Pretty good article by Dan Rose on examiner.com

[acasas4]

While many Kansas City Chiefs fans agree with Eric Winston’s rant and admonishment over some fans cheering Matt Cassel’s injury Sunday, the opinion here is that perhaps he and his teammates look in the mirror first.

Today, I steal a trick from former Kansas City sportswriter, Jason Whitlock, and write the following open letter to Winston and his teammates:

“Dear Eric, Chiefs fans agree with you that cheering when any player gets hurt is not acceptable behavior unless the player is a Bronco, Charger, or Raider. Then, of course, all bets are off. And honestly, even after 50 years, Chiefs fans don't get too excited about Chargers' players – unless it’s Philip Rivers.

It’s admirable that you came to the defense of your teammate, Matt Cassel, on Sunday and saying that the behavior you witnessed from the fans as he was led off the field was, ‘sickening’ because – believe it or not – most fans agree. No matter how frustrated fans get with the team, the guy in the red jersey is OUR player and deserves our support in that situation.

However, in a stadium of 70,000, which is the same as a decent-sized city, there are always going to be a group of people that are idiots. Add beer and BBQ to the mix and they’ll be a little more vocal as they were Sunday. You, however, threw all 70,000 under the bus.

I would also tell you that at least SOME of the cheering was 1) directed in support of back-up Brady Quinn who was coming into the game, and 2) towards Cassel getting up and off the field, which fans do with any injured players. But that doesn’t matter right now.

Many of us admire the passion you spoke with and wish your teammates would be that pissed off about losing 12 of your last 15 games. However, by making a big production out of your rant it has now put the story of a handful of idiots cheering Cassel’s injury as one of the top-5 NFL hot topics of the day.

We get the fact that you were frustrated by the game and that you’re worried about your teammate when you spoke out. Cassel IS a great guy, but we can be cranky with you for making ALL of us look like idiots. Social media exploded around the country asking what kind of a-holes we are in KC??? Ummm ... the same a-holes that exist in every city. About 5% of the fan base.

Personally, I could care less what the national media (or fans) thinks about us because for the last four years, our franchise has become an afterthought in the NFL. Want proof? Check out the pregame introductions for any of the national TV football shows. Do you see any Chiefs uniforms when Faith Hill is introducing Sunday Night Football? Or when ESPN is doing Monday Night Football? No, because we no longer matter on the national stage.

Besides ... who exactly IS the face of this team? Tuck Jamaal Charles' hair under a hat and the best running back in the NFL can walk down the streets of downtown Kansas City unmolested. If you knew the history that this city has had with its players, you would know THAT is a crime, if you ask me.

Honestly, your rant has gotten more national publicity than anything you guys have done on the field, so I guess we should thank you for that. Unfortunately, you furthered the prejudice we feel here in the Midwest for being portrayed as a bunch of illiterate Cowtowners wearing Zubaz pants, mullets, and driving our Trans Am’s that don’t know football. But, at least they’re talking about us, right?

Eric, before you go off on a rant next time, maybe you should ask former Chiefs QB Steve Bono how one badly misguided quote about Kansas City can seal your fate with fans. Steve didn’t like our restaurants compared to the ones in San Francisco, and he was never forgiven. Hell, anyone that has been in San Francisco knows that the food there is better than just about anywhere, but Stevie didn't have to put that in print - IN AN ARTICLE ABOUT RESTAURANTS!!

At least Steve didn’t call our love of a good steak and potato 'sickening'. But, it is this way with EVERY fan base for EVERY sports team, professional or amateur. So cut us some slack, OK?

You’ve only been in our fair city since August, while many fans like me have been here – and going to games – since 1965. At 3-years old, I used to sit on my father’s lap at old Municipal Stadium cheering on the likes of Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Jim Lynch, Otis Taylor, Buck Buchanan, and the greatest player I ever saw, Bobby Bell.

