The Last Chiefs Game of the Season

The Chiefs play the Raiders in the last game of the season on Sunday. The NFL deigned to give us a nationally televised afternoon game because of the rivalry, so that's nice. This, even though the Raiders are a train wreck and the NFLers have been hosing the Chiefs all season long.

I thought I'd pound out thoughts about a few items, mostly the things I think about Chiefs improvement for the 2026 season. One of those things is Patrick gets better, and how much he is driven to excellence he'll be back soon enough better than ever. But here are the other things, in order of importance.

Number one, by far: Get a critical mass of people to see what the NFLers are doing to the Chiefs. They have so clearly worked things to make sure this year the Chiefs were nowhere near the playoffs -- we all know how lethal this team is once they get in. Again, amazing that over the past seven years the earliest the Chiefs season has ended in any of those years was in overtime in the conference championship game. Every - single - time.

I'm not going to belabor the point, although if I had the time and wherewithal I'd love to prove this reality, play-by-play, penalty call that should have been a non-call, and penalty non-call that should have been called. I'll look at both sides, excellent. I firmly believe the Chiefs disfavor will be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

For now I will just add that last night I watched some of the Rams-Falcons game. Over the past few years I've taken an affection for the Rams simply because my wife has always been a Rams fan. I've enjoyed rooting with her.

About halfway into the game a Rams receiver pushed off on the Falcons defender, and it is indeed an offensive pass interference. Fine, I get it. (The Falcons safety came over to intercept the pass anyway on this particular play.) They called it, that's fine. 

But I was furious, only because they simply never called the same exact pushing-off when the Broncos did it to our guy to get into field goal range late in the Broncos game in Denver, a non-call that won the game for them. They didn't call it the several times when the Cowboys did it against us, calls that cost us that game as well.

Late in this Rams game, with the Rams behind by three and scant seconds remaining, QB Matthew Stafford threw an absolute dime to his receiver at about the Falcons 10-yard line. The Falcons receiver was doing all kind of slapping against the Rams WR to keep him from easily catching the pass. It was obvious defensive pass interference, and the television official even concurred.

No call.

Rams weren't able to get into position to make the game-tying field goal. That one non-call cost them the game.

This happened to the Chiefs all - year - long.

The solution is something I've shared many times before. Make a rule that, ahem, no one can touch anyone else down the field on passing plays. No touching, grabbing, extending arms, pushing, shoving, jostling -- nothing. From the line of scrimmage on -- no more of this you-can-do-it-up-to-five-yards. Let the receivers run their routes cleanly from the start, and the defensive players: Just cope. Adjust. Get better. Do well to get in position and go after the ball. Great. Receivers: Go get open. Run your routes crisply and then if the D-back is close fight for the ball the defender has the opportunity to take away from you -- again as long as the defender is actually going for the ball.

A critical addition to this is put two officials with monitors in the booth. I've shared this a dozen times before too, maybe it'll take: Make them original call officials. No more challenge flags and definitely no more of this "We're not sure, let's check this out, and call up to the booth for review." If a booth official sees something from the start, he then stops play and wires down: "Hey, that's a penalty, you missed it," or "Hey, that wasn't a penalty, pick up your flag," or, in the case of the Chiefs-Cowboys game, "Um, you called defensive pass interference against the Chiefs guy on that? No, it was clearly offensive. You guys are a joke out there." 

Well, maybe not that last part, but I sure would love to hear that sometime when a stupid and very costly call goes against the Chiefs.

But again, it has to come from that critical mass of people wherever whoever they are who actually see what is going on and wants something to be done about it. We are all the Chiefs fans at the Cowboys stadium who loudly booed when Jaylen Watson was called for pass interference when it was obviously offensive, and they could all see the proof on the Jumbotron replay in bright living color right above their heads? 

They could change all the rules in the books, but if the NFLers keep effing with the Chiefs and no one calls them out on it, none of this will matter.

Since I like my Chiefs and like rooting for them and do think there are some things they could to improve as a team -- assuming for the sake of argument that next year everything will much more on the up-and-up, here are the important team things that must happen, again, in order of importance.

2. Expect that Brett Veach will get his mojo back and make excellent moves in the draft and player market. Let's face it, this was not a good year for him. He did do decently drafting in April, but we have to wait and see how these guys turn out.

Thing is, he signed a running back, Elijah Mitchell, that was worthless, he never played. Last year he traded for a good pass rusher, Joshua Uche, who was never used -- turns out I saw he had a fine year with whatever other team he played for this season. Why does it seem he gets players we just don't use? To his credit in the draft this year he got somebody who looks terrific, Brashard Smith -- but we hardly played him! That's on the coaching staff I believe, more on that in the next item.

The most significant Veach failure was the very absence this year of his first-round pick three years ago, Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Our pass rush was abysmal this year, yet it would have been much better if we had a stud edge rusher FAU was supposed to be. Now I believe he was injured or something, but I've heard nothing about him filling that need when healthy.

It just seems everyone is resigned to this being a failed pick, and, well, can you say Breeland Speaks? Brett has absolutely got to get the draft right, and this year instead of reaching for an FAU (and please, didn't we all know it was reach in 2023?), at his pick -- at what, number 9 or 10 this year? -- he has simply got to pick the best player available no matter what. Don't look at need, just get the best players we can put on the field. The only exceptions are quarterback, kicker, and punter. 

Everything else is fair game. I prefer defense, but again --

Just -- get -- the -- best -- player -- on -- the -- board.

Brett is good enough to work around all that.

3. Get new coaching blood. I know a lot of people are calling for a new offensive coordinator, and while Andy Reid is one of the absolute greats, really, it is on him the pathetic play-calling that happened overall this season. I mean, it was gross watching the vanilla plays the Chiefs ran this year, time and time and time again. Uggh. You can blame Matt Nagy all you want, but this is on Reid.

So yes, in the back of my mind, I'm looking for us to move on and get a new, dynamic, exciting head coach in the Sean McVay mold, to be honest with you.

An example of the Reid inadequacy this year is what happened with Xavier Worthy. Two plays in this past Broncos game epitomized Reid's failure -- and yes you could say it is on the receivers coach or someone like that, but please, ultimately, with Worthy's consistent failures to get untracked this year, this is purely on Reid to make sure the best of this receiver is on the field, I'm sorry.

Play One: Our QB Chris Oladokun made a fine play to escape the rush and find Worthy in the left flat. Worthy caught it for what I believe was a first down, but, well, his right foot was way out of bounds. Sideline awareness has been a bit of an issue with him, but after this long as a professional football player making a million dollars a year with nothing to do at work from 8 to 5 but make sure you are catching balls in-bounds? How is this still an issue?

Sorry, that is on Andy Reid.

Play Two: Shortly after that, Oladokun threw a long pass intended for Worthy that fell incomplete, it was long. But looking at the replay it really did look like a good throw that Worthy simply did not catch up to. Also in the replay it just seemed like Worthy didn't go full speed on his post route. This made me think.

Why?

Really, here's a dude who set the record for speed at the NFL combine two years ago. It is surely why the Chiefs drafted him, that's great!

But then, my thinking: if this guy is The Flash in football shoes, why isn't he just running past people? Why doesn't he just sprint to the post and let our QB drop the ball in his hands as he flies past defenders who will never keep up? And if defenders have to play so deep to adjust to that speed why aren't we easily matriculating the ball down the field with underneath stuff all the time? I think I saw Worthy had one touchdown catch this year.

This is totally inexcusable.

I simply cannot see how this isn't a major failure of the Andy Reid coaching program this year. Major.

Of course, I can't not add that to Worthy's credit, and to Reid's, when Xavier is unjustly mugged like he was in the Chargers game, it makes the whole speed advantage much more difficult. But then, for the 57th time: See Item No. 1 above.

4. Get a new very very very good running back. Nothing against Kareem Hunt or Isiah Pacheco. I think they'd have done better if our offensive wasn't so racked by injuries. But we do really need that Priest Holmes in the backfield -- I know, tall order, but if we can get that guy to take some of the load off, Patrick would be unstoppable.

By the way, real quick, the drafting of Clyde Edwards-Helaire was definitely not a poor pick, and I add this remark for obvious reasons -- so many think it was. It wasn't, by far. CEH showed flashes of brilliance, and did have a number of fine runs and terrific plays. He wasn't great, agreed, but that shouldn't take away what we should be thinking about his contribution. I do believe the main reasons his career got so derailed was the personal emotional issues he had to deal with, and the coaching approach that I truly consider did not get the very best from him that they could.

