Howe In The World: A Little Football Talk, Since It’s April And All
April 27, 2019 at 3:51 a.m.
Howe In The World: A Little Football Talk, Since It’s April And All
By Mark Howe-
As a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs (having grown up an hour west of Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums) it’s been a rugged time. I can’t help but wonder if Kareem Hunt’s behavior didn’t cost the Chiefs a Super Bowl, and it seems like every time I bring up a website, even Facebook, there’s something new to hear about Tyreek Hill.
Now, I can say with a clear conscience that I don’t get too wrapped up in my teams the way some fans do. Between working around elite athletes at KU?(I worked as an usher, ticket taker and eventually event security for about eight seasons) and a career as a journalist, I’ve seen enough to not pin so much hope on things well out of my control. Even the toughest of losses, and I’m on my way to getting over it in an hour or so.
Being around here for the bulk of Peyton Manning’s career, I saw a lot of what he could do. I have similar hopes for Patrick Mahomes.
I was so fired up at the prospect of the Chiefs having a legitimate shot at playing in the Super Bowl, even with the New England BilliBradyots as the opposition.
There is an easy case to be made that having a player with Hunt’s skill set on the field would have made a difference in the AFC Championship game.
By cutting Hunt, it’s possible it cost the Chiefs a shot at a ring.
So be it.
And if the Chiefs never get within a sniff of another conference title game (Dan Marino only got that far three times, and got to Super Bowl XIX) that will have to be OK.
Once the Chiefs find out Hill will be suspended by the NFL, (and that should be a no-brainer) they have no choice but to cut him.
No one believes in second chances more than I do. As a recipient of several, I know the change required is more than modified behavior. It takes a change of heart and a desire stronger than the need to take in oxygen to pursue being the person one truly wants to be.
It’s not easy. If it was, everyone would do it.
I don’t believe in giving up on people. But there does come a point where it’s time to let someone else step up and provide the help. The Chiefs need to let someone else help Hill; but if he doesn’t see the issues for himself, then he can’t outrun his issues, regardless of his foot speed.
And on a lighter side, I favor a change to the NFL overtime rule that allows both teams to possess the ball, even in the regular season.
Since a regular-season overtime is now 10 minutes, my position is that the team with the second possession get it until they’re done, even if the clock expires. After 10 minutes, the downs become untimed. Obviously, in the playoffs, the clock isn’t really an issue.
Opponents say “if you can’t get a stop on the first possession, you don’t deserve to win.”
Really?
In Super Bowl LI against Atlanta, how many overtime stops did New England have to get to win the game? In January’s AFC title game, how many stops did the Patriots need in OT?
I’ll give you a hint: the answer in both cases rhymes with bun, pun, fun, run, gun, done, and is less than one. If you insist on a number, the digit rhymes with hero and Nero.
The NFL rules have been geared toward offense for decades, more so to maintain vital television ratings. If you’re going to require a defensive stop, require it of all teams, not just those fortunate enough to win a coin toss.
The Patriots scored with 39 seconds left in regulation of the AFC title game, and took the lead. Thirty-one seconds later, the Chiefs tied the game on second down. Maybe with another 20 seconds, Kansas City wins in regulation. New England didn’t get a stop then, and because of a coin flip, they didn’t need one to win once the game got into overtime.
And once spring gets here to stay, I’ll hold off on the football talk!
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As a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs (having grown up an hour west of Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums) it’s been a rugged time. I can’t help but wonder if Kareem Hunt’s behavior didn’t cost the Chiefs a Super Bowl, and it seems like every time I bring up a website, even Facebook, there’s something new to hear about Tyreek Hill.
Now, I can say with a clear conscience that I don’t get too wrapped up in my teams the way some fans do. Between working around elite athletes at KU?(I worked as an usher, ticket taker and eventually event security for about eight seasons) and a career as a journalist, I’ve seen enough to not pin so much hope on things well out of my control. Even the toughest of losses, and I’m on my way to getting over it in an hour or so.
Being around here for the bulk of Peyton Manning’s career, I saw a lot of what he could do. I have similar hopes for Patrick Mahomes.
I was so fired up at the prospect of the Chiefs having a legitimate shot at playing in the Super Bowl, even with the New England BilliBradyots as the opposition.
There is an easy case to be made that having a player with Hunt’s skill set on the field would have made a difference in the AFC Championship game.
By cutting Hunt, it’s possible it cost the Chiefs a shot at a ring.
So be it.
And if the Chiefs never get within a sniff of another conference title game (Dan Marino only got that far three times, and got to Super Bowl XIX) that will have to be OK.
Once the Chiefs find out Hill will be suspended by the NFL, (and that should be a no-brainer) they have no choice but to cut him.
No one believes in second chances more than I do. As a recipient of several, I know the change required is more than modified behavior. It takes a change of heart and a desire stronger than the need to take in oxygen to pursue being the person one truly wants to be.
It’s not easy. If it was, everyone would do it.
I don’t believe in giving up on people. But there does come a point where it’s time to let someone else step up and provide the help. The Chiefs need to let someone else help Hill; but if he doesn’t see the issues for himself, then he can’t outrun his issues, regardless of his foot speed.
And on a lighter side, I favor a change to the NFL overtime rule that allows both teams to possess the ball, even in the regular season.
Since a regular-season overtime is now 10 minutes, my position is that the team with the second possession get it until they’re done, even if the clock expires. After 10 minutes, the downs become untimed. Obviously, in the playoffs, the clock isn’t really an issue.
Opponents say “if you can’t get a stop on the first possession, you don’t deserve to win.”
Really?
In Super Bowl LI against Atlanta, how many overtime stops did New England have to get to win the game? In January’s AFC title game, how many stops did the Patriots need in OT?
I’ll give you a hint: the answer in both cases rhymes with bun, pun, fun, run, gun, done, and is less than one. If you insist on a number, the digit rhymes with hero and Nero.
The NFL rules have been geared toward offense for decades, more so to maintain vital television ratings. If you’re going to require a defensive stop, require it of all teams, not just those fortunate enough to win a coin toss.
The Patriots scored with 39 seconds left in regulation of the AFC title game, and took the lead. Thirty-one seconds later, the Chiefs tied the game on second down. Maybe with another 20 seconds, Kansas City wins in regulation. New England didn’t get a stop then, and because of a coin flip, they didn’t need one to win once the game got into overtime.
And once spring gets here to stay, I’ll hold off on the football talk!
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