Chiefs must reverse the curse and roll in January
Very few times on this site will I bear my soul. It’s not in my nature and frankly, not the best writing style in the world. But sometimes, you have to just let it out and put the cards on the table.
The 2015 Kansas City Chiefs began as chokers and gutless in the eyes of millions. Then, they became the symbol of never giving up, a group of millionaires who put on their hardhats every day and dug out from an inconceivable hole to win nine straight games and reach the postseason.
Still, it means nothing if they don’t win at least a game in the playoffs.
I’m 27 years old and started rooting for this team as a New Yorker in 1993. My father has been a diehard fan since the late 1960s, and I was born into the craze. Despite the team’s lack of success, I would never change it.
Yet, since the first year I supported this team, the Chiefs have yet to win a playoff games. Eight tries, all failures. In 1994, Joe Montana ended his fabulous career with a wild Card loss to the Miami Dolphins. Twice (in 1995 and 1997) Kansas City was the AFC’s top seed and fell at Arrowhead Stadium in the Divisional round in brutal defeats. The new millennium gave us four playoff appearances, with three losses to the Indianapolis Colts and another to the Baltimore Ravens for good measure.
If this current crop wins 10 consecutive games and loses in the Wild Card round, this season has been a failure. Save the talk about coming back from the dead and all that jazz. This is about winning, folks. And winning big. The Chiefs were talked about as a Super Bowl contender in the preseason, both nationally and locally. This is not some Cinderella hoping the slipper fits. The damn thing fits, now run into history making something special along the way.
I have no problem admitting that I remember the tears as a child. I remember sitting in front of the television in 1995 and 1997, crying as the final seconds ticked off and the folks in Arrowhead went home devastated with nothing but the cold, lonely night to join in their misery.
Kansas City is more than good enough to not only win a game, but reach the Super Bowl. Aside from the New England Patriots, the Chiefs are the most experienced team in the AFC bracket. Kansas City employs a crushing defense and a capable offense. The coach has been the big dance. The quarterback was a pair of muffed kicks from one himself.
I’m sick of watching another team celebrate with a trophy named after our founder and subsequently the ultimate prize.
Go to the playoffs, win some damn football games, kick some ass and win it all.