5. Get a new very very very good pass rusher, but then I've already addressed this, and why again the FAU failure was so devastating to our cause this season. 

6. Trust that a new season will have much less affliction from the Four Horsemen. Again, has there ever been a season when those guys -- Penalties, Turnovers, Injuries, and Poor Calls -- just murdered us in such massively gruesome ways? For some reason just about every one of those were just so costly this season. Yes, we had been very blessed in the past several years not to have them be so damaging. I almost thought they'd gone away for good by virtue of the excellence we enjoyed on the field, but, well, then there was this year.

7. Finally, mention must be made of the Arrowhead Stadium situation. I've seen mostly negative reviews about the decision to build the latest "state-of-the-art" stadium in Kansas. I kind of concur. Arrowhead is an iconic stadium, and while the plus is it is indeed 53 years old -- hard to believe -- and a new STATE-OF-THE-ART stadium is exciting... I mean... This is Arrowhead.

This is not to mention how much Missourians simply do not like Kansas, and feel betrayed by the Chiefs. I don't think it is that big a deal because the local Chiefs fan base is seven states wide, globally it is even wider. They're still playing in the Kansas City metro area, that's great.

The main thing with this is was there any kind of corrupt bargains that were just not made with the greatest of integrity? I already have the consideration that there is so much in all of this that is so filled with not-the-nicest compromises, but, well, I'm not going to go there. I've already written at length about the dangers of the whole official gambling association. Thing is, ultimately, how much does any of the not-so-nice things that happen off the field impact Chiefs success?

Will lame-duck Arrowhead play over the next five years impede our ability to win? I'm not sure. I don't think so, but it is sad to think any kind of new stadium will just not have that very unique and extraordinarily delightful character of our Arrowhead. There has always been that comforting tie to a past that, while full of painfully difficult on-the-field years before the Mahomes era, was about integrity and industry and community. 

Sunday we have a meaningless game with no postseason action to follow for the first time since I believe 2012. I do hope we are playing our youngsters a lot, all of them, the Jalen Royals and Brashard Smiths and all those guys. I've seen a few things that tell us the Chiefs are not, and if so, I believe is a reason to again reconsider our commitment to Andy Reid, I'm sorry.

I'll make a few remarks at that time. Still, no matter what...

Go Chiefs!

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Broncos at Chiefs - Week 16 - Record: 6-10

Starting to pound this out here after Butker just tied the game, 13-13, with a nice 40-something-long field goal. About 10 minutes left in the game, something like that.

As we all know the Broncos are working towards the No. 1 seed in the AFC, while the Chiefs are playing for pride.

So far, however, the Broncos have been showing why they have been doing so well this year. Their offense is getting huge chunk yards on 1st down, sustaining long drives to get their three scores. The Chiefs have been staying in it, really, by the skin of their teeth. Our defense is bending with this Broncos offense, but not letting them get untracked.

Our third string quarterback, Chris Oladokun, has actually played very well considering. The Broncos have a top class defense, and Oladokun has had his share of plays when he's looked overwhelmed. But to his credit he's hung in there, and actually made a couple Mahomes-esque type plays. Very fun.

Well, after a surprise Christmas visit from neighbors, it is now the two-minute warning.

Annnd, sure enough, with the Broncos at a 4th-&-2 on the Chiefs 11-yard line, score still 13-13, the Broncos try to draw them off-sides, and sure enough, Chris Jones bites. On the first penalty the Chiefs had all night. 

Denver scores the touchdown a couple plays later.

That was the game right there. 

That was a picture of the Chiefs miserable season right there.

So yeah, there it is. My blog post for this one. There a dozen things I've thought about saying here, but, well, as I often do with these kinds of things, I just want to leave this behind.

Maybe more of a take on what the Chiefs need for next year, next week.

Merry Christmas to all, nonetheless!

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Chiefs at Titans - Week 15 - Record: 6-9

Amazing that we are dispatched so early in the season. It is so unusual! The time of this playoff contention elimination is so pronounced -- in the fourth-to-last-game. That is really early for this team. You do recognize that the earliest the Chiefs have had their season end every single season over the past seven years is in overtime in the AFC Championship Game.

The earliest.

Every year for the last seven.

Some teams regularly have their seasons end by Week 10.

So yeah, for all those who are moaning the Chiefs dynasty is over, ::pshaw:: Patrick will be back for more when he returns, and if we never win another playoff game the Chiefs have already had a major dynasty. Savor it for now, for sure. Always.

Thing is when Patrick returns... will the NFLers and its pounded-into-the-pro-football-psyche Narrative let him go off. Let him go off and do what he does best, play unprecedented-quality football and win Super Bowls.

I just don't know, really.

Really...

It is very much about the integrity of the game. I've written here over and over and over again, I like my Chiefs and will always cheer them on. It is fun to watch them play hard, and most times win. I am amazed what they've done in light of what they are up against. 

I say this because this year has clearly done more to get me to dial back my consideration of this thing American Professional Football. 

I happened to see this piece in the news, the government issuing a new warning against the now rampant gambling craze marauding through everything. Yeah, sorry, but these gambling entities' liability goes far beyond the silly little warning notice they put at the bottom of every print or broadcast advertisement they bilge.

We don't really need a government warning to tell us how evil this whole gambling thing is. That hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars are spent on these gambling things is abominable. So very sadly this says much more about the people engaged in this stuff than the ugly NFLer wager-embracing seduction of those people.

And I'm no less guilty.

I watch it. I listen to it. I pay rapt attention to my team even enduring all the wretched alcohol & insurance commercials and racialist sloganeering and official gambling site promotions and whatever other shameful thing they promote -- much of it directed at young people who are lost and lonely and despairing because they are not finding meaning in life beyond the compelling but ultimately benighted stories the now-AI-smothered Hollywood (of which the NFL is a vibrant part) splashes in front of their faces.

Really...

As for this week's game, crazy: it has been eleven years since I've blogged about a meaningless regular season game that doesn't involve anticipation of postseason action. It was way back in 2014. And that year we missed the playoffs on the second-to-last game of the season. That year we started 7-3, then the wheels fell off. Funny we would have still made the playoffs had the officials not made a terrifically boneheaded call favoring the Cardinals costing us that game late in the season. That year also featured that wonderful Monday night game early in the season when we pasted the Tom Brady-led Patriots.

And that year we still had a winning season, finishing 9-7. So yeah, in the Andy Reid era we had a winning season every single year, that has indeed been a splendid part of the Dynasty.

Thing is, speaking of the Titans, the team we played today, that 2014 season also featured an opening day trouncing at the hands of the Titans. I mean we got beat, bad, 26-10. You could even say we lost our shot at the playoffs that year because of that loss, because one more win for a 10-6 record would have qualified us. But it didn't seem to be an issue then because it was the very first game of the season. We didn't think anything of it, it was just one loss.

The reason I mention how brutal this loss was and reasonably the one loss that cost us was the Titans that year won only one more game, and that game they barely won by two points. Meaning they beat us in that opener by 16 points, and lost to everyone else except one other team they squeaked past to win.

It is just right now a really really really good feeling that for so long, all these years of "The Mahomes Era," we have never really had to agonize over those typically stultifyingly stupid things that had always afflicted the Chiefs. 

So very sweet it has been. Ahhh...

Oh, yeah, this game. Um, yeah. Why I shared that part about the Titans game from 2014? Well, this Titans team came into this Chiefs game with a 2-13 record.

And, well...

Our second-string QB went down with a knee injury early, so we had to go with our third string guy, who himself had to work behind a patchwork offensive line. Our defense started the game playing well, but the demoralization just had to have set in. We were also without key defensive guys like Leo Chenel and Trent McDuffie.

With nothing to play for it was just a practice game, really -- see what the guys we put out there can do.

The bad? Our streak of winning seasons under Andy Reid is over.

The good? We angle for a higher draft pick next April.

Hey -- dynasty establishment, Patrick coming back stronger than ever next year, high draft pick...

Some nice hopeful things.

___

Chargers at Chiefs - Week 15 - Record: 6-8

Yet another horrific experience of exasperation, the - whole - stinking - game. Why endure it? Again, sorry to all those who think I'm being obtuse, forgive me. If you are something of a reader of my blog, I humbly appreciate your consideration of my thoughts.

