Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 4/19

Statement from Chiefs Chairman & CEO Clark Hunt Regarding the NFL's Ruling on Chiefs Appeal from The Mothership

"We appreciate the opportunity to make our appeal on this matter, and we acknowledge the minor reduction in fines imposed. However, we continue to believe that the facts of this case combined with the league's inconsistent enforcement of its tampering policies do not warrant the most severe penalty for player-related tampering in league history.

"Having exhausted our options under the appeal process, we are turning the page on this issue and look forward to continuing our preparations for the 2016 season."

What We Learned from Monday's Media Availability from The Mothership

Kissel: Are you looking forward to playing on Christmas?

SMITH: "Yeah, it will be fun. We were talking about it today, I mean, Christmas night, I think it will be unique. I don't think I've ever played on Christmas. It will be fun. I'm sure we're the only show on that night, but to get to play Denver in that kind of atmosphere will be very cool."

Teicher: How do you think the backup quarterback thing will play out?

SMITH: "It's going to come down to the field. Those guys have different strengths, different guys. Both, though, have been here and been in the system and have learned a lot. Both have grown a lot I think. I'm excited to see how that plays out. They are both very good guys and I'm close with both of them, and I think they'll handle it the right way, too. They're both close with each other, so I think it will be a thing that will be healthy. I don't think it's bad for the quarterback room at all. We'll see."

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles: "I'll Be Ready, I Can't Wait" from The Mothership

The addition of a soon-to-be healthy Charles, plus West, Ware and Knile Davis, give the Chiefs a formidable running attack that Charles thinks is among the best in the NFL.

"I don't think any other team in the NFL has a running back group [like ours]. If anyone goes down, we know one of the guys in the group will be able to step up."

Charles even joked during the press conference that Andy Reid might figure out a way to have a four-running back set.

With the playoff victory and getting Charles back healthy, the expectations will only grow for this team moving forward, and it's something Charles embraces.

"It's time. It's our year," he said. "We've got a great team. We got great brothers and as long as we stay together, it's going to be hard to break us."

Eric Berry Named 2016 KC Marriott Downtown Sportsman of the Year from The Mothership

On Monday evening, Berry was presented another honor at the Kansas City Sports Commission Awards Banquet.

Berry is this year's Kansas City Marriott Downtown Sportsman of the Year, an award given to a local male athlete who exemplifies all the positive aspects of sport and has made a positive impact on the Kansas City community.

Although Berry wasn't on hand to receive the award, his fellow teammate Derrick Johnson accepted it on his behalf.

Chiefs lose Jeremy Maclin tampering appeal, will forfeit two draft picks from The Kansas City Star

The Chiefs lost their appeal of the NFL's tampering ruling, the league announced Monday, which means they will forfeit their third-round draft pick this year and sixth-round pick next year.

The Chiefs' fine was reduced from $250,000 to $200,000, however, while coach Andy Reid's fine was reduced from $75,000 to $60,000. General manager John Dorsey's fine of $25,000 stands.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the league's annual meeting in March that he planned to personally hear the Chiefs' appeal. The punishment was levied by the league's executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent.

Chiefs officially lose 2016 third-round pick after NFL denies appeal from Chiefs Digest

Maclin said Monday he is aware of the specifics surrounding the league's findings, but chose to not comment.

"That stays within this building," he said, "and we're going to follow all the rules and take care of it."

Still, Maclin said his initial reaction to the league's investigation and resulting penalties surrounded a state of shock.

"It's been a weird situation, but I'm happy where I'm at," Maclin said. "I wouldn't change it for the world and everything else will take care of itself."

Chiefs lose appeal in tampering case, but fines lessened from ESPN

The Chiefs' appeal of the NFL's anti-tampering charges was denied by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, which means they will not get back the third-round choice they lost in this year's draft or the sixth-round pick they will lose in the 2017 draft.

