Good to see Dwayne Bowe featured so prominently. He’s a great kid who could be a special player for us if he grows up a little bit and holds onto the ball. This might hint that the new regime is high on him. My favorite part? Derrick Thomas. Seeing No. 58 always brings me to my feet. Loved seeing Deron Cherry, too, who some of you know is one of my all-time faves. And then there’s…

And it’s always, ALWAYS about the fans.

That’s basically the motto of this site, so I definitely agree.

Despite blowing up like he never did as an actual football player, Mitchell offers some interesting thoughts and perspective on new Chiefs QoF Matt Cassel and his future in this video…

(hat tip: Arrowhead Pride)

Let’s take a break for Piolipalooza for a moment and talk quarterbacks. Here’s the deal; I think Sam Bradford is grossly overrated and I am not at all convinced that Matt Stafford is going to be anything special either. The quarterback I like? Jason Whitlock’s Jeff-George-in-training Nate Davis? No. USC’s Mark Sanchez.

There’s just something about that kid. I get the same feeling about Sanchez as I did about Matt Ryan. It’s not just that I think he has the most potential, as all the athletic gifts are there. It’s his personality. I can see him going in there and commanding respect from the other 10 players in the huddle. I can see him leading late-game drives. He has poise and fire that I just don’t see from any of the other top college QB prospects out there right now. I also think playing in L.A. at USC prepares him for almost anything he could encounter in the NFL. Lots of media, even more pressure.

The problem is that with just over 24 hours to go, Sanchez is still undecided. Here’s hoping that he throws his name in. This is a guy I definitely, definitely have interest in. I think we could orchestrate a trade and get him a little later than Bradford and Stafford as well, maybe in the teens. But I could also see him rising as well.

On to some non-football notes on Sanchez. I also think Bradford and Stafford are every bit as goofy as Jay Cutler and Phillip Rivers. It would be nice to have someone who’s kind of suave back there, someone who you’re not embarrassed to sport their jersey. I’d rock the Sanchez. You wouldn’t catch me dead in a Croyle or Huard jersey. I mean, from Broadway Joe to Joe Cool to Tom Brady, aren’t quarterback’s supposed to be cool? Plus, it would be awesome to say we hit the Broncos with the Dirty Sanchez, wouldn’t it? All of this has nothing to do with me liking him, it’s just a little bit of extra sauce slapped on the slab of ribs.

We should know in the next 36 or so whether he is in or out.

Highlights after the jump…

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Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo is getting a lot of buzz around these parts these days. Texas Teammate Roy Miller says he’s gone from Steve Urkel to the black Arnold Schwarzenegger since arriving at UT. You know what, that’s fine. But are we scouting for the sport Vince Lombardi made famous, or the one that Vince McMahon did?

When I see Rak, I see Vernon Gholston. I see Mike Mamula. I see a workout warrior — not necessarily a great football player. Whereas Jared Allen’s body and game had a lot of room to improve coming out of Idaho, can Rak get any stronger or faster? Is anybody else worried that he only  had 10.5 sacks playing on that defensive line in the pass-happy Big 12? What are his chances of reaching double digit sacks next year playing on the Chiefs D-line?

Something about Rak just gives me pause. I live in Austin, so I watched quite a bit of Longhorns football compared to other collegiate teams. I was never blown away by his play like I was his workout ability.

Nonetheless, this video is definitely worth checking out and we will be keeping an eye on Rak Daddy. He’s not in our “circle of trust” by any means, though…

Yes! Whether or not you like the possibility of Michael Crabtree landing with the Chiefs or not, you’ve gotta admit that his inclusion in this draft class instantly makes it stronger. It’s not just Crabtree either — it seems like everybody is coming out. That not only bodes well for us potentially trading down, but also for our second- and third-round picks.

