FOUR DAYS UNTIL SUPER BOWL LVII (FOUR minute warning)

FOUR days until exultation or misery.  Remember, each team has a 53 man roster plus another 16 practice squad players. That's 2,070 players who will be sitting at home watching the game on TV.  Since Super Bowl #1, teams in Cleveland, Detroit, Houston have never been. Twelve teams have never won a Super Bowl, the four above and the Cardinals, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Bengals, Chargers, Vikings and Titans.

We've won TWO, and this is our THIRD Super Bowl in FOUR years! Pinch my small market epidermis!

FOUR minute warning. Blogging goals for me: keep you awake; occasionally read something where you'll think "I didn't know that."; have a splash of 'coming from leftfield; and hopefully, bring a laugh or two.

FOUR minute stories of KC Chiefs.

Uno: I wanted to play quarterback in the NFL so bad I could taste it . Undrafted, six tryouts (Giants, Packers, Jaguars, Cowboys, Jets and Vikings) ended in no, no, no, no, no, no. So, for the next six years I drug my family with me to living in FOUR different cities as arena league quarterback. My goal then became putting football in my past. At age 30, it was time for a real job.

A buddy of mine convinced Steve Wisdom, the owner of a new home construction company, to interview me for new home sales. It was shortly after the 2008 housing crash, Wisdom admitted later he was fighting to save employees he already had, not wanting to add new ones. "You're asking me for a role you have zero experience, hundreds others want this job, how can you possibly make the case it would make sense to hire you? I told him I would outwork and outhustle anyone in the company. I told him I'd do everthing I could to become one of the sales leaders. We hit it off. I think deep down he worried I might go back to football, but he offered me $100,000 a year, no commission.

This guy spent four months in training, sold four houses in the first six weeks and was off and running, as promised. Nine months later, his phone rang. Andy Reid, head coach of the Eagles, offering a full time assistant coaching position at a salary of, gulp, $45,000. After conversing with his wife (oh to be a birdie on the window sill to eavesdrop on that one!) he called Wisdom apologetically, Wisdom replied "Matt, you're a man of integrity, go chase your dream."

That he did. Even though Coach Reid was fired the next year, he brought me with him when he went to KC. In a few years I was hired to be the Head Coach of the Chicago Bears. In three years there we went 34-31 (12-4 the first year) but they let me go. I'm back with Andy and the Chiefs, living the dream as quarterback coach to the best QB in the NFL! Hi, I'm Matt Nagy.

Dos: This one is only FOUR'ty seconds. This guy, at the University of Delaware, handed off to me and passed to me as he was QB and I was running back/wide receiver/returner. Come to think of it, with all the injured returners, naybe the GM would consider me? Who are we? Home salesman/QB coach Matt Nagy and 'returner'/GM Brett Veach!

Tres: Another FOUR'ty second diddy. Hi. I was born in Long Beach, CA. Three different people gave me names....well, I guess FOUR if you count my mom. Snoop Dogg, yep, THE Snoop Dog was my pee wee football coach. I was the number two rated  (nationwide) wide receiver out of high school, went to USC, and I'm proud of some things I did early in the NFL. I was the youngest player ever, and I was the youngest player ever to score a touchdown! In my third year I passed Randy Moss becoming the youngest wide receiver to reach 2,500 receiving yards. My mom named me John Sherman Smith,my aunt called me Ju-Ju, it stuck. Snoop called me "Sportscenter" In college I legally changed my last name to Smith-Schuster in honor of my stepfather who raised me. I'm JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Cuatro: The FOUR oldest players on the team? Back-up QB Chad Henne is 37, and DE Carlos Dunlop, TE Travis Kelce and OL Brandon Williams are all 33.

Cinco: In honor of Wordle, all these players have five letters in their name: Brown, Clark, Danna, Henne, Jones, Jones, Kelce, Moore, Smith, Sneed, Toney, Wylie, Amadi, Reiter, Franks.

Seis: While it's not my personal creed, both starting QB's have played with my butt. I was the Center at Oklahoma when Jalen Hurts was the QB, and of course now it's me and Patrick. I'm Creed Humphrey.

