The Perfect Storm

Chiefs fans, living in the Midwest during the spring is tumultuous to say the least.  This week alone at least two deadly tornadoes have ripped through the area, and I can tell you that everyone is on edge every time a dark cloud crests the horizon.  There is something unnerving about a severe storm that can only be known to those that have experienced the utter terror and destruction it can bring.  There is a term still used by insurance companies and the like today that describe it as an “act of God.”  Although I am not going to bring religious discussion into this forum, I believe that this is a fitting term.  With storms of this magnitude one truly understands how small they are, and are left with no other alternative than hope to guide them through the storm to survive.  There is a palpable sense of a higher power wreaking havoc and destruction when something like this happens.

Meteorologists can sit there and tell you exactly what forms a tornado.  They can give you warning signs and set off sirens to help you get ready.  They have written volumes of books, and teach thousands of hours of college level classes available to determine the signs of an upcoming storm.  The one thing they cannot tell you is when a tornado will strike.  There will always be signs that the weather is moving in that direction and there will always be people anticipating it to hit, but no one can tell you for sure a tornado will hit until it happens.

See any correlation?

Before we get started, I want everyone to know that I do not mean any disrespect by using this analogy as I know lots of people affected and myself live within a two-hour proximity of where both of these storms hit this week.  My heart and hands go out to those affected, and if you want to get uppity and feel like castigating me for this analogy meet me in Joplin, Missouri because by the time this posts I will be there helping with the relief project.

The sports world (i.e. radio, television, and blogosphere) continually monitor the sports worlds (there are many) trying to find indications that the perfect set of circumstances is arising for a team to achieve greatness.  Every team of every sport every year has these experts scraping through the minutia to find the sign that the perfect storm is forming.

As football fans we have seen this happen most recently with the New England Patriots in the 2000’s, and the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990’s.  With both of those teams there was a culmination of circumstances that led the team to take on a life of its own to rain Hell, fire, and damnation down upon the league with such brute force that everyone, be it coaches, players, broadcasters, or fans were left in awe of how simple components had combined to create such a brutal and all encompassing force.  These teams truly left devastation in their wake, and if you are a believer that this can be blueprinted they left us two completely separate paths to achieving this perfect storm.

The Dallas Cowboys reigned before the CBA, and succeeded primarily on big name players making big name plays.  They were a team of excess.  The star on their helmet was almost a vulgar exclamation point to help reiterate to the world that their greatness was based on focusing on individual achievements as well as gross celebration and salaries.

The Patriots on the other hand were (need to win a championship again to make it into the “are” column) a dynasty built on selflessness and managed wages.  With the Patriots, as soon as a player rose above what they were willing to pay they traded him away, and just as Dorothy’s dress after she left the Emerald City, they became dull and people started to question whether they ever were that great to begin with.  The “Patriot Way” seemed to fall apart once personalities were too large, and the players lost their sense of humility.  I blame it on them bringing in Randy Moss, but hey, that’s just me.  As far as a blueprint goes, this is apparently the best one to use when trying to build a championship team.

So, where does this leave the Chiefs?  The NFL meteorologists will constantly be there talking about what pieces are missing or coming into place, but what really causes a perfect storm?  Is there really a recipe, or does everyone just come up with educated guesses that although accurate in some cases really are dependent on some secret catalyst that no one can know?  Are Baldwin, Houston, and our other draft picks what will set this team off down a path of fury within the NFL, or is it a storm like the one I had tonight where I waited anxiously for what seemed an eternity for nothing other than 20 minutes of rain and small hail?  As desperate fans do we just try to interpret the signs so we can suppress our own personal feelings of insignificance and futility?

Perhaps the most unsettling truth is that there is no course, that everything truly is entropy.  Perhaps a butterfly flaps its wings in China and Dwayne Bowe drops a pass in Kansas City.

What do you think the ingredients are Addicts?  Do you think we are close to a perfect storm in KC?  Do you believe there can be a blueprint for greatness?

If you are close enough to an affected area, please take the time to go help those in need.  If not, please text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to donate $10 dollars to disaster relief if you can afford it.  There are many out there left in a serious wake of real devastation that need your help.  Peace out.