Did any of you hear that the Kansas City Chiefs now have a beanbag toss in their locker room?
For some reason, this was the story NFL media decided to focus on today when talking Chiefs. This game of beanbag toss united the team, lifted morale and helped save the 2011 season, according to 11 different stories I found on the subject (and that's not all of them).
Check out all the beanbag stories today:
- Chiefs use locker room game to build chemistry (Kansas City Star): The game, called "Bags" by some, is a form of horseshoes. Two plywood boards, with Chiefs logos and a hole at the top, are set 33 feet apart, marked off by adhesive tape on the locker-room carpet. The object of the game is to throw each of the four beanbags into the hole for three points or on the board for one. First to 21 points wins. The bigger objective, in the eyes of coach Todd Haley, is to build morale and create a fun atmosphere.
- It's all fun and game for Chiefs (ESPN AFC West blog): Haley and some players told the newspaper that the game has brought camaraderie to a team that was floundering at 0-3 and that was snake bitten by injuries. The more relaxed Chiefs have won two straight games. Haley is a superstitious guy, so expect the reindeer games to continue in Kansas City. Whatever works.
- Haley united locker room with beanbag toss game (Yahoo! Sports Shutdown Corner): Jim Zorn, the Chiefs quarterbacks coach who's fond of tie-dye shirts and bohemian mantras, first suggested the team-building game. Haley's wife, Chrissy, contacted an acquaintance who builds boards and had one built specifically for the team. Given the popularity of the game, and the team's success since introducing it, Haley says more are on the way.
- Chiefs use cornhole to relax in locker room (SB Nation KC): It's definitely an interesting story, one that might make you even laugh aloud when thinking about someone like Dwayne Bowe or Todd Haley or even Romeo Crennel throwing bean bags across a room in a Chiefs locker room version of cornhole. It's the latest device used to build team unityand help players relax and enjoy each other during a season that started rather poorly. Given the team's recent performance since playing, head coach Haley said they will keep playing as long as their winning.
- The beanbag game that saved the Chiefs season (Pro Football Talk): The players are convinced of the beanbag game's restorative powers. "It was a great idea and hopefully keeps the momentum going," safety Sabby Piscatelli said. Now if only the beanbag game could schedule more winless opponents for the Chiefs.
- Beanbag game helped unite Chiefs (NFL.com): It might sound like a children's game, but this was a team that needed to go back to basics. The game's been a hit in the locker room, but the two-game win streak has been just as therapeutic.
- Chiefs coach builds team unity with beanbag game (Business Insider): To what can the Chiefs attribute their newfound success? Improved play from QB Matt Cassel (7 TDs to 1 INT in last 3 games) perhaps? Or maybe it's because Pro Bowl receiver Dwayne Bowe is heating up as of late (3 TDs in last 2 games). Nah...it's all due to coach Todd Haley improving team togetherness via the addition of a popular tailgating game, the old "cornhole" beanbag toss game.
- Chiefs use tailgating game to strengthen team (FOX Sports KC): The game is familiar to Haley, who plays "Bags" when on vacation with family on the East Coast in the summer. The game also is a popular tailgating activity throughout the country. Haley's wife, Chrissy, made contact with a board-maker in Ocean City, Md., and had the boards shipped to Kansas City.
- Chiefs say beanbag toss game helped turn their season around (Larry Brown Sports): We are no strangers to slump busters here at LBS, having shown you baseball players cutting their hair, teams sacrificing chickens, and others beating the crap out of a toolbox. That being said, playing cornhole is one of the more unique exercises in team unity we have seen. If it makes the Chiefs feel better to say they won their games because of a tailgating game rather than as a result of facing two of the worst teams in football, more power to them.
- Chiefs credit cornhole with saving season (The Pitch): The Chiefs have won two straight games (one more and it's a streak!), and although they weren't against the NFL's premier opposition, it's pretty impressive given the way the season began. Even if it's unfortunate for the "Suck for Luck" faction of Chiefs fans. So NFL.com asked the team what's behind Kansas City's turnaround. The team credited ... cornhole.
- Jim Zorn suggests cornhole to improve Chiefs' morale (SB Nation DC): This makes me wonder if Zorn played this game with the Washington Redskins when he was coaching them. If so, that means guys like Clinton Portis played. Now that's something I would have paid to see.