the seven t's

"We walked on the beach
Beside that old hotel.
They're tearing it down now;
But it's just as well.

I haven't shown you everything
A man can do.
So stay with me baby --
I've got plans for you!

This is the time to remember!
'Cause it will not last forever!
These are the days to hold onto!
'Cause we won't, although we'll want to.

This is the time!
But time is gonna change.
You've given me the best of you,
And now I need the rest of you ...

Did you know that before
You came into my life?
It was some kind of miracle,
That I survived.

Someday we will both look back,
And have to laugh.
We lived through a lifetime --
And the aftermath!

This is the time to remember!
'Cause it will not last forever!
These are the days to hold onto!
'Cause we won't, although we'll want to.

This is the time!
But time is gonna change.
I know we've gotta move somehow,
But I don't wanna to lose you now ...

Sometimes it's so easy
To let a day slip on by,
Without even seeing
Each other at all.

But this is the time you'll turn back to,
And so will I.
And those will be days?
You can never recall ...

And so we embrace again,
Behind the dunes.
This beach is so cold,
On winter afternoons.

Oh, but holding you close?
Is like holding the summer sun.
A warmth from the memory?
Of days to come!

This is the time to remember!
'Cause it will not last forever!
These are the days to hold onto!
'Cause we won't, although we'll want to.

This is the time!
But time is gonna change.
You've given me the best of you,
And now I need the rest of you ..."

-- "This Is The Time" by Billy Joel.

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The Seven T's.

Seven defining moments from the two playoff games, that have the Chiefs in a position they've never been in before in my lifetime, and I am forty three years (harrison ford in "clear and present danger" voice) and change old.

Seven spectacular, incredible, season-defining -- if not franchise-defining -- plays of immense significance.

In chronological order ...

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T1 and T2: The Tackle and The Turnover.



I can't speak as to how all of y'all felt early in the second quarter of the Divisional Round against the Texans, but I can speak as to how I felt, after the Texans nailed a chip shot field goal to go up 24-0 barely twenty minutes into the contest.

I was literally sick to my stomach.  I honestly thought I would puke where I sat -- and yes, I used the word "sat", because I didn't have the energy to stand anymore.  (If you sit in the lower bowl at Arrowhead, you know that, uuh, sitting, is not really an option.  You stand, then stand some more, then really stand when the game matters.)

Then Mecole Hardman gave us our first glimpse of hope with a spectacular sixty yard return.  Two plays later, Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" hit Damien Williams for the score, to inject a little life into the team, the game, and the fandom.

Then, after getting its' ass handed to it for twenty straight minutes, the Chiefense stood and forced a three and out, setting up a fourth and four at the Texans thirty yard line.

Which led Bill O'Brien to call what I thought was a brilliant play -- a fake punt.  And I actually mean that -- it was a brilliant play call.  Because ten members of the Chiefs special teams unit fell back to set up the return.  Only one Chief smelled out what was coming -- "Dirty" Danny Sorenson * .

(*: I never imagined there would come a moment in my life when I could like someone -- be it a real person or (in my case) a fictional character on my favorite TV show of all time -- named Danny Sorenson.  Y'all have no idea how much I hated Rick Schroeder's character on "NYPD Blue".  I'll just note that I hated his character so much, that when they killed him off to close the eighth season / open the ninth season, I actually lit a victory cigar on the back deck to celebrate.  And sadly, that's not a joke, it's the truth.)

"Dirty" Danny somehow, some way, tackled the Texans punter two yards short of the line to gain, setting the Chiefs up at the Texans thirty.

I have heard Arrowhead explode with emotion many, many a time.  (Especially the fourth and sixth T's in this listing.  Number six still makes me cry uncontrollably, and it's been two weeks now.)

Damn, did Arrowhead explode when the first T occurred -- "The Tackle".

Three plays and twenty three seconds later, Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" hit Travis Kelce for his second touchdown in three minutes, to bring the Chiefs to within ten at 24-14.  (Note: Mr. Kelce is the seventh T, when and/or if we get there.)

Now Arrowhead was rocking.  What was a silent, funeral-like stadium three minutes earlier, now was as loud as any of us have ever heard it.

Cue the second T -- "The Turnover".  Once again, "Dirty" Danny Sorenson made the play, forcing a fumble on the kickoff that was returned to the Texans six yard line by Darwin Thompson.

