My Football Irony

I love football. No really, I mean I really love it. It’s nothing like baseball or basketball for me, and I love my Lakers and Dodgers, but once the Dodgers are out of contention for a World Series, I’m out on baseball. Once the Lakers have drawn their final playoff breath, it stings (real bad) and I may watch some of the NBA finals but really, I don’t care. I say all this because I truly believe it’s impressive the amount of urgency created by not just a playoff game, but even a random week 2 in the NFL. I think it’s that same sense of urgency that has developed the amount of passion we have for our football teams, and that brings me to my football team, the Kansas City Chiefs! I know confusing, right? This guy just mentioned Los Angeles basketball and baseball teams, and then Kansas City? It really is simple. We grew up in the 80’s and since there’s never really been an LA pro football team that felt like “our” team, I guess it was easy for us to cheer for the most dominating football team the 80’s provided and it didn’t hurt that this team resides just north of us, but still in our golden state. That’s right, it was all about the San Francisco 49ers when I was a kid. OK, I’m thinking now is a good time to rewind. Who is this “us” and “we” I’m talking about? My name is Mike and my big brother is Joey, and during the 80’s and early 90’s we had zero differences of opinion when it came to our sports teams…but that harmonious household fandom wasn’t meant to last. For those of you who’s grown up with a sibling and engaged in sibling rivalries, you’ll agree with me when I say, there’s nothing that could ever instill a more stubborn nature than the constant bickering of who’s sports take is more right (it was mine). You see, this entire rant has lead me to one situation. We’ll maybe not a situation, more like a person, a legend! Joe Montana, Cool Joe! During my youth there were really 2 sports icons that moved my passion needle. Magic Johnson and Joe Montana. So you see, when the dumb ass 49ers decided to ditch Joe, to go with the more youthful Steve Young, I was utterly disgusted. I mean, didn’t they know what I knew? This man was Tom Brady before Tom Brady, a living legend still playing the sport, and I could not and would not stand by and continue to cheer for the very team dumb enough to break up with Halle Berry. My man JAY-Z said it best “I almost went Eric Benet” “ Never go Eric Benet” and the 49ers went Eric Benet! So what happened next? How is it possible that a kid from LA could possibly stick to his guns and continue to root for a team all the way out in Kansas City? Well, first I’d say there was a foundation of concrete that was poured, and then about a decade later just for good measure, someone help me start building a house on it. That foundation I speak of, was the final dollop of that healthy sibling rivalry I mentioned earlier and it all culminated in week 2 of the 1994 NFL regular season. Chiefs vs 49ers. This game was huge. In fact it was supposed to happen about 8 months prior, in the Super Bowl. Only the Bills and Cowboys decided to cut in on our big game and prevent Cool Joe from leading his NEW team into the Super Bowl against, the 49ers. Anyway, the next season’s week 2 showdown was when it had to be, and oh boy did we talk a lot of shit that day. I still remember like it was yesterday. The game wasn’t being televised in Los Angeles, so we were relegated to catching the score on the ESPN sports ticker at the bottom of the screen. I remember we were outside, I think cleaning out our garage with our Dad, as we alternated turns going in and out of the house, waiting for each passing score update. Then it happened, the game went final and I sure did lay it on thick when the score posted with the Chiefs winning 24-17. That was it! It didn’t matter that Joe would only play out the rest of that season and then hang them up. It didn’t matter that my passion of cheering for my favorite football team would be a little more difficult with no NFL Sunday Ticket. Every time I was lucky enough to see a game on tv, or even just catch the highlights on Sportscenter, my passion grew as I was completely in awe every time I saw that sea of red, inside the best stadium this country has to offer, Arrowhead Stadium. So now it’s official, the foundation is set and I’m falling in love, hard for the Chiefs and next came the house that would get built on that foundation. Only, I had some help getting that done, and let’s just say the person who helped with the construction is the love of my life. You see it never occurred to me as a young adult that I could actually travel to KC and watch a home game amongst my peers. That I could just buy that for myself. Then my girlfriend decided to give me the best Christmas present of my life. An envelope with a trip itinerary to KC and tickets for the Chiefs vs the Bears. I still remember like it was yesterday. As soon as we got out of the rental car, and starting walking toward the stadium, I had a flash back of Rudy’s Dad walking into Norte Dame Stadium, saying “this site is the most beautiful thing these eyes have ever seen”, or something like that. Only I didn’t even need to be inside yet. Something about the curved lower bowl of the upper deck, with the huge Arrowhead sign on one end, and Chiefs on the other. I’m getting old and can’t remember for sure, but I’m pretty sure I shed a tear, or two. It was an amazing trip! Great BBQ, amazing mid west hospitality, and my Chiefs did not disappoint, as they handled their business and sent me back to LA glowing. But, as special as that trip and the Chiefs are for me, they’re nothing compared to this amazing women who stole my heart. So I definitely put a ring on that, shortly after. Fast forward, and year after year went by, and Chief fans were teased with some pretty good teams, but just couldn’t quite make it happen. Some of those years/teams definitely stung a little more than others. I mean really, how did we lose a game in which we never punted? Not even once. Oh right, because neither did the Colts. And how in the hell did we lose again to the Colts and Andrew Luck, after dominating and jumping out to a 28 point lead? And please don’t get me started on Marcus Mariota throwing a touchdown pass, to himself. I mean really, I could go on, but these memories have already been too painful. So let’s just move on to the positive. In my opinion, this current Chiefs front office, is the best in the NFL. I mean, it’s real easy to just point out them moving up in the draft to grab Pat with the 10th overall pick, in 2017, but their ability to spot talent in last year’s draft was terrific. Then they went out and signed the perfect type of talent and leadership with guys like Tyranne Matthieu and Frank Clark. Ok, I wasn’t gonna just gloss over the best player in the NFL. OMG! We have an amazing quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is so special, I literally geek out when I talk about him. Speaking of geeking out. Our family took a trip back to KC earlier this year for a cool matchup against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Mahomes came into the end zone for his pre game ritual to get hyped up, and he was right in front of us. He started jumping up and down and yelled uncontrollably into the crowd, and I just about lost it. I starting grabbing my oldest son, shaking my head back and forth, looking at my son, then Mahomes. It was so fucking awesome. I’m 41, but swear to you, I felt 14 again! To say I’m excited about the future of the Chiefs with Mahomes as our QB, doesn’t do it justice. It’s crazy right? This doesn’t happen very often. This man is only 24 years young, and he’s leading his team into a Super Bowl, as the best quarterback in the game today! Yeah, there have been other young QB’s to make it to the big game, and even win a ring, but they were in large part over shadowed by a dominating defense, that allowed them to game manage their way to a Super Bowl victory. I don’t think anyone has presented the narrative that Patrick will be game managing, or leaning on his defense to get this W. That brings us to the present. My football irony. The very first time my Kansas City Chiefs are playing in the big game (that I’m alive to see), is against the very team I grew up crazy about. As it turns out, I guess I was never really that crazy about them, and they were just crazy to let a legend walk away. It’s funny, but I wonder if there’s a young boy in the North East, swearing he’ll follow Tom Brady if the Pats are dumb enough to let him go. I can’t say for sure, but I truly believe I’m not the only Chiefs fan, born in 1993.