Seiti: Your Super Fan (Edp445) is creepier than our Super Fan. The 31-year-old  Eagle fan was detained by police and eventually arrested in June of 2020 for suspicion of child grooming and pedophilia but it is unclear if he ever served jail time. (and again in 2022.) All our fan, Xavier Babudar, who is known as a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan who dresses up as a wolf to attend home and road games did was rob a bank. On Dec. 16, police arrested Babudar in Bixby, Okla. at 10:15 a.m. and charged him with numerous offenses, including armed robbery. Babudar was suspected of robbing the Tulsa Teachers Credit Union in the town earlier that morning.

Ocho: Me and my size 17 shoes left Nigeria, bound for Edgewood, Alabama when I was 16 years old. I'd watched film of NBA greats like Lebron - and my goal was to play basketball in the NBA and send funds back to provide for my family in Nigeria.

Thankfully, I was invited to live with Edgewood HS basketball coach Todd Taylor and family. They met me at the airport. I didn't have much, They started toward the bag claim but I told them my backpack was all I had. Inside that backpack was one change of clothes, a Nigerian passport and a student visa, a few family photographs, a bible gifted me by mother, and $20 cash I'd converted from my country's depressed naira currency. Oh, I had an old, dead Nokia phone that wouldn't work with any of the US chargers. It went dead on my 18-hour flight, with connections through Amsterdam, New York and Atlanta, it became trash.

Because of my prior schooling, they elevated me one year in school. Basketball was OK, but I didn't excel fast enough for me. One day a buddy and I were watching football practice and we were tossing a football around. The coach walked over, asked me if I wanted to tryout, "It'll be a good way to stay in shape until basketball season," so I did. They didn't have any size 17 cleats so I ran the 40 in hi-tops. I ran a 4.62 and they told me that was pretty good. They liked my size too. I was 6'7", 225..

Thanks to some soccer skills honed back home as a kid, they had me kickoff too.I made a lot of tackles on kickoffs because I guess kids feared getting in my way. I played defensive end and I guess I did OK. Coach sent game films to college coaches, and before I knew it, I had over 30 offers. Schools like Auburn, Kentucky, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Ohio State, Notre Dame and many others. The Taylors had a map on the wall, they'd put red pins in to show me where the schools were.

My Senior year I broke my leg pretty bad in January playing basketball. Some schools backed off their offers but thankfully Auburn Coach Malzahn stuck with me, as did the Taylors did too. I did end up at Auburn and I switched to offense, starting three years at left tackle. Some team named the Eagles (haha) drafted me in 2020. Five days after they let me go on January 11, 2021 the Chiefs picked me up and I've been here ever since. Sadly, my mom passed my sophomore year in college so she didn't get to see me reach my dream. My name is Prince Tega Wanogho.

FOUR days! I'm not out of stories but, I don't know what comes after ocho in Spanish so I gotta go.

Love, Victurd

Dallas to KC to 64068 to FIVE Days to Super Bowl LVII

An itch to move. In 1962, after three successful seasons as the Dallas Texans, Lamar Hunt sought to move them to a City they could call their own, but not too far of a commute to his Dallas home. Enter KC Mayor H. Roe Bartle and a promise of "We'll sell 25,000 season tickets if you move here. " Hands were shook, Bartle organized 100+ KC business leaders to "Go. Sell season tickets. We don't know the team name yet, but go. Sell."

Hunt and Stram wanted to call the team The Kansas City Texans, but thanfully they agreed to a fan "Name the team" contest a fan suggested "Chiefs" in honor of Bartle, a nickname he derived in his role as as Scout Executive of both the St. Joe and KC Boy Scout Councils. Bartle not only founded 'the Red Coaters' (the sales guys) he'd also founded the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.

Say, May 22, 1963, THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS moved to KC. High FIVE!

At first, they came to the FIVE digit zip, 64068 (Liberty, MO, William Jewell College) for the next 27 years.

If you don't mind, please allow this blog writer to veer off 71 Bypass to remember, "Holy crap, it was the time of my life!"

