How to be a good fan for a "rebuilding" team?
by sunny D
on Sep 25, 2008 1:40 AM CDT
Note: A little upgrade edit from "bad" to "rebuilding" after the Bronco win! With little to be sunny about, I am wondering how I am going to be a good Chiefs fan. Suggestions?
1. Problem solving. That seems to be popular and makes for pretty good blogging fodder. Sign this person. Bench that guy. Run more of these plays. Fine tune our analytical skills. I've done it. Will continue to do it. But it feels like buckling the seat belt on the Hindenberg at times.
2. Finger pointing. Carl. Herm. Others. Perhaps valid, but three more months of pointing fingers in the same direction -- or using the same finger -- is going to become exceedlingly tiresome.
3. Trash talking. Hard to do get much more than a yawn from opponents without much to back it up week after week.
4. Brown bagging it. Demonstrate dissatisfaction with management while staying warm and stylish. Show your Price Chopper spirit!
5. Celebrating little things. Anticipate and cheer for Tony G's record. Watch Albert win his individual battles at LT. High five surrounding fans when our young corners make an outstanding play. Shout "About time!" when Savage replaces Sams. Enjoy the warm feeling of breaking into the 20s in the power rankings after the first win.
6. Predicting positive events. When will Jamaal Charles run for 100 and Will Franklin get 100 yards receiving/game? When will Flowers get his first TD off an INT? Can Colquitt work the sympathy vote for a trip to Hawaii?
7. Following the team. Even with a few expletives for bonehead plays or frustration with management, keep up to date on the personnel, watch the games, and be wiling to wear the team gear in public. It builds character and shows bravery.
8. Developing a secondary interest. A coping strategy that may feel like you're cheating on the Chiefs by secretly tracking the Cowboys, Packers or another team with a legit stake in the race. But you wouldn't actually be one of their fans. And hey, you can also spend more time managing that fantasy team line-up.
9. Practicing mock drafts. For months. Grow hair like Mel's and start doing YouTube videos on college football stars.
10. Embracing martyrdom. "You're a Chiefs fan? Wow. You're dedicated. You really are a fan." What better time to prove you're a Chiefs fan than during the down times? Anyone can be a fan for a popular team that plays Sunday/Monday nights and grabs the headlines. Obscurity allows real fans to know players that are not household names. Circle the wagons with fellow diehard fans.
11. Hoping for the future. There's always next year. Keep hope alive. Blog about it. At AP. And balance it with a look at past glory days once in a while to remind us that excellence is possible.
12. Laughing while crying. Keep a sense of humor. And sense of perspective. Fan and Fun are only one letter apart. The only difference is "u." (sorry - I'm oddly both embarrased and proud that I made that up) We choose to follow a professional sports team because it is supposed to be more enjoyable and entertaining than work, right? Keep the jokes flowing. Encourage one another. And remember why we became fans in the first place.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.
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yea....
But it sure does suck…
1. I am uncomfortable blogging too much, i feel cheesy…like I am too self-important or whatever…
2. Finger-pointing is far too easy at this point and you are right, it gets old.
3. I do still talk trash, its a risky business but someone has to do it.
4. I am not a fan of putting any kind of sacks on my face…
5. Definitely a challenge to be positive about crap in the midst of this nonsense (Albert has looked impressive however.)
6. I predict that Mike Shanahan will finally offer me some of the beef jerky that makes up his face.
7. Always.
8. It has to be a respectable team though, like Buffalo or Jacksonville…
9. I would rather just make a Mel Kiper wig, we can start with an Army helmet and two dead groundhogs.
10. Martyrdom is my favorite…I am pretty good at the sympathy part…
11. Oh yes, the motto of the Chiefs fan “Next year, man”
12. Humor like the name Dick Curl…
by woodman212 on Sep 25, 2008 2:10 AM CDT 0 recs
Strange...
Several people have recommended the bag on the head thing to me…
Out to go groundhog hunting. Good stuff, woodman.
by sunny D on
Sep 25, 2008 1:36 PM CDT
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Excellent post...Rec
#9….I’ve been doing that since maybe before the ’08 draft!.
by primetime 07 on Sep 25, 2008 6:17 AM CDT 0 recs
#12
Thanks sunny D…definitely needed a reminder about that.
What better time to prove you’re a Chiefs fan than during the down times?
Unfortunately this is the time when many people come out of the woodworks and say ‘I told you so’.
by primetime 07 on Sep 25, 2008 7:43 AM CDT 0 recs
Apathy
Is probably the worst direction. Think?
Real fans will be frustrated, angry, optimistic, analytical or have many other reactions. While not raising hopes too high for a win probably reduces the Sunday slide to depression, going all the way to I-don’t-care-at-all is perhaps the opposite of being a fan — short for fanatic, btw.
by sunny D on
Sep 25, 2008 1:42 PM CDT
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I concur...
What a great post this is… It covers all the bases and it doesn’t feel like I am being chastised for expressing my opinions on the poor management decisions from the Chiefs front office.
by KCAl on Sep 25, 2008 9:08 AM CDT 0 recs
Professional sports
Not to rationalize too far, but I do feel free to criticize the participants in a professional program, including the front office. Most get paid pretty good wages thanks in part to my involvement and purchases. Blogs seem to be a good way to express the criticism and offer alternatives. Glad to hear that no chastisement was taken, because none was intended. Cool. Venting those opinions seems healthy. At least to a point, I s’pose.
by sunny D on
Sep 25, 2008 1:51 PM CDT
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My feelings exactly...
