Winners and losers

The induction of Derrick Thomas into the Pro Football Hall of Fame brought forth a lot of memories and the reminder of how quickly time passes. The images and videos of past games and players and times have been very much in view the last week. The NFL Network replayed the 1990 home game against Seattle in which DT had a career day yet the Chiefs lost the game. I was there that day. I didn't go to games often then as I had a young family and as everyone who ever went to games knows in those days it was an all day affair with the tailgating and everything.

I am the same age as the Chiefs, we both turn 50 in early September. My Father took me to my first game during the 1965 season against the then Boston Patriots, I had just turned six years old a month earlier. I don't remember much other than KC won the game and I was not able to see much for obvious reasons. I do remember the next season as the Chiefs won their second AFL title (the first was in 1962 as the Dallas Texans) and went to the first Super Bowl. By the time Super Bowl IV came around I was ten years of age and have vivid and wonderful memories as I was a football freak at that point and continued to be.
As I grew into my teens my beloved Chiefs started to turn south and things got rough, for a long time actually. I of course still followed them closely and the NFL as well. I have watched every Super Bowl ever. On TV of course but none the less every single one. League at first and later Conference Championships I have watched as well.

By the time 1989 rolled around the Chiefs had done a lot of losing and I wondered if I would ever see and enjoy the success that I did as a child with them. The team did go to the playoffs in 1986 but even then you had the sense that it was a season of many breaks and lucky bounces for the team. There were some good players that would contribute down the road especially in the secondary, Deron Cherry, Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross. Getting back to 1989 the Chiefs hired a new GM and new Head Coach in Carl Peterson and Marty Schottenheimer who turned the #4 pick in the draft into Derrick Thomas. It was truly the start of something wonderful for long suffering Chiefs fans.

Those early 90's years the Schottenheimer Chiefs played exceptional Defense and had a fine running game, Martyball they called it. The team was an event a happening, they were winning again. Derrick Thomas along with Neil Smith, Dan Saleaumua, Dale Carter and James Hasty among others formed a solid defense just as I enjoyed as a child growing up in the 60's and early 70's. On offense they built a solid line and had great running backs and some fine, and one great veteran quarterbacks coming through the system. Mostly what they did was win and go to the playoffs. Once with Joe Montana and Marcus Allen both near the end of HOF careers but still with plenty left, they went to the AFC Championship game. Unfortunately this game was at Buffalo who was in the midst of a phenomenal four straight trips to the Super Bowl run. In later years some were critical of Martyball and wanted change, careful what you wish for, it may come true, and eventually it did.

Those ten years of Peterson and Schottenheimer were truly magical in my mind though and it is hard for me to comprehend but that era is starting to seem as distant as the first great era of the team. Some say that Derrick Thomas going into the HOF was the reward for fans of those great teams of the 90's. Since there was no Super Bowl. No winning it all. I think there are some fans and certainly some media who place too much emphasis on this aspect. There are a few media members today that can't talk about Carl Peterson without every comment just dripping with hatred for the man. I don't know, I don't get it and frankly I don't want to get it. I don't look at that era as any kind of failure on anyones part. Those were fine Chiefs teams that were unbelievably exciting and a wonderful time to live in KC and be a part of it. Seeing DT go into the HOF brings back many good memories. Those Chiefs were winners in my mind and never losers.

2009 KC Chiefs a new era

As this franchise looks to close out the first decade of the 2000's and enters its fiftieth season in 2009 it might be something like it was way back when. The Chiefs after going 6-26 the previous two seasons are starting over. Owner Clark Hunt has stepped forward from the giant shadow cast by his father and hired a new GM in Scott Pioli who in turn hired a new head coach in Todd Haley. The 2000's have not been a complete bust for the Chiefs but in today's NFL just 3 winning seasons and 2 playoff seasons per decade are not enough to keep most fans content and happy. Since the bottom fell out the last 2 years many have been screaming for change.

The new regime has come in with a take no prisoners, our way or the highway attitude and many fans and members of the media seem to be fine with that for now. Of course going 4-12 in 2007 followed by 2-14 last year makes people desperate for change and a new attitude. The 2009 roster will look quite different from the previous couple of years and obviously this is a good thing. Coaching and front office changes only go so far however, you still have to have talent to turn it around. I have heard a few fans and media members suggest that in today's NFL rapid turnarounds are quite possible and that this new regime may be able to pull that off. Miami and Atlanta the most recent examples given by those with this view.

At this point in time the AFC West is pretty weak and that will help this years team. None of the Chiefs long time divisional rivals finished above .500 last season. Only San Diego looks to be a threat to have a real good year. Denver and Oakland both have numerous holes to fill as do the Chiefs. Based on last years records the Chiefs schedule this season projects to be middle of the road as to difficulty.

Some are celebrating the arrival of Matt Cassel as the long awaited franchise QB the team has lacked. I am hopeful, but am reserving judgement as there just is not any history of him being that yet. His only experience to this point college or pro is stepping in for an injured Tom Brady and going 11-5 last year. As I have stated before, he was handed the keys to a recent NFL dynasty, and to his credit did well. Honestly though I don't have trouble seeing most NFL backups succeeding with that quality of talent around them. Obviously he will not enjoy that same amount of talent this year. He tended to hang on to the ball too long last season and was sacked 47 times behind the same line that gave up just 21 the previous year. The Chiefs line while showing signs of getting better still is a big weakness and is far inferior to what the Patriots have. He needs to change that or he will not last any where close to a full season in KC. It has been pointed out that 12 years ago the Chiefs gave a big contract to Elvis Grbac hoping he would duplicate the type of performance he had in limited time with another NFL powerhouse that being the 49ers of the mid 90's. Lets all hope that KC enjoys better success with Matt Cassel.

Chiefs sign Cassel to multi-year deal

The Chiefs announced today that they have signed fifth year QB Matt Cassel to a contract extension. ESPN among others are saying it is a 6 year deal worth $63 million. While NFL contracts are different than those of Major League Baseball especially in that they rarely seem to run the course. Deals like these are never fully guaranteed and often are renegotiated. Having said that it is apparent that much of Scott Pioli's success will rest on Matt Cassel showing that he is indeed a franchise type QB. My biggest concern with Cassel is that he basically has been a backup back since High School with just last year getting any real playing time since he was an 18 year old HS senior. Now he did play well in that he led the Patriots to an 11-5 record as a replacement for Tom Brady due to a season ending injury to my beloved Chiefs in last years opening game. Of course Scott Pioli may have led the Patriots to the same record if he was the replacement. That was one of histories great franchises that he was handed the keys to. He obviously will not have anything at all similar to the same talent in KC for 2009. So in my mind I worry that he may not be that franchise QB that this team has not had since the days of Len Dawson which ended over 30 years ago. Even with the Patriots he was sacked an alarming 47 times last year, this was the same line that gave up just 21 the previous season. Hard to imagine the Chiefs line protecting him as well as the Patriots line, so he must get rid of the ball quickly or it will be a short 2009 season for him. Of course the Chiefs new coaching staff knows this and I am sure are working with him on this. He also was not particularly effective in the red zone with less than a 44% completion rate which was better than only 5 teams last year.