Jul 26, 2006 1:04 PM CDT
First and foremost, I want to welcome everyone to what will be the number one source for Kansas City Chiefs info and commentary. If you scour the web, you'll find very few sources of original commentary specifically on the Chiefs. Hopefully, this site will change that. ~ Chris Thorman
Talk about a prophecy. Hey Chris, you want to start choosing my lottery numbers?
That above passage, was the first paragraph of the introductory article written for Arrowhead Pride on July 26, 2006. It was a 248 word post (take notes MNchiefsfan) titled simply, "Welcome To Arrowhead Pride!"
Much like that above photo is welcoming absolutely no one to Arrowhead Stadium. Chris Thorman was kind of welcoming no one to Arrowhead Pride...
The days of users like: HIV 2 Elway, Craig in Calgary, Direckshun, DThomasReigns, Red N Gold Beast, Lanier 63, Average Gastby, KC Satchmo, Upamtn, Aiken_Drumm, Steve_Chiefs, Kalo Phoenix, Bewsaf, KC Porkchop, 808NaNz808, UCrawford, Krayfish and NJ Chiefs Fan (yes AP without Arrowheadlines... gasp...) weren't even around yet.
Even Joel Thorman and his 22,102 posts didn't grace the front page until around November of 2007, but we will discuss Primetime more in an upcoming Arrowhead Pride Vault post.
Today is all about really early Arrowhead Pride, so if you want to read more about what started it all... Then please, follow me.
When it comes to covering the Kansas City Chiefs, no website or blog is updated more and filled to the brim with awesome content and knowledgeable Chiefs fans than Arrowhead Pride. That is just how it is, but it hasn't always been that way.
This wonderful place had pretty humble beginnings, it wasn't always rocking out monster numbers like the ones listed on this chart below:
Not at all, you look at that chart and you see 1,000,000+ visits three times a year and you think, "My god this place is popular." But when you go back in time five or six years and look at the numbers from the beginning, you will see just how far this site has come. Check it out:
377 visits is a far cry from the 1,400,260 visits that took place when Peyton Manning Hillis fever swept over AP this past month... isn't it? However, it's about more then the mere numbers.
Arrowhead Pride started out with 10 posts in less than 48 hours all written by Chris Thorman (as was every AP front page story for the first year.) Do you want to know how many comments those posts generated? 11
Maybe Chris should have hired Ron Skitzo to create some interest, because it wasn't happening...yet. Out of those 11 comments, four of them were Chris's own take. When it comes to making fan posts/shots for AP, we've all had that feeling at some point. You spend some time creating a fan post/shot that you believe is good. Only to watch it sit there with no comments for hours and hours.
Later you decide to comment on your own post to create some buzz, but still it just sits there with one lousy comment. Soon, you comment again, thinking surely two comments will get someone (anyone) in here to say something about your work, but nothing. On and on it goes until it gets buried by newer stuff in the fan post/shot section.
Well AP users, welcome to Chris Thorman's world years ago, that was pretty much an everyday occurrence. Now let's take a look at some of those early posts and give Scooter some of the comments that he deserved all of those years ago.
Jul 26, 2006 2:42 PM CDT
We'll start right here with the second article, titled, "Open Thread - Ty Law as a KC Chief."
I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Man, it didn't take long for Chris to dust off the old open thread routine." Yet, this is the one that started the trend. Seeing that this post was only two words, it kind of laughs in the face of that old 75 word limit rule, but when it's your site, you do what you want...right?
Jul 26, 2006 7:00 PM CDT
Next up, we have, "Chiefs Sign 7th Round Pick Jarrad Page."
For awhile (especially in 2008), we all thought Jarrad Page was going to be our safety of the future along side Bernard Pollard. Who would have thought in 2012, he would be signing a minor league contract for the L.A. Dodgers.
Jul 26, 2006 7:33 PM CDT
On to, "Ty Law: Most exciting Pickup Since Joe Montana."
