Advice For Chiefs Players In The Black Hole: 'Keep Your Helmet On'

by Joel Thorman on Oct 21, 2011 9:01 AM CDT

So Thomas Gafford is pretty awesome.

The Kansas City Chiefs long snapper is pretty unknown to most of us but he talked with Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com this week and had some interesting things to say about the Oakland Raiders.

On the importance of Raider week: "If we win a game, it's gotta be Oakland, [those] two games. We gotta beat them. We got to."

On advice to Chiefs players making their first visit to the Black Hole: "Keep your helmet on. When you're coming out of the tunnel, keep your helmet on. Those guys are crazy and you'll hear everything. You'll hear, 'Get a real job!' Guys yelling at you, trying to get in your head.

On the crazy Raider fans: "I actually enjoy it. I like that those guys are nuts. It kinda gets me going in the game because I wanna win bad, just to shut them up."

On whether the fans in the Black Hole get on the long snapper: "Oh they'll get after the long snapper, they will."

I'm glad Gafford seems to realize the importance of beating the bad guys in Oakland.

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Watch out for batteries!!

"Stay Classy Kansas City"

by Mas Cervezas on Oct 21, 2011 9:18 AM CDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs

I am not a violent person by nature at all

in fact my girlfriend affectionately calls me Gandhi from time to time. But I would love to be a Chief this weekend and shove it down every one of those SOBs throats.

by Steve_in_RI on Oct 21, 2011 9:26 AM CDT reply actions

'Get a real job!' ?

I have a feeling that’s not exactly the worst thing you’ll hear.

My earliest Chiefs memories are watching guys named Dawson, Podolak, Taylor, Thomas, Bell, and Buchanan. So, yeah...I'm kind of an old fart.

by Scott B. on Oct 21, 2011 9:27 AM CDT reply actions

Wear a helmet...

and a bulletproof vest.

by joplin chiefs fan on Oct 21, 2011 9:43 AM CDT reply actions

Or maybe we should just encourage Raider fans to use "protection"

talk about lowering the crime rate.

by joplin chiefs fan on Oct 21, 2011 9:46 AM CDT up reply actions

I believe the CDC's action plan is to quarantine Oakland and gas it with biological sterilizers

The problem is there are so many daywalkers already outside the quarantine zone.

"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'"
― Isaac Asimov

by burntorangehorn on Oct 21, 2011 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions

I was at the Oakland game (yuck) last year and I witnessed exactly this!

I wasn’t IN the black hole, but I had 1st row seats behind the KC benches. The Raiders fans all around me constantly heckled Chiefs players (as expected), but what stood out was the heckling of Gafford, Succop, and Colquitt.

Gafford must have been referring to that game because at one point, my buddy and I looked at each other and laughed because of the comments that were directed at Gafford as he bent over and fired long snaps back to Colquitt. Stuff like, “You’re not even a real football player!” Of all the garbage I witnessed from Raiders fans that day, custom-tailored heckling of a long snapper is is the only thing I’ll give some of those fans props for.

A really proud moment was Jamaal coming up near the stands before the game and taunting Raiders fans. He gave a little dance and put his hand to his ear like, “I can’t hear you…”

Cantaloupe? More like wontaloupe. Lazy ass melons.

by cucuybird on Oct 21, 2011 10:08 AM CDT reply actions

By the way...

I wore neutral colors (brown Guinness hoodie) largely thanks to the advice of commenters on AP. I’m glad I didn’t wear red, for my own safety.

Cantaloupe? More like wontaloupe. Lazy ass melons.

by cucuybird on Oct 21, 2011 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions

Baltimore fans were terrible here

They barely noticed me in my DJ jersey during the pre-season game, but that was the pre-season. My then-gf and I went to the opening game to watch her Steelers, and I couldn’t believe how badly some fans acted. They’re the most homophobic, impetuous, ungracious, low-rent, cowardly trash I’ve ever seen at a football game, although I don’t think anyone said anything to the gf. Anyway, I never saw anything like that at a Chiefs game. Very disappointing.

Of course I remember Longhorns always have to wear their helmets out of the tunnel when playing at Arkansas, because hogs fans will do stuff like dump cups of piss.

by burntorangehorn on Oct 21, 2011 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions