Your Chiefs Ritual

Each Chiefs player is well into the season. OTA’s, training camp, year-round conditioning, injury recovery, studying the playbook– for each player, football is a year-round job, with continuous improvement, both physically and mentally, being the goal of each day.

For us Addicts, not so much. Yes, we read all the blogs, both locally and nationally, and jump on every chance to stay tuned into every detail of the Chiefs. That’s why we are Addicts.

But here’s a chance to reveal a bit of your personal practice. A time to show us just how dedicated you are. An opportunity to tell us how you prepare to be the best Addict you can be.

I want to know: what is your pre-game ritual? And this post is particularly focused on those of you, like me, who for whatever reason, can’t make it to Arrowhead on Sundays. Yes, this is for all of you who do the quiet, unglamorous preparation in your homes– whatever city you live in– to give you the best possible ability every Sunday to send helpful ESP rays through the ethers to the Chiefs, and equally as devastating evil rays to our opponents.

My ritual has been fairly consistent in my adult years. But I’m always eager to improve my practice, and what better fountain of wisdom is there than you Addicts out there!

Here’s are the components of my Sunday morning preparation:

Clothes: As a rule, I don my official Chiefs Jersey with my name on the back. If we have a losing streak, I’ll occasionally put on my throwback, long-sleeve Chiefs t-shirt. A must-have are my two Chiefs wristbands. If i happen to be out of town for business, my gear comes with me.

Technology: In addition to the television equipped with Direct TV (a must-have since I don’t live in Kansas City anymore), I always watch games with my laptop next to me as well. On my browser, I’ll have open (a) kcchiefs.com to check out the Chiefs roster and stats when needed; (b) espn.com to monitor AFC West scores; (c) espn.com’s Gamecast to watch real-time statistics on the Chiefs game; and (d) arrowheadaddict.com of course, for the live chat! Finally, I’ll also have my cellphone, to text my acquaintances who are Raiders fans, every time the Raiders jump offsides.

Food: Where I live, the Chiefs usually come on at 11am. That means that on Saturday, I do groceries and make sure I have a bountiful supply of adult beverages, since there are no booze sales before 12pm on Sundays. I usually go for a long run on Sunday mornings, primarily to earn some calories for what’s about to come. When I get back, around 9:30am, I’ll take a quick shower, put on my Chiefs gear, and start the morning with a special Chiefs beverage of my choice. Then I’ll cook something like burgers and fries or a homemade pizza. And I always have barbecue potato chips (see below). I’ll cook food so as to eat right at halftime, like the rest of Americans who live in the Mountain time zone.

Location: Living room, four strides from the kitchen.

Superstitions: I always have barbecue potato chips in homage to KC barbecue, my aforementioned Chiefs wristbands and jersey and I have to sit at the same end of the couch each week. Also, I always start my TV’s volume at 13 for reasons that I don’t even understand.

Company: I love watching the Chiefs alone. There, I said it. Am I weird in this regard? When I get to go to Arrowhead, I love the crowds and the energy. But at home, in my living room, I love going solo because it just takes that much focus and attention. But be honest, Addicts, is this antisocial and abnormal?

Ok Addicts, give me your best practices, weird or not! I’m eager to learn so that we can all become more effective Addicts!