Weir chastises Arrowhead fans for booing

shaneo69 · 10-26-2006, 09:35 AM

WEIR: The Arrowhead Experience
Oct 26, 2006, 9:09:39 AM by Eileen Weir

I don’t go to very many Chiefs games. Spending nearly a decade in the team’s public relations department and coordinating the press box operations, I’ve seen enough live games to get all the atmosphere I’ll ever need. These days Sunday afternoons are happily spent in the comfort of my own living room, close enough to Arrowhead to hear the fireworks and almost whiff the barbeque. If it’s raining or snowing I count that as a bonus, removing Sunday’s occasional guilt that I’m not doing something more productive with my day.

But going to games is good for the soul, if not for the body. Tuesday I am still gingerly nursing a stiff neck resulting from the tension and chill of Arrowhead on Sunday as the good guys took on the visiting San Diego Chargers. Typically I attend one or two games each year to soak up the ambiance that is exclusive to pro sports. Despite the state-of-the art technology (or maybe because of it) and the high-definition broadcasts that filter out any unwanted noise, television simply can’t capture the mood of the crowd or the stress of the competition. There is no substitute for sitting in the stands.

Out of town visitors, of which I had two on Sunday, marvel at the scene played out in the Arrowhead parking lots in the hours before kickoff. Chowing down ribs at ten a.m. suddenly seems like a reasonable activity as does washing it down with a Bud Light. Born a gaming and gambling breed, my visiting sisters in town from California and I placed wagers including “first to spot the most outrageous fan,” awarded to me for picking out a young man sans shirt in full body paint in the frigid morning hours, and “Who can find the most outrageous fan?” going to my oldest sister. Loud and obnoxious didn’t cut it in our little competition. “I like the ones who can’t shut up,” the victorious sister announced. And she found them.

If observing the tailgating rituals of the Kansas City faithful reveals Chiefs fans passionate loyalty, the inside-the-stadium experience reveals their sophisticated knowledge and high expectations. National and local broadcasters frequently praise supporters of the red and gold not only for their fervent fandom but for their smarts about the game, knowing when to bring down the house and when to be quiet. K.C. boosters know the rules and react appropriately to bad officiating but don’t complain when the team is tagged for legitimate infractions. Even though I think I possess an average or a little better than average knowledge of football and the Chiefs, sitting in the stands is always an education.

Void the influence of professional commentary fed to viewers and listeners by the play-by-play announcers and color analysts on the airwaves, Arrowhead attendees supply their own breakdown of play calling, performances and strategies. Without constant statistical updates, meticulous fans keep mental tallies of yards gained or simply divine who is winning the stat war from subjective deduction.

For at least a year after I left the press box and was forced to watch games like normal people, I felt crippled without constant access to up-to-the-moment statistics. I could barely follow the game without the aid of quarterly play-by-play sheets and the barrage of statistics pumped out from the press box staff. Finally acclimating to the culture of television viewers who get added information from the network production crew or by turning down the volume and safely relying on the hometown expertise of the Chiefs radio broadcast team, being shoved back into the stands still comes as a shock. I prefer to be comfortably coddled.

Most striking of all is the temperament of the fans once removed from the influence of analysts to tell them whether or not things are going well. Surprising to my game-day companions and me were the glowing critiques given to the team after Sunday’s victory. Regarded by all as a critical win and one that would not come easy, the Arrowhead crowd rejoiced as Lawrence Tynes’ game winning 53-yarder plopped over the crossbar in the final seconds of regulation, but the after-party aura was far more one of exhaustion than ecstasy. None of my fellow ticket holders in the exiting crowd talked about a single stand-out performance or a great call. The entirety of Arrowhead acted like they had just walked away from a car accident. Grateful but frazzled.

If I had to choose a word to describe Sunday’s Arrowhead crowd it would be cranky. Suffering the first really cool day on the home schedule, the chilliness gave most in the already cynical ranks an added reason to be irritated, many entering the game with expectations of a loss against the surging San Diego Chargers. A fast start, jumping to a two-touchdown lead in the opening quarter, alleviated a measure of animosity but boos raining down as the team left the field at half-time indicated the frustration exhibited by fans throughout the day.

Booing your own team is tacky. If you are a fan of the team, you want them to win. By purchasing a ticket to sit out in the freezing-a*s cold, standing on a frozen slab of concrete all day, you better be doing all you can to encourage a win. That’s not accomplished by booing. Booing doesn’t motivate players or send a message; cheering wildly does.