The team's fine was reduced from $250,000 to $200,000, and coach Andy Reid's fine was reduced from $75,000 to $60,000. However, other parts of the penalty, including a $25,000 fine to general manager John Dorsey, remain intact.

Tampering? Whatever. Landing Jeremy Maclin was well worth the penalty for Chiefs from The Kansas City Star

Before the news broke publicly on Monday, the first day of off-season training, the question was posed to Maclin whether he was worth a third-round pick.

"I hope so," he said, smiling.

And then some.

So we can stew in the ruling and wonder how the NFL came to its conclusion in the first place -€” especially with the question of how it accounts for preexisting relationships such as the one Reid and Maclin enjoyed from their years together in Philadelphia.

And we can belabor the point of whether the appeals process was rigged or legitimate.

But in the end, it's still ... advantage, Chiefs.

Yes, breaking the rules is breaking the rules.

Yet, an old line comes to mind: "If the ends don't justify the means, what does?"

Notebook: Chiefs' Jamaal Charles targets training camp for return from Chiefs Digest

While Charles concedes he won't be ready to participate in organized team activities (OTAs), which begin on May 24, the original timeline the Chiefs targeted surrounded the start of training camp in late July.

The star running back appeared optimistic he is on schedule to meet that expectation.

"Yeah, I'll be ready, hopefully I'll be ready," Charles said. "I'm not going to tell you when, I'm not God, I can't tell you this. In my time, I can't wait. I'm very fortunate to still be able to walk and now I'm running, so I'm very fortunate to look forward to what I'll be able to do when that time comes."

Jamaal Charles is Chiefs' featured back, but team has options from ESPN

There seems to be little question that Charles, assuming he returns from last year's ACL surgery as the same player he was before the injury, will be the Chiefs' primary back in 2016.

But the Chiefs recently re-signed running backs Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware for a reason, and it certainly appears they are preparing for the day when Charles is no longer their featured runner. The fourth back Charles referred to is Knile Davis, who remains on the roster despite dropping behind West and Ware on the depth chart last season.

Charles isn't contemplating that eventuality, at least not publicly.

Rehabbing Jamaal Charles eager to rejoin crowded Chiefs backfield from The Kansas City Star

"Hopefully, I can be cutting coming up soon," said Charles, whose career 5.7-yard average per carry is the best for any running back since the AFL/NFL merger.

He expects to be ready to roll for the start of training camp in July, but probably won't be cleared for contact during organized team activities later this spring.

"That's too fast to do something only five months out of surgery," Charles said.

Instead, he'll work on mental reps, rehabbing the knee and gaining upper-body strength.

"I feel like I can come back stronger," Charles said. "There's more new technology than there was back then, so I'm looking forward to the future and what it holds for me."

Andy Reid to Chiefs as they gather for offseason program: 'It's time' from ESPN

Andy Reid had to deliver his message to the Kansas City Chiefs at the start of their offseason program from the seat of a chair, thanks to recent knee replacement surgery. That wasn't the only difference as the Chiefs began their fourth year under Reid.

His tone carried more urgency as well.

"His message was, ‘It's time,'" punter Dustin Colquitt said. "We've got the same guys in here. We've got core guys that have been here. It's the fourth year of his time here. We're excited to be back. We got to retain a lot of veteran guys. We're excited about the draft coming up."

Chiefs notebook: Phillip Gaines might be in for a bigger role after cornerback Sean Smith's departure from The Kansas City Star

Making his way to the sideline Sept. 28 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Chiefs cornerback Phillip Gaines was in denial. He'd torn the ACL in his left knee, but didn't want to believe it.

"That's the first time I've really gone through an injury of that magnitude," Gaines said.

The Chiefs' training staff kept asking if Gaines, who started the first three games of the season, had heard a pop in his knee.

"Maybe something inside of me didn't want to hear it," he said. "But as the day went on, I sat back and said, ‘Yeah, I heard it pop.' "

It was an undeniable setback for Gaines, a third-round pick in 2014 out of Rice, but it's also made him even more eager to contribute this season.