As a kid, running up and down the hill from Brown Gym to the practice fields to garner scads of autographs that I have no idea where they are today. Pristinely manicured fields, HUGE, loud, dirty, sweaty men. A goalpost in the middle of the nearby baseball field, exclusively for Jan Stenerud. Pre leash law days, I remember the embarrassment of my hound dog, Brownie, chewing on the left buttcheek of EJ Holub as he pounded the blocking sled with his right arm, shoulder while at the same time swatting Brownie with his left arm.

Playing racquetball, a knock on the door, "Mr. Stram would like to play now." I remember seeing Curly Culp and (I think John Gilliam) goofing around, wrestling in the basement of Brown and a huge, heavy welding tank falling on Culp's foot. He limped upstairs, KC Star would report "Culp to miss Chargers game after injuring his foot in practice."

Me. as a 21 year old, Corner Bar.. I remember a player across the bar from backup QB Pete Beathard hollering "Pete, grab me some peanuts." He obliged, started to walk them to the guy, guy said "Just throw 'em." "Nah," Pete answered, "someone would probably intercept 'em."

Living 2 houses from WJC, I remember huge, fancy cars going up the hill of our 25mph street at breakneck speeds (60-ish?) nightly at 9;55pm in effort to make their 10pm curfew.

Sorry, kinda. Got sidetracked on all those hills, one-way streets of 64068. We were lucky, We were the real life football version of The Sandlot.

FIVE days. Who are your FIVE all-time favorite Kansas City Chiefs?  Tough one. There are 22 Hall of Famers.

Bobby Bell, Dawson, DT, Mahomes, Taylor.... maybe, (for me anyways).. but SO many good ones. Your top FIVE?

Who's #5 this year? Tommy (please get the laces right) Townsend.

How many different players have played for the Chiefs? I tried every search engine known to man and could not find the answer. I started counting them one-by-one alphabetically, fell asleep somewhere around 375 (I was in the last name E's). Sorry, kinda. I can tellya, between Husain Abdullah and Frank Zombo, A LOT.

I can tell you the numbers 3, 16, 18, 24, 28, 33, 36, 58, 63, 78 and 86 are retired.

Speaking of naps, I'm gonna lay down for FIVE.

Love, Victurd

(One more, but bear in mind it's R-rated. Early in Chief's history, Lamar smartly coaxed one more preseason game to fill coffers, an intrasquad game using mostly rookies, the Chiefs against the Chiefs labeling it, The Milgram Grocery Bowl. One innovation, prior to days of dump buttons, came the idea to 'mike up' the QB. Rookie Sandy Stevens was selected. Things were going well, we, with our transitors were enjoying - then, Stevens dropped back to pass, he was smashed to smithereens by a behemoth defensive end... they huddled up for the next play -Stevens was irate, looked his lineman in the eyes and screamed WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE BLOCKING THAT 'MF'N (oops) #99?", legible to all us little Brylcreemers listening about the City. It reminded me of the time Cowboy Bob's radio show had ended, but he forgot to turn off the mike, exclaiming "There, that oughta please the little bastards."

Gorgeous Days and Mondays Always Think First Down.... (SIX days!)

SIX, six days until Super Bowl.  

Yesterday, local news teams gathered on the tarmac in KC to watch the American Conference Champion Kansas City Chiefs be on their way to Phoenix for Super Bowl LVII. A few hours later, reporters were on the other end - the plane rolled in, Captain had his front 'driver's side' window open, an he was proudly waving a Chief's Kingdom flag for all to see. Hail To The Chiefs, and the Chief of the Chiefs as Andy Reid led the charge down the stairs. One by one, he, all the staff members, and 53 players stopped to shake the hand of Chief's great, Christian Okoye who was there to greet them.

Now, as we Kansas Citians roll outta bed to take on the week, so do our buddies in Phoenix. For many players, their first, maybe only trip to play in the Super Bowl.... Oft times we ask friends, acquaintances "How ya doin'?", they reply "Livin' the dream", so, so true for this group of 53 this week, as well as for the Eagles. Mother Nature affords us in KC a Phoenix-like day (high of 63) so we can dream right along with them.

SIX days. Meantime, let's {let's is a contraction meaning 'let us', but only if ya wanna continue reading), let's take a look at how all this (The Kansas City Chiefs) started.

