gblowfish
01-06-2018, 09:52 AM
The George Blowfish Playoff Manifesto
Here it is, another January morning coming down. I am a creature of habit on game days. I have my superstitions. I fly a Chiefs Flag from my front porch, the same one that flew over my dad’s house on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas during his last years.
I have my coffee from the same ceramic Chiefs mug I’ve owned since Mackovic broke the playoff drought in 1986. I’ve been to every Chiefs home playoff game since the 1971 Dolphins longest game, the last game to be played in Municipal Stadium. 22nd and Brooklyn is just another housing development now.
I say a little prayer asking for good luck and victory, although I’ve always been conflicted about asking the man upstairs for his favor in something as inconsequential as a professional sporting event. Hell, even the NFL doesn’t guarantee the game isn’t rigged. The courts ruled they only owe you a “entertainment event.” But old habits die hard. Games like this will always be personal to me.
I was telling a co-worker yesterday that I always seem to be in a bad mood in January. I think my history as a Chiefs fan is why.
We’ve all read the historical breakdowns this week. Chiefs all time playoff record going back to 1962 starting as the Dallas Texans is 9 - 17. Chiefs only have two playoff wins in Arrowhead, and the last one was in overtime over Pittsburgh with Joe Montana at the helm.
The Indianapolis Colts have as many playoff victories in Arrowhead as the Chiefs do. We’ve lost to Hall of Famers like Marino, Elway, Kelly, Manning, and Rothlisburger, and lesser QBs like Humphries, Flacco and Harbaugh. Today we face Marcus Mariota. He has no business winning here. But he did last year, so I'm expecting this game to be another white knuckler.
Have the Chiefs been snakebit at Arrowhead in the playoffs? Absolutely. When you have games that are known by monikers like “The Kicker Who Shall Remain Nameless Game” or “The No Punt Game” or the “Grbac Pants Wetting Game” or the “James Harrison Flop Game” then you know it’s been a nightmare for Chiefs fans. There is a reason our fan base has Battered Wife Syndrome. It’s richly deserved. Few teams have suffered through as much playoff futility as Chiefs fans. The scars run deep.
I followed the Royals for 29 years between World Series victories. That’s a third of a lifetime if I live to be a very elderly Blowfish. When the Royals had three 100-loss seasons, I was convinced they would be irrelevant for the rest of my life. But they had a seminal moment when they overcame a huge deficit and beat Oakland in a winner take all playoff game. Then they caught fire and built a world’s champion, and defeated a New York team to the dismay of the national media. The victory parade to Union Station was a once in a lifetime joyous event. Royals fans will never forget it.
Now it’s time for the Chiefs to take a step forward in their process towards returning to greatness.
I’m not expecting the Chiefs to make it to the Super Bowl with Alex Smith. Despite his stats, he’s just never been the guy who carries his team to victory in the clutch. He never has been. This year he had multiple chances to shine. He had the ball with a chance to win against Pittsburgh, Buffalo and in both New York games late, and failed each and every time. But Alex knows he's running out of rodeos. He should be good enough to get us a win today. Then if we are lucky enough to pull through and head on to a showdown in New England, we will have received our shot. That’s all we can ask for. But we have to survive today to make that a reality.
Let’s hope this is a good day. Perhaps Saturday, not Sunday, is our day for home playoff victories. And this year, the ice that’s coming will be the day after the playoff game, not the night before.
I’m ready for a fight.
Let’s go to work.
Here it is, another January morning coming down. I am a creature of habit on game days. I have my superstitions. I fly a Chiefs Flag from my front porch, the same one that flew over my dad’s house on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas during his last years.
I have my coffee from the same ceramic Chiefs mug I’ve owned since Mackovic broke the playoff drought in 1986. I’ve been to every Chiefs home playoff game since the 1971 Dolphins longest game, the last game to be played in Municipal Stadium. 22nd and Brooklyn is just another housing development now.
I say a little prayer asking for good luck and victory, although I’ve always been conflicted about asking the man upstairs for his favor in something as inconsequential as a professional sporting event. Hell, even the NFL doesn’t guarantee the game isn’t rigged. The courts ruled they only owe you a “entertainment event.” But old habits die hard. Games like this will always be personal to me.
I was telling a co-worker yesterday that I always seem to be in a bad mood in January. I think my history as a Chiefs fan is why.
We’ve all read the historical breakdowns this week. Chiefs all time playoff record going back to 1962 starting as the Dallas Texans is 9 - 17. Chiefs only have two playoff wins in Arrowhead, and the last one was in overtime over Pittsburgh with Joe Montana at the helm.
The Indianapolis Colts have as many playoff victories in Arrowhead as the Chiefs do. We’ve lost to Hall of Famers like Marino, Elway, Kelly, Manning, and Rothlisburger, and lesser QBs like Humphries, Flacco and Harbaugh. Today we face Marcus Mariota. He has no business winning here. But he did last year, so I'm expecting this game to be another white knuckler.
Have the Chiefs been snakebit at Arrowhead in the playoffs? Absolutely. When you have games that are known by monikers like “The Kicker Who Shall Remain Nameless Game” or “The No Punt Game” or the “Grbac Pants Wetting Game” or the “James Harrison Flop Game” then you know it’s been a nightmare for Chiefs fans. There is a reason our fan base has Battered Wife Syndrome. It’s richly deserved. Few teams have suffered through as much playoff futility as Chiefs fans. The scars run deep.
I followed the Royals for 29 years between World Series victories. That’s a third of a lifetime if I live to be a very elderly Blowfish. When the Royals had three 100-loss seasons, I was convinced they would be irrelevant for the rest of my life. But they had a seminal moment when they overcame a huge deficit and beat Oakland in a winner take all playoff game. Then they caught fire and built a world’s champion, and defeated a New York team to the dismay of the national media. The victory parade to Union Station was a once in a lifetime joyous event. Royals fans will never forget it.
Now it’s time for the Chiefs to take a step forward in their process towards returning to greatness.
I’m not expecting the Chiefs to make it to the Super Bowl with Alex Smith. Despite his stats, he’s just never been the guy who carries his team to victory in the clutch. He never has been. This year he had multiple chances to shine. He had the ball with a chance to win against Pittsburgh, Buffalo and in both New York games late, and failed each and every time. But Alex knows he's running out of rodeos. He should be good enough to get us a win today. Then if we are lucky enough to pull through and head on to a showdown in New England, we will have received our shot. That’s all we can ask for. But we have to survive today to make that a reality.
Let’s hope this is a good day. Perhaps Saturday, not Sunday, is our day for home playoff victories. And this year, the ice that’s coming will be the day after the playoff game, not the night before.
I’m ready for a fight.
Let’s go to work.