Chiefs offseason issues: Who plays where in the secondary? from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs gathered on Monday for the start of their offseason program, though they won't be on the field for their first full-squad practice for about a month. Still, the offseason program gives them a chance to at least start to settle several of the issues that confront them.

We're looking here at one of those issues: Separating the contenders from the pretenders in the secondary.

Chiefs' Tamba Hali thoroughly enjoyed first visit to homeland in two decades from The Kansas City Star

For the first 10 years of his life, Hali, 32, grew up in Liberia, a war-torn country he fled in 1992 for the Ivory Coast. In 1994, he arrived in America and grew into a first-round NFL draft pick and one of the most beloved Chiefs of his era.

Yet, he decided it had been too long since he'd been back to where it all started. Given how wonderfully his career and life has panned out, Hali occasionally allows himself to think about how different things could have turned out.

"I always remember, I always wanted to join the fighting, because I was a child and everyone was doing it," Hali said. "My brother wouldn't let me. He did it for a little bit ... but I may be dead. I don't think I'd be living. I don't really see how life would be if I would have stayed and fought because all the people I knew as friends, they're dead."

So he decided to visit his homeland for the first time in 24 years during April 9-13.

NFL denies Kansas City Chiefs' anti-tampering appeal from NFL.com

The organization was informed Monday that they will indeed surrender their third-round pick in 2016 and sixth-round pick in 2017, as originally outlined by NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent last month.

Chiefs lose appeal on draft pick sanctions for tampering from ProFootballTalk

Although tampering is widely regarded as commonplace around the NFL, sanctions against teams are rare. Given that, it's not surprising that Hunt pointed out the inconsistent enforcement of the rules, even as he acknowledged that he has no further recourse and that the Chiefs are stuck losing two draft picks.

Will NFL now investigate rest of league for tampering? from ProFootballTalk

"[W]e continue to believe that the facts of this case combined with the league's inconsistent enforcement of its tampering policies do not warrant the most severe penalty for player-related tampering in league history," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said after the denial of the appeal was announced.

Clark Hunt is right, so now the question becomes whether the league will harvest the low-hanging fruit induced by the decision not to use the Kansas City violation as a shot across the bow to the other 31 teams before the latest pre-free agency period began last month. With the league blowing its chance to do the right thing by wiping out the Chiefs' punishment, the only right thing to do now is to investigate everyone else just as aggressively in order to identify the likely violations of the very same rule.

The Right Decision from The Players' Tribune

My two kids and I were playing basketball on their Little Tikes hoop — you know, the plastic one with the blue post and the bright orange rim that just about every kid had growing up. We had only been going at it for about two or three minutes, and they were running circles around me. We were having a great time.

But I had to get out of there.

I was getting dizzy.

Twenty-five years old, a four-year NFL veteran, a professional athlete, and I couldn't keep up with a couple of preschoolers. The room just started spinning.

I had to go upstairs and lie in bed.

I had to close my eyes.

I had to make it stop.

NFL owners should join players in the fight to revoke Roger Goodell's disciplinary power from SB Nation

For the second consecutive year, Goodell will decide whether a punishment that he handed down is fair. Ask the Patriots and Tom Brady how that worked out.

Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt took issue with Goodell's ruling. In a statement, he said, "We continue to believe that the facts of this case combined with the league's inconsistent enforcement of its tampering policies do not warrant the most severe penalty for player-related tampering in league history."

Though the NFL Players' Association is spearheading the fight to take away Goodell's unilateral disciplinary authority, the owners should join the crusade, too. The list of organizations that have had to deal with the commissioner's kangaroo court brand of justice grows with each passing year.