Again, yet - another - massive - exasperation.

But I know why.

So I don't watch it. It isn't necessarily because I don't want to. This morning was church time and family time spent largely with a family member celebrating a major event. So, yeah.

I did peek in at a gamecast and actually listened to Mitch when I could. Here is what I saw or heard.

"And that Chiefs incompletion should have been a pass interference, but oh well, just another missed call." This by the way was from the radio color man, Danan Hughes, who, like 97% of everyone, including too many of our beloved fellow Chiefs fans, just shrug. 

I believe this one was just before the half and a chance for us to get points: Yet another announcement that Xavior Worthy was clearly PI'ed, yet we got no call.

Just before the end of the first half, with us ahead 13-3, the Chargers completed a deep pass to put them in prime scoring position, one that replays showed the receiver didn't fully hold on to the ball as he hit the ground. Danan expressly said so. Replay review ruling? Completed pass. The Chargers scored a touchdown with seconds left before halftime. Yet one more of the few critical calls unjustly going against us that are enough to cost us. All - season - long.

Down by three early in the 4th quarter, Patrick threw a pick. In the red zone. Great.

Late in the game when we could have gotten the ball back to kick a game-tying field goal, at least, we just didn't get a turnover we should have gotten. How many times have we failed to get an easy interception or fumble recovery this season? I believe Danan said, "The turnover ball is just not going our way."

When we stopped the Chargers at midfield and they punted, we had another holding call against our coverage team. I'm sorry, but this traditionally fine special teams unit cannot have that many of these penalties as they've had this year. Now, if we kept having guys running back kicks for touchdowns or something really beneficial because of the penalties, that is different. But we keep going nowhere on our returns and we get penalized. There is something very wrong here. And yes, fine, let's compare. Let's look at other teams coverage and our coverage and see. If we're really committing real penalties then we need to work on that. But I don't think that is it.

And finally, the worst of all. 

Couple minutes left. We get the ball at midfield, a good shot at getting that game-tying field goal, at least, and our third-string tackle gets a holding penalty against us and Patrick gets injured. At the time of this writing I have no idea how bad it is.

Our backup QB Gardner Minshew comes in and actually does great to start, completing a few clutch passes to get us into good Butker field goal range, annnnnnd... interception.

I didn't even see this game. I watched none of it. Again I know what is going on here and it is just too hard. I peeked in a few times on the radio and gamecast and this is pretty much all I caught. How much more exasperation did I miss? Really?

You do know the Chargers on the season on the whole have scored fewer points than the Chiefs. And they have given up more points than the Chiefs. And they are five games ahead of the Chiefs in the standings (one of those counted as winning the head-to-head this year).

The Chiefs have pretty much clobbered all the teams they've beaten (the one exception the close Colts game), and been defeated by a miniscule number of points in the games they've lost. Last week's loss to the Texans was their only loss by more than one score, and it was by only 10 points in a game our defense really played pretty well anyway.

If the Chiefs do not win their next three games, they will have their first losing season under Andy Reid in his entire tenure as Chiefs coach.

I did peek at the Arrowhead Pride site and the first thing I saw was this. There posted on the right, for your benefit. Note it is a page where the fans can put in their ideas. I know that what I'm going to see in 97% of the posts will just add to the aggravation:

The Chiefs need to do this or The Chiefs need to do that. 

Not.

There are things for sure they could do to improve. The offense coaching has been inadequate, for sure. We need a running back and pass rusher. That's fine, I get it. Thing is, every team does this. The Chiefs can always improve, and there are legitimate things they could do. I can think of a few more. We all do that every year.

But this is different, by light years. The reality again, for the 78th time --

The NFLers have created a narrative that dominates what kind of calls happen on the field, and they are totally debilitating to this otherwise excellent pro football team the Kansas City Chiefs.

I guess I just can't see how this truth is not obvious. 

Again, for the 5,294th time, I will always root for my team believing they could overcome these things. Maybe this is a fool's errand, just keeping on believing in the modicum of integrity that gives our team a chance. I feel very much for the legion of true red and gold fans who are devoted to the Chiefs Kingdom. I really do. And I do feel for the players and coaches who know they must work their butts off, risking injury out there on every play, yet resigned to biting their tongues because this is their living and they want to maintain a reasonable impression as respectable and honorable athletes when the Narrative is so painfully oppressive.

The last thing of course is that injury to Patrick. Prayers go up. Prayers go up to all the players who are injured, truly. The Chargers came in banged up and had some injury issues today themselves. 

But we all wonder about Patrick the most because of who he is, we all know that. Again, we just wait and see. 

Prayers.

__

Here you go. Just one thing from a fan's FB site. I've seen no videos, highlights, or replays from the game. Don't want to. Of course. But I came across this, and the heartening thing is there were dozens of comments to this post that did very much concur with the truth about what is happening with the Chiefs. 

At least there is that.

___

Texans at Chiefs - Week 14 - Record: 6-7, The Brief Take

Not going to add much in this take on last night's game. Again, I need to get going. I have so much work to do. Forgive me.

So much more may be rambled on about this Chiefs thing or that Chiefs thing, much of it already the most obsessive navel-gazing regarding our team this year.

I will just say one thing for now. I can't imagine I know of any other time in our Chiefs history when such a good team has been hammered so much by the Four Horsemen of the Football Apocalypse. Remember what they are? Penalties, Turnovers, Injuries, and Poor Calls. There is so much to say about each one of those, and yes, my brain is filled with instances this year of all those things that would fill a very sad blog post right now.

That injury thing, for one, we were on our way to the show and my cousin texted me right out of the gate about Wanya Morris' injury. Was told it was awful. The main thing with that is prayers are said for him. But yeah. Those Four Horsemen, gruesome for us this year, and if you're a Chiefs fan you know what they have done to us.

Meanwhile, again, last night we got to behold some-600 collegiate followers of Christ put on the most amazing performance -- singers and dancers and instrument players and tech people providing costumes and sets and audio-video augmentation just joyfully giving glory to God in rich, bright, beautiful worship.

Not to share that to let on that I don't very much appreciate my football team's always dedicated play on the football field, not at all. But it was a wonderful evening of just knowing what's right and true and joyous in light of all the deceit and dissipation that goes far beyond anything related to the Chiefs.

There is a very real and vibrant hope.

___

Texans at Chiefs - Week 14 - Record: 6-7

While the Chiefs tonight were suffering yet another nightmare loss in this lost season, we were enjoying the most spectacular Christ-centered Gospel-focused Christmas showcase at our daughter's college. It was amazing, a fully transcendent experience. 

So while I know some things that happened in this ugliness, it is late, I have a mind-bendingly busy week ahead of me, and I can't blog now about this one. I do have some things bopping around in my noggin about the current Chiefs state of affairs, and yeah, maybe I'll get to it soon. I will sometime, I will, but yeah, don't really feel too wholeheartedly into it right now.

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Interlude - How Bad the Wicked NFLer Dominion Has Become Especially for a Team Like the Chiefs

Watch the Lions-Cowboys game last night? Because I try to avoid it all because it is all so rotten, the NFLer influence and all, I only tuned in to the last minute or so just so to see how it turned out and, I confess, enjoy something of a wild finish if it is close. There is no question NFL football is compelling viewing, it is, all other improprieties aside.

Turns out the Lions clobbered the Cowboys, 44-30. Huh. Interesting that this really should have been the score of the Chiefs win over the Cowboys game last Thursday, and considering the Chiefs blasted the Lions earlier in the season, well, you can draw your own conclusion knowing what truly happened in that Thanksgiving ugliness. Note, what truly happened, not what people bleat who are hypnotized by the NFLer Narrative about how things go out there.

I noticed a tease in my social media that said the game was controversial. Okay, let's look.

First, the news item said Lions got an obvious safety that was called not-a-safety, even though replays confirmed it was and the television referee even said it was a safety. Not. After all this is the Cowboys we are talking about.

Second, later in the game, an offensive pass interference penalty was called against the Cowboys keeping them from moving on to try to get a touchdown -- and I agree, it was questionable. Fine. My question is, why wasn't the world screeching about this kind of injustice in the Chiefs game on Thanksgiving like it was for this call in this game last night, when in the Chiefs game it was obviously much more egregious? When in the Chiefs game not only were the Cowboy receiver OPI'ing the Chiefs D-backs like crazy, but the Chiefs were being called for DPIs?

