Uno mas.........

VICTOR, NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

We get it. You had a great time in Mehico.  We too love Mehico, but, 30+ days of a blog about mostly everything Espanol, enough is enough.

One more for the road?

"One more job oughta get it
One last shot, then we quit it
One more for the road"

NO, huh uh, stop, stymie halt, don't go there, don't pass Go, no collecty two hunnerd dolla (or pesos damnit).

How 'bout them Chiefs!  There. That'll work.  It seems, at least for us old farts in, around Kansas City.. anytime a conversation turns ugly (politics, arguing over whether or not a putt was a gimme, tenseness amongst friends, "Howabout those Chiefs" changes the yuck mood, lightens things up.

Ahm, Victor?

Yes?

Not everyone here is a Chief's fan.

But (Victor, you can't start a sentence with BUT.. nor, can/should you put ketchup on a hot dog)..  BUT... I know that three of the four of you who read this ARE Chief's fans.....

I give up.

Not me!  "One more job oughta get it

One last shot, then we quit it
One more for the road"

Victor, are you doing the Lido Shuffle?  Mebbe.  OK, tell us one more, but, just one more story about the Chiefs.....

Cool, and thank you.  I was half listening, half watching traffic when I heard the Sport's talk guys talking about how all the teams the Chiefs have played en route to the Super Bowl have WAY MORE top 20 Draft choices than the Chiefs.  In fact, I think Mahomes might be the only one that starts for them.

This morning, after daily routine of, eye's opening, pee, making coffee, getting my butt stomped in Wordle by a niece..... I read a KC Star article by Vahe Gregorian. A really (to me) wonderful article about "What resonated was the shattering losses and tribulations that had formed and fueled them."

Heck, if you think back to where the Chiefs were when Andy Reid got here.  The last thing that happened, a player shot, killed his girlfriend... then took his own life in the Arrowhead parking lot.

Geez Louise.

The bonded quilt.

Yesterday, the blog was about the young man, now on the coaching staff.. had his right arm amputated at age 16.  I think most are aware, one of Coach Reid's sons died of an accidental heroin overdose just before his arrival in KC.

Isiah Pacheco... while in high school, his brother was murdered.  Nineteen months later, same fate for his sister. Days after her funeral he insisted on playing in a game.. he rushed for 222 yards, and had a 79 yard punt return for a TD.  From Vahe's article “I did this for my sister …” he told the South Jersey Times after the game. “I’ll probably go home and have a nice cry later. I’ll probably cry myself to sleep tonight.”

Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed grew up in chaos.  Both parents imprisoned for most of his childhood, he was raised by his two older brothers, most of all his oldest, TQ Harrison, 9 years his senior.  Three years ago, TQ was fatally stabbed.  Look for "Long live TQ" taped on Sneed's wrist tomorrow.

In 2014, at age 14, defensive end George Karlaftis's father passed away unexpectedly. In Greece, where George was born, raised.  To be closer to more family, his mom took him and sibs to live in Indiana in the US.  New Country.  New language.  No father, age 14.  Wow.

Long-snapper James Winchester's father was shot in 2017 by a coworker while working on an airline ramp in Oklahoma City.  Day later, Winchester played in a game for the Chiefs.  Vahe had interviewed him shortly after, wrote "Leaning on his Christian faith, he also spoke of embracing forgiveness, lest he “breed hate.

Linebacker Drue Tranquill has faced paralyzing negative thoughts most of his life, career.  With much assistance, he's learned to avoid the "What if" things go awry and instead embraces the here an now.  Long road to get there.

Linebacker Nick Bolton, as a child, watched both his sister and his mother prevail from cancer. Vage wrote Bolton said “kind of lets you know you have no excuses” and his mother’s positivity has been a prevailing “beacon.”

Wide receiver Justin Watson plays to the ilk of "There are no bad days." From Vahe's article - It’s a term and a concept inspired by his older brother, Tommy, who was born with cerebral palsy, and the realization that Tommy would do anything to have his opportunities.  “Man,” Watson said, “if Tommy had one day in my shoes, he would run until he passed out. Until his feet were bleeding. Until he threw up. And as soon as he could do it again, he would.”

Defensive back Trent McDuffie was randomly assigned #22 when he went to Washington to play in college.  Ironically, that was the number his brother Tyler wore.  Tyler died from heart complications when Trent was 13.  When Trent arrived to play for the Chiefs, Juan Thornhill wore #22.  He left after the 2022 season, thus, Trent now dons #22 in honor of his brother.  If you'll watch the game Sunday, look for Trent to do 'his pregame ritual' on the 22 yard line, in honor of Tyler.

Sure, there are stories, hardships in every locker room known to man.  Just seems, for KC, it's an amount that's nearly inordinate.  They all chipped in, it's brought them to...:

“My confidence comes from my hardships.”....   A lot of guys, “who are very comfortable with being uncomfortable.”............“We’ve been through it all, the collective feeling of this team is, ‘We’ve got each other.’ ”Trauma helped mold me."....   "We've got fire, man." One mentioned something akin to "there's always someone worse off “So there’s just so many blessings that we draw from, so many positives, it’s hard to stay down.”

Vahe ended his article with "Including the blessing of being locked arm-in-arm with others who’ve contended with so much, and channeling that on the field."

Good luck to both teams... and here's hoping for an injury free game...

Love, Victurd