On the Road to the Super Bowl

Not since 2005 have the KC Chefs won the first two games of their season.  That is significant considering the 2005 Chefs went 10-6, finished second in the AFC West division, and did not make the playoffs.  A 10-6 record in 2010 would probably have the same result.

Yet, the KC Chefs are now being mentioned as a potential playoff team.  I heard Shannon Sharp during yesterday's pre-game show pick the Chefs to make the playoffs this year.  I think this proves that Shannon took at least one too many shots to the head during his playing days, and that dementia is now setting in.  While a 2-0 start increases the odds a team will make the playoffs to 65%, that is just an average and not a rule that can apply to any team.  Let's look at the performance of this team, the 2010 KC Chefs.

The game one win over the San Diego Chargers was a surprise to all.  A rain storm that hit during the second quarter and persisted through most of the game.  The wet field was the primary reason San Diego couldn't exploit the Chefs defense and run up the score.  A dry field would have led to a very different result.  But the Chefs did play better than anyone expected, and won the game.  That cannot be taken away from them.  But anyone who draws the conclusion from this game the Chefs are better than the Chargers is not in touch with reality.

Game two was a game the Chefs should win.  They played the hapless Cleveland Browns, a team they dueled last year for the worst record, and first draft choice.  I expected the Chefs to win this game and they did - barely.  The offense was horrible only managing 9 points.  If not for a defensive touchdown, this game could have been a dominating Browns win.

Todd Haley, the Chefs head coach, tells Chefs fans should get used to "winning ugly" for a while.  The definition of winning ugly is almost losing. As the Chefs proved Sunday, it is much easier to win ugly when playing a bad team.  They will probably win ugly next week when playing the 49er's at home. 

Wow, they have a great shot at starting the year 3-0!.  Crank up the Super Bowl bandwagon!  But look out.  After a bye week, the next 3 games are against Indianapolis, Houston and Jacksonville.  Our 3-0 Chefs could rapidly become 3-3 before getting back over .500 against the Buffalo Bills.

This team is not going to the playoffs.  To do so means they would need to have an 11-5 record.  I have them going 8-8 and they have already won 1 game I did not expect them to win.  So to go 11-5, they need to beat everyone they are expected to beat, plus find 2 more wins from these remaining games: Indianapolis, Houston, Denver (in Denver), Arizona,  San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee.  It is possible, but not likely.

On a positive note, this year's Chefs are more fun to watch.  The defense is playing much better than last year.  The offensive line is also better, but their play is not yet translating into points.  The only certainty about this team is they are no longer the doormats of pro football. 

Just to ensure the world does not get our of control and spin off its axis, the KC Royals have returned to form by turning last year's Cy Young Award inner into a 9W-12L pitcher, and falling into a tie for last place in the American League Central Division with, you guessed it, the Cleveland Indians.  It must be just as hard for Cleveland fans as it is for KC fans.

Not Nearly as Lame as Last Year

Last year I blogged on the disappointing experience we had when taking our grand kids to what was labeled as the Greatest Show on Earth.  I had dubbed it the Lamest Show on Earth, but was mostly angry at the prices and in your face salesmanship of the vendors.  I was ready for more of the same this year, but was in for a surprise.

This year we took the grand kids down to the circus floor an hour before start time.  During the hour they saw trapeze artists, a dog show, a clown show and an elephant painting a picture.  They were able to get within a couple feet of the performers and the elephant.  Both kids were very excited and seemed to enjoy the floor show immensely. 

We were back in our seats 10 minutes before the show started. Noticeably different from last year was the absence of vendors walking the rows and handing their shiny trinkets to young children, knowing the chance of a sale is much improved with the goods in their little hands.  Also noticeable was an overall reduction in prices for refreshments and trinkets.  They were not cheap, but more like ball park prices instead of Disneyland prices.

Not only was the prices more parent-friendly, so was the show.  Last year was heavy on clown gigs, and light on acrobats.  This year's show was completely opposite.  This year's show also had a lot of illusions.  Not simple illusions, but very complicated ones.  My favorite was when they suspended a clown inside a glass cage, dropped a curtain over the cage, and when they revealed the cage a few seconds later, the clown was gone and a tiger in his place.  Several of the illusions had a Chris Angel flavor to them.

