FanPost

Have We Been Spoiled?

I have an honest question for all of us here at AP: as Chiefs' fans, have we been spoiled?

This seems like an odd question to ask. Some of you reading this may be thinking 'we're not spoiled. we went 2-14 last year and had the worst record in the AFC'. While I can understand how people would feel that way, I do think we have been spoiled as fans.


I dont know exactly what life was like for Chiefs fans in the 80s (my dad says it was pretty lame). But when Carl Peterson came here to Kansas City in 1989, he hired Marty Schottenheimer as our head coach. For the next two decades the Chiefs were pretty successful. The Chiefs of the 90's were the best of the bunch, but Dick Vermeil's offensive juggernauts were still pretty exciting too. Even though he was/is a weasel, even Gunther had some pretty cool moments (KC was 4-0 against Denver) as a head coach. Herm had one good season (when he took a bunch of Vermeil's players to the playoffs in 06-07). But over the last two years we've been bad. Not just bad: flat out awful. Our record since the start of 2007 season: 6-26. Only the Rams have been worse than us over the last two seasons (5-27). The Lions' record since the start of the 07 season: 7-25 (and they were winless last year)!

From 1989-2006, we were pretty lucky. In 18 years, we only had 4 losing seasons (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004). Had we caught a couple more breaks, we could have made the playoffs in 1996, 1999, and 2005 (maybe in 1989 but I dont remember that far back). And each year when we just barely missed the playoffs, we still remained loyal and convinved that we could make it next year. I'm not excusing those seasons - but I am saying that in the big picture of things, that's not a bad problem to have. At least we have been close. A lot of teams would love to have the "problems" we've had - Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, New Orleans.

Here is my question again: as fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, have we been spoiled over the last few decades? I believe so. After last season ended, I was in shock. I kept thinking "We're one of the classiest organizations in the league. We have one of the league's most passionate fanbases. We have a rich tradition. There is no way we should have went 2-14!"

We shouldn't have went 2-14, but we did. And that's my point: it happened. It has happened to every franchise in the league. I was so accustomed to being a fan of a top-tier franchise that I felt cheated when the 2008 season wrapped up. I never felt that before as a Chiefs fan. All of us have been spoiled with the success of the last 20 years (excluding 07-08). But with every sunset there is a sunrise (that's some deep shit). We have a new but promising outlook on the franchise. Changes are being made at One Arrowhead Drive. The right changes have been made. Who knows? Maybe we'll be in a few Super Bowls the next ten years. Maybe we will will every one we're in.

If that's the case, then I wouldn't mind being spoiled....

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.