Utter sadness in Kansas City

[KcMizzou]

By Bill Williamson | ESPN.com

This has been on my mind all day.

Still, after traveling 1,000 miles, I have yet to reach any comprehension. I have nothing profound to say about the horrible tragedy this morning in Kansas City that has galvanized the NFL world, other to say I have the same feeling you probably have -- utter sadness.

I awoke this morning to a text saying that a Kansas City Chiefs player murdered his girlfriend and then shot himself at the team’s facility. The text said the player involved was linebacker Jovan Belcher.

Like so many at ESPN, I immediately worked the phones in search of more details of this mind-numbing event. As I traveled to Denver, I thought about what I was going to write in this piece.

What could I say about this event that no one else is feeling or saying?

[+] Enlarge
Chiefs fansJohn Rieger/US PresswireChiefs fans place a sign outside the team's practice facility, site of Jovan Belcher's suicide.
Thus, I want to join the masses and express my thoughts and grief for the family of Belcher’s victim, Kasandra M. Perkins, who died at 22, and the couple's infant daughter. Lives were ended; others were ruined. So terrible.

I also feel for bad for Scott ***** and Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs' general manager and the head coach were talking to Belcher, according to police, just before the player walked away and shot himself.

What a terrible and emotional event to witness. This day will be with these men for the rest of their lives; they will never be able to shake it. ***** and Crennel went to work Saturday morning to put the finishing touches on another game week in a miserable season. Then they were thrust into the middle of a crisis involving a young man they had grown to care for.

I know ***** and Crennel are not popular figures in Kansas City these days because of the team’s 1-10 season. There is a strong chance Chiefs ownership makes wholesale changes in a month.

What happens professionally will take its course.

I expect Kansas City fans to loudly support their hurting team Sunday when the Chiefs host Carolina at Arrowhead Stadium. It should go without saying that I hope there are no airplane flyovers imploring for people to be fired, no fan “blackouts” at the game. The voice of the understandably angry Chiefs fan has been heard and it has been noted.

Sunday will be about beginning the healing process and honoring those left behind from this senseless crime. Be a Chiefs fan Sunday. At the core, that’s what you are.

I know some people don’t understand why or how the game can be played. But the Chiefs’ coaches and team captains reportedly played a major role in the decision to go ahead with it. If the Chiefs want to play, I think we can all support that choice.

I’ve been asked a lot Saturday about what Belcher was like. I didn’t know him. I never met him or interviewed him. I knew he was an overachieving player who ended up starting 44 career games after going undrafted.

I know his agent, Joe Linta, very well. He has a well-deserved reputation for representing solid-citizen types. He had always spoken highly of Belcher to me. Linta expressed disbelief Saturday.

Disbelief. That’s all you can feel when something so unspeakable happens.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post...in-kansas-city

[Chiefs=Good]

I feel sad for the family. I feel sad for Romeo and *****. I feel particularly sad for the players. After all they are my team. Whether i want Romeo and ***** to be fired or not and whether i want us to lose out for Geno Smith, i still love this team and a majority of the players. And even the ones i do not particularly like, i would not wish this upon. I wish the whole team well.

Having said that i do agree with SNR, as Bill has no right to talk down to us. We know what respect is. We know that it wouldn't be right to go ahead with the banner flyings etc. We dont need some ****ing journalist to tell us what to do and what to think. Youre a ****ing journalist! Get of your high horse!

[DoucheMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Chiefs=Good

I feel sad for the family. I feel sad for Romeo and *****. I feel particularly sad for the players. After all they are my team. Whether i want Romeo and ***** to be fired or not and whether i want us to lose out for Geno Smith, i still love this team and a majority of the players. And even the ones i do not particularly like, i would not wish this upon. I wish the whole team well.

I completely agree.

I've never been a ***** fan and Romeo has been disappointing as a head coach. But to see a young man take his life just a few feet away has to be devastating and I feel sorry for both men.

[Hog Farmer]

I think everybody has overlooked the fact that Belchers girlfriend is the root cause of all this.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

I think everybody has overlooked the fact that Belchers girlfriend is the root cause of all this.

I know, right? She was asking for it....

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

SNR is more interesting than Bill Williamson, that's for sure.