If Arrowhead was 142.2 decibels five years ago (and it was)?  Then that return by Mr. Thompson amped up the noise to approximately 305.6 decibels.  You couldn't think, it was so godd*mned loud after that turnover.

Three plays later, Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" hit Travis Kelce for his second touchdown in less than a minute, and suddenly, the Chiefs were within three, at 24-21.

In less than four minutes and thirty seconds, the Chiefs have gone from down twenty four, to down three.  They'd scored twenty one straight (soon to be forty eight), before the Texans could even attempt to strike back.  For the first time, the Chiefs weren't the ones collapsing in a playoff game; they were causing the utter and total collapse.

For the first time in NFL history, a team trailed by twenty four in the first half, and led at halftime -- well, wait.  I'm getting ahead of myself.  Because the lead came via ...

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T3: The Touchdown.



After forcing a Texans punt to keep the game at 21-24, the Chiefs get the ball back with 2:47 to play in the first half.

As Richard A. Vermeil would note: "Offense?  Gotta Go To Work!"

And go to work they did, as Mr. Mahomes moved the Chiefs seventy yards in less than two minutes, to set up a third and goal at the four yard line.  Let me tell you, the realization that no matter what happened on that third down play, the realization that the Chiefs were, at worst, going to the locker room tied, after trailing by twenty four ten minutes earlier, was a gigantic relief.

But a tie isn't good enough for these guys.  Because on that third down, Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" skillfully, glidefully (is that even a word?  I guess it now is), strategically, and successfully ran the length of the line of scrimmage, and while straddling said line, fired a semi-shovel pass / semi-prayer of a throw, inside of a barely open circle occupied by Travis Kelce, in the midst of four or five Texans defenders, to put the Chiefs up for good at 28-24.

The Chiefs went on to win 51-31.  The last fifty minutes of the game, they outscored a damned good Texans team 51-7.  A point every f*cking minute.  (john davidson voice) That's incredible!

But the four best T's? 

Were yet to come.

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T4: The Trot.



Probably not the best word to describe this play, but I needed a T, and I already used The Touchdown, so The Trot it is.

This, folks, is probably my favorite drive in Chiefs history, non-those people category.  (As great as this drive was, it probably doesn't top Joe Montana shoving it down those people's throat on that magical Monday night twenty five October's ago.)

Because as even "The Voice of Reason" noted: this was one bat sh*t crazy drive.

It began with a Mecole Hardman fumble of the kickoff, which is always promising.  Thankfully, the Chiefs recovered the punt, because they cheated via a holding call on the return, to set the Chiefs up inside their own fifteen with under two minutes to go in the half, trailing 14-17.

Three plays later, now near midfield, Patrick Mahomes "Of the Chiefs" fumbled the snap, somehow picked it up, and had the presence of mind to fire it in Tyreek Hill's general vicinity.  Unfortunately, Mr. Hill caught the ball, ran for approximately seven hundred miles in reverse across the field and back, before running out of bounds for a loss of two.

Then, on the penultimate play of the drive, Mr. Mahomes threw a horrible pass into the corner of the west end zone where I sit (Section 132 holla!), that probably should have been picked off by the Titans.  Thankfully, it wasn't.

Three incredible Joe Biden-esque gaffes inside of a minute ... yet somehow, there the Chiefs were, at the Titans twenty seven, with thirty seconds left, two time outs left.

For the second week in a row, the Chiefs had put themselves into position to at least tie the game at the half, despite trailing by large margins for most of said first half.

And for the second week in a row, a tie wasn't good enough for Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs".

Because he took off on that second down, seeing no receivers were open, and somehow, some way, turned his, uuh, way, upfield, past the twenty, past the ten, staying in bounds by a couple blades of strategically manicured grass.  He then darted inside to avoid a tackle, plowed through three Titan defenders, and collapsed into the end zone, to give the Chiefs a lead they would never relinquish.

As I noted earlier, I've heard Arrowhead explode with emotion many, many times in my life.  I have never heard Arrowhead louder, than the moment Mr. Mahomes crossed that goal line in my end zone.  And I mean NEVER! heard that sacred place explode with so much emotion at once. 

It was almost as if every person there -- all 73,625 of my closest friends and myself -- knew, that was the ballgame.  Knew that that run, had taken a sledgehammer and cracked whatever wall of defense the Titans had left.  They weren't going to recover from that blow, and everybody knew it.  The Chiefs were Super Bowl bound ... but not quite yet.

