Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 11/19

by NJ Chiefs Fan on Nov 19, 2010 6:08 AM CST

Good morning, and happy Red Friday! It's been a long week at work and I'm looking forward to it's end this afternoon. Here's your Kansas City Chiefs news.

It’s inaccurate to judge a quarterback’s performance when his team is down by upward of five touchdowns, but whatever the Chiefs needed to make it through that dreadful afternoon in Denver, Cassel was up for it.

"He felt like he was part of it from the start and didn’t want to not be part of it in the end," Haley said. "It just reconfirms my belief and knowledge that Matt is a truly competitive, competitive guy who wants to be a real good quarterback in the league and wants to be the leader of a team that wins a bunch of games.

Cassel’s leadership in drubbing impresses Haley from KC Star

The Chiefs are keeping a hopeful face. They point to so-called trailing indicators like increased merchandise sales, website traffic and monster TV numbers - 70 shares for some games - that Arrowhead will be filling up.

We caught a glimpse of the old magic in the season opener, the Monday night game against the Chargers. Arrowhead rocked like old times, the Chargers took some penalties clearly caused by the crowd noise, Philip Rivers cursed at his linemen, and fans had the best Kansas City football experience in years.

"You could not do that in your living room," Donovan says. "I don't care how many HDTVs you have."

Mellinger | NFL fans increasingly staying home from KC Star

In a rare moment for professional football, Thursday’s practice was described by one of those in attendance as "fun."

The speaker was coach Todd Haley. Still, it’s an unheard-of description, particular for a practice session held in November, almost four months after the Chiefs started this daily grind.

Chiefs notebook: For once, practice is fun from KC Star

Q: What’s your reaction to his fourth-down mentality?

A: "It doesn’t surprise me. I think Todd puts a lot of thought into it, he’s very competitive and he’s trying to put his team in the best situation. I know Todd has a lot of confidence in his team and his players...

Q&A with Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt from KC Star

The most important thing to keep in mind against Arizona is that it is unrealistic to believe they can win in Arrowhead without the Chiefs' help. KC has been doing a good job this season of not making mistakes - especially at home. In the four games played here, they only have a single turnover. If they can simply break even on TOs, they should be 6-4 and, hopefully, leading the West.

Chiefs vs Cardinals: What's at stake? from Upon Further Review

The Chiefs are fairly healthy, playing at home and coming off an embarrassing loss in Denver. That's not a good combination for the Cardinals, who appeared to be out-manned in all three areas. But I have a hunch the Cardinals are going to be in this game throughout. The Chiefs seem to be coming back to earth after a 3-0 start. I just don't think the Cardinals offense can make enough impact plays to win in Kansas City.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Kansas City Chiefs - scouting report, prediction from The Arizona Republic

As a kid growing up in Smith Center, Mark Simoneau attended one NFL game.

It involved the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, and the 10-year old admired Christian Okoye.

He didn't return to an NFL game as a youth, but the impression was quite formidable on the All-State high school selection. He would eventually put in the same service time - 10 years - as a linebacker in the league. On Thursday, Simoneau officially ended the run by announcing his retirement after suffering a season-ending neck injury in his only game with the Chiefs.

KC's Simoneau opts to retire from The Topeka Capital-Journal

It was September 26^th 2010, and the Kansas City Chiefs had just manhandled the 0-2 San Francisco 49ers to go 3-0 to attain the best record in all of the NFL. As fans we watched anxiously and came out of that day with a sense of pride and elation not felt since the days of Dick Vermeil and Trent Green going 9-0. After an abysmal two seasons the ship had weathered the storm and gotten back on course. The Chiefs blogs exploded with surprise and praise for the new coaches, the new systems, and the improved defense. The rest of the AFC West was in shambles. We started to talk about the playoffs.

What happened?

Cinderella Or Frankenstein? from Arrowhead Addict

For this week at least, postgame handshakes should be no problem for Todd Haley.

