Well, that ain't exactly true. I am up, bummed sure, but still up.
There are them times... when we in KC, gathered, feel kinda like the dude in the MMA cage, down on his back getting pummeled in the head repeatedly - until the ref steps in and spouts "No mas."
Maybe it's causea my shoes I'm still up. I have, upon occasion (close your eyes/ears) bought shoes from Savers, Goodwill, Immaculata, Hillcrest, yada. So, oft times, I guess I have a different view of things - from other's shoes as well.
I'm (still) quite tickled to be a Kansas City Chief's fan.. a Kansas City Royal's fan.. and thankful. WHAT? DIDN'T YOU WATCH THE DAMN GAME?
Well yes, yes I did. And I watched it in a buddy's garage ("The [3 car] Garage Majal" to be exact.) I high-fived, knuckled, cheered, cussed (sorry mom, I did, but only twice)... and.. I had tacos.. soupy beans.. chips.. salsa.. guac... cheese, cheese and more cheese. Folks were donned in their best Chief's attire - some even had leather, LEATHER, Chief's coats.
Over the years the menus/locations/attire have included ribs, burgers, brats, dogs, brisket, Subway, beany weenies, chicken, samwhiches... around a campfire, on a deck, by the pool, living rooms, in Sam's parking lot, man caves, between the stadiums we've loved since 1972, oh, and Victor you can't go without mentioning halter tops when discussing attire.. ahhhh yeah, halter tops.. remember that time that chick changed into hers right there in the right field bleachers? Uh HuH, I, dO, dInD't EfFeCt Me ThOuGh..
This has been a repeated thing over the years (losing, winning, losing, losing, the gatherings). Sure, different folks upon occasion, nearly always the same (teary) results - but I'm (we're, for the most part) loyal.
I'm very glad I ain't a Decatur Staley's fan (first football franchise relocated in 1921, became the Chicago Bears), Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas Raider fan... Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinal fan... LA/St. Louis/LA Ram fan.. Houston/Memphis/Tennessee Oiler/Titan fan.. LA/San Diego/LA Charger fan.. as in "Hey, I'm in San Diego, my phone is dead, can anyone help? Oh, sorry, just remembered their ain't no chargers in San Diego."
Need I (Finley) take us thru the MLB teams where fans still weep?
I've been afforded catching Jan Stenerud's practice kicks on the ole WJC baseball field.. seeing Curley Culp and Jon Gilliam (I think it was) 'play fight' in the basement of the Old Brown Gym - a welding tank fell on Culp's foot. Chiefs reported "Injured foot in practice, Culp won't play this week."
I've been at the Corner Bar when a teammate asked (QB) Pete Beathard (standing at the bar) to get him some peanuts.. Pete did.. teammate said "just throw 'em".. "I'd better not, someone might intercept 'em."
I have a kajillion KC Chief's autographs I know not where they are. I once remember being in a hoard of other 9, 10, 11, 12 years olds, chasing up and down the hlls of WJC, collecting autographs. We ran, hard, to get favs: Buck, Willie, Lenny, EJ, Emmitt, yada. I don't remember who the dude was, but when I approached him after practice he said "Little man, I just signed for you right down there" (and pointed to where he had.) It was then and there I realized "redheaded, freckle face stands out," and mebbe not in a good way!
I've driven to Maryville, MO with buddies to rent a motel room to watch Monday Night Football when it was blacked out here in KC.
I've been so cold at Arrowhead I paid $6 for a cup of hot chocolate. I've split the $2 fee to park in a neighbor's yard next to Municipal Stadium to watch our Chiefs.
Royals, don't get me started. Ok, get me started. I spent eons of time on the old 2"x12" planks in the right field bleachers, diving for batting practice homers.. years later (sorry mom) carrying a cooler in to set between my buddies.. hollered at whomever was playing right field for the opponent, I remember chastising "The Hawk" - even though we loved him when he was on our team.
I saw "Say Hey", Hammerin' Hank, Rose, Bench, Bonds, Fisk, Carew, Reggie, Catfish, Yaz, yada in 1973, showing off our new stadium to the World at the All Star game.
I'm so old I remember the Chief's parade. Tried to catch a bus to the Royals 2015 parade, after four hours of waiting, gave up. Will NEVER forget the Royal's 1985 parade though.. it was, in a line, a cop, my buddy, me, another buddy, and some dudes we didn't know. Confetti ruled the world. Allofasudden, one of the dudes we didn't know, unzipped, and.. and yes, he did.. he peed.. with raised eyebrows, we turned to the cop.. "Captain said, anything short of murder, let it go."
Uh huh, been thru (more than) a few losses. 4,430 to be exact. (Royals 3,784 wins, 4,015 losses; Chiefs 457 wins, 415 losses.)
We ain't even mentioned Warpaint, Toma, Mr. K, Mr. Hunt, Buck, that dude with the arrows in his hat - yada.
I could be in a really big town that ain't gotta NFL franchise (Portland, San Antonio, and now Oakland, San Diego...) Or, ya never hear "Play Ball", skip work for opening day, get involved in a pennant chase in Indy, Charlotte, Portland, Sacramento, Orlando, yada.
Had I invested every penny I've ever spent on the Chiefs/Royals into my 401K.. tickets, parking, pop, beer, food, shirts, hats, gloves, bigscreens, gas, travel- planes/trains/cars, yada - I'd prolly be a millionaire. Don't care, wouldn't trade it.
Cheer up Kansas City - thankfully, the end ain't near.
I've told this one before, don't care - as I've said, we old people repeat things. Opening day, 1968. The Mets. They'd been thru seasons with loss totals of 120, 111, 109, 112, 95 and 101. Right after the very first pitch, fan in right field unfurls this banner "WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!"
Many across our land, ain't gotta next year. The good Lord (and Glass/Hunt) willing, we in Kansas City do.
Love, Victurd
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