My assessment of this year's Greatest Show on Earth is that it was a very good circus show.  I also know that after the show we had 2 happy and spoiled grandchildren.

We're Going to the Super Bowl!

Today is the pinnacle of the KC Chef's 2010 season.  After a 1-3 preseason, KC fans have convinced themselves that our beloved Chefs have hidden something back they can use to whoop up on on the San Diego Chargers tonight on Monday Night Football.  What could their secret weapon be? 

Is the upgraded stadium worth a couple of touchdowns?  Maybe the offensive linemen were only half trying last year and during the preseason.  Tonight they will come out and push the Chargers defensive line all over the field.  Or maybe Matt Cassell (the $65 million man) will throw for 400 yards and carry the team to victory.  Maybe Dwayne Bowe will begin to fulfill his promise of the next Randy Moss?

More likely, today KC Chefs fans have fool themselves into believing the Chefs have a chance.  After all, we are in the AFC West, possibly the weakest division in pro football.  We do have 2-3 more impact players than last year.  Could we make the playoffs where anything can happen?

Nah.  And at about 1:00 AM tomorrow morning, any fan who stays up hoping for a miracle will know the same.  Tonight the Chefs will be ravaged by the San Diego Chargers, who will repeat as the weakest team to win their division in 2010.  Even as a weak division winner, they have too many offensive weapons for the Chefs. In their wildest dreams, the Chef's offense will not be able to keep up with the Chargers scoring.  I expect the mood to be very somber tomorrow in KC.  Chargers 44, Chefs 10.

Favorite Day

I am coming to the conclusion that certain days are better than others.  That might make me guilty of day discrimination, but in this case it is not a bad thing. 

I think that we all agree that Mondays are bad.  Monday is the worst day of the week.  I hate Mondays.  After two days of relaxation and doing what I want, Monday comes along and kills the buzz.

Tuesdays are a little better.  At least one can console them self with the fact the work week is 20% complete.  I also hate Tuesday less than Monday because Tuesday evening is taco night at Danny's.  Meeting FILN, SILL and BILS for dinner is something to look forward to.

My attitude improves on Wednesday.  Noon means the work week is half over and the weekend is getting close.  It also means that most of my boring repetitive manager duties for the week are complete, so I can begin to accomplish things of value at work.  I find that Wednesday marks the point in the week when the real work gets done and any possible gratification follows.

Thursdays are pretty good in my book.  The day goes by fast, and is followed by a dinner at home and a relaxing evening.  The week is 80% over.

Friday is by far the best work day.  The 5:00 hour serves as the goal line for bringing another work week to a close.  I find that Friday evening is my favorite evening.  The work week is behind me, with the weekend looms ahead.  I am most content on Friday evening.

Saturday was named poorly.  It should be called Freedomday.  We do mainly what we want to do on Saturday.  If you have a bad Saturday, it is usually your own fault.

Sunday is also a good day.  Sunday evening starts the decline into Monday.  Unfortunately, Sunday evening begins the thoughts of what must be done on Monday, so tension tends to increase during the course of the day. 

A few of my friends that have retired tell me that after retirement there are only two days in the week - Sunday and not-Sunday.  That will be nice.

The Impending Bloodbath

I have bit my tongue, staying silent about what I see as an impending beat down of epic proportion coming to the democrat party in November.  I do realize that America has not suddenly fallen in love with republicans.  But by a 10% margin, voters now favor republicans over democrats.  Never has the gap been this wide in favor of republicans.  Favor might be too strong of a word.  Hated less, but willing to give them another chance is more accurate.

I have worried that republicans would do something to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but recently have become convinced even they cannot reverse the current trend.  Neither can the democrats.  I base this on how candidates from each party are now campaigning.  Candidates from each party tend to run on the same platforms, so what you see locally is pretty much how each party's candidates are running nationally.

