tight (it'll be a little "nipsey russell" out there ...) meet up and head out as one on the tailgating bus. To stake our claim. Just like Randy and Nancy and Jasson, and Gregg and Gordon did 20 years ago, to kick this thing we call "The Arrowhead Experience" off ... its our turn now to plant the flag in the ground, and ensure we keep this thing going for another 20 years.

Sunday, I believe the page sadly turns to its next chapter. My plea is let's do this right. If you love this team, be there! What more reason do you need, other than to be a part of establishing history as we'll know it for the next generation, our generation of Chiefs fans and tailgaters?

If you need a place to crash Saturday night to ensure you can make it, we've got room over here (and our Bucks vs the Celtics!)

The more things change, the more I sometimes wish they could stay the same. Well fellow Chiefs fans, "Buck You's" ... here's our chance. We can start the next 20 years of tailgating excellence ... by continuing to do what's made the last 20 years so great.

I'll close the initial plea (yup, the picks are returning to the traditional fire-us-up speech format, for one week only ...) with this:

The last two years, some of us have had a "Restore the Tradition" tailgate at our old spot on the Hill. Most everyone who reads this, no matter how infrequently, has partied it up at the Crosswalk to G in Lot N with us. That was Tradition as we knew it.

Sunday, let's "Sustain the Tradition". Let's show up, as one. Do it for me, if only because it'll make for a tremendous post come Sunday night. Do it for yourselves, because you love this team. Do it because you've tailgated with us before, you enjoyed it, and you want to come back for more.

Most of all, do it for The Bus Man. All of us have had a beer or three with that guy at some point. Most of us have enjoyed the pool on a hot Sunday afternoon. Some of us have had the distinct privilege of getting to call him "friend". "Pal". Even fewer of us view him like a second father.

I'm in that select crew. I pray that this is a temporary setback, that come the Chargers game to open December, he's back behind the wheel, endangering lives by charging down Sterling at 50 plus mph at 6:30 in the morning while nursing a Johnny Walker on the rocks.

Until that time arrives, it falls on me. I literally shook, my hands were shaking, as I shifted from R to 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 driving the Beast around yesterday. The tradition, the history that vehicle holds ... to be entrusted with maintaining it, is almost overwhelming. Hell, who am I kidding, its me on a stick shift. It is overwhelming.

But I hope it also overwhelms you, to help me carry on the greatest tradition we know. Chiefs football. As its been for 20 years. As I hope it continues to be for 20 more. At least. (Although let's be fair, 20 only puts Ayden at "legal" drinking age. We all know he'll be bonging out there with us by 16 ... 17 at the latest ...)

If this is our first time running the show, let's make it count.

Let's do this up right. Let's have a Beast full of diehard, half baked, half buzzed Chiefs fans ready to start the next 20 years off right: with a helluva pregame party, a helluva postgame celebration, and a Chiefs victory!

(more pleas to come later this week ... because this is personal to me ... and its my site dammit ... at least until some folks from charter or two rivers show up on the door and get me the mental help i need ...)

at some point, close shouldn't count ...

I don't even know where to begin.

For the fifth time this season, the Chiefs held the ball inside the last three minutes with a chance to clinch, tie, or win the game.

For the fourth time, we failed to get the job done.

A good buddy texted me after the game "at least we kept it close". This is how low we've sunk, folks. "At least we kept it close".

Thanksgiving Night two years ago, we hosted the denver broncos, a wildcard berth essentially on the line. Since that game, we are 7-23. We have lost 17 of our last 18 games, the vast majority of those games having "kept it close".

Where do you focus today? Horrendous offensive play calling in the second half, no doubt ordered from the sideline, where gutless wonder Herm Edwards once again refuses to play to win the game? Horrendous defensive play calling in the second half, including playing a cover 3 on 3rd and 5 at the 9? The missed extra point, the latest in a long line of ridiculous special teams gaffes that any organization that believes in accountability, would cut players and fire coaches over?

Or "the punt". Trailing 20-13 with less than 5 minutes to play, we had 4th and 4 at the Chargers 38. Herm punts. As was noted in that spot, "to punt there, you have to have a c*nt". It fits. Herm clearly doesn't have a penis. Let alone a pair of balls. Only a gutless, clueless, "keep it close and pray I save my job on style points" coach punts it there.

Thankfully, Herm, his clueless staff, and our completely inept front office are likely now 50 days away from deserved unemployment. As Gregg noted early in the 2nd quarter, "is Bradley the Chiefs best FA signing in the last 5 years?"