Personally, I think Crabtree is a no-brainer, as he is the safest pick on the board and the player most likely to contribute immediately. One way to ensure that a quarterback succeeds is to plug him into a golden situation. Look at Kurt Warner. MVP candidate each time he has two Pro Bowl-caliber receivers to throw to, back-up or Arena/World Football League fodder when he doesn’t. He’s a pretty good player, but I’m just saying. Here’s what the National Football Post had to say about him:

Has very little flaws to his game and might be the most polished receiver prospect to come out since Keyshawn Johnson. Crabtree looks like the safest pick in this years draft and will likely go somewhere within the first ten picks.

If the 2009 draft class was a cave, then Crabtree would definitely be my power animal. Somebody has to replace the gaping hole in my heart that was once reserved for Matt Ryan. And, yes, I just had on Fight Club. Check out Crabtree’s highlights after the jump:

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What would have happened if that was Brodie Croyle instead of Tarvaris Jackson?

(hat tip: Tirico Suave)

This might be the only way for us to get the ol’ Gun back. Well, either that or we could put him through the Krumrie drill. This is the Gunther we need back…

Our guy Dwayne Bowe is now giving away a pair of game-worn autographed cleats. To enter the contest head over to YardBarker. With everything that’s going on with the Chiefs, it’s great to have a young guy like D-Bowe who’s seemingly determined to still give as much back to the fans as he possibly can.

2008 has been the year of the nickname so far.

People love nicknames.  You know who doesn’t love nicknames?  Your mom and the NFL.

Chad Johnson going the hilarious “top that” extra mile of legally changing his name to Chad Ocho Cinco; the latest transgression that makes NFL commish Roger Goodell reach for the Advil. But hey, at least Ocho isn’t getting arrested daily like the rest of his Bengal brethren right? Either way, he has managed to be a burr in Goodell’s ass and raise interesting legal questions in the process.

It would be good for the NFL in spirit to lighten things up a bit. In an age of Fantasy Football, ludicrous contracts and stadium naming rights being sold to foreign firms; its nice to get a sideshow and entertainment to make us smile or wince. That being said, the NFL needs to make a policy before a bad precedent is set for future prima donna WR’s like KC’s own Dwayne Bowe aka Mr. Awesome.

The league has been cheapened enough by Spygate, Pacman arrests, and Bryant Gumbel doing games on the NFL Network. Do we, the fans, want headlines like these? The NFL absolutely does not.

• Mr. Awesome Tops Ocho Cinco
• Barbarian Slaughters Eagles with 5 TD’s
• Beast Mode Rampages in New York
• Megatron Transforms Lions’ Offense
• Pacman Gobbles Up Interceptions
  

The No Fun League has “you know what” blocked Cinco’s (?) latest antic by saying he’s financially obligated to Reebok to the tune of $500K to buy all the old jerseys with C. Johnson on the back. Nice try No Fun League, but that is a horribly transparent and pathetic argument. Does Jared Allen have to buy all the old red 69 jerseys?

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, “(Cinco) has a financial obligation to Reebok, which produces the jerseys available to fans. That has to be resolved before the on-field jersey can be changed.”

(cough cough…”Bullshit!” cough cough)

“The same obligation exists for any player that changes his number or name,” Aiello said with his fingers crossed.

So, Roy Williams in Dallas was charged for changing his number? Farve isn’t buying all his old Green Bay jerseys, bet. Is the NFL going to bill Devin Hester for old “23″ jerseys when they make him change his number as per the rulebook?

Of course this all could be a smokescreen stall tactic for more production time of the Ocho Cinco jerseys in some factory in China because they are back-ordered already. Plus, if the jersey being worthless because of the name on the back is the issue, why not sew on an “Ocho Cinco” nameplate on the existing jerseys? Their argument has more holes than Raider defense.

Ocho Cinco should trademark the name Ocho Cinco and sue the NFL for $500k. When they finally allow him to go by his new name, then, buy all the old Johnson jerseys with that money, change them, and exchange them for fans who bought Johnson jerseys this year; and give the leftovers to the Salvation Army. I’m sure there are some kids in Cincy that will rock any Bengals jersey.