It is boring to see the self-rightous get on here professing me to be a fair-weather fan just because I express some negativity in teh direction of the franchise. It is our money and as indirect share-holders of the team, this is all we really get for our money other than something to be passionate about in sports. I would say in addition to bragging rights, but even I dare not go there right now.
by KCAl on
Sep 25, 2008 2:40 PM CDT
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Balance
Regulars know that UCrawford seems to — perhpas — favor a new general manager. (Don’t want to put words in his mouth or jump to conclusions.) At the same time, he writes up this killer, totally referenced post about Brian Brohm without once mentioning how the present general manager would somehow screw it up. Very cool. :-)
Seems to me like negative opinions are welcome here, as long as they’re not outlandishly inflammatory (e.g. vulgar words in all caps repeated 10 times) and are backed up with at least a little rationale. Once stated, there’s probably also an appreciation for some reasonable waiting period before beating the same thoroughbred again.
I also appreciate the posts with the “posi up people, it’s our team” approach. Both approaches seemed to be rooted in fan-atical perspectives.
I’m just a sole sign-up-like-everybody-else commenter. So it’s just my view. Hope we are able to get back on top and bring out the bragging rights stuff again soon! PARADE’s epic Dolphin logo critique lost a touch of its fun after they slapped us around in the preseason game. But the Russian doll analogy will live on forever… forever… forever…
Go Chiefs!
by sunny D on
Sep 25, 2008 3:46 PM CDT
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That's Pretty Much Where I'm Coming From
While I’m quick to point out that most of the problems with this franchise are either a direct or indirect result of decisions and choices that Carl Peterson has personally made, I also believe that there are things that can be done to correct it and that the Chiefs don’t have to be a bad team for decades and decades given some smart planning. The biggest reason I harp on Peterson, though, is that the changes need to start with replacing him and until then most of the other stuff is going to end up being cosmetic.
Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.
by UCrawford on
Sep 25, 2008 4:00 PM CDT
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My battlecry since Marty's departure...
Has been to remove Peterson. He is the biggest reason Marty “retired”. The players loved Marty and loved playing in his system. For gosh sake, Steve DeBerg succeeded in his system. Steve was talented, no doubt, but….
Anyway – We all keep saying the same thing it seems. Peterson is a lousy GM and as long as he is there the Chiefs will be a lousy team…
BTW – Anyone catch Whitlocks write-up about Cowher needing to come to KC to fix things. I believe he could do it, and if Peterson would allow his ego to hire Cowher, it may be what could save his job… But the question would be would Cowher work for Peterson.
by KCAl on
Sep 25, 2008 4:23 PM CDT
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I Saw It
I found his comment on a potential GM prospect (Martin Mayhew) to be kind of interesting too. The guy comes out of Detroit’s personnel office (which should be a HUGE red flag) but Bill Polian (one of the best GMs in the history of the NFL) apparently thinks the world of the guy and believes he’ll be an excellent general manager for some team.
Here’s an article about him:
http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=361484
Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.
by UCrawford on
Sep 25, 2008 4:33 PM CDT
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Haven't heard from PARADE in a bit
Oh god…the dolphins!
by primetime 07 on
Sep 25, 2008 5:31 PM CDT
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I'm a 5, 6, 12 guy myself.
Great post.
We’re all seem to be varying mixtures of those traits.
We do have the whole “fan for bad team” thing in common, though.
by NJChiefsFan on Sep 25, 2008 9:23 AM CDT 0 recs
"Cuhcaine's a hell of a drug"
by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on Sep 25, 2008 10:03 AM CDT 0 recs
Psychedelic pictures
So that’s how you’re able to make all those cool off-the-wall pop culture photo connections!
Damon, Thiggy…I bet you’re wondering what we’re doing here in my basement with whack-a-mole…
— The PARADE on making decisions. Classic.
by sunny D on
Sep 25, 2008 1:56 PM CDT
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One more rec
We need to keep this as a reminder.
by primetime 07 on Sep 25, 2008 12:50 PM CDT 0 recs
Nicely done!
Were we separated at birth? I identify with everything you said. Plus, I suddenly have the warm-and-fuzzies.
Wait, that’s just indigestion. Sorry…
by Chief Running Bare on Sep 25, 2008 2:10 PM CDT 0 recs
I'm adopted
And I believe my biological dad was Running Bare, as well… hmm… soooo…
by sunny D on
Sep 25, 2008 3:47 PM CDT
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That is why
we are fans because it really does bother us. Either direction you go as a fan, positive or negative you have that right.
I believe there is no excuse for us to be this bad. It is time for a change. Our defense was suppose to be decent. Unfortunately, it seems to have regressed. We are the worst team in the league and I agree with UCrawford. Peterson has got to go! Herm needs to kick rocks also. This team needs somebody to hold them accountable.
by cmpotter on Sep 26, 2008 10:52 PM CDT 0 recs
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