Let that one sink in. The only Chiefs fan I know that's more delusional than me, is legitimately asking if a guy we signed off the streets 3 weeks ago is the best free agent acquisition this front office has made in 5 years! And people still think Carl deserves a 21st season?!?!

At some point, enough is enough. I'm done with accepting "keeping it close", "giving it our best". I want a friggin win.

And if that can't happen, then I demand regime change. Starting at the top, and not stopping until whatever p*ss poor "strength and conditioning coach" we employ is drawing unemployment.

I will have a special plea for Sunday coming out later tonight, or more likely, tomorrow. Sunday will be a very interesting day, and I hope that you will seriously consider the request I am going to make. Nobody is more p*ssed off at the state of this team right now than me. Nobody. It is simply not possible to be more angry, frustrated, embarrassed, outraged, at these guys than I am.

But I'm willing to give them one final chance. I hope you'll hear what I have to say, and at least give it some consideration ...

a couple thoughts ...

1. I'll take Cleveland to win outright, or cover if they're favorites, tonight. I have no idea what the line is; I won't have picks until tomorrow or Saturday.

2. If you're a reader and want to spread the word ... and I don't mean "about the bird" ... about this site, go ahead. I won't pimp it beyond who I know, but since at least 3 of you think I need to sell out and hype this thing like its the greatest thing since Ridnour's 4th free throw clinched last night's OT win, go for it.

3. I loved Obama's pick of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff. Brilliant. In one fell swoop, he announces to Republicans that he'll take them on ... and tells our foes in the Middle East who we unquestionably will support no matter what. Brilliant selection, yet again, by (arguably) the most brilliant politican in my lifetime.

4. Finally ... there will be a different kind of "plea" for the Saints / Chiefs game next week. And not just because its coming out ultra-early, as in "no later than Monday". (Note: if you know what I'm going to say / announce (and at least one loyal reader does) ... vote away. But keep the damned mouth shut. I know how I want to phrase my thoughts, just let me do it in my own way ...)

How's that for "what the f*ck does steve mean by that?!?!" suspense ...
(And Go Bucks GO!!! Tomorrow night in Boston ... the chicken is cooling in the fridge, the 'shrooms are ready to be hosed down with butter and garlic, its the first Buck-a-Roos Party!!! Tomorrow! Casa de Dusty y Steve!)

(oh, and the answer to last week's poll was "none of the above". The moment I shed the most happy tears over, was the birth of my nephew. I'm not a parent ... at least, as far as I know ... and I honestly have no desire to be one ... but to hold someone so special, so precious, so incredibly amazing, literally moments after they, uuh, pop out ... my mom has the pic of me crying as I'm holding him, and he's holding my pinky finger, framed up in the 'rents family room. Still gets me every time I walk by it ...)

we've hit the midpoint. my thoughts ...

I will probably eventually post a recap over yesterday's amazing, incredible football game. Frustrating? Sure. Disappointing? You betcha. Awesome to watch and witness live? (joe biden voice) you got that right, pal.

But for this post, I choose to look at where we're at as the season has hit its halfway mark.

(note: all stats other than the obvious ones (aka record), courtesy nfl.com/stats/team).

Record: 1-7 overall. 1-2 division, 1-4 conference, 0-3 non conference.
Thought(s): we've been competitive in half of our games -- at Patriots, vs broncos, at Jets, vs Bucs. We've not even bothered to show up in 3 others -- vs raiders, at Panthers, vs Titans. We showed up for the 2nd half in the remaining contest -- at Falcons. I'm not saying showing up for 9 halves of football (out of 16 plus an overtime possession) is good ... but considering what most folks thought entering the season, I can live with it. Especially given the last two weeks.

Offense:
* Points scored: 29th (126 total)
* Scoring average: 29th (15.8 pts / game)
* Plays / Scrimmage: T20th (488 total)
* Total Yards / Game: 26th (282.2 yds / game)
* Yards / Play: 29th (4.6 yds / play)
* First Downs / Game: 28th (15.2 FD / game)
* Third Down Percentage: 22nd (37%; 43 of 115)
* Fourth Down Percentage: 31st (17%; 1 of 6)
* Penalties Against: 6th (38 total)
* Penalty Yards Against: 6th (303 total)
* Time of Possession: 23rd (28:46 / game)
* Turnover Margin: 3rd (+7)

Thought(s): can't say any of those numbers surprise me, although compared to where they were entering the Jets game, they are trending upward. As you would hope to see as the season progresses. Whatever this offense's problems, and they're numerous, they aren't beating themselves with stupid stuff -- 6th best in penalties and penal yardage, 3rd best in turnover margin. They're beating themselves with injuries, youth, and inexperience, not necessarily in that order.