Peeling him and others away from a warm, tender embrace might be a bigger concern. When Kansas City hosts Arizona on Sunday, there'll be people on both sides of the field feeling a debt of gratitude to someone across the way.

Start with Cardinals Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. He credits Haley, the Cardinals' former offensive coordinator, with nothing less than making him great.

Old friends reunited at Cards-Chiefs game from Sports Illustrated

"I know that the overtime changes for the playoffs," Buffalo center Geoff Hangartner said. "It seems to me like they should make just one consistent rule and stick with it. It's kind of like they're trying to find the best between the college system and the way we've had it. They just need to find one plan and stick with it, honestly."

Maybe true. But thankfully, the system hasn't mattered much in the 13 games that went to overtime so far in 2010. Only one, the Jets' 23-20 victory at Detroit two weeks ago, ended with that annoying one-series scenario.

NFL teams working lots of OT from The Washington Post

Offensive line sidekick Edwin Harrison shivered thinking about an afternoon in Kansas City that reduced him to a six-foot-four, 308-pound Popsicle.

"My first year with the Chiefs. Our second-last game, against Miami - of all teams. I remember it was a two o'clock kickoff. Cold? It was freezing. So bad the corners of both end zones were frozen solid. It's a grass field in Kansas City. But hard that day? As concrete. The craziest thing I ever was involved in.

"That was cold.

"But today . . . today was right up there. Today was real cold, too."

Keeping warm is mind over matter on gridiron from The Montreal Gazette

Chiefs or Bucs

I believe Kansas City has a better chance of making the playoffs than Tampa because of some of the things they do. The Chiefs are ranked No. 1 in rushing and don't turn the ball over or make mistakes.

Plus they are in a division that doesn't have a dominant team in it. Tampa is in a much tougher division with Atlanta and the Saints.

Herm Edwards: NFL Diary from The Monterey County Herald

Although Haley said he was sorry for the brush-off, he's declined to talk about what angered him last week, leading to speculation that it was because the Broncos were still blitzing and throwing late in the fourth quarter of their 49-29 rout after scoring the game's first 35 points.

McDaniels said he was merely a bystander in the handshake snub and learned his lesson from his trash talking with Phillips that quickly became the talk of the league, with players and coaches alike criticizing the brash, young coach for taunting an opponent.

Civility among coaches returns to the field from Sports Illustrated

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Comments

The Chiefs need

to stand up and start taking control of their destiny. We need to play well on both sides of the ball, at home, in late November and hand the Cardinals their a** in a hat.

"The Hammer"

by G.L. on Nov 19, 2010 6:28 AM CST reply actions

Come on Chiefs!!!!

Just WIN BABY!!!! it makes next week easier to get through

by njchiefs on Nov 19, 2010 6:52 AM CST reply actions

That Mellinger article about the stadium vs. home experience was pretty interesting

I’ve been saying things like that for years. The in-stadium experience was overpriced the last time I lived in KC (the early Vermeil years), and although I certainly didn’t have an HDTV at that point, a college student like I was certainly wasn’t going to pony up for more than a game or two a year. If I lived in KC right now, making what I do, I’d probably make it to a lot of games, but my very casual interest in the Baltimore and Washington teams isn’t enough to justify spending the same for two seats with a mediocre view for three hours as I would on a new firewood rack or a weekend of snowboarding.

For the truly middle-class fans (not the politicians’ definition, but more like $40k-100k annual household income), how many are going to shell out a few thousand bucks for the family to go see eight games?

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.

by burntorangehorn on Nov 19, 2010 7:44 AM CST reply actions

It's still tough

Not only do you pay for the tickets – but $22 for parking, and the fuel to get to the game, and tailgaiting necessities, and snacks at the game.

Also, a large percentage of ‘middle-class fans’ have children. When it’s all said and done, the benefit of being at the stadium is outweighed by the convenience of being at home. Frankly, I don’t have an HDTV – I have an old school 55" bigscreen. And, although I’d love to be at the stadium, I just cant justify the 2 hour round trip, plus all the additional costs. It’s tough enough to make ends meet if you are in the bottom half of that $40k – $100k middle-class range.