Reebok is in the midst of a 10-year, $250 million licensing agreement with the NFL which is what all this pushback from the NFL stems from. They can’t have Mr. Awesome and the rest of the nicknamed millionaires throwing their cash cow jersey system into upheaval. The NFL with Reebok need to wake up and realize they are sitting on a goldmine. They could have an entire line of signature “nickname jerseys” like the one pictured above. I’ll be expecting a bird-dog fee on them Reebok. By the way, since when are players responsible for bailing out apparel makers? Players get traded, retire and change numbers all the time. (See Michael Jordan #45.) Last time I checked, its risky to put any product in the marketplace.

Anyone with even just a few critical thinking skills can deduce from the “no celebrations” rule and now Ocho Cinco’s antics that the league does not want young black wide receivers and their antics to be the face of the league or the top story in the sports page on Monday. Is the NFL going to make up the rules as they go along and snub the laws of the United States?

NFL, this is karma for you. This is payback for the “no celebration” rule. If you take all the fun out of the circus the clowns are going to find a way to get your attention, even if you hate them.

A lot of people hate Chad Ocho Cinco, and other brash WR’s of their ilk. Mostly, those people fall into a few categories. They are either closet racists, or Mormons. The touchdown dance is as American as apple pie and the gamesmanship that goes on should be allowed for $100 bucks a ticket. T.O. went to the ground in a starting-block homage to Usain Bolt, and was promptly flagged. Apparently you can’t go to the ground in celebration anymore either.

This isn’t about Chad Cinco, or T.O. or Mr. Awesome, TD dances or jerseys. It’s about the Almighty NFL wanting to control its image, please its corporate bedmates, and keep its iron fist drew back; ready to strike. Does this keep the NFL from becoming the NBA or is it inevitable that the proverbial inmates will eventually run the asylum? (please don’t read too much into that reference) The fans should speak up and say if a player cannot change his name, then the league has to stop renaming our stadiums.

We are about to get the answer to the following questions. Has it come to this?

Has the NFL become so powerful that it trumps the law?

I love Kissing Suzy Kolber–that’s all I’m going to say about this “Stetson ad.” You never like to see anybody get hurt–and this is coming from somebody who’s had both knees operated on because of football–but there’s no harm done in having a laugh over something that happened in a football game, especially unintentionally. Couldn’t resist–Herm Edwards just looks hilarious. Let’s all lighten up after this latest Chiefs‘ loss and have a KSK-style chuckle.

Enjoy these clips, especially these second two ass clowns…

Dwayne Bowe got a post up on his YardBarker blog before he headed out to camp. He promises that he will continue to update fans throughout camp. So remember to check his blog out. Here is his latest video over there:

Thanks to Ian from Inside the Iggles for the video.

So, with all that time between the sunrise and sunset, what better way to fill some of that time than to catch up on the events of the week here at ArrowheadAddict and the rest of the sports world. We are working on some big topics for the upcoming weeks, so be sure to keep checking back every day because we want your feedback and your support! Also, don’t forget about the forums!

• Javon Walker sprays bub in the club, – Claims 1/2 the plot of Pulp Fiction alibi
• Spray the crowd with champagne…$15,000. stumble out of bar , get beaten and robbed of $103,000 - Go play for crazy old Al…priceless.
• Who will be the next breakout player for the Chiefs? – Maybe Matt Jones?
• Welcome Black and Teal and Toro Times – new blogs to the Fan Sided Network
• Chiefs fans divided on Brodie Croyle – Fans rank Chiefs Wide Receivers
• Hey you on the right, in case you’re wondering, I would.
• The “Get-Used to This Story” link of the week- Favre Comeback Rumors Already?
  
