I wanted to write a fanpost about why I'm upset with where we're at. I don't want to call for Herm Edwards or Carl Peterson to be fired, nor do I want to pin this situation on either of them. We are arguing about that in all the other threads, every day, have been for months. This isn't about draws on third down, on starting Macintosh, on the evaluation of Brodie, or anything else. It's just a reflection based on personal experience. So I would ask in the comments that if you disagree, try and steer the conversation to something positive or to making a separate point, rather than tearing m down personally by saying I am a bad fan or silly or anything else that's a personal attack. This is just a set of thoughts I've been having and I wanted to share with the community.

I'm depressed today. Badly, when I think about this team. When the Chiefs lose, I'm used to a funk. The dull ache of the plays that could have made the difference.  The anger at when teams aren't prepared to play (Pittsburgh and the late-night clubbin' game). The deep well of nothingness that the first round playoff losses cause. But this is different. We've been a bad football team before. Many times. And we'll be a bad football team again, long after Herm Edwards is gone, be it at the end of the season with nothing accomplished, or in seven years with a ring or two. But what we've lost, if only for the time being, is a sense of pride in this organization and a commitment to being a step better.

The 90's dominant defense team had some bad people on it. Let's be honest. Dale Carter. Tamarick Vanover. Even Derrick Thomas was known to have some question marks. But this team has also been home to some genuinely great people, and we've always had a relationship with them. Joe Montana will always be a Niner, but he was overwhelmed by how we treated him. Marcus Allen. Trent Green loved it here. Priest Holmes.

And today, we failed to reach an agreement to trade our all-world tight end. A tight end. The argument is that we couldn't have gotten equal value back and he'll be of too much value. For what? An offense that can't move anyway? I'm not trying to criticize the coaching or the team, but the fact is that having Tony around doesn't matter if we can't get him the ball. Then all we're doing is making his final years in this league bad. Instead of making memorable, important catches for a playoff team, even if that team doesn't win the Super Bowl, he's going to be shaking his head after not getting thrown to when he's open. He can be a guiding veteran for the youngsters, sure, but he's done that before. He deserved better from us. He didn't come out to the press and demand it. He didn't threaten to sit out. He didn't pitch a fit. He calmly told his employer that he'd rather be elsewhere than babysitting a team that does little right and that is made up of players that probably won't even be around by the time he retires. And we wouldn't grant him that. After all the charity work, all the memorable touchdowns, all the community involvement, all the wins he brought us, we refused to take care of a guy who stood by us when he could have bolted years ago in his prime, so that we could say "Well, we didn't get screwed." We're not New York, we're not LA. This is a business. But you can run your business with class and dignity. And right now we're not.

Our running back has had three separate incidents of violence against women. The latest is a minor brush with a woman he may or may not have shoved in a club. He's slacked off on rehab assignments to party in NYC with his ROC friends, cost us penalties in the redzone, bitched, moaned, and pouted, and what have we done? We've devoted so much money to him that he's not only the highest paid player in our history, but he's untradeable due to his salary and cap hit.

This is a business, but you can run a business with class and dignity. And right now we're not.

Marty lost it later on. There's no question. But for a run, there, we had quality guys who we were committed to as an organization. Kansas City isn't New York or LA. It's a midwestern city with midwestern values. Like family. And commitment. And a sense of doing right by the people you employ. And that means more than just paying their market wage. And that means drawing a line and saying what is unacceptable behavior for a representative of our city, and our team.

I wore my Chiefs jersey the day after the Colts drubbed us in the playoffs in 03. I've worn my gear out and taken the derision from friends about the losses and said "You know, every team goes through this." But today may have been the first time I legitimately started to feel ashamed of this franchise.

We've got to do better.

Just my feelings.