The ceiling I've waited forty some odd years to dance on?

Was about to collapse from the movement on it.

But not quite yet.

It took one more amazing Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" play, to seal an appointment to dance upside down ...

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T5: The Throw.



The score grid on the opening snap of the posted Youtube! video above sets the scene.  The Chiefs are up eleven (or two scores) with half of the fourth quarter to go.  They face a third and six at their own thirty five.

I venture a guess that nine out of ten teams in this spot -- up two scores, less than eight minutes away from the Super Bowl -- would probably call a conservative, uuh, call, in this spot.  A draw play to Damien Williams, perhaps.  Maybe a quick screen to Mr. Williams or Tyreek Hill.  Maybe a safe slant-in to Travis Kelce.  Something that might get you the first down, but more than anything else, at least keeps the clock moving for another forty seconds, before letting Dusty C get off a fifty plus yarder.

This, peoples and peepettes, is why I (and I suspect many of you) f*cking love "Fat" Andy Reid so much.

There's nothing conservative about the man, at all.  (Well, probably his politics -- he is a devoutly religious man.  But still, work with me here.)

Because on third and six, when conventional wisdom says play it safe, "Fat" Andy hauled out the most unsafe play call imaginable.

He went for the jugular, OJ Simpson style.

He aired it out.

And God bless our humble quarterback, this?  This might be the defining throw of his career when said career is all said and done (which hopefully won't be for another two decades) ** .  Because when Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" dropped back, I grabbed my buddy Chase, who sits next to me, and shouted into his ear "this is it!  It's over!"

Why could I make that proclamation?

Because every person in that stadium not on the Titans sidelines -- and probably every person on their sideline as well, to be honest -- saw what I did.

Sammy Watkins, streaking wide, wide open down the center of the field.  No defender in position, let alone within sight, of the ability to cover or tackle Mr. Watkins.  All Mr. Mahomes had to do was drop it in his hands, and the "holy sh*t, we're going to Miami!" celebration could begin in earnest.

Which is exactly what Mr. Mahomes did.

Ballgame.

(**: NFL Network's Peter Schrager (the biggest Chiefs homer this side of this site's Official Color Commentator Emeritus, the legendary Dan Dierdorf) rated this play number one on his list of Patrick Mahomes' ten best plays of his career, so far.  I wouldn't rank it that high -- at best for me it's fourth ... hang on.  Let's do this right.  In the words of KC Star columnist Sam Mellinger: "a list?  A list!"  My five favorite Mahomies plays so far:

5: the bomb to Demarcus Robinson, Week Seventeen 2018 vs raiders, which was Mr. Mahomes' fiftieth touchdown of the season.  It also is the exact same play as ...

4. the bomb to Sammy Watkins, AFC Title Game 2019 vs Titans.  The exact same play.  With the exact same result.

3. the left handed throw, Week Four 2018 at those people.  I still don't believe what I saw.

2. 4th and 9 to Tyreek Hill, Week Fourteen 2018 vs Ravens.  I honestly never thought I'd see a play from Mr. Mahomes top this one.  As usual, I was wr ... wr ... wr ... absolutely incorrect.

1. The Trot, AFC Title Game 2019 vs Titans.  I still have no idea how he did it.  I'm just damned proud he did.

Anyways, back to whatever the hell I was talking about, before this sidebar ...)

I can assure you, the next seven minutes were nothing but one long, loud cheer.  It just kept getting louder with every second that passed.  The Throw left no doubt what the outcome of that game was going to be -- an outcome most people in that stadium (including myself) had never seen or experienced before.  An outcome no team or fanbase is guaranteed, and that any Chiefs fan less than five decades old, had never known to be possible. 

(Pause).

You're damned right I spent most of that eight minutes crying uncontrollably.

Because all of the previous five T's?

Led to the final two.

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T6 and T7: The Trophy ... and The Travis Kelce.



I intentionally linked the Youtube! clip above, to start when Lamar's Trophy moved from Clark Hunt's hand, to "Fat" Andy's.

I mentioned two weeks ago, that I hate (and I still do), this idiotic notion in the media that the Chiefs -- specifically "Fat" Andy -- deserved this conference championship and/or Super Bowl.  Because deserve is still not the right word.

Earned is.

"Fat" Andy earned this.  You know it.  I know it.  The whole damned stadium, the whole damned fanbase, from Maine to Hawaii, from sea to shining sea, knows it.

