Josh Kingsley
Game day was interesting for me. I went through an unusual series of events:
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• Woke up in my bed
• Made breakfast in my kitchen (actually Misty did that part)
• Hung out in my office
• Headed to my local watch party
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This all culminated with a proper, big group watch party in our B Dubs back room. I have done the day above dozens of times, but I honestly can’t remember the last one before Sunday. My constant recent travel and game attendance kept me away from home often, but that last part is what was really missing. Watch party groups have been small this season. I chalk it up to nothing more than constant network TV time. Why go to a bar when you can watch at home? I still normally do because I love the crowds and camaraderie. That’s not everyone’s thing, and I get that. For this reason I was happy when the game flexed off Sunday Night Football. Losing Prime Time sucks, but having the crowd together is awesome.
We even had a special guest: Andy the Broncos fan from Great Lakes.
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The Greatness of Great Lakes
Let me explain Great Lakes. I am talking about the one and only Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee, WI. This place is notable for a few reasons. It is the first distillery to open in Wisconsin after the end of prohibition. The opening was 2004. That trivia question eliminated us all. Apparently everyone was busy brewing beer. The second notable item is Great Lakes’ prominent spot on my Milwaukee initiation tour. I believe I have mentioned this before, but Misty and I have a set agenda for the first time visitors:
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• Great Lakes Distillery tour (you take about 7 shots/sippings of liquor/liquer)
• Conejito’s Place for food ($7 for 4 steak and bean tacos on a paper plate, margaritas by the pitcher)
• Lakefront Brewery tour (the best brewery tour I have ever seen)
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The above day is normally a good weekend. My final notable fact about Great Lakes is Andy. He is the tour guide, and Great Lakes is the best distillery tour I’ve seen. Andy’s ability to make the distillation process consumable on the tour is second to none. However, it pales in comparison to his overall presence and storytelling ability. His tour gives you a handle on the path to spirits, but also the people and events that shape the beverages we consume.
I always leave with something a new, but also a deeper appreciation of the known. My favorite portion is always when he talks about my favorite Great Lakes offering, Roaring Dan’s Rum. The strong rum named after a Great Lakes pirate, which yes, that was a real thing…once. Second favorite spirit is the seasonal Pumpkin whiskey, which by law — okay by me — comes neat.
Cheers, Andy!! Thanks for the great tours past and future. CHIEFS over Broncos. Again. Fourteen times in a row.
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Cheers to 14
The CHIEFS are on quite a roll over the Broncos. Fourteen consecutive wins over a single team is impressive on an historical level. The Jets currently sport a similar streak, so you know it’s bad (for the Broncos). Buffalo holds the distinction of 20 straight losses to the Dolphins in the 70s, so we are not into rare air at this point. Here are some other notables as well. Winning streaks like the one KC currently enjoys should not happen.
The NFL’s quest for ultimate parity aims at preventing it from happening. NFL parity also aims at preventing a QB from winning 7 rings. It’s a stout system, but one with exploitable fractures. Those fractures come from great QB, coach and front office work. Special is a better term, and these CHIEFS are special. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are the perfect match, and the front office consistently builds for the current and future.
Frustration is the key feeling among the majority of CHIEFS fans (at least the ones I see online). I get it, but urge a re-read of the above paragraph. This streak should not exist, but it does. The Broncos have a top 5 D, and that is not a this year development. Mahomes and the CHIEFS offense have faced all pros, Pro Bowlers and at least one future hall of famer during this streak. Plus, this is a divisional rival, which tosses all the rules out the window. The current Broncos are a bad, check that, horrible, team. Kansas City should beat them. However, we as fans cannot expect the CHIEFS to always blow out division rivals. Reid could have run the ball more, the secondary could have played better, and the Broncos should not have sniffed a slight chance. Oh yeah, and Mahomes could have protected the ball.
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Game Conclusions
The CHIEFS are not a perfect team, but neither is the rest of the league. My biggest fear in the playoffs is turnovers. Way too many this season. Each turnover requires a higher degree of overall execution. The Bengal game proved that all too well. A single CHIEFS turnover exposed weak defensive execution. That is mainly because the Bengals are a good team and executed at a high level on both sides of the ball. The Broncos are a bad enough to create that same turnover advantage and still lose. I did not like seeing the Broncos break out of their offensive funk against the CHIEFS. However, it was only breaking a funk, and they never controlled the game. The CHIEFS are a better team and weathered a Mahomes bad day with relative ease. My true hope: the team felt the discomfort Denver created.
This was Denver’s Super Bowl. The 14 game streak is eating the players, fans, coaches and whole organization alive. They want nothing more than to end that especially with nothing else at stake. How did the CHIEFS respond to that? They only officially knocked the from the post season and painted their stands red. Mission accomplished. I now return to my weekly trusting the coaching staff is working on improving our 10-3 CHIEFS in time for a playoff run. CHIEFS lovers, CHIEFS haters and the rest of the NFL loving world should prepare for a motivated, battle tested, playoff ready team.
