The Fine Line Between Sports and Life
 

Forgive me for another post-mortem thread, and ignore/neg rep me if it pisses you off.

I was so disturbed thinking about this today...how connected my fandom of the Chiefs is to my life. I realized this afternoon that I need to find a way...to try to find a way...to not care so much.

Honest to God I have felt physically sick from the moment we lost until this point, and probably for awhile longer. All from a football game? A game where I know nobody and don't even play?

I guess I feel like the battered spouse who keeps getting kicked in the stomach and yet comes back, dressed in red, waiting for my team to finally love me back.

Perspective, man. I could use some.

Just rewatch Cassel games from last season a few more times, it should help numb you a bit...

Perspective?

This is year one of a brand new regime, and despite a very clear lack of talent in the secondary, they went to the playoffs.

It always sucks. I hate it as much as you... but the direction of the team from 12 months ago is on a very different trajectory than the one now.

No excuses, but there really IS next year to look forward to.

Yeah I get that...I think it's HOW we lost that hurt so bad.

I hear ya. I've only been a Chiefs fan for goin on 4 years and I've already invested so much time and money into this team. That loss in person yesterday was the most gut wrenching, heart breaking loss I've experienced. I've been in such a funk since the game. It's weird I can't shake this feeling.

Perspective?

Life isn't about what you do or where you go, it's about who's beside you.

I think sports teaches you a lot about life, honestly.

I think that's why I appreciate it so much. But it's always, always going to be something fun for me.

The day rooting for the Chiefs causes more pain than it creates pleasure, is the day I quit them.

It helped that I didn't watch the other NFL games this weekend. Needed the break after that heartbreaker. All good next weekend though. Maybe I'm used to the effed up finishes after 43 years.

You guys went from the first pick in the Draft to 11-5, yes the playoff game was an absolute disaster but the fact that there was a playoff game at all is a minor miracle.

Perspective, my friend?

Imagine this - you've been a fan of this team since you were a little boy, 40+ years and counting...Imagine that every loss like this hurts just as much as it ever has, that a curse that started on Christmas day 1971 will never be lifted...

Imagine how much that you would like to be able to walk away from this damn team sometimes, but find yourself completely unable to.

Yeah, I got a lifetime full of perspective for you...

yeah well...there needed to be something. After last year, a lot of people gave up.

some ain't made it back yet.

(and I just talking about this board...)

Yeah I should add that I'm now over 40 and while I'm not as long in tooth as some of you guys, I've experienced most of the heartbreak in the modern era of being a Chiefs fan.

Intellectually I get it. It just hurts and I'm mad that a football game can do that to me.

Perspective? I sat next to an old timer at the Cincy game that has been a Season Seat Holder since day 1. Season Seat holder #102. That man has seen a lot of losing in his years. He walked out of that game today just as pissed off/frustrated and saddened as I did Saturday from the Indy game. He will be back and so will I. But man this hurts right now.

I was sick, but I always remind myself that it's a game.

I know it's cliche, but it works.
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How can you be so sure the direction is going be any better? Sure looks good but this IS the Chiefs.

Were we in the right direction with Dick Vermeil?

Scott Pissoli had us in the playoffs in 2010 people said we were in the right direction then.

Yeah until we can win in the playoffs and look good doing it I'm not sold.

just take pride in the fact that this franchise set a record yesterday with that loss and we are enduring a beautiful struggle that most other franchises can't relate to. so when their fans lose to us and cry we can laugh at them even harder. as long as we show our honor to the fans of the lions and browns.

Perspective:

We care more than the players do.

You can't appreciate the euphoria of victory without experiencing the misery of defeat.

Fan is short for fanatic. It is not for the faint of heart.

I think a lot of the NFL's problems today stem from the implementation of free agency. I understand how and why it came about, and it offers some significant advantages, but at the same time I think it accelerated the decline of the sport into a business.

Before the money was huge and before players could switch teams at will, you had rivalries that were fearsome. The teams were tribes and there was pure and sincere loathing in some of the matchups.

Free agency came along, and players started moving around on teams, and the money kept getting bigger, and now you fast-forward to today and there'll be a game between "bitter rivals" and at the end players from the two teams are laughing and hugging and patting each other. The money is so big that it attracts uber-athletes who don't really like the sport, and the players move around so much that they're all friendly since they're likely past or future teammates.