But the Arrowhead crowd was in a booing mood. The guy next to me booed the cheerleaders. Seriously. After a choreographed dance number, the P.A. announcer acknowledged the cheerleading director, Elaine Hart of Hartbeat Productions, to which my row-mate screamed, “Elaine Hart, you s…!” He also booed Section 133 for losing the dance contest to Section 110. So don’t feel too bad, Coach Edwards.

At-home viewers enjoy the opportunity to relax between plays that in-house fans are denied. The pressure inside the stadium is constant and with no laundry to fold during commercial breaks, every movement and gesture on the field adopts significance and scrutiny. Never feeling comfortable with the lead, and dreading the looming consequences of a missed field goal and a missed PAT, the Sunday assembly was an edgy group. Savvy supporters of the Chiefs follow trends. They know giving up 3rd down and 20 isn’t good, missed kicks kill you in tight division games, and a bad day on kick returns, resulting in poor field position, can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

The tension was unbearable. As my friend said, “It was a good, bad, good, bad, great game.” Indeed, it ended up being a great game. But my neck still hurts.

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Carl Peterson.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/10...ad_experience/

10-26-2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaneo69

WEIR: The Arrowhead Experience
But the Arrowhead crowd was in a booing mood. The guy next to me booed the cheerleaders. Seriously. After a choreographed dance number, the P.A. announcer acknowledged the cheerleading director, Elaine Hart of Hartbeat Productions, to which my row-mate screamed, “Elaine Hart, you s…!” He also booed Section 133 for losing the dance contest to Section 110. So don’t feel too bad, Coach Edwards.

Oh dude - wow. I think I know that guy. She forgot to mention booing the stupid hick who didn't know whole chickens were $.49 a lbs at Price Chopper. How can you not know that?

Brock · 10-26-2006, 09:40 AM

Do you seriously read this shit?

**Rain Man** · 10-26-2006, 09:41 AM

The people in the stands in Kuala Lumpur won't boo.

**The Bad Guy** · 10-26-2006, 09:43 AM

I hope Elizabeth Weir gets hit by a bus.

Is that tacky?

10-26-2006, 09:43 AM

I started to trash it without reading and then the bolded caught my eye. The guy she's talking about in the para below was me so I had to respond. Elaine Hart does suck. I say it every time. It also sucked that that 110 won. Section 133 was twice as good.

ChiefsFan4Life · 10-26-2006, 09:45 AM

Not sure why she was in the crowd in the first place - she's obviously the type who can't handle being in a football crowd

**BigRedChief** · 10-26-2006, 09:51 AM

Hey I was never for booing your team but I don't think the crowd was booing the team but the conservative decision to not even try to score with a mintue left and 3 time outs.

I booed.

**ptlyon** · 10-26-2006, 09:51 AM

I was too busy mounting my sherpa and decending down Mt. Arrowhead to boo during that last "drive" of the second half.

Besides, how does she know Mrs. Hart isn't a s...?

**ptlyon** · 10-26-2006, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

I started to trash it without reading and then the bolded caught my eye. The guy she's talking about in the para below was me so I had to respond. Elaine Hart does suck. I say it every time. It also sucked that that 110 won. Section 133 was twice as good.

You Rule.

And sorry for my misinterpretation, I thought you said she was a sl.t.

King_Chief_Fan · 10-26-2006, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaneo69

WEIR: The Arrowhead Experience
Oct 26, 2006, 9:09:39 AM by Eileen Weir

I don’t go to very many Chiefs games. /

THen

10-26-2006, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptlyon

You Rule.

And sorry for my misinterpretation, I thought you said she was a sl.t.

Heh. No, she sucks. I can't believe I finally get mentioned in some kcchiefs.com commentary and it's because I said Elaine Hart sucks. She's doing a terrible job.

shaneo69 · 10-26-2006, 10:02 AM

I used to like to boo Warfield and Bartee when they were announced in pre-game introductions. But then the puzzies got together and decided to copy New England and be introduced as a group to prove that they were a close-knit team (and to avoid being booed individually). I think it was shortly after this that Hicks and Sims got into the locker room brawl after the Minnesota game.

**ptlyon** · 10-26-2006, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaneo69

I think it was shortly after this that Hicks and Sims got into the locker room brawl after the Minnesota game.