You know why. It is because, again, this is the Cowboys. The Chiefs don't matter. Why was that such a big deal when no one said squat about them actually happening to the Chiefs?

Real quick, once again, for the 57th time, here's the solution: No touching of any kind, by either receiver or defender, in the process of route-running. Thuh end. Arms extended toward an opposing player? A flag. That'll end it quickly. Yes, there'll be lots of flags to start, to start getting these guys used to it -- and yes, game scores will be 78-74. But... so?

Out on my walk in the small downtown near where I live last night I was thinking of how glad I was November was over. It was pretty close to the worst sports result month for my teams ever. November ugliness: the Dodgers enjoying their ill-afforded advantages to win the World Series to start the month, then the NFLer-driven disadvantages afflicting the Chiefs so horrifically in the Buffalo, Denver, and Dallas games. ::Whew:: glad that's over. 

Shortly after that nice thought I walked past a restaurant window and inside their television was tuned to the opening coverage of that Thursday night game, and I saw commentary guys sitting with a chyron covering most of the screen that said something like "Three-Way Bet," something like that. It was a Draft Kings thing, or Fan Duels thing, or whatever... 

I don't even know what they were showing, it looked like some betting thing related to a player. I did note Cowboys WR George Pickens' name up there next to some gambling-oriented number. Still blows my mind that they are doing this shit, and it isn't hard to see how much this is seeping into every NFL game broadcast. You'll note the announcers say nothing about this stuff during a game, but they could.

I mean, why couldn't they talk about how much some player did this or that related to some betting prediction from earlier? Why don't they? They could, but they don't. Why? Simple...

It is because the NFL still does know it is all evil. 

It still does objectively compromise the integrity of the game. And yet, they are perfectly fine with allowing these gambling pukes to put up their ads and their takes and their numbers and I wonder when their ugly smelly feet will get so far into the doorway that all that filth will completely burst in and you'll start seeing much more of the gambling crap during game broadcasts. This is not to mention what it does to player, coach, and officials' behavior, game outcomes, and especially the whole fan environment out there related to how it affects the lives and livelihoods of people out there clobbered by those addicted to this stuff.

This is one of the reasons I've settled back and just accept and let it go. I pay no attention to any of it except the games and whatever news my mental radar picks up. I can still pray against the evil, and always hope sanity returns to these things that are in and of themselves kind of fun to enjoy. Maybe writing about it here will help -- it may be totally ridiculous for me to think it will, but I still try.

As for the game this week I've heard we have a weakened O-line facing a blistering pass rush. Great. We could overcome it, I know, but I don't care anymore. I love that we always have Patrick Mahomes and a group of other really talented players that will play their tails off no matter what. 

But I just accept our fate because I know, unless more people start calling out that NFLer Narrative, we will struggle.

Again, that NFLer Narrative, as it relates to the Chiefs: "The Chiefs are just doing stupid things and shooting themselves in the foot, losing these close games as they have. There is no officiating slant that destroys their chances, if anything the officiating favors the Chiefs!"  The underlying purpose is to make sure the Chiefs stop being so successful.

Many will claim that looking at the penalty numbers will indicate that the Chiefs get no more or fewer calls than the opponent. Sorry, but just comparing numbers does no good to identify how the Chiefs are being hosed -- you must look at each penalty call or non-call individually and then examine the impact any given call has on the outcome of the game. I'm happy to match up every single penalty call or should-be-penalty call in any game any time to compare. Let's get to the truth about this thing.

A terrific example is that ticky-tack lining-up on the line of scrimmage call against Jawaan Taylor in the Denver game that wiped a major gain on a Kareem Hunt catch and run. The Chiefs not getting a chance at a very likely touchdown did indeed cost us the game. Please, again, do not blame Jawaan Taylor for that. It is just foolish to do so.

One may say that by the strict interpretation of the rule it should be called a penalty. That's fine, as long as it is consistently called. The Chiefs are getting unduly scrutinized for those things that are simply not called as often for other teams. That lining-up thing? Do you know how many times I see receivers illegally covered or not covered or offensive linemen who are not exactly where they should be and it simply is not called? All the time. Yet the Chiefs are the ones who get hammered the most by officials costing us games, or as was the case last year, making games so much closer when they should be Chiefs blowouts.

I've even heard some people saying the Chiefs are getting calls against them so much this year because the officials must make up for all the calls they got before. Oh my. Not only is this also phenomenally unjust, but it only shows how powerful the Narrative is in people's minds, that again the Chiefs have always gotten away with so many favorable calls. Igghck.

About the gross inconsistency, I saw on my social media some guy referring to the infamous Kadarius Toney offsides call in that Buffalo game a couple years ago, remember that? Few Chiefs fans can forget it. This dude then brought up Miami's Jalen Waddles being offsides in exactly the same way in a subsequent game sometime, and it was exactly the same thing not-called. Really, it was the same thing with doubly infamous Dee Ford offsides in that AFC Championship game loss! Another of the many ticky-tack calls that are so inconsistently called against us, that, and here's the key, have a much greater impact on our success than it does on other teams.

We are simply too good for our own good, really. 

Sorry but the Chiefs should be 10-2 this year. The Buffalo, Denver, Jacksonville, and Dallas games were officiating jokes, especially the latter two.

Yes, I do let it get to me, yeah, here I am venting for the therapy. But then I also don't let it get to me. I avoid paying attention to it. I'll watch the games, that's mostly it. I'll get some news I can't help but pick up, like us being down two tackles for the Texans game up next. There is probably a lot more going on with my team and its preparation, but I just don't know about it. 

The fact is we are 6-6, and we can absorb a loss this week at 8-4, but not 6-6, unless of course some miracles happen to get us in the playoffs at something like 9-8. The Chiefs have also won out late in the season, so we can do it again. 

Yeah, here I am writing as if I still think this is all on the up-and-up and all that. The crazy thing is I still think our team is good enough to overcome the NFLers' debilitation, so I do stay attentive to the extent that I do. Is it foolish to do so? Maybe, but, yeah, I still like to cheer on my team -- maybe a good part of that is just to see them win and as such stick it to the Narrative. If they lose, I know why.

I do also know we do have issues on both the O-line with its injuries and D-line with its weak pass rush. But sorry, this team is so good we should be overcoming them. This is a reasonable 12-5 team, 11-6 at least, if it weren't for the Narrative.

Good thing our team will play lights out no matter what. There is that, and that is the one thing I can appreciate about these guys.

__

Chiefs at Cowboys Thanksgiving Game Officiating Debacle

Please stop.

Please, stop. It'd be nice if more people knew what is going on.

Stop. Really, please stop. Forgive me but it is simply foolish to not stop saying foolish things. It is just as foolish to just try to slough aside what's really happening with a sneering "Don't blame the refs. Don't make excuses. Get over it." Please stop. It is contemptibly foolish.

I get that the players, coaches, and other kinds of people must say the painfully conciliatory things. That is thoroughly understandable. Their livelihood depends on the facade, whether they make their money legitimately or illegitimately -- not going to say anything about the latter.

But everyone else? Everyone who actually wants there to be something of a competitive integrity...

Please stop.

Please stop blaming anything in these Chiefs losses on anything unrelated to the officiating. We did not lose yesterday to our lack of talent, focus, or desire.

Please stop blaming "the little things," like those times we fumble or don't get a fumble at inopportune times. We aren't losing these games because of an inordinate number of unfortunate twists.

Please stop blaming the coaching, and while I too have blamed the Chiefs coaching staff for not doing one thing or another at the right time, every team has those things happen.

Please stop blaming absolutely anything except the one single thing that is afflicting the Chiefs this season -- in fact what has afflicted the Chiefs quite often over the course of the past couple of years --

The NFLer-driven wildly unfavorable officiating.

Really, what should Patrick Mahomes say instead of what you see in that Arrowhead Pride headline posted there? It really should be "We have no margin for error because the officials are making so many terrible calls against us. We played well enough to win, in all these games, really. But the officials are crushing us very clearly in every single game." Again he won't because he knows he shouldn't, he fears they'll make worse calls in the future because they'll all take it personally, and he's supposed to comport himself as above it all. That's fine, we all know that.