Long ago and far away (SIXty-four years ago, Dallas, Texas) 27 year old oil tycoon Lamar Hunt tried to purchase the NFL Chicago Cardinals with the perceived intent to move them to Dallas - but the Cardinals only agreed to sell 20% - Lamar declined - thus, he tried to convince the NFL to allow him to start an expansion franchise in Dallas. Nope, the NFL awarded another Texas oil guy, Clint Murchison, thus, a 1960 "Welcome to the NFL, Dallas Cowboys.

Hunt then had other ideas, "If the American and National League work in baseball, why can't it in Football?" He, and yet another Texas oil guy, Bud Adams -met, and together they sought and found SIX additional investors and BOOM, the AFL was formed. Most thought they were nutso, thus, they became the self proclaimed 'Foolish Club.'

Hunt's Dallas Texans, precursor to the Chiefs, were born. Yeah but, we need a coach - Lamar went after Oklahoma's coach Bud Wilkinson, "nope, staying at Oklahoma." Then, he eyeballed the highly respected NY Giant offensive coordinator, Tom Landry - "thanks, I'm appreciative, but I'm accepting the (NFL) Dallas Cowboy job."

Hunt then nabbed obscure, but successful University of Miami assistant, Hank Stram.  Both Dallas teams would play their games at the Cotton Bowl. Oddly, if you wanna call Roswell, New Mexico odd, Hunt's Dallas Texans trained there at the New Mexico Military Institute that first year.

Batting heads with the Dallas Cowboys. Mr. Hunt was a promoter, had to be, the NFL was ingrained to the US, thus, "what's this AFL thing?", he had to work harder, faster - he did. The Texans offered discounted tickets at Department stores and Airline offices.. some tickets were given away at certain gas stations for filling up.. they even stuffed some tickets in helium filled balloons and let them go about the City. Occasionally the Cowboys played on Friday nights and when they did the Texans would encourage folks to go to a Friday night high school game, save the ticket stub and show it for free admission to the Sunday Texan's game.

The Cowboys countered by offering halftime entertainment, including the likes of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.  Not much went right for the Cowboys that inaugural season as they went 0-11 and one tie. If it weren't for bad luck... They brought in Ward Bond, ye of Wagon Train fame to appear at a halftime show for a game between the Rams and the Cowboys, but he had a massive, fatal heart attack at an area Dallas hotel.

On the field, things went much better for the Texans that first year, finishing 8-6.   Fans paid $4 for a reserved seat, $2 for general admission, and students could get in for 90 cents. (A quick fast forward to today, the Chief's franchise is valued at 3.7 BILLION dollars.) That first year, the Texans would average 24,500 in attendance (compared to 21,417 for the Cowboys) and a record 51,000 came to their first preseason game against Houston.

Lamar and General Manager Jack Steadman shrewdly filled their rosters with players from Texas, and in 1961, both the Texans and the Cowboys drafted EJ Holub, purported to be the best college player in the draft and he signed with Lamar and the Texans.

Although the Texans 'outrecorded' (Dat a word? Should be!) Even though the Texans 'outrecorded' the Cowboys 25-17 to 9-28-3 the first three seasons - including finishing 11-3 the third year, beating the Houston Oilers on National TV to become the AFL Champs - Lamar deducted, while Texas is huge, Dallas couldn't support two professional football teams. He looked to move them somewhere like Atlanta or Miami for the following season. NO LAMAR!! DON'T DO IT!!

SIX, count 'em, SIX days.

Victor?/ Yes? You wrote a damn blog on SIX and football and there is ZERO mention of a SIX point touchdown?

Oh OK.  The very first touchdown for the Texans-Chiefs-Mellencamps was on September 10, 1960 on a pass from Cotton Davidson to Chris Burford... and the most recent was a week ago from King Patrick to Marquez-Valdes-Scantling.

I might bore you with more tomorrow if I don't have a SIX pack tonight, and if I get at least SIX hours sleep.

By Henry Gibson          Forward by SIXto Lezcano

Love, Victurd

Seven anxious days makes one week.

7 days until the Super Bowl. At 5:30pm Central this coming Sunday, hopefully we will have won the toss and our present day #7, Harrison Butkicker will drill the ball well over the head of the return man and out of the end zone.