I think I was in that.

No, wait, that was at Chili's.

Frazod · 10-26-2006, 10:05 AM

This Weir idiot didn't pay for my ticket. I did.

I'll boo if I want to. That's my right. If they suck, they deserve it.

As far as I can remember, though, the only time I booed was during halftime, when they inducted Bronco Neil into the Ring of Fame.

10-26-2006, 09:35 AM
shaneo69 Smug Weasel Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bleachers at Busch Casino cash: $10004900	Weir chastises Arrowhead fans for booing WEIR: The Arrowhead Experience Oct 26, 2006, 9:09:39 AM by Eileen Weir I don’t go to very many Chiefs games. Spending nearly a decade in the team’s public relations department and coordinating the press box operations, I’ve seen enough live games to get all the atmosphere I’ll ever need. These days Sunday afternoons are happily spent in the comfort of my own living room, close enough to Arrowhead to hear the fireworks and almost whiff the barbeque. If it’s raining or snowing I count that as a bonus, removing Sunday’s occasional guilt that I’m not doing something more productive with my day. But going to games is good for the soul, if not for the body. Tuesday I am still gingerly nursing a stiff neck resulting from the tension and chill of Arrowhead on Sunday as the good guys took on the visiting San Diego Chargers. Typically I attend one or two games each year to soak up the ambiance that is exclusive to pro sports. Despite the state-of-the art technology (or maybe because of it) and the high-definition broadcasts that filter out any unwanted noise, television simply can’t capture the mood of the crowd or the stress of the competition. There is no substitute for sitting in the stands. Out of town visitors, of which I had two on Sunday, marvel at the scene played out in the Arrowhead parking lots in the hours before kickoff. Chowing down ribs at ten a.m. suddenly seems like a reasonable activity as does washing it down with a Bud Light. Born a gaming and gambling breed, my visiting sisters in town from California and I placed wagers including “first to spot the most outrageous fan,” awarded to me for picking out a young man sans shirt in full body paint in the frigid morning hours, and “Who can find the most outrageous fan?” going to my oldest sister. Loud and obnoxious didn’t cut it in our little competition. “I like the ones who can’t shut up,” the victorious sister announced. And she found them. If observing the tailgating rituals of the Kansas City faithful reveals Chiefs fans passionate loyalty, the inside-the-stadium experience reveals their sophisticated knowledge and high expectations. National and local broadcasters frequently praise supporters of the red and gold not only for their fervent fandom but for their smarts about the game, knowing when to bring down the house and when to be quiet. K.C. boosters know the rules and react appropriately to bad officiating but don’t complain when the team is tagged for legitimate infractions. Even though I think I possess an average or a little better than average knowledge of football and the Chiefs, sitting in the stands is always an education. Void the influence of professional commentary fed to viewers and listeners by the play-by-play announcers and color analysts on the airwaves, Arrowhead attendees supply their own breakdown of play calling, performances and strategies. Without constant statistical updates, meticulous fans keep mental tallies of yards gained or simply divine who is winning the stat war from subjective deduction. For at least a year after I left the press box and was forced to watch games like normal people, I felt crippled without constant access to up-to-the-moment statistics. I could barely follow the game without the aid of quarterly play-by-play sheets and the barrage of statistics pumped out from the press box staff. Finally acclimating to the culture of television viewers who get added information from the network production crew or by turning down the volume and safely relying on the hometown expertise of the Chiefs radio broadcast team, being shoved back into the stands still comes as a shock. I prefer to be comfortably coddled. Most striking of all is the temperament of the fans once removed from the influence of analysts to tell them whether or not things are going well. Surprising to my game-day companions and me were the glowing critiques given to the team after Sunday’s victory. Regarded by all as a critical win and one that would not come easy, the Arrowhead crowd rejoiced as Lawrence Tynes’ game winning 53-yarder plopped over the crossbar in the final seconds of regulation, but the after-party aura was far more one of exhaustion than ecstasy. None of my fellow ticket holders in the exiting crowd talked about a single stand-out performance or a great call. The entirety of Arrowhead acted like they had just walked away from a car accident. Grateful but frazzled. If I had to choose a word to describe Sunday’s Arrowhead crowd it would be cranky. Suffering the first really cool day on the home schedule, the chilliness gave most in the already cynical ranks an added reason to be irritated, many entering the game with expectations of a loss against the surging San Diego Chargers. A fast start, jumping to a two-touchdown lead in the opening quarter, alleviated a measure of animosity but boos raining down as the team left the field at half-time indicated the frustration exhibited by fans throughout the day. Booing your own team is tacky. If you are a fan of the team, you want them to win. By purchasing a ticket to sit out in the freezing-as cold, standing on a frozen slab of concrete all day, you better be doing all you can to encourage a win. That’s not accomplished by booing. Booing doesn’t motivate players or send a message; cheering wildly does. But the Arrowhead crowd was in a booing mood. The guy next to me booed the cheerleaders. Seriously. After a choreographed dance number, the P.A. announcer acknowledged the cheerleading director, Elaine Hart of Hartbeat Productions, to which my row-mate screamed, “Elaine Hart, you s…!” He also booed Section 133 for losing the dance contest to Section 110. So don’t feel too bad, Coach Edwards. At-home viewers enjoy the opportunity to relax between plays that in-house fans are denied. The pressure inside the stadium is constant and with no laundry to fold during commercial breaks, every movement and gesture on the field adopts significance and scrutiny. Never feeling comfortable with the lead, and dreading the looming consequences of a missed field goal and a missed PAT, the Sunday assembly was an edgy group. Savvy supporters of the Chiefs follow trends. They know giving up 3rd down and 20 isn’t good, missed kicks kill you in tight division games, and a bad day on kick returns, resulting in poor field position, can mean the difference between victory and defeat. The tension was unbearable. As my friend said, “It was a good, bad, good, bad, great game.” Indeed, it ended up being a great game. But my neck still hurts. The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Carl Peterson.* http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/10...ad_experience/
Posts: 4,910

