There’s been no shortage of overwrought Chiefs hoopla of late…
Don’t get me wrong… I’ve had as much fun watching Chiefs games this season as anyone, but the over-the-top handwringing, jubilation and faux deep analysis has been absurd.
What are we in high school?
Seriously, “adults” in the media (and actual Chiefs fans) have been fussing like children on Christmas Eve…over oversize out-of-town dudes with massive paychecks who’ve won a bunch of games…so what?
Beyond that it’s been fun to watch,
Nobody’s curing cancer here and Kansas City’s unlikely to experience a measurable influx of businesses or people fans moving here as a result of the team’s win-loss record.
Which is exactly what did take place in Manhattan, Kansas, courtesy of recently retired K-State football coach Bill Snyder.
As a commodities broker prior to Snyder’s arrival on the scene I passed through Mad Town any number of times and it was – in a word…desolate. The stereotypical backwater Kansas town that people on the east and west coasts would expect it to be.
Anybody been out that way lately?
It’s still in the middle of nowhere, but not only is that town on fire, it’s 10 times as hip and cosmopolitan as it once was. It’s no Lawrence, but who wants to watch Jayhawk football?
Can vaunted Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes breathe that kind life into the Cowtown?
Doubtful.
Odds are – unlike Joe and Jennifer Montana – Mahomes won’t even move let alone live here.
The Montanas bought a mansion on the golf course in Hallbrook and sent their kids to local private schools.
At this phase of the things, fallen KCC scribe Craig Glazer would alternately be besides himself, and/or fretting, then gushing about the Chiefs chances of winning a Super Bowl.
He’s got to be thrashing around in his gave over missing out on the fireworks after all those disappointing seasons that left him so embittered.
All of that said, it’s kind of silly watching the local media circus go ad nauseam apeshit over every imaginable aspect of Sunday’s game against Tom Brady and New England.
Because whatever happens, it’s a win-win proposition for KC’s jock-sniffing journalists.
If the Chiefs win they can act as if Kansas City landed Apple or Amazon.
And if they lose, they get to over analyze, second guess, grouse and then spin their wheels about waiting until next year.
As opposed to taking it in stride for better and for worse and keeping things in perspective.
Because we live run America…land of the free, home of the brave – and we’ve got countless distractions to make up the stuff that really matters.
A legacy failure stands in KC’s way… not to mention a team and QB even more over-hyped the local ones same (if the former possess track record the modern era which must suffice ‘dynastic’ though pales comparison the truest dynasty e’er, yesteryear’s Green Bay Packers.)
Said insufficiently ominous by itself, whichever NFC team Rams/Saints reaches the Superbowl is the likely favorite dispense with Kansas City (one of them already beat the Chiefs, as did the Patriots same earlier ’18.) Despite modern NFL’s manipulation rules and ease of access ensure teams ea$iest path to po$t $eason hi$tory the $port, by a thread hangs e’en the most ardent local fan’s confidence ‘this year’ truly is KC’s.
1969/70
2018/19
Since that aberration nigh half a century ago KC has been going through the motions year to year, decades to half century. 1966 AFL Champs/Superbowl runner-up fell to 3rd place 1967 ~ 1968, best regular season record Chiefs history bludgeoned to death 41-6 by the Raiders post season ~ even 69’s one shining moment comes with asterisk attached: a one-year only special post season format allowing a second place finisher (wild card Chiefs) to sneak into post season; that abomination which allowed second (and third chances) to undeserving teams the forerunner today’s ‘no team left behind’ post season football hoi polloi.
1971 was the last time a post season game this big was played in Kansas City… Chiefs lost, young Superbowl team of 1966 become veteran one by 1969, grown old by 1971. Speaking of growing old, a stadium closed, media rationalized and fans groaned: all pondered… how did ‘the best Chiefs team ever’ lose?