[Hog Farmer]

Originally Posted by lcarus

I know, right? She was asking for it....

Obviously

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

SNR is more interesting than Bill Williamson, that's for sure.

I have a sheep that's more interesting than Bill Williamson, and the sheep doesn't even have a particularly tight pussy or a loud screaming voice.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I completely agree.

I've never been a ***** fan and Romeo has been disappointing as a head coach. But to see a young man take his life just a few feet away has to be devastating and I feel sorry for both men.

I agree. I also believe that both men should not be employedby the Chiefs and I hope that is addressed when the time is right.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by JoeyChuckles

All of us as Chiefs fans only have a few courses of action after the events today.

We can stay the course, keep on complaining about the team, management, ownership. Everything will return to normal over time. Pick up right where we left off in a few days.

We can let this event divide us further, make us more combative, more hostile towards the team and each other. See it as another step down in the death of a franchise.

We can let this event bring us as fans, as a team, and as a city together. To borrow a phrase, we could "Be the change" that we want to see from the organization.

Which option do you think we'll choose?

OUTSTANDING POST. You know the answer. EVERYONE here does. Number 2. At least most vocally on this board and on certain sports talk radio. Outside of that, I really think this could be a turning point in the fans supporting the franchise again without too much hostility at least for the rest of this season.

Yeah, there will still be the beligerent aholes feeling entitled to their rage but I think the tide of fans turning on this team might be changing.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

OUTSTANDING POST. You know the answer. EVERYONE here does. Number 2. At least most vocally on this board and on certain sports talk radio. Outside of that, I really think this could be a turning point in the fans supporting the franchise again without too much hostility at least for the rest of this season.

Yeah, there will still be the beligerent aholes feeling entitled to their rage but I think the tide of fans turning on this team might be changing.

I feel horrible for RAC and *****. But the idea that critics of a leadership that has consistently failed makes us "entitled" to criticize or that we should lay on the brakes to question that (after... of course, the tragedy has some time to settle in)... is just wrong.

SOC is smart to give players time to grieve. They would be smart to keep the pressure on once the dust has settled. I trust they'll be tactful in doing that.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I feel horrible for RAC and *****. But the idea that critics of a leadership that has consistently failed makes us "entitled" to criticize or that we should lay on the brakes to question that (after... of course, the tragedy has some time to settle in)... is just wrong.

SOC is smart to give players time to grieve. They would be smart to keep the pressure on once the dust has settled. I trust they'll be tactful in doing that.

I disagree. The point has been made. Less is more. At some point it becomes about diminishing returns even before a tragedy happens. The group risks appearing to pile on and marginalizing itself.

And not all critics of the leadership are supporting SOC. There are people who want changes but want no part of a fan revolt. I do think most Chiefs fans are EAGER AND WILLING TO FIND SOMETHING, ANYTHING, TO RALLY AROUND THE CHIEFS. But whatever.

Just keep the media in line because if they turn, when they turn, the movement is toast.

[bobinkc]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

I disagree. The point has been made. Less is more. At some point it becomes about diminishing returns even before a tragedy happens. The group risks appearing to pile on and marginalizing itself.

And not all critics of the leadership are supporting SOC. There are people who want changes but want no part of a fan revolt. I do think most Chiefs fans are EAGER AND WILLING TO FIND SOMETHING, ANYTHING, TO RALLY AROUND THE CHIEFS. But whatever.

Just keep the media in line because if they turn, when they turn, the movement is toast.

I disagree. The only reason the lousy owners (Glass and Hunt) in this town do anything is because we put pressure on them. Otherwise, they would just count all their money, bang their young hookers and be happy as can be.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by bobinkc

I disagree. The only reason the lousy owners (Glass and Hunt) in this town do anything is because we put pressure on them. Otherwise, they would just count all their money, bang their young hookers and be happy as can be.

I am sorry but nothing SOC does is going to get changes faster than what is happening on the field and now at the stadium. 1-10 and a murder sucide are going to move mountains faster than any fan revolt.

[Bugeater]

Aaaand just like clockwork, the smell of death has lured DEnise back into the Lounge.

Creepy ****ing bitch.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Aaaand just like clockwork, the smell of death has lured DEnise back into the Lounge.

Creepy ****ing bitch.

Where?