It is that time of the year again.

Well it is that time again. Right now as I write this it is 10:00 Sunday night here in Korea, while back in the states they are getting ready for the Kansas City Chiefs season to get underway. How I wish that I could be there to watch the season opener against the Jet there at Arrowhead. I have been to several games at Arrowhead and possibly I'm a little biased but there isn't a better place to watch a football game. If you look in the picture you will see a wave of red. Not one other teams colors will you see among the 80,000 fans that pack every single seat. With the way the stadium is built it holds the sound inside better than any other stadium even the ones inside. It has been as loud as 116 decibels, which is louder than a jet taking off. They say that the official scoreboard operator cannot tell the crowd to be louder or they will fine the Chiefs...well as you can see by this sign that never stops them. I have seen several teams play against the Chiefs and when the opposition goes into the huddle the noise begins and doesn't stop until the play is over only to start back up again. I have sat all over the stadium from lower level about 20 rows back right at the goal line to upper level last seat in our section and there isn't a bad seat in the joint.
The thrill begins at the National Anthem singing before the game. Everyone sings and when they get to the last line "...and the home of the brave." All the fans replace the word brave with a deep and loud "CHIEFS". After a touchdown or a field goal, the crowd has a little chant that they all do. It goes something like this.. "Hey...Hey...We're gonna beat the heck outa you...you...you...you...you...you." Something you have to be there to actually experience.
The reason I became a Chiefs fan was as simple as any other. We used to live in Kansas City before we moved to L.A. I think I would have been in about the 6th or 7th grade. Probably didn't know anything about football. But My dad took me to two Raider v. Chiefs games. I still don't remember who won those games but I was enthralled by the atmosphere. The smells, the yelling, the games itself. Even to this day the Chiefs tailgaters are usually are the winners of "The Best Taigaters In The NFL" It's hard to describe the sensation when you have to park about a mile away from the stadium, but you don't mind because of all the barbecues that are up and cooking. And usually those that are doing the cooking are more than nice enough to share their bounty. Add the fact that they are the best to the fact that one of the things that Kansas City is known for is their incredible barbecue sauce and skills, and you will have smells and tastes that you can not get anywhere else in the world. The fans are also in one unit usually, meaning they are friendly and eager to please. This picture of a tailgater is on the grass a long way from the stadium but you should still be able to make out the lights of Arrowhead in the background. Multiply this picture times the 80,000 fans and you will begin to see what I am talking about.
Now the players: When I went to my first game the quarterback was Bill Kenny #9 the teams were horrible I think they would go 4-10 or something like that every year. Quarterbacks would come and go and we would end up getting the greatest ever in a trade. Joe Montana was ours for a few years. My mouth dropped when I heard the news. We also had Rich Gannon and Dave Kreig. Now we have the best offense in the NFL. Led by Trent Green, Tony Gonzales, Priest Holmes, Dante Hall and Larry Johnson. This year 2005 is the best on paper that I have ever seen. Add that to the fact that the coach is Dick Vermeil, and my expectations are very high.

Well, now that you have heard my feelings about the chiefs maybe you can understand my attraction towards them. I know not everyone is going to read this whole thing, but for me and the people that care about me you have to understand my obsession about them. I use to get physically ill when they would lose. I also would go and buy something with a Chiefs emblem on it every week of the season, thinking that that would help the boys in red win that week. Now I have grown up, a little bit, and just enjoy the game. I still try and find a way to watch all the games. Now that I'm in Korea, I have offered my students extra credit if they will record a game and bring it in the next day. I also will at least find a computer and listen to the game on the 101.1 "The Fox" radio station. There are a few problems with the games over here. One is the fact that the game is taking place at 2:00 in the morning Korean time. The second is that when a Monday night game happens in the states, it is Tuesday morning, and the temptation to check the score is great, but I even threaten the students with failure if they tell me the score, because the game is recorded and then shown on AFN that evening and I want to watch it not knowing the outcome. So far two football seasons and still doing fine. Gets hard but I will manage. Go Chiefs beat those jets this weekend. Always makes the week go by even better with a win to start it off with.