10-26-2006, 09:40 AM	#3
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	Do you seriously read this shit?
Posts: 47,314

10-26-2006, 09:41 AM	#4
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3238491 VARSITY	The people in the stands in Kuala Lumpur won't boo. __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,519

10-26-2006, 09:43 AM	#5
The Bad Guy Scott Pioli Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: The Copacobana Casino cash: $9373645	I hope Elizabeth Weir gets hit by a bus. Is that tacky? __________________
Posts: 23,212

10-26-2006, 09:43 AM	#6
Phobia Guest Casino cash: $	I started to trash it without reading and then the bolded caught my eye. The guy she's talking about in the para below was me so I had to respond. Elaine Hart does suck. I say it every time. It also sucked that that 110 won. Section 133 was twice as good.
Posts: n/a

10-26-2006, 09:45 AM	#7
ChiefsFan4Life DT: HOF Class of 2009 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: House Springs, MO Casino cash: $10004900	Not sure why she was in the crowd in the first place - she's obviously the type who can't handle being in a football crowd
Posts: 2,031

10-26-2006, 09:51 AM	#8
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3059627 VARSITY	Hey I was never for booing your team but I don't think the crowd was booing the team but the conservative decision to not even try to score with a mintue left and 3 time outs. I booed. __________________ Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. -YODA
Posts: 79,076

10-26-2006, 09:51 AM	#9
ptlyon Bono & Grbac wasn't enough Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sioux City, IA Casino cash: $13023829	I was too busy mounting my sherpa and decending down Mt. Arrowhead to boo during that last "drive" of the second half. Besides, how does she know Mrs. Hart isn't a s...? __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Advertise here: $19.99 a month
Posts: 33,626

10-26-2006, 10:02 AM	#13
shaneo69 Smug Weasel Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bleachers at Busch Casino cash: $10004900	I used to like to boo Warfield and Bartee when they were announced in pre-game introductions. But then the puzzies got together and decided to copy New England and be introduced as a group to prove that they were a close-knit team (and to avoid being booed individually). I think it was shortly after this that Hicks and Sims got into the locker room brawl after the Minnesota game. __________________ "I like Chiefs president Carl Peterson. I respect his business savvy. I envy his management skills and his penchant never to be driven by the whims of popularity. I admire his willingness to take responsibility for decisions that don’t work out the way he would have wanted." - Rufus, from KCChiefs.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 4,910

10-26-2006, 10:05 AM	#15
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3045085	This Weir idiot didn't pay for my ticket. I did. I'll boo if I want to. That's my right. If they suck, they deserve it. As far as I can remember, though, the only time I booed was during halftime, when they inducted Bronco Neil into the Ring of Fame.
Posts: 119,511