You Got That Right! THEN AGAIN

You Got That Right! THEN AGAIN…

You’re so sure of yourself. You think you know what’s going to happen. You’re more jazzed about your team than you can ever recall. You go to training camp and can see the changes right before your eyes. You hail the new talent and post your positive opinion online and then again… you realize you could be wrong.

I’m sure it’s happened to all of us. I’m sure this happens to the owners of NFL teams too. They make decisions every offseason and while the rest of us question what they’re doing, I’m certain they believe they’re making all the right moves.

Are the Oakland Raiders Still the Kansas City Chiefs Main Rival?

I have to say the answer to that one… at this moment in time… is no. That dubious distinction would go to the Denver Broncos until the Raiders beat up the Chiefs on a regular basis and win a few division titles in a row or jump up and snag a Lombardi as they’re rolling over Andy and the boys.

The Raiders  and the Chiefs used to rule the division and their battles are legendary. However, we are talking about a decade ago that any of their games had consequence. Prior to the time Dick Vermeil was coach, Marty Schottenheimer had some good battles when Art Shell was coach but in the late 1990s the Raiders were not good at all and we can say the same thing about the Chiefs during most of the 70s and 80s. So… saying the Chiefs hold the Raiders out to be their main rivals in the division doesn’t seem to hold water because the 1960’s were more than a few decades ago.

Then again…

I have more Raider-Hater feelings for them than I do any other team in the history of the Chiefs organization.

Does the amount of money NFL referees are making have anything to do with their performance?

I don’t know how you would determine that but, it does seem clear to me that the referee’s performance is not improving in 2016 while their pay is essentially remaining the same. From reference.com,

“NFL officials can make from $2,500 to $3,000 per game. First year officials make $90,000, veteran officials make $205,000 and the average salary is $173,000. From 2012 through 2013, the average salary was $149,000. At the time, first year officials made $50,000 and the veterans made $160,000. During the 2019 NFL season, officials will receive a pay raise. The average salary will be increased to $187,000, with rookies making $90,000 and veterans making $230,000.”

It’s hard to understand why referees, the people who are majorly responsible for deciding every game, aren’t paid as much as the lowest players are paid in the league. Is that the reason that the games don’t seem to be called with as much consistency this year? Perhaps but, making sure the part of the game that football is built on… good officiating… is taken care of, is foundational.

Then again…

I’ve been teaching for 39 years and will never make what the lowest paid referee will make in his first year. You at least think a starting teacher’s salary would be more than an NFL Waterboy who makes $53,000/year.

Knock on wood, the Chiefs are on the good side of the injury ledger.

I don’t know if you’ve heard or not but Justin Houston has been cleared for football. He may still be on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list but that is a huge news as the season begin its second quarter. In other positive injury-related news, the offensive line looks like it may be back at full strength. Whether or not that will make any difference in Alex Smith’s feeling more comfortable in the pocket remains to be seen. We know that the Chiefs line is not one of the league’s best, even when they’re healthy but it’s another one of those unknowns we’re all waiting to see on. Following is a list of the Chiefs and Raiders injury reports:

With more players going straight into the “concussion protocol” and the way teams are reporting injuries from week to week… it appears there are more injuries to players than ever before. One-quarter of the teams in the league are reporting 10 or more injuries and while I don’t have data to back up my perception, that seems like an increase from years past.

Then again…

Maybe I’m losing my eyesight.

Maybe throwback jersey games should include more throwbacks.

If teams are going to use the often hideous jerseys that players are forced to wear… and fans are forced to watch… they should include throwbacks like prices for seats and parking. How about playing the game under throwback rules? Wouldn’t it be great to see stick-em all over the WRs hands again? How about filming the games in black-n-white and maybe using helmets like this one.

Then again…

That game of football… is not this game of football.

QB of the future could be found in the 2016 draft

Living in Dallas has not been fun for this Chiefs fan. It has even gotten worse this year with the rise of a rookie QB: one Dak Prescott. As Tony Romo awaits his return to the field Dak Prescott has caused a legitimate conflict among fans who want Dak to remain the starter. Do I care? Not in the least. However, Prescott is a player the Chiefs could have taken in the 2016 draft. Five times. Not only did general manager John Dorsey get outdueled on draft day for the services of Paxton Lynch by his rival in John Elway but his team missed out on selecting Dak Prescott five times before he was picked 135th overall. On top of that Dorsey has released his 3rd round pick and 74th overall, DB KeiVarae Russell so it hurts more when you miss so completely on a pick… twice. Once by taking Russell and once by not taking Prescott. I guess when the Chiefs area scouts vetted Dak they just didn’t believe the courts who acquitted him of a DUI ticket he’d received.

Then again…

That kind of behavior is not something the organization is willing to take a chance on. Anyway… they took QB Kevin Hogan 162nd overall so he could end up their QB of the future. Well, of the Browns future.