Since our Super Bowl Championship in 1969, I have seen exactly 15 playoff appearances from my beloved franchise. Heck, since that time, I’ve only seen 3 playoff wins. Three … in 43 years. Tom Brady wins three playoff games almost every year New England is in the playoffs. But we fans in KC don’t get that luxury.

Yet, like many fans, for those 43 barren years, my family kept buying season tickets, parking passes, overpriced stadium food, overpriced Chiefs gear, and thousands of dollars (minimum) in tailgating food and equipment. That doesn’t even include the thousands of hours spent watching our team. We did it because going to Arrowhead to watch our Chiefs was the highlight of our week – even when the team wasn’t good. Arrowhead rocked.

Throughout it all, despite the lack of success in the postseason, we gladly supported our Men in Red, because they were one of us for the most part. I went to school with Bobby Bell and Buck Buchanan’s kids … my boy swam competitively with Derrick Thomas’ son … my daughter and I put on our Chiefs gear to sit in on Tim Grunhard’s weekly radio show done live from a local restaurant ... or we'd head over to watch Jared Allen tape his hilarious television show where his teammates would come on and -- gasp -- act like normal human beings. You know, like one of us?

However, since your current boss, Scott Pioli, came aboard in 2008 and brought the ‘Patriot Way’ with him, Chiefs news is now full of secrecy, half-truths, and no more TV or radio shows for players. Everything coming out of Arrowhead sounds scripted, pre-packaged, and sterile. Unfortunately, the people that are suffering are the fans. Pioli's biggest mistake in coming here was not bringing Tom Brady or Bill Belichick with him. He brought Matt Cassel.

Under Pioli, the myth of ‘Arrowhead Magic’ has completely disappeared. The ‘Loudest Fans In the World’ that used to show up to Arrowhead disappeared too. The front office turned the gold section of seats at the stadium into luxury suites and upscale eats and drinks behind weather-proof walls.

Those walls are where the butts that used to sit in those gold seats in every kind of weather now scurry even when the weather is perfect. It may not mean much to Pioli and owner Clark Hunt, but seeing thousands of empty gold seats every week on TV gives some of us 'old-timers' the jitters. It doesn't look or feel like Arrowhead any more.

Hey, I sat in those seats since 1972, but the Chiefs priced me out of them even before they upped the price to over $250. So, for the first time since 1965, no one in my family has season tickets to the games. Many fans like me started to feel detached from the club.

These days, we sit watching historically-bad Chiefs football (of which YOU are now a part). Seemingly after every game, those of us that cover the team has to search the archives to find out what year the team was equally futile. Many times, we go back to the mid-70’s or earlier. THAT’S how bad the team plays now. The leader of this historically-bad team is Cassel. As QB, he gets the blame. It sucks but that's part of the reason QBs make the most money - even when they're average.

We watch other teams TRY to draft young quarterbacks in the first couple of rounds to pin their hopes on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but at least those teams try. Your boss drafts stiffs like Tyson Jackson, Jon Baldwin, Javier Arenas, and Dexter McCluster and tells us that Cassel can be a championship quarterback. We may not have backgrounds in scouting, but we know in our hearts that we’ll never get a championship with him at QB. So forgive some of us that have begged for a change at QB.

Unfortunately, because of the refusal of your head coach, Romeo Crennel, to remove Cassel even during blowout losses after having five turnovers, fans knew deeeeeeep down that Cassel lying injured on the field was the ONLY way a QB change was going to happen. Again, not an excuse for some people to cheer when he got hurt, but this frustration has been festering for most of the last six years at Arrowhead. That frustration found a release Sunday. Not pretty, but also not without reason. I put more blame on Crennel and Pioli for putting a bulls-eye on Cassel's back.

Our boy Matt leads the league in turnovers and we can argue until the cows come home about whether or not they’re all his fault. Doesn’t matter. Take away his one magical 2010 season and this unacceptable performance is what Chiefs fans have seen out of the QB position since Trent Green left. On top of that, your own coaching staff is showing an utter lack of faith in ANY of you to do your jobs. They don’t trust you guys to pick up a first down on 4th-and short, or throw a pass on third-and-long. And we won’t even talk about the defensive game plan every week.