What should Andy Reid say in his postgame presser? As he typically does he said, "We've got to clean up the penalties." Further in he did actually say he personally didn't like those calls, but what if he went all the way and said, "There is something going on with the officiating because so many of those calls in critical moments were not penalties." The headline really should read "Reid blames antagonistic officials for loss..." He won't say that either, understandable.

In my game post from yesterday I expressed a hope that people would call out all this. Well, peeking around, guess what, some are. Some are actually saying something meaningful about it.

I happened to catch a number of them, and this one from Dan Orlovsky is typical. (Orlovsky is a former NFL quarterback and is now some kind of regular television commentator.) Another mentioned how the officials simply do not know what PI really is. There have got to me much more than just these things I've found, if any of these pundits are honest about what we are all seeing clearly. Okay, good. Now go further and start examining why they are doing that so much against the Chiefs. Now let's hope they start calling out why it is happening.

Some will say the Chiefs lucked out last year and got favorable reffing since they won an NFL record 17 straight one-score games -- that has to be result of favorable officiating, it has to be. No, that doesn't follow, and sorry, it is foolish to think so. Yet so many do. No, the truth is the officiating went against the Chiefs in spite of our winning -- in fact (a point I've made before) we should have won many more of those games by blowouts but couldn't because of the detrimental officiating.

So please stop, again, stop saying anything about this team not being good enough. No. The truth is this is a phenomenally good team, all around, across the board. Do we have certain weaknesses in some areas? Of course, all teams do. But the Chiefs weaknesses are really not nearly as debilitating as the foolish bleats like "Blow up this team and start over!" I even saw one that said "Fire Brett Veach!" What idiocy. 

It is indeed why when I do look at those comments in each of those Arrowhead Pride stories I don't get very far because most of them are just idiotic. It is hard to take. The good thing is, about every tenth comment (glory be!) will actually be an intelligent remark about how much it is truly the officiating that is killing us. 

When will there be more?

I mean, I do think most in the Kingdom who don't put anything in comments sections of web things do know what is happening.

Funny, at one point in the game, I believe it was the Jaylen Watson officiating call on the non-PI (which again was actually an offensive PI, which makes all this so galling), afterwards you heard a very clear moan from the crowd. Yes, there was a sea of red there, enough to make their abject disappointment known when they saw the play on the big screen in the stadium. You could hear their boos over the broadcast audio.

That's something.

The Kingdom knows.

I'd like to think most of them are intelligent and observant and insightful and get it. Ultimately it is not because the Chiefs are deficient in that area or that area, it really is because they are too good. A 40-17 drubbing of the Cowboys in a major holiday game broadcast is death to the NFLers. So we get what we got yesterday. Whether or not it is just something we need to accept, I agree, is one thing. It is another thing to be in denial about what is happening.

I can't neglect to post right now about all this because writing this now is mostly just therapy, I get that. I accept what's been happening and move on. But I need to comment just as much as the next guy. I get that I like my Chiefs too much, but I also can't give in to the silliness about what the NFLers and many blithering fans are telling us we're supposed to believe about what is going on. 

The main thing related to all this is the idea about why I get so intense about all this, because, yes, it is true: There are indeed so many other things more important than a silly football game.

It doesn't mean I don't care about those things. I do put efforts into making my world a better place for all the other not-so-good things that need to be addressed all around us. There is indeed so much deceit and dissipation with really destructive things out there, but then again, this football stuff is kind of the point -- it is indeed a microcosm of those things, and if we just shrug and make excuses for the rotten things that happen out there, then why can't they be reflected on the football field?

How about we don't have deceit and unfairness anywhere? If we can't work to have that on a simple football field how much harder is it for us to have that out in real life? Yeah I could be making more of this than it is, I get that too.

But just blogging about it, that's all. Would love to see rightness happen everywhere, whether on the football field or some benighted battlefield out there somewhere. Pounding out words to process it isn't a bad thing.

Truth and Grace will reign no matter what anyway.

___

Chiefs at Cowboys - Week 13 - Record: 6-6

Typing this out in the middle of the 2nd quarter -- don't know how much I'll put in later. Right now we are ahead 14-10 and we're doing okay, but there was a play that drove me crazy about our team and what Patrick faces.

We had a, I believe 2nd-&-long but it was a long way to a first down, and Patrick escaped the rush. He's juking everyone to get himself free to get a nice pass off --

And he can't find anyone. 

They showed a replay of our receivers, this one with Hollywood and Xavier and they refused to do the one thing to help out Patrick.

Run like blazes to the open space.

When you have a quarterback like this and you're not running like blazes to get open, it is not hard to get why Patrick is not getting as untracked as he did in 2018. In my last blog post I'd mentioned it might be because he's getting hammered too much. It may also be because the opponents are keying on him so much, working their defenses better because they know how to defend him (at least a little) -- and it is certainly because the officiating regularly makes rotten calls or non-calls that seriously mess with our chances for success.

Granted Patrick also had to look for receivers looking in the sun through that stupid giant window at the end of the Cowboys' stadium, a very good reason for Patrick just not matriculating in that play set.

The problem is the Cowboys then got the ball and just drove for a touchdown to go ahead 17-14. On that drive they didn't have to be blinded by the sun. That's nice.

They say this game may be the most watched regular season game in NFL history. There're also a zillion Chiefs fans in the stands here. The Cowboys "America's Team"? Maybe the Chiefs can make a claim to that title.

Since it is Thanksgiving I'll be enjoying the game, then dinner with family. I'll post something when it is all said and done later.

___

Okay I absolutely cannot neglect to remark about this. I cannot. Yes, it drives me crazy. The rotten rotten rottenest calls that go against the Chiefs is one thing -- the narrative that those things don't hurt the Chiefs is another.

To start the 2nd half, again down by the 17-14 score, we got the kickoff, and moved the ball. At about midfield we got a nice first down play to Hollywood, and sure enough, penalty against us. Turns out Xavier ran his route, but they interpreted it as running it into their guys too much so they called a PI against him.

Here's the even-more insane thing. Tony Romo, the color announcer, said they should pick this flag up.

This means it really should not have been a foul. Even after the commercial break Romo emphasized it was just not a foul. Not only that, but Romo went on about how much the Chiefs have to routinely work their butts off to overcome those crappy calls.

Needless to say we had to punt.

Really, I guess all I can do is just keep enjoying the fact that the Chiefs will do the really hard work to let them go and play hard and still try to win football games in spite of it. That is not a bad thing, really.

Our team is a good team, not just with their play but with their hearts.

Today that is something to be thankful for.

No matter what happens, it's good for Thanksgiving, really.

___

Now for after the game.

Fine, I'm okay with watching Dak and his receivers playing very well. That's nice. Good to play against a fine playing team. We still should have won going away.

Their backs did well too. We still should have won this game, easily.

Their coaching was good, had a fine game plan. We still should have hammered this team.

This was once again, yet again, yet another exasperating experience watching our beloved team get thoroughly ratfluppered by the officiating.

We lost two of our offensive linemen to injuries throughout the game. Added to Trey Smith who was already out, we lost our two tackles, Josh Simmons and Jawaan Taylor. And yes, we still should have won.

Even with all the ridiculous little things that happened -- late in the game we dropped an easy interception and didn't gather up a fumble when we really needed to, we still should have taken this game.

Taken altogether, avoiding a few more of those little bad things and having an actual fair officiating effort for once, we should have won 40-17, at least, but then, they admitted something critically important right in the middle of the national broadcast. That in a moment.

But at the end of the game our metal was shown in brilliant colors when we were still within striking distance, Patrick evaded the rush, slipped out of two ankle tackles, and hit Xavier for a big play. A few plays later threw a strike to Hollywood who barely got both feet in bounds in the back of the end zone. Both incredible plays -- but just ones that showed how much we had to do to try to overcome the even more exasperating idiocy of the way this game was called by the NFLers.

Trent McDuffie had the most horrific PI calls against him. Three critical ones that replays showed the Cowboys receivers pushed off, but when McDuffie worked hard and properly just to stay close and make a play on the ball, they called the PIs against him anyway. I could talk about the Watson nonsense PI call late, or the non-call for worse PI action against Kelce earlier.

All of it so wretchedly debilitating for a team that lost by a scant three points. Yet again.

But then, I could go on and on and on.

Here's the thing.

They shared on the broadcast the Cowboys needed this game more than the Chiefs to stay in contention in their conference. The truth is, the Chiefs were expendable. 

The Chiefs were never going to win this game.