Well, Jason Whitlock had Kansas City pretty pumped up about this pick up with all of his Ty Law campaigning back when he was still a columnist for the Kansas City Star. How would you grade that move now AP? Was it really the most exciting pickup since Joe Montana?
Jul 26, 2006 8:57 PM CDT
This was when Larry Johnson was still 5.2 (1750), "We Shall March On A Road Of Bones."
A nice quick little video of Larry Johnson displaying skills that we all sometimes forget that he had in 2005. It's too bad he put his diapers back on.
Jul 27, 2006 7:07 AM CDT
Before Arrowheadlines, we had, "Morning Article Update."
It was a simple link post, but it got it's message across. Thank the football gods for NJ Chiefs Fan and all the work he does for Arrowhead Pride. I can't say enough good things about this guy, he keeps us all up to date on all things Chiefs, almost every single day.
Note this story in the Morning Article Update (broken link.)
The Kansas City Star reports on Jarrad Page choosing football over baseball and some misc. player updates.
Fascinating.
Jul 27, 2006 7:21 AM CDT
Next, an appearance from two legendary things at AP, "Casey Printers Article Resurrected."
Obviously the first legendary thing is Casey Printers, but the less obvious thing is Chris making reference to his old stomping grounds, Tomahawkblog.com (now Shangai Chiefs favorite hangout.) Click for a sad smile.
As for Casey Printers, it appears Chris isn't a huge fan of him saying stuff like:
Having been presented an opportunity at such an early age, Casey believes that God has completely orchestrated his life from the womb to his journey as a professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League. ~
Tim Tebow~ Casey Printers
Jul 27, 2006 3:27 PM CDT
Can you imagine no one commenting on this, "Tamba Hali signs with the Chiefs" at AP?
It happened.
Jul 27, 2006 8:50 PM CDT
Maybe we need a night time version of Arrowheadlines... or we could call it, "Evening Article Update."
This is one of the best/worst days in franchise history, it is the day the Chiefs signed Tamba Hali to his rookie contract, but it is also the day they signed Brodie Croyle.
Jul 28, 2006 6:18 AM CDT
Then comes the very first Friday thread, "Friday Open Thread - Brodie Croyle as the Newest Chief."
Even at the time, there should have been some form of excitement. The Chiefs had just signed their third round pick QB with some potential. It was as if we knew though, because the only response was crickets and rightfully so for Brodie Croyle.
Arrowhead Pride
Personally, I wasn't around for the very beginning of AP. Sadly, I never visited the Tomahawk blog in order to see the content that Chris and Joel surely churned out to even get them the invite to join SBNation and create the best football blog in the universe in 2006. Nor did I get to know the users that made that little blog special.
However, I have been reading this website for years, and along with the rest of you Chiefs fans, I have watched it grow into something larger than life. AP went from having an introductory column with four comments, to being able to have it's main blogger cover the Super Bowl, have photo shoots with ESPN and get last minute answers out of Scott Pioli to share with the readers.
It has churned out writers such as Patrick Allen and Lyle Graverson, whom have both made great names for themselves over at Arrowhead Addict (a great Chiefs site in it's own right), along with numerous others that have honed their writing skills talking Chiefs football right here. Not to mention, fans like Chris Sembower and Clay Wendler, whom have both reached AP icon status with their individual talents.
More importantly than that though, Arrowhead Pride has established an amazing online community. One that I am very proud to be a part of. A place where fans like me can have their voices heard about all things Chiefs, while at the same time getting up to date information about anything that happens in the NFL concerning our favorite football team.
Lets make this the number one place to come to for Chiefs info-- because if any team deserves a devout following this year, its the Kansas City Chiefs. ~ Chris Thorman
Chris, I think you achieved that goal.
Geaux Chiefs!!!
[Note by Chief-blinders-on, 03/31/12 12:59 PM CDT ] If you click on any of the above user names, you will be able to use an underutilized feature of Arrowhead Pride. Every member has their own individual blog, if you click on any user name, you can see all of the work they have published at AP under their blog tabs. It's really cool, and I encourage everyone to check it out.