A View Of The Kansas City Chiefs From The Sidelines

Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Congratulations Kansas City. Your Chiefs are playoff bound. I have heard a lot of talk about weak schedules, close games, and a one dimensional team in reference to the Chiefs. None of that matters. The Chiefs are in, and anybody looking for Kansas City to apologize for their schedule or anything else needs to quietly go away.

The Chiefs came back from the dead, considering last years 2-14 season, and the top to bottom house cleaning that came with it.

I don’t care what schedule the NFL gives a team, that kind of turnaround should be applauded. Clark Hunt pushed all the right buttons, and the people he brought in took it from there. Now the Chiefs are headed to Indianapolis.

You might get the impression that I am excited about this playoff run. The truth is I am not. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I loathe no other team as much as I do the the team that plays in a city that I do very much care about. As much as Chief fans have enjoyed this season, I reveled in every part of the Chiefs miserable 2012 season, with the exception of the awful Belcher tragedy, of course. You see I am a loyalist and I simply do not bandwagon jump….ever.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Living in a city full of people who are fans of a team you don’t like breeds absolute contempt, or at least it has for me. No other group of fans drive me as crazy as Chief fans do. The handful of times I attended Arrowhead, I experienced fan behavior that would make Raider fans cringe.

To be perfectly honest, what I continually hear and see from far too many fans at Arrowhead embarrasses me as a proud Kansas City guy. We as a community, are better than what passes for acceptable on many NFL Sundays.

To be fair, that could probably be said for many NFL cities, but I don’t live in those places, so outside of Dallas I only care about this one.

Given I am a life long fan of the Jayhawks, Royals, and Cowboys, I cannot even temporarily adopt the Chiefs. It is non negotiable. It will never change.

Surely even Chief fans, who have suffered almost as much as any fan base anywhere, can appreciate my loyalty and blind devotion to my childhood teams. Or at least one would think.

Dec 7, 2013; Kansas City, KS, USA; Sporting KC midfielder/forward Graham Zusi (8) poses for a photo after the 2013 MLS Cup against Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Some readers of this very site suggested I not be allowed to write for KC Kingdom solely because I am not a Chiefs loyalist. Never mind the fact that this site is about a lot more than the Chiefs, but I digress. That is a topic for another time.

Here is the Proverbial rub. I love Kansas City outside of the Chiefs. I love the fountains, the best BBQ on the planet, the people, the sports, the history, and the general Midwestern vibe of the area. Kansas Citians, “is good people”, as the saying goes.

I have even gained a secret appreciation and affection for, COUGH, soccer via Sporting Kansas City. I cheered wildly, in the privacy of my home, as Sporting won it all. As a Kansas City guy it felt fantastic. Sporting is a model franchise and one to be proud of.

There was time I could not have even thought of congratulating Chiefs nation on a fine season and a playoff berth. Maybe age has mellowed me or it is just that I love Kansas City that much. Either way I am excited for Kansas City that they have a team they can cheer for in the NFL playoffs.

Mind you I am not now, nor will I ever, root for the Chiefs. I liken it to watching your child have success in an activity you really don’t care for.

You are thrilled for them but still cannot stand the activity. I can’t really explain the torn emotions any better than that.

So as most of Kansas City lives and breathes football, you will excuse me if I stand on the sidelines and observe from afar. Seething, envious, and happy….sort of. I will be deeply engrossed in analyzing the every move of my beloved Kansas City Royals and cheering on my Jayhawks towards another title run.

I am dreaming of the day I can truly join in the excitement of the city and cheer on a Royals playoff run. Oh how I long for another World Series title but for now I can only imagine how great that would be.

Enjoy Kansas City. You deserve great things. That is the best I can give to Arrowhead Nation.