And man, the look on his face when he accepts Lamar's Trophy ... sh*t, I was already crying uncontrollably.  Now I was really crying uncontrollably.

Because after "Fat" Andy leads us in a quick "How 'Bout Those Chieeeeeeeeeeeefs!" cry for the ages, someone on the other side of the stadium started the chant for the ages.  One simple word that needs no explanation.  One simple word that some awesome, amazing, (jesse mccartney voice) beautiful soul shouted, then a second Chiefs fan shouted, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, and eventually seventy thousand plus (because nobody left that game early, other than Titans fans) shouted inside the stadium, as millions watching in their favorite bars and garages and man caves and random living rooms joined in as well.

"An-Dy!" 

"An-Dy!" 

"An-Dy!"

If you look closely at the clip above (and you have to, because it's only a fleeting moment), the camera momentarily closes in on Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs", and the Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu, behind "Fat" Andy, shouting "An-Dy!" even louder than all of us were.  That ... that is so godd*mned beautiful.

The final T though?

Might somehow trump the sixth.

Because as Jim Nantz was trying to wind the trophy presentation down, you knew, you just knew, these guys had one last moment of awesome greatness in them ... and you knew, you just knew, that moment of awesome greatness was going to come from Travis Kelce.

Who grabs the mic from Jim Nantz, and shouts the anthem that has defined the ending to so many Chiefs games over the last couple years.

"Hey!  Kansas City!  You gotta fight!  For your right!  To parrrrrrrrrrrtay!"

Damned skippy.

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"You gotta fight".  No three words more perfectly describe the 2019 Chiefs. 

Because nine weeks ago, the Red and Gold walked off the field in Nashville, suffering a crushing defeat that would have left most teams humiliated and deflated, that would have caused most teams' seasons to spiral out of control.  Remember, this team sat at 6-4 after that defeat.  The raiders had caught us in the standings; the "Super" Chargers could pull to within a game with a win the following week in Mexico (meaning both divisional rivals controlled their own destiny). 

We still had to play four divisional games, plus roadies in Foxboro and Soldier Field (two places that are anything but easy to play in), with two decent squads nipping at heels like a pit bull devours a steak.  Good Times! 

Again, at least seven out of ten teams would have closed 2-4 to miss the playoffs entirely.  (Kinda like the raiders did, hee hee.)

The Chiefs haven't lost since that afternoon nine weeks ago, and every week, the avalanche keeps building.  Every week tops the previous one.  Winning the Mexico game?  Neat.  Crushing the raiders in the de-facto AFC West Championship by nearly five touchdowns?  Sweet.  Scoring twenty three straight to win in Foxboro?  Beautiful.  Demolishing those people in the snow?  Spectacular.  Embarrassing the Bears in prime time?  Phenomenal.  Rallying to beat the Chargers in the regular season finale and steal the two seed and the bye away from New England?  Ridiculous.

Overcoming a twenty four point first half deficit to lead at the, uuh, half, and never trail again, against the Texans?  Incredible.

Overcoming multiple ten point deficits in the first half to lead at the, uuh, half, and never trail again, against the Titans?  Indescribable.

And this eight game run comes after seeing Eric Fisher miss half the season, Tyreek Hill miss over a quarter of it, Frank Clark battle through a dangerous neck injury, Chris Jones tweak a hamstring before the biggest game of the season, Patrick Mahomes "Of The Chiefs" dislocate his kneecap, Kendall Fuller miss five games with (al michaels voice) an arm, and the quarterback situation becoming so desperate thanks to Mr. Mahomes' issue and Chad Henne's season-ending injury in preseason, that the Chiefs turned to a high school football coach, to man the helm against two NFC teams that reached (respectively) the NFC Title Game and the NFC Divisional Round, before both were dispensed by the 49ers.

This season has been full of issues.  Full of challenges that even the best of teams would fail to overcome.  Full of injuries you wouldn't wish on the most hated of those people's players.  (Note: this is an abject lie; I wish nothing short of brutal death and painful, ugly dismemberment upon everyone in that vile, evil, satanic organization.)

"You Gotta Fight!"

Whatever you may think of the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs?  There can be no doubt amongst anyone with an IQ above that of a corpse frozen in solid ice -- they never quit.  They always fight.

And now, one last fight remains.  One last challenge, and it's the biggest one this franchise has faced in most of our lifetimes.

Which means there's only one thing left to do, a little over forty eight hours from now:



Exactly ...