Republicans are running against Obama.  Just as they earned the "party of no" reputation, they are continuing to say no and it is working.  It is not surprising since a majority of American's did not support the Obama agenda in the first place.  Running against government take over of insurance, banks, car companies and national health care can only help them retain current support levels and even win over the wavering few.

Democrats cannot turn the tide either.  Two local races, one for the House of Representatives 3rd district Kansas, the other for Missouri Senate tell the story.  The Kansas House race is between Kevin Yoder, a republican newcomer to national politics running against Stephanie Moore, wife of current representative Dennis Moore.  As the national democratic party pumps millions of dollars into TV time for the Moore campaign, Stephanie is nowhere to be found.  She will not debate Yoder, nor will she appear anywhere but friendly fund raisers.  Moore made the mistake early of saying she would support the votes and positions her husband did, such as Cap and Trade, National Health Care, Stimulus spending, etc.  These are very unpopular to most Kansans, so she has effectively painted herself into a corner.  I think her strategy is to not go anywhere her views can be challenged, lay low and hope for a miracle.  She cannot win.

In Missouri, republican Roy Blunt is running against Robin Canahan.  Blunt is currently a member of the House of Representatives from Missouri while Carnahan is Missouri's Secretary of State.  Carnahan knew she faced a tough uphill battle and started with negative campaign ads right out of the chute.  Her campaign mantra is that Blunt is the most corrupt politician in Washington.  It's not working as she is down 7% in the polls and negative.

I found the most surprising campaign strategy used locally was Carnahan's attempt to paint herself as a fiscal conservative, and Blunt as a liberal spender based on his support for the Stimulus bill.  Carnahan had already stated that she would vote with Obama on most issues, and Barrack himself during a fundraiser for Carnahan said that he would already have certain elements of his agenda if Carnahan was already in Washington.  It's kind of hard to be seen as a fiscal conservative when you buddy up with the largest deficit spender in the history of the nation.  Canahans' strategy?  The best I can figure is to describe yourself as someone you are not, even in the face of is ample evidence.  Good luck with that.

Dem's are facing the same challenge across the country.  They cannot run from Obama, and neither can they stand with him.  So the republicans don't really need to do anything different, while the democrats can't do anything other than take the beating.  These two races really show just how hard it would be to engineer a November outcome other than a democratic bloodbath. 

That made me smile.  Happy Labor Day.

Turning Point?

It was week 9 of the 2007 season.  The KC Chefs faced the Green Bay Packers in Arrowhead.  The Chefs entered the game with a 4-3 record looking to go 2 games over .500 on the season.  The Chefs held the lead going into the second half, but Packers QB Brett Farve engineering a comeback to win the game.  The Chefs were 4-4 and finished the season 4-12.  That was a turning point game in the franchise.  The team went on to lose 36 of their next 42 games.

On Thursday evening, Green Bay again visited Arrowhead stadium.  This time the stakes were much lower.  It was the final preseason game for each team.  Could it have been another turning point for the KC Chefs?  I think so.  I will continue to say the KC Chefs will do the unthinkable, and win 8 games this year.  My reasons are: 1) they have a very fortunate schedule, playing most of the leagues doormats, and... Get this.  2) They are a better team this year.

The Chefs are a better defensive team.  They are hitting, tackling and pressuring the quarterback much better that in the past few years.  The one negative from the preseason is turnovers.  They managed only one.  With the offensive coughing up the ball liberally, this will hurt them and probably cost them 2 wins in 2010.  But the main point is that this defense is the best we have seen in many years.

While the defense is better, this offense will not be confused with the Indy Colts.  They will struggle to score points all season.  I expect they will only average 20 or so per game.  But when the defense plays well, 20 may be enough.  Matt Cassel, the 65 million man, will get better as the season progresses.  His poor play during the preseason cannot continue.  He has more talent than shown so far.

Regardless of the season record, I am certain of a few things. Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas, and Eric Berry will be fun to watch.  Personally, I can watch any mediocre team as long as they are exciting at times.  This year's Chefs will be fun to watch.

On the Road to Branson.

Good old midwest values on display.