Defense:

* Points allowed: 29th (223 total)
* Scoring average: 29th (27.9 pts / game)
* Plays / Scrimmage: 14th (512 total)
* Total Yards / Game: 31st (407.0 yds / game)
* Yards / Play: 32nd (6.4 yds / play)
* First Downs / Game: T23rd (20.0 FD / game)
* Third Down Percentage: 32nd (50%; 54 of 107)
* Fourth Down Percentage: T23rd (67%; 2 of 3)
* Penalties Against: T14th (46 total)
* Penalty Yards Against: 5th (313 total)
* Time of Possession: 23rd (31:48 / game)

Thought(s): our inability to stop the run is killing us. Which goes against what you would think with a young defense -- you would think they would stop the run, and struggle against the pass, especially with every starter in the secondary either being a rookie (Flowers, Carr), or a 2nd year starter / 3rd year in the league (Page, Pollard). Simply put, the front seven, especially the front four, has been a gigantic waste of space. Only one sack from the defensive line so far, only 5 sacks total. In 8 games. The linebackers have had major injury issues, as (so far) all three projected starters three months ago have either missed starts, left games hurt, or been cut. For this unit to improve in the second half, the starting front four must start playing up to their vaulted draft status (all selected in the top two rounds of the last three drafts). Until they live up to the "hype" and their projected talent levels, this unit will continue to struggle.

Coaching thought(s): I really can only fault Herm for one things so far --

(1) Horrendous decision to run it three straight times in the Meadowlands, when the spread / shotgun offense had been what had the offense moving. To his credit, he did not repeat this mistake yesterday (and spare me the "we ran it on 3rd and 14 after TG's pass interference yesterday" comeback. You absolutely run it there, bleed the clock, and let your punter boom it away. 3rd and 14 is unmakeable what, 94, 95 percent of the time? Run the ball, bleed the clock, and let your punter boom it away. I was fine with that call ... as well as throwing it on 3rd and 4).

That brain fart of a decision certainly cost us a solid shot to win that game two weeks ago.

I feel bad for the guy. I almost hesitate to write that ... because I hate to agree with Jason Whitlock on anything ... but I do like Coach Herm. I agree his offensive philosophy is too conservative to win repeatedly in the modern NFL ... but he's starting to overcome that, as witnessed by the last couple weeks, and denver a couple weeks earlier. (Plus most of his tenure in New York, and a large part of 2006. When you give the guy a QB he believes can win him a game, he lets the guy play. Otherwise, he attempts to put his team in the best position it can to win by playing it close to the vest. Believe it or not ... I'm good with that).

Herm likely is gone in 56 days, a sad casualty of Carl Peterson refusing to tear this thing down the day after we lost 23-8 in Indy in the 2006 wildcard round. (I will never fault Carl for holding together a 10 win team, that had won 30 of its previous 48 games, for one final run in 2006. That was the right call, as evidenced by the incredible wildcard berth).

As for the coordinators ... I won't fault Chan Gailey. When Herm has turned him loose (Huard's healthy game vs denver, the "what the hell, why not" outings the last two weeks), Gailey has shown the brilliance I expected when he was hired. (He also had a solid game plan in New England, as well as the 2nd half against Atlanta). Gailey deserves the 2nd half before we judge him. (And yes, I am flat out saying, you can do worse as an OC or a head coach than a man who, until this year, had never failed to win at least 9 games as an OC or head coach in this league ...)

Gunther though ... look it. (steve sighing). I love the man. I friggin love the man. The reason I hated Vermeil so much was because he replaced Gun. When Gunther was hired in 1999 ... (steve revealing too much) ... I was driving to a service call at the job I had then in beautiful Lyons, Kansas. And I literally pulled over as the press conference started and cried. Gunther getting the head coaching job, was a win for the working guy, a win for those of us who show up every day, get sh*t dumped on us, and come back the next morning for more.

When we rehired him as defensive coordinator after we failed to make the Colts punt in a playoff loss, I was so ecstatic I bought the first two rounds that night at P Otts after work.

But this tenure, something ain't working. I don't know if its the assistants, or if Gunther's philosophy ain't working ... but something's wrong. He's got 56 days left, if only to once again serve as a scapegoat for Carl's failed drafts and free agent signings.

Special teams, I'll cut Priefer a pass. The punting units are solid, the kickoff coverage is good. Our return game isn't great, but we don't exactly have a rock solid returner back there. And our field goal units haven't cost us a game yet, an improvement over the past few years. (And I wholeheartedly agree with signing Connor Barth, who should have won the job coming out of training camp).