Victor, I wonder who else has worn #7 as a Chief?

I thought you'd never ask, thanks: Zenon (Mr. Sajak I'd like to buy a vowel) Andrusyshyn, Matt Cassel, and John Huarte, to name a few..

Lucky 7's in the draft? Fer sure in fact we had three 7-round pics that are playing extensively this year, Isiah Pacheco, Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson.

Anything else insteresting about #7 and the Chiefs?'... Well, in their 7th year as the Kansas City Chiefs they had a pretty good year. It was 1969. They finished the regular season 11-3, Lenny got hurt, Mike Livingston stepped to play in SEVEN games - winning the six he started. Post season they traveled to NY to defeat Mr. Namath and the defending Super Bowl Champs 13-6, thanks in large part to a 4th quarter TD pss to SEVENTH round draft pick, Gloster Richardson.

Traveling again, they exacted revenge on Oakland (the Raiders beat them twice in the regular season), winning 17 to SEVEN. On to Super Bowl baby! Surely they lost, the Vikings were favored by 13. Nope. KC wins 23 to SEVEN! Wow, three postseason games, allowing a total of 20 points! Many years later ESPN calls this team the SEVENTH best defense ever!

I'm liking this 7 stuff. Me too! Any more?

Well, let's checkout the top SEVEN all-time leaders.  

Passing: Lenny leads with 28,507 yards in 183 games. It won't be long until Patrick catches him as he's already passed for 24,241 yards in only 80 games! Then, it's Trent, Alex, Bill Kenney, Steve (remember my crooked pinkie!) DeBerg, and Livingston.

Rushing: Jamaal, Priest, Larry, Christian, Ed, Abner and Marcus.

Receiving: Tony, Travis, Otis, Dwayne, Tyreek, Henry and Carlos.

Scoring; Nick, Jan, Harrison, Ryan, Priest, Tony and Travis.

Stats are boring Victor. Agreed.

Howabout, SEVEN decades with the Chiefs, Lenny/Player/Broadcaster and 94 year young George Toma, already in Phoenix working on his 57th Super Bowl!

OK, I've read enough SEVENS, I'm outta here. NO!! WAIT!!

Halftime performers the first SEVEN years:

1967; The Three Stooges! Nuh uh! Uh huh! Did! U of Arizona and Grambling State bands.

1968: Grambling State Band

1969: Florida A&M and Miami area HS Bands

1970: Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Lionel Hampton and Southern U Band

1971: Southern Misssouri State Band

1972: Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Channing, Al Hirt and USMC Drill Team

1973: U of Michigan Band, Woody Herman and Andy Williams

The times, they are'a changin...

Last SEVEN, I promise!

One of the below SEVEN is an imposter and has never performed at halftime - the others have:

Blues Brothers (Akroyd, Goodman, Belushi); Eagles; George Burns; New Kids on the Block, Rolling Stones; Temptations; ZZ Top

Chiefs fly to Phoenix today, no trash talk, respect, both teams.

Love, Grumpy and the rest of the SEVEN

Ho hum... to... it's gr8 the Super Bowl is only 8 days from now...

Not all that long ago I remember going out and about in KC only to see roughly every other person wearing some type of Royal's attire.  Bars, buses, ballrooms and baseball games it was a cinch you'd hear "Let's Go Royals, clap-clap, clap clap clap."

I remember how cool it was seeing the rejuvenation of young'ns to baseball... Then I remembered thinking " they're gonna take this for granted thinking 'It's gonna be like this every year' ".... Uh oh...

Fast forward to Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennell.... woe is me, we've hit bottom (and we've had some bottoms what with going from 1974 to 1988 with one, count it, one winning season. Enter Marty, then Dick.. and BOOM, in 2017 trading up seventeen spots (27 to 10) to draft one Patrick Mahomes.

Now, we go out and about in KC and see roughly every other person in Chief's get-up. Great Clips can hardly keep up with all the kid requsts for 'a Mahomes do'. Bars, buses ballrooms and ballgames it's a cinch the arms will start chopping and in unison the Chief's chant, however you spell it, will breakout.

