Good morning, CHIEFS Kingdom and Happy Thanksgiving!!
Welcome to my favorite day of the year. Thanksgiving is my Super Bowl holiday due to the mass amount of family gathered. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles decided long ago to not grow apart as they geographically spread. A key factor was consistent reunions with the backdrop of Thanksgiving and Hays, Kansas. I simply grew up on Thanksgiving in Hays with all the extended family, and cannot picture a world without it. Very early in our relationship I made this deal point/deal with Misty: every holiday moving forward can be in San Diego (where her mom lives), Vegas (where her dad lives), or wherever, but Thanksgiving is mine and in Hays. She looked at me a tad weird, but agreed. First trip back she got it, and remains a committed ally. There is an old saying about distance making the heart grow fonder. I disagree.
From the Walters and Kingsley families, and me: Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!!
Capping the Travels (For Now)
My clan of 4 completed the travel runs with an 8 hour drive Sunday. Misty and I spent Saturday night in Iowa City, and finally caught back up with our kids right before kickoff Sunday evening. The Jamaica trip was awesome and followed by a stop in Orlando. My wedding service company is called Complete Weddings + Events, and is part of a national franchise network. The organization is another family. Instead of aunts, uncles, cousins we have peers, mentors, mentees. Like my other family there is a recognized value in getting together. There is also a purposeful intention to make it happen. Our Complete family gathers twice a year: Omaha (home office) in May, and a warm place in November. This year we met in Orlando by the Disney Springs area. The November meeting is for planning and reboot.
The planning portion is a regroup around customer and wedding trends, and also prep for the winter wedding shows right after the holidays. However, the reboot is the part I truly love and need. The wedding season starts in April, runs hard through August, and finds an extra gear in September and October. There is real annual risk of burnout among us owners and our staff. We use the November get together as a battery charge and reflection of our why. Family has an amazing and uncanny way of keeping you aligned. November usually comes not a moment too soon for me.
From Complete Nation and me: Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!!
(Never to worry – more travel tales are on deck after this)
Game Recap
The CHIEFS and Chargers played another AFC West Classic. Our CHIEFS continued the trend of and won in classic fashion. Kansas City continues the march toward statistical insanity:
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• Mahomes is now 14-0 on the road against the AFC West
• This was Mahomes 23rd game with 300+ pass yards, most since 2018
• The CHIEFS have won 26 consecutive November and December games
• Kelce is the leading TE ever with 33 games with 100+ receiving yards
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The list goes on and on. We are in the middle of the golden age of CHIEFS football, and I give thanks for that. I truly enjoy looking forward to games. That was not always the case. This team and organization is special, and we are witnesses. Balance is becoming a real thing as well. I cannot remember the last time a box score reflected a 300 yard passer, 100 yard receiver and 100 yard rusher. That is the definition of offensive balance. Add a good D and magic happens.
Ode to Spags and Veach
It is officially time to stop all the hate hurled at the D. The respect level increases weekly, but it remains easy to find negative takes on game day. Social media is the best spot to find them (along with most other negative things), especially in the first half. I will be the first to admit the D looks beatable often in the first half. However, I am also a spreadsheet guy, and dug into the scoring numbers. I compiled the points allowed over quarters and halves, and here are the things that jump out at me about the Defense:
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• 3.3 points allowed in Q3
• 7.2 points allowed in Q4
• 10.5 in H2
• 5 games under 24 points
• 1 game over 30
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The CHIEFS have a good D, period. My favorite stat from the list above is the 3.3 in Q3. That signifies elite level adjustments at halftime. The counter argument is: the D plays an incomplete game. I understand that argument, but respectfully disagree. The CHIEFS get every opponents best, circled game, shot. Our D is not quite good enough to dictate all the terms, which prevents them from achieving elite status. They are good enough to make it work in the conditions provided. The highest point total came against the Tom Brady led Bucs in week 4. Let’s be honest: that game was over by halftime, and a stout Chiefs D was not necessary. Fast forward to weeks 9 and 11 against the Titans and Chargers. Spags D with Veach’s young-ins allowed 3 and 7 points. I want an elite D someday, but appreciate one that is up to every moment.