Free agency is fun from a short-term fan perspective, but it sure dilutes that players' passion for the game.

Oh, and with regard to the original post, we all understand where you're coming from. I'd been consciously trying to distance myself for half the season, and I came into that game 100 percent certain that we would not win, and I'm still finding myself gritting my teeth 30 hours later.

I think you are asking the wrong group of people about perspective with this team.

We all participate in a year round discussion about this team on this message board. We follow their every move, every nuance about this franchise is a part of our lives.

Just embrace it.

It is part of our DNA.

The only sure things in this life are death, taxes, and Chiefs playoff losses.

Seasons are not mutually exclusive, but was there a game this year where we were actually outclassed? Where we had no chance of winning?

Not on your life. The line between good and great is fine. The offense came to life over the last stretch of the season, the defense faltered...

Sutton failed, because once people realized that this defense could only play man, and was weak in zone, pick plays pretty much crippled us.

Teams had a whole season of tape on the defense and came to that realization.

Teams also had a whole season of tape on the offense and STILL couldn't stop it. That's a GOOD thing.

If we decide to stick with the man coverage next year, then atleast we know where were deficient and can improve.

:clap:

Spot on.....Rep

That's exactly what made it so special to me... At halftime I was like WTF? But then thought, what is the most miserable way the Chiefs could lose... losing by 1 point when up by 28 was the perfect stfu and sit down statement because you guys have been really cocky this year and talked alot of shit...

Alot of people cheer injuries here when they happen to other teams, to those of you who don't this does not apply but to those that do... How does it feel Mother ****er? You deserved what you got... Now take your ass to work and fix those tacos right bitch!

NFL needs a Play 60 type program for adults.

This is a Chiefs site you reeruned dickeater.

Being being cocky about their own team on their own board, what a crazy turn of events.

Make me a taco you loser bitch LMAO

Only time heals.

It was a very strange game.

I would have never dreamed the offense could play so well or the defense play so bad.

The biggest reason for hope is knowing that when there's no running game to lean on and the QB has to make plays (even short his favorite WR) he can.

It's a QB driven league and while I still don't think he's top 10 he's still good enough to win a SB...

Bull$3it. Time kills.

Everyone.

Always...

Yep, just check out the Von Miller thread. I guess it's karma.

It's better to not even have a chance then it is to lose by 1 point with a decimated lineup/ Raiders Guy

Oh hell ya, I agree, back when the Raiders got beat up on by the Bucs, People on this forum told me they would rather not even go to the Superbowl if they were gonna lose like that...

Bullshit, to win it you have to be in it.

I addressed this a little bit in this thread: http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=280405

I don't know that there is a method for gaining that perspective, but I can tell you that it really feels good when you finally get there.

Keep your chin up, and learn to see Chiefs football for what it really should be: a fun way to kill 3.5 hours on Sunday afternoons, but not anything that really changes your life one way or the other.

:Peace:

You could be a Lions' fan... #perspective

says the raider fan who has 17k posts on a Chiefs board, and shows up to rub salt in the wound.


get a life...then spend the rest of it trying to convince people you're not a prick.

4-12 douchebag

Bit unfair on the players in this thread.

Look, very few if any of the players have been dealing with franchise failure for 20 years lke some of you guys have. Most of them are young and think that there's always next year, and when you are in the 4th or 5th year of your career the end probably still seems some way off.

Like the rest of us, the players probably care to varying degrees. I bet Smith was devestated - a former #1 pick that was almost out of the league a couple of years ago and is now leading a franchise again? He couldn't possibly want anything more than a SB ring.

The players all grew up a fan certain teams also. Statistically, it's unlikely the players on the chiefs grew up chiefs fans. After they leave/retire, they'll probably be fans of the teams they grew up liking. That they haven't got a lifetime of chiefs frustration built up in them probably isn't their fault.

I

I understand what your saying; But!!!! What about the game with Indy at Arrowhead? After Jamal's TD it was like the whole team laid Down. I tried to reason that Andy didn't want to show all his cards because it was all but a given we would play Indy in the playoffs. The thing that pisses me off, these guys make millions & when someone just gives it a halfass attempt it gets under my skin.

Solid post, n00b!