Yawn, ho hum, it's gonna be like this every year.

Fred G Sanford might retort "Dummy! You wanna hear some names that ain't never won in the Super Bowl?"  Sure Fred, enlighten me."Dan Marino, Gale Sayers, Terrell Owens, JJ Watt, Dick Butkus, Earl Campbell, TONY GONALEZ... " OK, OK, OK, I get it!

Red, er, Fred, never one to hold back a word, added "Only 3% of the players in the NFL get to play in the Super Bowl, an did you know Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, CINCINNATI, Cleveland, Detroit, Houton Texans, Jacksonville, LA Chargers, Minnesots and Tennesse have NEVER won a Super Bowl, so don't give me that ho hum stuff."

OK, I'm excited again.

8 days. 

#8 for the Chiefs is Carlos Dunlap. He was originally drafted in 2010 and this is his first Super Bowl.

$8 would buy you a cheapie ticket to the first Super Bowl.

Nick the Kick wore #8. So did Morten Anderson and Matt Moore, remember him?

8 days, can't wait.

"You're all 8 up, dummy."

Love, Victurd

February 2nd, 2023, Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania......

Annually they gather. They either fly into the Pittsburgh Airport, rent a car and drive the remaining 79 miles - or, they come via Buses, Trains, Automobiles, or a combination therein.

Who Dey? Dey is broadcasters, sport's analysts, editors, sports show hosts, sideline reporters, podcasters, Vegas bookies, et. al., from the likes of CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPNSHRIMP, BALLYS, FANDUEL, BLEACHER REPORT, SI, 247SPORTS, THE ATHLETIC, YAHOO, and probably YIPPEE.

Why dey?

Did you like, just get here?

Ever since Lamar Hunt organized the 'Foolish Club', started the AFL, challenged the big, bad, mighty Bronko Nagurski,  Dick Butkus, THE NFL, complete with bad, bad, Jimmy Brown - and in 1967, the NFL FINALLY accepted - a ceremony has been held, the infamous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, comes out of his hole and usually faces the direction of the City he predicts to win the Super Bowl.

For instance, in 1967, within seconds, he came out, immediately faced NW (toward Green Bay), accurately forecasting their win over the SW direction, Kansas City Chiefs.

Occasionally, the wooly booger adds theatrics, like in 1969, he emerged facing NYC, holding a torch, wearing a Men's Warehouse fur coat (over his own fur coat) complete with cigar and sunglasses, with a sign taped to his front, "I guarantee it", accurately (again) forecasting Broadway Joe Namath and the Jets over the Colts.

Of course, Ole Punx has been wrong a few times. Some claim he's a genuine smartass, misses on purpose, then retires to his hole laughing his ass off, only to smoke cigs and drink Yuengling for six straight weeks.

Last year when he appeared to the media throng, there was a Ram's hat and a Bengal's hat in front of him. He initially picked the Bengal's hat, drawing cheers from the sport's crew of WKRP Cincinnati - but - he put it down, grabbed the Ram's hat and retired to his hole. Both CNN and FOX happened to be at City Hall in Cincy and they each recorded the Mayor's irate reaction, "That's bulls*it, we'll make the Rams our bit*hes." In spite of initial dogooder Cincy fury, he was shortly after voted in for a second term.

TODAY.

DRUM ROLL.

Don't do that, scares him, he won't come out.

When he did finally come out, he was wearing Donna Kelce-like half red (#87) half green (#62) jersey, he'd face KC, do a 180, face Philly, another 180, pause, and another, pause, etc, until he went back into his hole.

Soon after, he appeared wearing a Chief's #37 jersey, ran down to a pond, lowered his head in prayer in honor of Joe Delaney, then back to his hole. The next time he came out he had on a Chief's #58 jersey and he was carrying 7 sacks. Turns out, they were full of food, he ran to a nearby orphanage, dropped them off and again returned to his hole.

Reporters were drawing impatient. We think, but we're not 100% sure it was Jime Rome who said "I make too much money to stand here all day by a rodent hole."