Cherry City Comic Con explodes April 30-May 1 from The Statesman Journal

Featured celebrity and fan-favorite guests include Doug Jones ("Hellboy," "Pan's Labyrinth," "Hocus Pocus," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Fred "The Hammer" Williamson (NFL Oakland Raider and Kansas City Chiefs, "MASH," "Starsky & Hutch," "From Dusk Till Dawn"), Gigi Edgley ("Farscape," "Star Trek Continues"), Margot Kidder ("Superman," "Amityville Horror," "Captain Planet"), Robert Mukes ("House of 1000 Corpses," "Weeds"), Jeffrey Weissman ("Back to the Future II & III"), Jake "The Snake" Roberts (WWE Hall of Fame) and Camden Toy ("Goodnight Burbank," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer").

Jackson County residents up early to get hands on single-game Chiefs tickets from FOX4KC

Chiefs tickets went on sale Monday, and dozens of fans braved the rain to secure their seats.

Only Jackson County taxpayers could purchase tickets Monday...

...All other Chiefs fans outside of Jackson County will be able to buy single game tickets starting Tuesday.

Jamaal Charles targets a training camp return from ProFootballTalk

You also never know how much longer the Chiefs will keep Charles, who turns 30 later this year. He danced around the implication when asked what he thought about the team bringing back Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware. He then was asked if he thinks the Chiefs are preparing for life without him.

"I'm just able to say the Chiefs gave me a chance to start my career here," Charles said. "I'm not worrying about when I'm leaving. Just able to be a part of this organization is more important than telling what the future [is]. I don't know, all I know is I'm still here and I'm excited and I'm going to cherish these moments [until] I'm ready to hang up my cleats."

Seahawks Free Safety Earl Thomas Gets Married in Magnificent Fashion from Seahawks.com

Safety-mate Kam Chancellor was part of Thomas' wedding party, quarterback Russell Wilson was in attendance with his fiancée Ciara, as was defensive coordinator Kris Richard, safety Steven Terrell, former Seahawks Chris Maragos, Ron Parker, and Clint Gresham, as well as Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, who was teammates with Thomas at the University of Texas.

Kobe Never Retired -- He Just Rebranded Himself from Forbes

Let's face it, neither you nor I could get Oprah to pick up the phone. But, the important takeaway is to identify the change agents in your next venture space and pursue them with reckless abandon. When I was looking to transition from Harvard Law School to the sidelines of the NFL, I wrote letters to every team in the NFL. (Note: There are 32 teams.) I received 31 rejections before the Kansas City Chiefs extended an training camp internship to me. The lesson: You only need to win once.

Temple Run returns May 7 from The Kearney Courier

The sixth annual Kansas City Missouri Temple Run on Saturday, May 7, will feature Kansas City Chiefs player Daniel Sorensen and benefit the nonprofit Hillcrest Hope.

The free event includes a 5K run/walk and children's run. Last year's Temple Run had more than 1,500 participants.

MassMu exhibit honors Paul Brown's legacy of inclusion from The Canton Repository

Crepeau said that because football did not grow in popularity until after World War II, there wasn't as much outcry over its discriminatory practices.

"There had been African American players in NFL until the mid-1930s, then they disappeared," he said. "The NFL, in fact, dragged its feet in signing African American players. It wasn't until the AFL came along in 1960s that you see a real uptick. The AFL really leads the way, the Kansas City Chiefs, more than any other team. Scouting black players was not done until the 1950s. They stayed away from the black schools. Things moved really slowly in the NFL."

Crepeau said re-breaking the barrier wasn't easy for Motley and Willis, even with a supportive coach.

Young collectors: the art of buying art from LaPresse.ca [translated from the original French]

Q: So we can be NFL football player and an interest in the visual arts?

A: The world of sport is not always very open to the arts, but I still managed to take two players of Chiefs see Nutcracker in Kansas City! The art world is fascinating. People met there, for example in the galleries, are passionate about what they do. As in sports. An athlete, as an artist, is able to touch a person of interest. Sport and art are two areas at once distant and close...

...Q: Even in Kansas City, you were inspired by contemporary art ...

A: Yes. There is a huge National Museum, and downtown, the Crossroads Arts District area is closed every first Friday of the month. People walk about and have a drink in the galleries. It attracts students. We should implement it in Montreal.