You weren’t here on that cold fall day when Cassel’s predecessor, Trent Green, was laid out on the field with the concussion that ended his KC career against Cincinnati in 2006. That stadium was silent as a tomb as we prayed for Trent to get up. You also weren’t here for Mack Lee Hill, Stone Johnson, Joe Delaney or Derrick Thomas’ untimely deaths and the profound impact those incidents had on this city, not just the Chiefs fan base. So don’t think we’re just a bunch of idiots.

Next week, you guys go to Tampa Bay (another one-win team) and hopefully you can play with the passion you played with against Baltimore. Hopefully Quinn doesn’t become Cassel-ish and have three, four, or even five turnovers in the game. As crazy as it sounds, you guys are only 2.5 games behind the Chargers for the division lead and you can certainly turn this season around.

All you players need to look in the mirror and step it up. We ‘sickening’ fans have been doing it for the most part for 50 years and we’d like to see you boys do it too.

Best regards, Dan Rose, 50-year old Chiefs fan and current Chiefs Examiner”

http://www.examiner.com/article/chie...-but-misguided

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Cassel took a ****ing dive. That was the most pussy hit I've ever seen lay out a QB.

[Dayze]

maybe Winston should be more disgusted at their record and their ineptidude.

THEN, be disgusted by the so-called "Cheers"

I hope Winston's Labia doesn't cound against our 53 man roster.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Cassel took a ****ing dive. That was the most pussy hit I've ever seen lay out a QB.

RGIII took a hit on the chin needed stitches, Coach Rat thinks he may be back this week in hopes. RGIII TOOK A MANS HIT.

I have yet to see how Cassell hit his head that bad to cause a concussion & lay there like he did. He did not take a blow to the head from what I could tell in replay. I've seen a hell of a lot worse hits than that from players.

His "broken hand" last year pffft yeah I didn't see in replay on that play how he broke his hand. Unless I just missed the contact to his hand I didn't see what caused it to get broke. Am miffed.

[Chief_For_Life58]

send this article to everyone

[Dayze]

yeah, the concussion doesn't smell right. could he have been injured, yes. don't think it was a concussion though.

my $.02

[GloryDayz]

Like!

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Dayze

maybe Winston should be more disgusted at their record and their ineptidude.

THEN, be disgusted by the so-called "Cheers"

I hope Winston's Labia doesn't cound against our 53 man roster.

[tooge]

Cassel

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

RGIII took a hit on the chin needed stitches, Coach Rat thinks he may be back this week in hopes. RGIII TOOK A MANS HIT.

I have yet to see how Cassell hit his head that bad to cause a concussion & lay there like he did. He did not take a blow to the head from what I could tell in replay. I've seen a hell of a lot worse hits than that from players.

His "broken hand" last year pffft yeah I didn't see in replay on that play how he broke his hand. Unless I just missed the contact to his hand I didn't see what caused it to get broke. Am miffed.

you dont know yet? pioli called cassel before the series to tell him to stay down on the next big hit to save face

[siberian khatru]

[Chief_For_Life58]

quinn comes in and wins a few games and we draft tyler wilson mid first round

[Idahojim]

One of the best pieces I've seen on the Planet. Nailed it.

[Beef Supreme]

Originally Posted by Dayze

maybe Winston should be more disgusted at their record and their ineptidude.

THEN, be disgusted by the so-called "Cheers"

I hope Winston's Labia doesn't cound against our 53 man roster.

He should certainly be more embarrassed by their record.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Idahojim

One of the best pieces I've seen on the Planet. Nailed it.

have you been to the **ass, Nothing but ass thread**?

[acasas4]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

**** Dan Rose.

I don't agree with everything he wrote but thought he made some damn good points. And when I opened the thread and read your reply, I was taking a drink of Pepsi and laughed, causing Pepsi to come out of my nose. ****er!