• Britain’s take on Fav-rah with a JA mention in the comments?
• Celtics win 1st title in 22 years – Bigger news, Royals 1st sweep in StL., since EVER
• Eldrick- better than the world on a broken leg & knee – S.F. Reporter goes ape
• Who do you think will be the starting LE for the Chiefs?

Some pretty interesting stuff on not only Larry Johnson, but the caliber of rushing defense the Chiefs will face in 2008. I smell a resurgence. For Iron Man at least.

Update: Just read that he’s a standout special teamer.

The Chiefs went with S DaJuan Morgan out of N.C. State with its third third -round pick. I can already hear the grumbling, but, hey, maybe the Chiefs aren’t as high on Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page as fans are. Some fans act like they’ve both already made a handful of Pro Bowls. Let’s get serious; they both got burned frequently in pass coverage last year, and Page’s tackling left a lot to be desired.

Before I break down Morgan, I just want you to know that the kid’s versatile–he’s a dancer and a poet. Now Bernard isn’t the only Chiefs’ safety who can get down!

Moving on to the football side of things. Morgan knew he wasn’t going to be a first-round pick this year, but felt confident leaving as a junior nonetheless. Still, Scout had him ranked as their fourth best safety, and he might have been an ’09 first-round pick had he of stayed in school. Only a one-year starter, but he is an exceptional athlete with all the measurables. Led the Wolfpack with 97 tackles a year ago, his first as a starter. Ran a 4.5 40. Missed his whole high school senior year because of a car accident, so this kid is a classic late bloomer. He’ll be a boom-or-bust guy. Serious upside, folks.

That’s all I have on Morgan for now. Could be a stud or a flop, so we’ll have to take a wait-and-see approach with this kid. Check out his highlights. You will love the passion he plays with…

(Hat tip: C.E. Wendler/bfett81 and Arrowhead Pride)

Here’s a little personal clip on our guy Glenn Dorsey. Since Zach ranks Jake Long then Dorsey, with Matt Ryan fourth on his board, and I have Ryan, Dorsey, then Long (he’s moved up and Sedrick Ellis has moved down), Dorsey has climbed to become the top guy on our mutual board. That just shows how much we here at Arrowhead Addict think of this monster in the middle. Check out this clip…

As you all know, Zach and I are big Wildcats fans (by the way, congrats, Beakers…phew, got that out of the way), so you know we both have a man crush on Jordy Nelson. We’re not the only ones either–Mel Kiper picked him as his No. 1 rookie WR if any NFL team were facing a hypothetical third and seven. He also compared him to Dwight Clark. Personally, I roll with Wes Welker meets T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but that’s just me. Looks like he’s going to be a second rounder, though. Anyway, enjoy the highlight package and cross your fingers–the Chiefs need them some Jordy!

Thanks to bfett81

I almost want to call this the top 10 Dwayne Bowe plays, but he fell a few highlights short. I was just amazed at how many big plays D-Bo had. How can you not love this guy? Did anyone else hear the guy from NFL Network call him Tony Gonzalez with that catch against the Bears? Here is my breakdown of their top 10:

1. Tony G’s record-breaking TD was a shoe-in for numero uno.

2. Dwayne Bowe’s catch against the Vikings won us that game and I was there. Loved it!

3. How about this catch? Jared Allen made the catch and stayed in bounds. Unreal.

4. Tony sets another record. This record I almost think is more important.

5. D-Bo does it again. Too bad the Lions crushed us.

6. One of very few Larry Johnson highlights this year that got me excited. I still love him planting the flag.

7. Brodie Croyle to Bowe. Lets hope this happens more often in the future.

8. I think this was D-Bo’s best catch. This is also the highlight where the guy says Tony makes the catch (for all the Tims out there…lol)

9. D-Bo shows some speed and then finishes it off with a finger roll.

10. Tony-G makes another spectacular touchdown catch.

What are some highlights you think should be in the top 10 from last season?