That team, as the current one, was over-rated by media, fandom and players alike. Had the ’71 team in fact been best ever, result would have matched hype, different outcome in lieu one-year ‘dynasty’, i.e., a paper tiger.
Flash forward 2018 – I do not think the Patriots will lose to the Chiefs on Sunday. For old time’s/CG’s sake however, do willingly suspend disbelief mine for an day. Not for this once fanatic/today august doubting Kerouac, but for the scribe do solicit football Gods empower Chiefs “win one for CG.”
Alas, the dilemma: his hero Brady/Patriots vs his hometown pretenders ad nauseam, swiss chiefs… oh, the humanity.
Sacré bleu!
Go Chiefs.
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Wrong…Mahomes just bought $2 Mil house at 57th & State Line in KCMO, not Leawood!!
Excellent!
That’s a good sign for the Cowtown and an indication that should he remain career pending injury free, he’s planning on being here as while
Ahhhhh but didn’t Joe Montana have some nice gigs here during the season and then hauled it back out west at the end of the season? Also I seem to remember something about his wife not liking it here and would rather be out west? Joe only lasted two years and yes was do to age and so forth but any pro player buying a house here is by no means a good sign of anything except for maybe the realtor who closed the deal on a 2 mil house.
Well Super Dave…he moved the family and kids here and enrolled them in school here so while it was short, it was a major commitment…compared to A.lex Smith, for example
Several of the then Dallas Texans players didn’t want to play in/move to Kansas City 1963 when they became the Chiefs. ‘The stars at nite’ being big and bright, several proud Texans remained there to the end their careers here, KC.
Among them recall LB EJ Holub, who brought his horses up here, then returned south end of every season. DE Jerry Mays actually retired at 23, afore changing his mind due to outpouring pleas from fans here.
QB Len Dawson joked he had to get an map to find it (he did, and moved here. Len was living in Pittsburgh when he played for Cleveland his pre-Texans/Chiefs days.)
Many uninitiated players, as adults otherwise, thought (naturally) Kansas City was in Kansas, not Missouri. That back in the 1960’s, an dairy here used to put Chiefs players faces the sides milk cartons, well… just saying. Yes indeed, it took some time to get settled in.
As Chiefs ownership has never (save for ‘where they bank’, i.e. the Chief$, World’$ of Fun, etc.) called KC ‘home’, 56 years aft landing here, still makes some people gripe (especially during the losing seasons, which has ultimately been norm here since post January 1970.)
Upshot: if it wasn’t/isn’t good enough for Chiefs owners, why would/should it suffice for anyone else? HELL – even the Lombardi Trophy refuses to come here 😀
😎
Very true
KC is a great city to raise a family. Other than that, it’s a snoozefest with shit food. (bbq is good). As soon as my wife retires from her teaching job and our last two are in college (5 years), we’re out of this cowtown and off to somewhere warm with no winter.
Wow..
Where ya headed, dawg?
All perspective, I reckon. I love KC. Born and raised. Kids are grown and gone. House is paid for. This week marks my 40th year on the job. When I decide to retire, we are hitting the road for a year. KC will be home-base to recharge the batteries for a week or two before heading out again. Never really gave a shit about the food-scene in KC. Just don’t eat out enough to care. I think my BBQ is better than anything in KC, so that’s kind of a non-issue. I’m a huge foodie, but that is channeled into my love of cooking. I’m with Guy on the whole winter thing. THAT is something I won’t miss. Hate it more and more the older I get. Trading that snow shovel in for golf clubs.
I guess it’s safe to say that KC has always had everything I’ve wanted or needed. Whatever changes that may or may not be heading our way would have little impact on my corner of the world.
Now…..how ’bout ‘dem Chiefs!!
Interesting, grazie…
Finally some common ground.
I love KC.
Moved away a couple of times, once to the Bay Cities in LA Ca.
Hated it, couldn’t wait to come back home. Love the shitty weather, the hot summers, the spring and most of all, the beautiful falls.
Love the people, the food, everything.
It’s a great city.