The NFLers want it that way because they feel they need new blood deep into the AFC postseason. So they are systematically taking care of business now, keeping the Chiefs as far from even getting there as they can.

Yeah, it's a fool's hope to think anyone who people listen to would be courageous enough to call it out, but I still hope it will happen. But then, why. It is what everyone wants. Why fight it and rail against it all the time in this blog effort. Maybe someone will read it and look. Maybe even mention it. Maybe.

But yeah, just to have truth shared. When it isn't over and over and over again whenever the Chiefs play football, it is just another wicked immersion in exasperation. I know, why do that, why put myself through that...

I just like my Chiefs, that's all, and I hate what they are doing to them out on the football field.

Yeah, back to family time. It is good to hang with them.

___

Colts at Chiefs - Week 12 - Record: 6-5

From the middle of the 4th quarter to the end of the game Patrick, Rashee, Xavier, Kareem, our D, and, okay, everyone else in the Chiefs Kingdom willed us to win this game. Before that, we were lost. More on that in a minute. But up to the end of regulation our defense got three straight 3-&-outs on the Colts offense, and one more in overtime. Our offense started their last regulation drive from their own 15, and it've been nice if after matriculating the ball into the red zone with a minute left, our offense had 87 plays to score a game-winning TD to close it out then and there but couldn't -- we still get the dubya in OT.

Wow. I can't. I just can't. Wow.

Good to have a game at home with the crowd being a 12th man to help the defense. On the Colts opening drive they got their offense all discombobulated and they were penalized a number of times to keep them from going past midfield.

Thing I heard from the announcer, though, was not good, the Chiefs defense gives up a 112 rating to the opposing quarterback on 3rd downs. That stinks. Our defense is a top-tier defense, but that. Ugh. Then he tells us we're terrible with penalties on special teams, and a holding call with their punt (the first of what seemed like 20 on us in the game) got us started with our first drive at the 4, after which Patrick threw a pick, him just not fully getting how that D-lineman could just swallow up his pass. Ugh ugh. This was the kind of stuff that just set this game up for yet another major exasperation.

It continued when Travis Kelce scored a wildcat formation touchdown, but, yep, nullified by another crappy officiating action against our guys, this one against the embattled Jawaan Taylor. Thing is the infraction just wasn't there. Yet again, the Chiefs are screwed by the typically antagonistic officiating. We got a field goal instead of a touchdown. 

They are indeed going out of their way to find anything they can call against the Chiefs. Sorry, yeah, broken record again, forgive me...

But that whole thing messes with the Chiefs, as it is indeed intended to do. 

They may say it all evens out and look at the penalties it is pretty even and all that blap, but the reality is you must look at particular calls in particular instances and see how much they impact the game, the rhythm -- in some ways forcing the Chiefs to play with an extra crick in their necks because they're afraid they're going to be hammered by some officiating call.

Later on we get more ugliness from other Four Horsemen: Trey Smith went down with an injury, Kareem fumbled in the red zone with the game still in reach early in the 4th quarter. Yeah this does feel like 2017 when we got blitzed in the middle of the season but the team managed to make a decent recovery to get into the playoffs. The rest of our schedule this year is a bit lighter, so we'll see if we can still snatch a playoff spot.

One thing I just wonder about is why Patrick has never been able to regain that 2018 form, you know, when he amazed the world and threw 50 touchdown passes on 5,000+ passing yards. Yes he's been amazing since winning three Super Bowls and getting us to two others. I got that.

But this Patrick Mahomes? While still the best quarterback in the NFL, he is just off. He really is. He is just missing too many throws. I wonder now, is he relegated to just being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? How sad is that? And it hasn't been just this year. Again, with a 2018 Patrick Mahomes playing with the most brazen death-defying, ferociously take-no-prisoners excellence, we'd be clobbering every team. Absolutely. But we're not. We haven't for a few years now, all our phenomenal success aside.

Harrison Butker with the game-winning field goal in overtime

And some of my thinking in this has to do with the shots he is taking. In today's game he was crunched by a Colts defender after the play, eliciting a flag. The dude did one of those slamming the 400-pound body-on-top-of-the-quarterback things, and got penalized. Well, good thing, I guess. Another one had the Colts dude slamming into Patrick's knees, drawing another penalty flag. Patrick gets shoved, crunched, pounded all the time back there and while most of it isn't a penalty, I just wonder. 

In 2018 he just had that wild-abandonment play that was so much fun to marvel at. Is it because he doesn't have the receivers? I don't think so. I know back in 2018 we had Tyreek, he was incredible, when healthy he still is over at Miami -- but now we have excellent receivers in Rashee, Xavier, Tyquan, and Hollywood, even JuJu has been good. And we still have Travis.

Well, with the help of a defense that would simply not be denied in keeping the Colts from doing anything in the second half, these guys got the job done. We're 6-5 and still in the mix with, again, a bit of a lighter schedule coming up. This Colts team was very good and we held their amazing running back Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards rushing. I was just told on the broadcast that the Colts got a total of 18 yards in the 4th quarter.

One more thing, looking at the standings coming into this one. I happened to glance at it and noticed the Points For and Points Against. Look. The Broncos are three games up on us, actually four because they beat us last week, yet compared to Denver the PF are about exactly the same, and PA are better for us! The Chargers were a game-&-a half up on us, and we are better than them in both areas, by far! (Yes both teams have played one more game than we have, but the point is still taken. We're really even with the teams way ahead of us in the standings at this point in the season.)

We play against Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, and having this win today will make enjoying that at least a little bit better.

__

From the official Chiefs website, the first photo is from Jacob Rice, the second from Kyle Rivas. Thank you. 

__

Chiefs at Broncos - Week 11 - Record: 5-5

This game should have been an easy Chiefs win at the very end of the game. We had the ball in decent field position with four minutes left, tie game. That was all the time we needed for Patrick to matriculate methodically right down into field goal range with seconds left to kick that game-winning field goal. Here was what happened.

1. Incomplete pass to Kelce, nearly intercepted.

2. Incomplete pass to Kelce, couldn't stay in-bounds.

3. Mahomes sack.

4. Punt.

Meanwhile the Broncos got the ball themselves with about the same time remaining (since the Chiefs did nothing to chew clock.) And they marched down the field, getting a few key first downs including one on a 3rd-&-15 and another requiring a virtual measurement that was almost 4th-&-1 from mid-field. The measurement said they got the 1st down.

The Broncos then got a clutch big-play pass completion, wound the clock down, kicked the game-winning field goal, and that was that.

A ton more could be said about this game, the fine Broncos defense aside. Give them credit for that.

But dang. 

Our coaching staff. Handling that situation with a prime opportunity to win -- wretched. And that was just the second three-&-out in a row there in the latter part of the 4th quarter. This was definitely an Exasperating Reid et al moment, for sure. The Broncos, on the other, actually wanted to win. This was obvious the whole time, especially when it came down to it.

And just the inability for us to do anything throughout the day. Dropped passes, missed throws, blocked PATs, silly penalties, and so much more. The whole thing was one big aggravation.

Just ugly.

I'm tired.

___

Chiefs at Bills - Week 9 - Record: 5-4

Sorry, I know I'm committed to putting together a decent blog post, but I don't really feel like writing much here. You may know why. Just very discouraged, and it has less to do with the Chiefs failures than what is happening in a world living by the sweetest, richest deceit.

To their credit, the Bills are a good team, and they were at home. They played a fine game, making well-designed plays from their coaching staff. They made our defense work hard out there. And their defense, especially their D-line, did fine work stuffing our offense.

The Chiefs were indeed impeded again by the familiar rotten officiating we get once every three or four games. Today it favored the opponent frequently enough. There were a number of instances, but I can mention the one when they did not observe and call the batted pass that was called intentional grounding, putting us into a nasty 3rd-&-long we didn't need to be in. And they tell us that's a play that is unreviewable. So we get screwed.

Mahomes, our O-line, and yes, our play-calling coaches (Reid, Nagy, whoever) had an off-day. From our first offensive play those coaches did nothing to keep the Bills guessing and on their heels. Nothing. And yeah, Patrick missed a wide-open Travis when we had the ball at the one. Got a FG. That's nice. We really needed a touchdown there, 1st-&-goal from the one. Yeah.