The CHIEFS have two losses. Our D held the Colts and Bills to a 22 point average, and the O scored 18.5. Both losses are on the O folks.
Growing Comfort Level
I attended the Indy game, and wrote about it here: Chiefs: Indy Game, Plus LOOPER Review. My description of the Colts game winning drive (after the Jones penalty) was a slow twisting knife. Misty and my nephew, Alex, made it to the end of the game with me last Sunday. The Chargers had the ball with :31 left and so I mentioned the Indy knife twist. I brought it up to make a point about us viewing the opposite. I commented that all 5 Charger fans in the stands knew a CHIEFS TD was coming when we got the ball back with 1:45 on the clock, and I’m positive all 5 fans felt it like a blade between the ribs.
Misty glared at me and knocked on wood. Alex smiled, and I typed this as a column note. The CHIEFS are building a comfort level in my mind. I expect wins as they increase their level of control over the game. Mahomes and Kelce never panic because the game slows down for them.
My personal view of mastery is when things, events and moments slow down. The great ones almost have a clairvoyance. I watched it live against the Titans, and on TV against the Chargers. Mahomes played the win in his mind, and showed us on the field. My comfort level with this team allowed me to observe it in real time. I cannot recall a level of calm comfort watching a rooting interest since Jimmie Johnson’s 4th and 5th consecutive titles. What a wonderful feeling and time to be alive rooting for the CHIEFS.
My last note about the game came from the group text I have with the Milwaukee fan group. AJ sent a text right after the score simply saying “I love this team.” So do I, AJ. So do I.
More CHIEFS and NFL Notes
The game featured a couple other side story gems. Henry Winkler AKA the Fonz is a huge Mahomes fan. This came to light last week, and the duo met in person on the field in LA. Look at the grins in this photo.
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The “Happy Days” program holds a special spot in Milwaukee, and even features a bronze statue of said Fonz. Many, self included, refer to the statue as the Patron Saint of MKE. The Bronze Fonz and proximate Safe House are the must stops for any first time visitors Misty and I entertain.
The funniest moment of the week belongs to the New York Jets. It was more a comprehensive display of ineptitude.
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This NFL memes graphic says it all. Thankfully for Jets fans, Zach Wilson possesses zero awareness and accountability for the offensive display. Patriots 10, Jets 3 and the Jets averaged 2.7 INCHES in the second half vs the Pats. Here’s what 2.7 INCHES looks like:
My other awesome moment was the Mecole Hardman Twitter saga. Hardman was really going threw it while at home and watching SNF. Apparently he is a big sports fan in need of a TV. I probably find this funnier than actual reality.
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Media of the Week
I mentioned the Complete meeting and reflecting on the why. The why I mention is specifically why we all do the wedding thing. I have been around weddings almost half my life, and it is a solid part of my identity. My experience is deep enough that some of the slowing down happens for me. A wedding day and the elements of an event move slower for me as a result of substantial experience.
All that said this was a rough year. Clients this year were more demanding, less forgiving and harder to please. Covid destroyed many aspects of life as we knew it and the effects continue. My personal belief: community suffered most. Social distance became isolation, and we longed for the return to community. I vividly recall countless social media and the like narratives pining for a return to said community with normal weddings as a specific desire.
The year 2022 gave us the return to normal weddings. Unfortunately, the yearning desire did not fully translate to grateful reunions. I encountered some of the most bitter, mean spirited, ungrateful couples in 2022. Many days quite simply sucked. I will not go as far to say I considered getting out of the wedding world, but it did require extra focus on my why. In reality 2022 featured tons of awesome couples truly living their love story. I choose every day to focus on the good and not the frustrating. It’s all a choice. My song of the week popped up on a recent flight, and is the best illustration of my why.
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Again: Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
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Josh Kingsley — ArrowheadOne and Arrowhead Kingdom
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