Again Phil emerged. He was big. We ain't sure if it was stuffing, or, that he'd had a second helping of grubs. He had on a Donna Kelce-like shirt, no numbers, front half green, back half red. He had a mustache over his already wooly lip, wearing wire rim glasses, carrying a clipboard. Once again, he started doing 180's in the diection of KC, then Philly, then KC, etc,. etc. Then, gone in a flash as fast as a big man could flash - back in his hole.

Impatient sports guys impatienter by now. We think, but we're not 100% sure it was Joe Buck who said "One more trick like that, I'm outta here." We think Phil mighta heard it 'cause he stayed down there long enough to smoke couple cigs and have a Yuengling.

When he finally did come out, he was wearing a Chief's #15 jersey, wearing a headband and afuzzy toupee over his already wooly head. Lo and behold another 'Phil' emerged (we suspect it was his brother Finley) and the second 'Phil' had on a State Farm shirt, yeah, like Jake. The Mahomey-like Phil, in spite of limped grimace, tried every State Farm trick he'd tried in the commercials to impress 'Jake-Finley'.

'Jake', in spite of being amazed by Patrick's courage, finally stopped him and said "Patrick, you don't have to do all that to beat the Eagles."

WHAT? A GROUNDHOG TALKED?

Phil-Patrick limped toward his hole, remarking, "Yeah, what he said, Chiefs 34-17."

Love, Victurd

Seems Maybe I Like....... Eggs?

Well, true, I do...but goodness gracias... headed to the Piggly Wiggly soon, can I borrow five dolla's?

Blog writers, so I've heard, oft times start staring for a long time at that blank page (or, 'rabbit in a snowstorm' if you prefer) simply to try to come up with a title.

I wanted to write about my favorite word, SMILE. Right you are, I have many favorite words - words like love, emotion, compassion, butterpecanicecream, and, maybe even sex.

Being addicted to Wordle, I dorkily tried to come up with five words, spelling out the five letter word, s-m-i-l-e. You know, like:

Seems Maybe I Like...Eggs....

Or howabout Seems Maybe I Like Ears....you know, they help you learn, listen, pat your foot to music.. scratch, and they're even fun to kiss. All, make one smile.

Or maybe the last word could be Effort.... Electricity, just spent 48 hours in a 30 degree house with no electricity, oh, you could still smile - it just took more effort with a frozen face.

Seems Maybe I Like Emotion - oh baby do I... You?

Seems Maybe I Like Emissions but admit they can cause Embarrassment too. (Saw a wonderful video of an Elementary school teacher who, mid Zoom lesson, farted. Silence, then she giggled, a little girl blurted "Did she just fart?" And, loud laughter, more giggles and SMILES.)

Lotsa E words bring smile.... Employ...Energy..Encounter (Mind out of E gutter, unless it makes you smile)...

Entertain.. Enthusiasm ...Enjoy.. Everybody (a good time was had by all)... Excellence... 

And, smiles are Everywhere, like Chickenman! (Ya gotta be old and from KC to comprende that one.)

OK, tired of the E's... knew I would be, Eventually...

There ain't nuttin' in pill form you can buy at CVS or Walgreens as therapeutic as a smile. 

Kids.. Oldsters.. Buddies... Family... even Strangers - smiles open doors, hearts.

Sure, it's real hard sometimes, we all get those "leave me alone" moments...

I usedta start my day staring in the mirror at my ugly, aging, mug and wanna upchuck - no more, now I smile. A beautiful gal learnt me to. You see, I have this Edema stuff going on (there's the durn E word again.) As I glance at that mirror, there's a 'bag' of fluid under my right eye. I sleep on my right side, fluid builds up.

Where was I? Oh yeah, a beautiful gal. This gal maybe had the best smile I've ever seen. She was in Hospice, the bastard cancer. "Come see me, they give me a week, maybe two." Of course I went. There waiting was that beautiful smile, as well as a pocket of fluid around her eye from the cancer. She even apologized for it, didn't need to, I saw smile, and beauty.

Smiles are yummy. They fix much in life. They set the table for us to enjoy life. They bring hello, touch, hug, high five, fist bump, like and love.

Seems Maybe I Like Em. May we all reap, invest, enjoy the smiles of others - and neva' eva' hold ours back,

Eternal love, Victurd