Our pass rush did not do its job to pressure their fine QB, Josh Allen, so yeah, those who are screaming for us to get D-line help may be right. Chris Jones was holding his own, but we have no one off the edge doing anything meaningful. They have a terrific running back who we contained a bit, but he got enough good runs to give Allen enough to get untracked.

When we were in the game Rashee Rice was on fire, so that was nice to see. Only thing, he was really the only one who really did anything. Travis and Hollywood got some nice long grabs, but it didn't mean anything.

We now get a bye week to rest.

Nuff said for now.

___

Commanders at Chiefs - Week 8 - Record: 5-3

"AI Makes Me Doubt Everything."

This was the blog post by fine evangelist Tim Challies, published on May 21, 2025, coincidentally the very day after Google introduced its Veo 3 graphics art creator program making any video-generated human beings look about as real as anything. I myself blogged about this reality -- as it were -- here.

The reason I bring this up because as much as the real-world truth that now we really will be questioning the veracity of anything that is exhibited to any thoughtful truth-respecting human being, we will pretty much be doing the same with big-time professional sports outcomes. It now looks something like this:

"Exposed illicit gambling involvement by high profile or deeply embedded sports figures makes me doubt everything that happens on the field or court."

Yes, even with the Chiefs.

I dread feeling like implicating any Chiefs anything in any questionable activity, especially when I have shared my consideration that the Chiefs are so good they really should be winning every game by a lot. Welll... yeah. what happens when they struggle on the field? What happens when they lose? 

Will I doubt that?

And what would happen if this blog effort had more than a handful of people paying any attention? I almost fear writing anything else about this.

I've made some notes about a dozen other things to say, point out, demonstrate, mention, illustrate, but I'm not going to, at least not here and not now. Again, so much of it must be left unsaid... or else. Yes, I can't say any one thing or another about anything, not implying anything except the truth that when people are proven to screw with the game and its competitive integrity, and there are specific instances everyone knows about when that happens, then there is no reason why people shouldn't wonder. About any of it.

You just can't upset the powers-that-be in ways the mainstream media can't spin. This still doesn't keep many people from saying, pointing-out, demonstrating, mentioning, illustrating, and just flat-out being openly honest about what they know is happening out there. There is indeed just too much of it to ignore, as much as so much of it is ::hush-hush:: don't mention names -- don't get too specific -- don't ask the players anything else, or, you know...

So enough of that. As always I'll cheer on my team, and they are playing right now. Not even going to say anything except just to wait until this game is all said and done and make a few remarks. 

Yeah. It is hard. I love my team and love having a decent blog effort here...

But yeah. Maybe it is a good thing I don't have many readers.

It is hard when deep in your heart you can't help but question...

Nuff said about that. 

___

Now to the game. We did handle things, won going away. It was a scoreless 1st quarter with turnovers afflicting both sides.

But wow, Rashee Rice back in there really makes a difference. Our first touchdown was set up by a very fun wildcat formation run that came a half-yard from getting the TD. As a receiver -- just his command of the field, routes and after-catch-runs. Just unparalleled.

The Commanders were without their very good quarterback Jayden Daniels. Even so, they did get two amazing catch-plays from Terry McLaurin, one of them the Commanders touchdown. But with our defense playing as well as they have, and the Commanders losing one of their fine offensive linemen to injury early, it was going to be hard for this team to compete.

And, well, yupp, this is indeed the 11th Chiefs win of 12 games overall against the Redskins/Commanders, since they started interconference play back in 1970. This is their ninth in a row over this team. The only time they lost to them was in September of 1983, in a game the Chiefs led 12-0 at halftime. Didn't score another point to the eventual NFC Champion Redskins. I looked at the box of that game, and Carlos Carson had over 100 yards receiving. 

Notable because they were saying the Chiefs so far this year do not yet have any receiver who's reached 100 yards. Much of that is just the phenomenal work of Patrick Mahomes getting everyone involved. Yet again, he was really the key. He kept all kinds of plays alive with his legs, and found everybody everywhere when he needed to.

The real tests are coming up. We have the Bills next week, then our bye, then ::yikes:: the Broncos and Colts, both playing lights-out football right now.

And right there at the end of the game here, they were saying Travis had 99 yards receiving. Rashee, by the way, had 93. Still no one with 100 this year. Oh well.

As long as we go on to win the Super Bowl.

___

The photo is by Sam Lutz at the official Chiefs site. Thank you.

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Gambling is Evil. Get it Out of All of This. Part II.

(I wrote quite a bit about the news from yesterday in this blog post. Just posting more thoughts here, today...)

Remember that classic scene in the classic film Casablanca? The one where Inspector Renault, played by Claude Rains, rebukes cafe owner Rick Blaine -- the Humphrey Bogart character -- after a police raid complaining, "I'm shocked, shocked there is gambling going on here!" On cue an errand boy steps up to him with a wad of cash and tells him, "Your winnings, sir."

What a picture of what is going on in major North American professional sports now. In fact it has very likely been a part of all of any major organized sports in any part of the world when there is some substantial amount of cash involved in some way.

Someone who is rich and powerful and wicked wants in on the action.

It is comical if it weren't so idiotically lethal. The news has spewed this NBA gambling involvement scandal all over the place, and the association is now working overtime to try to wipe the rotted scrambled egg off of its face. Comical. Why? Easy. This stuff has likely been going on for eons, with many many many more people involved than have ever been exposed.

What else is going to come out into the open? Will it? Will there just be more dissembling and showcasing partial hangouts to keep people from seeing the reality of competitive duplicity in all its forms? I say all its forms because, ironically, as the World Series begins tonight there is no way on earth the Los Angeles Dodgers would be there without the free agency-enabled MLBer powers-that-be many-of-them-certainly-not-so-wholesome helping them out immensely. 

How long has all this been happening, especially the gambling related revelations of late? How much of it has been standard yet very hushed procedure? For years? Decades? For always? The comical: Now everyone's squawking about it? We've all been that blind to the power and infiltration of criminal syndicates in all of it? We've never even looked at what casinos do to destroy lives and livelihoods, we've never bothered to observe what life is like for people in Native American Indian reservations when we told these people to just make casinos and let them generate the wealth. "You don't have to do anything, you poor dumb Indians!" was the message served them. It destroyed their communities.

Thing is we've already seen much of it, already. Social media is now posting clips of various people involved -- athletes and whoever else intimately involved with the games -- from years ago, admitting they've had pressures from everywhere about this shit. That they've had conversations or reacted or addressed at the time these things, shared them with someone in some way, again even being recorded in video-taped confessions! Incident after incident after incident that clearly reflected game action being compromised.

There have been those few people who have already even been prosecuted for this stuff, like that NBA official some 20 years ago who confessed to manipulating outcomes. This is not even to mention how screwed teams like the 2000 Sacramento Kings were when they were dominating the Lakers in that one critical playoff game, but the officials simply couldn't keep from hosing the Kings. It was so plainly obvious it was sick. That's just one. But it is true, making sure a Los Angeles team or a New York team is successful means more of the gravy train for whoever calls the shots.

Just the whole massive operation with implicit enablement or even willful empowerment forcefully shaping any outcome the way they want is a house smothered in lies.

All the connections to organized crime, to organized gambling operations whether they are casinos or mob syndicates or the sweetest nicest online sports betting sites, anyone involved with any of that, from the desperate slot player to the cigar-smoking casino mogul enjoying the spa treatment in his luxury suite, from top to bottom, it infects the soul of the individual, the family, the community, the nation.

We've even been talking about the pros, but it seems the most vulnerable are the big-time college programs. Oh my, how gruesome it was for these people to do anything NIL, portals, and even shifting their schools all around the country to try to get into better money-generating conferences. All of that is part of the same stupidity.

What was ever wrong with student athletes getting a full-ride scholarship going to the same school for four years, playing hard for the team against other teams from the same general region, and enthusiastically preparing for a fine future life, livelihood, and family after those four years extremely likely not anywhere near the pros, and being genuinely grateful for the opportunity? Instead, we had the most immature, irresponsible children whining about this or that inconvenience, and children in big-people bodies pretending to be mature, responsible adults gave in.

Now with all that nice new crap you've got to deal with the influences. And now it is very young, gullible, impressionable people who are thinking of having their families taken care of financially for some time if they just take a good chunk of change for simply doing certain things on the field that will make some very real and threatening "influencer" happy.