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My Ex Said What?!?!
Well. Our old lover Tyreek Hill is back in the… we’ll call it news. This story just will not die. Hill’s recent sound bites came during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, and they went like this:
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• My usage in KC was too low, so I had to leave…
• I loved it in KC, but needed $25 mil to stay…
• The CHIEFS said OK… but I was unhappy with the guarantees, so I looked around…
• Miami offered me $72M guaranteed… so I had to get that number, I asked the CHIEFS to match –> THEY TRADED ME.
• I love everyone in KC.
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My first thought after watching the interview was this scene from the 40 Year Old Virgin at 1:30. Seth Rogan’s character chides Mindy Kaling for clinging to Paul Rudd and giving him hope. She responds with all the ways she has disconnected. The CHIEFS are Kaling, Hill is Rudd and everyone stirring the pot is Rogan. At some point the CHIEFS need to publicly say something to the effect of “we drafted a WR, signed some free agents, changed our offense to more ball controlling short passes, and Tyreek is practically stalking us.”
My actual take on the situation is still a relationship parallel. Hill is the significant other you love and built a life with. The future looks bright and you are happy. Then the ultimatums start coming. It starts with wanting a ring. Then it’s the house, and it has to be a big house. Also, let’s talk lifestyle. Gotta drive a BMW, you need to be home by 6:00PM every night, all holidays are with my family, and by the way I hate that shirt on you. Things start reasonable with the logical next step and end with you in complete servitude living under a regime. Hill is the ultimatum ex. The probability of life sucking is too high to give in. The CHIEFS are confident rational people who simply said no.
Grow up, Tyreek. They just weren’t that into you.
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Media of the Week
Go ahead and count the 40 Year Old Virgin reference as first entry. Great movie and always worth the re-watch. I planned my movie suggestion on Saturday, but Nick from the watch party threw me a curve ball I have to hit. He introduced me to a YouTube series called Pitch Meeting. How I missed this until now is a mystery.
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Editor’s Note: “Pitch Meeting” is awesome and funny. Check it out.
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The host guy takes movie plots and pitches back and forth to his two characters, and they expose plot craziness. The funny part is when it is the things that make a certain movie awesome. I love the Top Gun Maverick movie, but man if this isn’t spot on.
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My intended media of the week is the movie The Last Duel. This one flew under my radar, and I was not alone. In fairness, I do recall the trailers, but also writing them off. I cannot pinpoint the why, but it probably seemed forced as a plot and Damon and Driver don’t scream knight to me. The write up in the linked article intrigued me enough to cue it up, and all the things it touts drew me in. Well written, well acted, smooth flowing, and excellent story structure. Ben Affleck joins the cast reprising his role as Shannon in Mallrats (AKA total jerk you root against, but cannot have the plot without) in the medieval period piece. PSA: there is significant blood and gore. Think Braveheart, as a benchmark for the fight scenes and gore (no, I am not saying this movie is as good as Braveheart).
I thoroughly enjoyed this film and highly recommend. It hits the period piece well enough I found myself questioning how we actually made out of that time frame alive.
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7 Seed Drama
The NFL gave us a gift we didn’t want last year, and the 7 seed keeps on giving. Last year the Eagles and Steelers provided a Divisional round warm-up for the #2 seeds, and this year’s crop looks to do the same. Great drama surrounds the race in both conferences. In the AFC we have the Patriots, Chargers and Jets treading water at 7-6. The Chargers (Titans, Colts, Rams, Broncos) and Jets (Lions, Jags, Seahawks, Dolphins) appear to have the easiest paths, so I am going with the Jets to close the deal. I don’t fear the Jets, but prefer avoiding a stout D. CHIEFS need to win out, wrap the #1, avoid that predicament, and let the Bills feel some divisional heat.
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NFC provides a similar situation. The Commanders and Giants sport matching 7-5-1 records with 7-6 Seahawks on their heels and 6-7 Lions looming. Please note this is for 2 spots and the Commanders and Giants currently hold. The Giants should be a favorite, and were when they sat at 7-2. They followed that by reminding us all they are still the Giants. Commanders, Vikings, Colts and a resting 18th week tie vs the Eagles finish their schedule. I believe the winner of the Giants Commanders this weekend takes and keeps one of the spots going 2-2 to end the season. Seattle has a motivated 49ers, then CHIEFS, then Jets before closing with the Rams. They may lose all 4, but most likely the first 3.
My wild prediction: the Lions go 4-0 down the stretch beating the Jets, Panthers, Bears and Packers on their way to a playoff berth and date with the Vikings.
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Josh Kingsley — ArrowheadOne and ArrowheadKingdom
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