Front office thought(s): I'll admit, I'm torn.

I'm not torn on Carl: the time for him to assume the Jack Steadman Memorial Role as "man who draws paycheck for lifetime of service" has arrived. He has no business running the day to day operations of a NFL franchise anymore.

But the rest of the front office ... look it. I don't want to read too much into two solid performances the last couple weeks. But the kids are starting to come around. (And we'll know for sure if we've turned a corner this week, as the Chargers break in a new defensive coordinator and are reeling at 3-5, in a must win at home. If we once again have the ball with a shot to clinch or rally to win with 2:30 to go, we'll know we've turned the corner).

And the credit to that would have to go to Bill Kuharick, to his scouting staff, and his spies / informants in the college ranks. Kuharick never got the credit he deserved for building some decent Saints teams in the early 2000s (including the first Saints team to win a playoff game). I fear the same might happen here.

If I was Clark Hunt ... and God, I wish I was ... I'd kick Carl upstairs. Promote Kuharick, keep Denny Thum for contracts and cap management. I'd try to bring back Terry Bradway from the Jets to replace Kuharick in the scouting / assistant GM role he had under Carl in the mid to late 90s (the 1996 Chiefs draft, seriously folks. Good God. Arguably the best in franchise history. The brainchild of Terry Bradway. Ditto Bradway in NY in 2000 and 2002, two more incredible drafts. The man knows his stuff. Bring him back).

I'd also keep the support staff, the ticket sales staff, the every day common folk who are taking far, far, far more abuse than they deserve from us p*ssed off season ticket holders. Hang in there guys. Help should be on the way shortly ... even if said help is the end of the regular season ...

Coming later tonight ... or tomorrow ... or more likely later this week since tomorrow is the election ... my individual player thoughts.

sorry to disappoint but ...

no live blog today. I honestly don't have any real interest in doing it for just a quarter or a half, which is about all I can do today because of family obligations this afternoon.

That, and the 15-20 (conservative estimate) fuzzy navel and triple sec jello shots I consumed last night are catching up with me.

If you need a fix though, you can re-read any other live blog on here, or read the two posts from this morning, my NBA picks and a look back at the worst KU game in nearly 5 years.

sometimes, gretz puts it best

I don't know Larry Johnson.

I've met him once, at the Coach Herm show last September at Paddy O's in Lee's Summit. And like Bob mentions in his post I'm about to hype ... I've rarely if ever met a more down to earth, decent human being than LJ. Despite his media handlers saying that only "50 lucky lottery winners" would get a couple seconds with him to sign something ... LJ not only signed for every person who came up, he posed for pictures, he conversed with fans.

I know, I know. "He's paid to do that". Uuh, no, he's not. I'm sure he's compensated for his 30 minutes of airtime ... but LJ stuck around for 1 1/2 hours after the show ended to interact with the folks that were there. (Trust me, my bar tab that night would prove this out). Compare that to the very next week, when Tony Gonzalez was the guest ... and was out the door within 2 seconds of his segments ending, signing for virtually nobody.

But of course, Tony's a God in this town, and LJ's a thug.

To everyone except me, I guess.

And Bob Gretz.

I feel for LJ in many regards. I don't want to really delve into my shady past ... but suffice it to say, I've effed up a time or two in my life. Sometimes minor, "no harm no foul" choices. But sadly, some "what the hell were you thinking" moments as well. One in particular that to this day, I refuse to adequately deal with. Which probably explains the insanity that is me most of the time ...

But anyways, my point is this:

LJ's a decent guy. He's got a solid heart. He's got a solid foundation. He's just f*cked up recently.

Just like me a few times in my life. Just like most of my readers a few times in your life.

I'm not saying spitting on a chick in a night club is acceptable. Its not. What I am saying is ... he showed remorse today. He deserves a chance to make this right, to prove to the Chiefs, his teammates, the fans, that he can get his life going in a forward, positive direction again.

Most of all, he deserves the chance to prove to himself that can happen. My hope for LJ is that he realizes change can only come when you decide to be something different than what you are. You don't have to accept the idea that "you are what you are". You can be something better. It took me far too long in life to reach that conclusion.

You can do it LJ. (joe biden voice) You can do it champ! If I can turn the wreckage that my life was into something better, you can too.

If you want to.

Which is what Gretz notes in his awesome column tonight, located at:

http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-football/a-message-for-larry.html

Give it a read. Then give LJ a chance to get his act together. Here's hoping he does ...