What are those in power going to do with that? Are they going to stand up to those influences, or do too many of them have too little courage and principle to do it? Are they all just too immature and irresponsible and foolish as children pretending to be adults to not take pride in just doing the right thing here?

I've also argued for years, on other web platforms, that baseball should get rid of, or at least modify to a dramatic extent, the free agency that shapes the competitive duplicity in major league baseball. The whole thing is just as wicked, with the Los Angeles Dodgers' main players all bought and paid for. Speaking of Shohei Ohtani, there were still many questions surrounding his scandal from a year ago that involved money and possible related illicit associations. But I do understand, nothing will ever happen with any of that because the Dodgers' money stream is flowing well for everyone in major league baseball -- it is made to be that way so everyone gets their cut.

The NFL's Kansas City Chiefs players, on the other hand, are all legitimately assessed, drafted, and developed, all within the confines of an expertly managed salary cap. Still, with all the questionable associations coming to light, could any of them be compromised? Of course they could! Not saying they are or aren't or anything, but what we do see there is a distinct difference in the respect for the overall integrity of the whole enterprise.

In my devotional time this morning I read the 101st Psalm. (Here, read it too, click the link, it is well worth it.) What a terrific piece to bring to the table in all of this. It is merely about really wanting one's own house to be managed with righteousness and probity, simply to take pride in honoring God with active respect for truth and honesty and integrity in that way.

The whole gambling and duplicity thing in professional sports almost everywhere seems to be founded on the idea that one must show everyone around them how special they are by getting lucky in something, and it doesn't matter if they do it unethically as long as they can cover for it in some way. The exploiters take gratification in making so many people addict-er-happy.

Benjamin Franklin once remarked, "Nine men in ten are suicides." Some people, particularly men, live such miserable lives, failing so often, or at least considered failures, bored half the time, that it is the biggest thrill to have a chance to get that big score that will just make them, give them a thrill and just earn the favor of some young lady or someone they need to impress. If not, well, "Who cares if I lose and even die because my life is so miserable, that's just fine."

Otherwise, the substance of Psalm 101 applies to everything, not just this little sports thing. If we as a nation don't take care of business in the big-time sports house, and there at least just plain respect truth and faithfulness to God and His just and righteous behavior in all we do, it is likely everything else is infected with that wickedness too. 

So yeah, there are a hundred other things that have nothing to do with sports that are so critically more important in life and livelihood, but it can't be denied that this sports thing is a microcosm of the wickedness and stupidity that is out there afflicting all of us.

Might want to think about considering the Living Word Who is that Love and Justice in that 101st Psalm, The One Who is the joy and deliverance out of the deceit and death mentioned there.

Will these people "conduct the affairs of [their] house with a blameless heart?"

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By the way, since this is a Chiefs blog, here's the Chiefs thing.

The Chiefs are thriving, working and playing the game on the straight-&-true with how their team is built with the organizational excellence top to bottom, from owner to water boy, given no advantages not available to anyone else to be successful. Let's look at each player group, from left to right, and you will see. (Just using first names for brevity and -- yeah -- some laziness, it isn't that I'm all best buds with them or anything.)

Running backs: Isiah and Kareem, both drafted by the Chiefs, even though Kareem took a detour to the Browns for a while.

Quarterback: Patrick, drafted and slowly developed spending a whole year on the bench learning from Alex Smith. This after decades of never being able to draft and develop a good QB.

Offensive line: Four of the five starters were drafted, with two of them, Creed and Trey demonstrating the Chiefs really did their homework. Rookie Josh is said to be another amazing selection from the draft.

Tight end: Travis, drafted. Noah, drafted.

Wide receivers: Rashee and Xavier, drafted. They did get Hollywood, JuJu, and Tyquan as free agents, but Rashee and Xavier are their main targets. Oh, and that great WR they had a few years ago, Tyreek? Drafted, even selected in the fifth round.

Defensive line: With a starting four of Mike, Chris, Omar, and George, you've got an all-drafted D-line. We did lose Omar to an ACL injury in the last game. Charles is a free agent who does start.

Linebackers: Leo and Nick are excellent and, yes, drafted. Drue is also very good yet a free agent.

Defensive backs: With starters Jaylen, Trent, Bryan, and Chamarri, it's all drafted. Throw Noah in there for the nickel package, still, all properly and deftly drafted with every team having the same chances as anyone to have players like this.

Every one of these players were drafted fairly, developed appropriately from within the organization, and rewarded with playing for people who not only do things with integrity but work that much harder to evaluate those players and get them to play well because they know the NFLers really do not want the Chiefs winning as much as they want other teams to win.

Now for the Dodgers. I pay no attention to any major league baseball because as we all know (or yes, should know) it is thoroughly rigged to favor the Dodgers, the Yankees, and a bit for teams like the Red Sox and Mets (all of whom made it to postseason play this year). Because I pay no attention to any of it, I do not know every player on the team -- actually I know very few of them. But I do know some of the players. Here are the ones I know are the better players on the team, and yes

They are all free agents poached from other teams who are exploited and unable to afford them.

The ones I know are Shohei Ohtani, arguably the very best baseball player ever to play the game, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Blake Snell, some guy named Hernandez, and a Japanese pitcher who is supposed to be outrageously good. I know they have another very good pitcher, someone Glasnow, I've heard is really good. That's it, those are really the only players on the team I can identify. (To be fair I will admit I do know their catcher is Will Smith and he too is a very good ballplayer, but I think he came from within the organization. And I know I could look up Mr. Glasnow's first name and include it here, but I just want to be fair about what I do know without looking it all up.*)

Those are the only ones I know about, and I do know every one of them is exceptionally good. I also know every one of them was once a fine player for another team then as a free agent signed with the Dodgers because they were given the power to do so at the expense of other teams really having a fair chance to have them play for them.

This is competitive duplicity, plain and clear.

But it doesn't matter to most people because -- the main point to all of this --

It is because powerful people who like getting a piece of the expanding gravy train make it happen and conceal the duplicity. The gambling thing is just a particularly ugly part of it.

Is the way pro baseball is arranged a bit different than the way pro football is arranged? Of course. But it doesn't change the reality of the massive duplicity involved by anybody who is an MLBer, or even an NFLer or NBAer for that matter, who are too willing to succumb to the powers and principalities that tempt them.

Once again, quite a contrast to the Kingdom where Christ reigns with nail-scarred hands to invite all those wounded by any of the duplicity anywhere, not just in the sports stuff, to live rich, meaningful lives in spite of it.

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(*I should add a further note for those skeptical of my claim I pay no attention to any of the baseball stuff, yet at the same time here I am demonstrating that I am aware of those particular baseball players. I live in the Los Angeles area and cannot help but see and hear some sports things -- on televisions in restaurants, from news reports popping up on the radio, from acquaintances who tell me things, and through various other sources. I never deliberately inquire about any of it. Out of that I'm actually surprised I know that much, and I may indeed have some things incorrect about what I've shared about the Dodgers and its players. I should add that I do know the afore-not-mentioned Clayton Kershaw is also on the team, but he came from within the organization, and really the only reason I knew after all these years that he was still on the team was because the news of his retirement announcement this year was everywhere. There are just some things you can't miss.

I should also add, with full disclosure, that I'd already known about people like Freeman and Betts because they each played so well for other teams, the Braves and Red Sox, respectively. Again I'd only known about them for reasons just mentioned, some because they'd both played in, and won, previous World Series. I watched none of any of them, but again it is hard not to pick up the things that get out there about them in those instances. One more note: Obviously in watching Chiefs games and picking up some of the things that do happen with the team, I do know which players were drafted and which were not. I have at times in April peeked in to see who the Chiefs did draft.)

Furthermore it may go without saying that the reason I contrasted the Chiefs and the Dodgers was because recently both teams have been so wildly successful, and this is a Chiefs blog effort with some input about how it'd be nice if these sports efforts, which I do enjoy in and of themselves, would heed the principles elucidated in that 101st Psalm. It is because they don't and things like the gambling thing are so prominent that I do indeed scale back my sports attention to zero as much as it is within me to do so. As I've shared before, I do enjoy watching Chiefs games, but that is pretty much it. I can't help but see other things about them, much like I can't help but catch some things about the Dodgers. Of course I can't stand the patently stupid things that presently occur in the NFL and MLB, so I try my best to abstain. Because I've followed these sports things for so long and so passionately, my mental radar can't help but register some of them no matter how much I very intentionally stay away from most of it.)

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