The Dilemma

Well Chiefs fans we are now officially 25 days into the NFL lockout. I have to tell you, it feels longer. Frankly I’m scared for the NFL draft to get here because after that we have nothing football related to look forward to until a new CBA is reached. I, like everyone else, am hoping that the legal proceedings that begin tomorrow will bring the situation to some kind of resolution. However, our legal system is not exactly known for its speedy outcomes. So in the mean time I continue to struggle with the dilemmas that I would wager many Chiefs fans are grappling with.

Is it okay to still consider myself a diehard Chiefs fan if I’m disgusted with the NFL over this lockout and CBA negotiations?

If the NFL lockout situation makes me less interested in the Chiefs is that some kind of a knock on my “fanhood”?

Do I have a “side” in the labor situation?

If I sport my Chiefs gear right now, is that showing support for the owners or the players or the NFL in general?

It’s enough to make your head hurt.

However, I’ve come to a conclusion of sorts, and I’ll share it after the break.

So I’ll cut right to the chase. I’m not a fan of the NFL owners. I mean that in a couple of ways. First, I mean that in this NFL labor dispute I’m definitely not a fan of the owner’s “side”, but I already discussed that in a previous post. What I really mean is that I’m a fan of the KC Chiefs, not a fan of Clark Hunt’s team. Don’t get me wrong, I really like Clark Hunt and think he has done a good job overall as the owner since taking over for his late father. But the fact remains that if Clark sold the team tomorrow and purchased the Houston Texans I wouldn’t for one moment consider changing my loyalties. So when I put on my Chiefs gear it’s definitely not to show my support for Clark Hunt and the other NFL owners. Now, I’m not going to run out during the lockout and buy a bunch of new Chiefs gear to line the pockets of those who are taking away the game I love, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being a fan of “my” team.

So what about the players? Well, I’m on record as being somewhat supportive of the players and their cause. That being said, I think that DeMaurice Smith is a huge, politically motivated, spotlight seeking, moron. Although I generally agree with the players’ position, some of the things Smith says combined with comments like Adrian Peterson’s “modern day slavery” rant make me want to reconsider that position. So when I throw on my Chiefs gear is it in support of the NFLPA (or the group of players formerly known as….whatever)? Not in the slightest! Is it in support of our current Chiefs players? Well, kind of. What I mean is that I support the current Chiefs players because they play for “my” team. Same as when I said I wouldn’t shift my fandom to a new team if Clark sold the team, I wouldn’t shift my allegiance if Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali, or Eric Berry went elsewhere.

So what exactly is the point that I’m getting at?

The Chiefs are “my” team. Clark Hunt may own the team and the players may take the field on Sundays, but I cheer for more then that. I had the privilege of being at last year’s Monday Night Football season opener. When the Chiefs won that game was I jumping up and down, soaking wet, voice lost, because I was happy for Clark Hunt or the players? No, I was going crazy because “my” team won. The team I put so much time into following and discussing pulled out a classic win and I was there to see it. You know who I did feel a connection with? My fellow diehard KC fans who stuck it out in the down poor to cheer on “our” team like a pack of wild dogs. That’s who I still where my Chiefs gear for. That’s why I’m still proud to call myself a Chiefs fan, even when I’m not proud of the NFL. That’s why I still proudly write for the best Chiefs blog in the universe. Neither the owners nor the players have a claim to Chiefs Nation. That is 100% ours and no lockout or CBA can ever take that away from us. So if you have a “side” in the labor situation, that’s great, but even if you don’t support either side you can still support “your” team. Chiefs Nation will always be here and Arrowhead Addict will always be a place for us to gather even when the gates of “the” Arrowhead remain locked.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!