People are looking to cut costs wherever possible in times of economic uncertainty. Professional sporting events are luxury ependiture items that can easily be cut to save a ton of money. I don’t like it, but that’s just the way it is.

@RaiderHater86 on Twitter

by ExRoyalsFan on Nov 19, 2010 8:10 AM CST up reply actions

yah, I'm one of the "below middle class" salary ... even at that $40k it's tough

anything less, forget it … it’s just too much for a lot of people, especially in this slow economy

Winner: 2009 Nostradamus of Arrowhead Pride Award (I'd like to thank my producer, my director, all of my wonderful fans ... )
"I shall conquer untruth by truth" - Mahatma Gandhi
"It's always easier to sell 'em some shit than it is to give 'em the truth" - Shel Silverstein, The Perfect High
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hi, Mo! 5 minutes!!!

by upamtn on Nov 19, 2010 8:13 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, taking kids to a ballgame is usually about like burning money

My daughter loves going to Orioles games, but more for the swingsets, free kiddy hair-styling, and snacks. It’s a lot of fun, but if the tickets weren’t so cheap for her (about $20 for a dozen or so home games in their Dugout Club program), I wouldn’t do it as much. NFL games? We’re talking $60 or more for a kid to get antsy in the seat, having to go to the bathroom, wanting to go play, asking for snacks, etc., or for older kids, to sit there and text their friends…and that’s per child.

But yeah, costs are another reason why I really didn’t think much of going to Arrowhead. The stadium itself is kind of a fun environment, but the experience pales compared to the gameday experience at a stadium located in an urban center. I really dislike Baltimore as a city, and I’m not big on the Ravens or their trashy Baltimoron fans, but it’s great being able to take the light rail or walk from bars, restaurants, or the inner harbor prior to games. Tailgating happens, but it’s not as big here, because there’s actually something to do nearby prior to and following the game! It’s much better, IMO. A number of people will do something like warm up with breakfast at a nice little Harbor-area cafe, watch some pre-game with a beer at a Federal Hill pub, and then walk the couple of blocks to the gate. At Arrowhead, it’s either getting there really early and tailgating or just sitting in traffic forever. Either way, once the game’s over, it’s traffic, whereas an urban stadium experience means stumbling out of the stadium and into restaurants or bars full of hundreds of other fans to watch the next wave of games. The experience goes on.

by burntorangehorn on Nov 19, 2010 9:18 AM CST up reply actions

I've made a commitment to take my son to at least one game every season.

We started last year, with the frigid Denver Broncos game. We brought my brother-in-law and my dad along.

So, that’s four tickets. Add to that the extra clothing we had to pile on (thermal underwear we had to buy, etc.), the hand warmers and whatnot. Add to that the price of Zarda barbecue for four. And to that the cost of gas for a 140-mile round trip. Add to that parking. Add to that hot chocolate, peddled at $7.25 a cup, that we guzzled down at the game like it was water from a drinking fountain. Add to that that the game was an ugly blowout.

This year, we went to the Eagles pre-season game. I picked up tickets from my barber. Upper-level, but still $80+ each. Add in all of the expenses of driving and parking and such. And dinner. And concessions. When we got to the stadium, some couple I’ll never know walked up to us, showed us their tickets, and asked if the seats were better than ours. They were in the lower level, but I had no idea where. I said, “Yeah. We’re in the uppers.” They handed me the tickets, said, “Not anymore. Enjoy the game.” We wound up sitting 18 rows back from the Chiefs bench on the 40-yard line.

Both games, despite drastically different circumstances, were worth every penny.

And I can’t wait to take him again next year …

by JacinB on Nov 19, 2010 9:40 AM CST up reply actions

One game per season is about my commitment for the Texas Longhorns

I’ve been thinking about doing the same thing with the Chiefs, which isn’t bad, since Southwest flies into KC and most of my mother’s family lives there.

by burntorangehorn on Nov 19, 2010 10:08 AM CST up reply actions