Yesterday was a sad day for Chiefs nation. Or it should’ve been, anyway. Jason Whitlock, one of the most talented and best known sports writers in the country, will no longer be covering our beloved Chiefs. After 16 years, the Whitlock era is over.
I know a lot of you are glad to see him go. You’ve made your presence felt over the years, believe me. Whitless, Fatlock, Whitfat, Fatfat, and a host of other hilarious weight-related nicknames have sprung from your fertile loins. Your attacks were as consistent as the poor spelling and grammar contained therein. For you, this is a good day. Your adversary is gone.
For me, this was a devastating blow. I’ve eagerly looked forward to Whitlock’s Chiefs columns for as long as I can remember. His annual grade card in particular has always been a Big Matt favorite. Over Christmas breaks I’d wake up early just to check the paper for it. The fact that Professor Whitlock will never grade the Chiefs again is unbelievably sad to me. That column was always hilarious. When it comes down to it, we were really lucky to have Whitlock covering Kansas City sports for so long. I for one didn’t take it for granted.
Whitlock has been here a long time, and the Chiefs have obviously been his favorite topic. People have accused him of being too negative, but don’t forget this is the guy who once predicted the Chiefs would go 16-0. He may have hated Carl Peterson, but it couldn’t have been more obvious that he loved the Chiefs. Whitlock was a football columnist, and the Chiefs were his local football team. Writing about your favorite team in your favorite sport is always a labor of love. At heart, this guy was a fan just like us. And there is more than one way to be a good fan.
Even many of those who don’t hate Whitlock seem to think of him as nothing more than a shit-disturber. In my opinion that too misses the mark. True, Jason is a provocative journalist whose opinions generate strong reactions. He’s also a former collegiate football player who has been covering the sport professionally for longer than some of us have been alive. He knows football, and he knows the Chiefs. He writes with an agenda just like anyone else, but he’s not just slingin’ shit out there. A truly great journalist can illuminate profound truth. At his best, Whitlock does that.
To be honest, I’m interested in his opinions on just about everything. To cite a recent example, his take on the Lebron ‘Decision” fiasco has been awesome. In fact I’d recommend any of his work over at Fox Sports. I check him out there regularly and its always worth my time, even if I’m initially uninterested in the subject matter.
That’s not to say I always agree with Whitlock. In fact, I often don’t. He’s been wrong many, many times in the past, just like we all have. But even when he’s wrong, I like the fact that he’s been willing to challenge the Chiefs brass. These guys should be held accountable. This thing they do, football, is for us. It’s a game they play for us to watch, and the money we pay to watch it gives coaches and front office execs big salaries for doing what they love. This is a good deal for them. It’s guys like Jason Whitlock who help keep them accountable to those who make it possible.
I guess thats what I don’t get about all this media hatred in KC. In the recent Kansas City Media vs Patriot Way showdown, there is one group that wants us to have information, and one group that doesn’t. It seems obvious to me whose side we should be on. Instead many of us beg for further censorship and attack those trying to do their jobs. Scary. It’s a good thing stoning isn’t still legal, or Nick Wright and Adam Teicher would probably have an angry mob on their hands.
Ah well, different strokes for different folks. I’d rather get my Chiefs news from impartial sources, some would rather get it from the Chiefs themselves. Let me ask you this, though: if you wanted to know how good a player was, would you ask the player himself or would you ask those who have watched him play? You’d ask the people who have watched him, right? So who watches the coaches and front office? Food for thought.
Fare thee well, Jason Whitlock. You will be missed. Drop us a line when you get a chance. Or a grade card. And thanks for the memories. I’ll probably be using the phrase “custom-fit clown suit” for the rest of my life.