Chiefs: The True Test of Fandom

Please help me welcome the newest writer here at ArrowheadOne, Dan Guinn, aka, KCIRONFAN. Dan is a lifelong, diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He was caught up in the sea of red as a youth, during the early phases of Smashmouth football in the Marty Schottenheimer era. So, naturally, he enjoyed the ramblings and rumblings of the Nigerian Nightmare: Christian Okoye. Then, his fandom was cemented in iron, when Joe Montana came to town (hence: KCIRONFAN). Dan Guinn is married, the father of three, a web developer and technical instructor by trade, and is a lifelong resident of the Kansas City area. Please help me welcome Dan Guinn.

-Editor, Laddie Morse

Adversity: The True Test

The true test of fandom is adversity. We face it every time something goes wrong on the field. Yet, in as much as sports imitates life, so does fandom. We never read stories about people where everything goes right. Most would consider such a story boring. Rather, real stories involve conflict, struggle, and the persistence to overcome. It is the stuff of legend, “doing something special” in the face of adversity, to quote Patrick Mahomes during the playoffs:

… it is what proves you are to be commended. It is the kind of talk you hear from people of high caliber that do not look at the latest setback as a definitive obstacle, but a challenge to be conquered. It is what being a Chiefs fan should be, emulating that kind of drive, vicariously in the face of the adversities of the team.

Next, How Do You Respond?

This year, we have faced adversity in several games already. The first, and most shocking, in my mind, seems to have been the battle in game two with the Chargers. Here, our offense struggled, and we finally overcame in overtime, with the fortitude of our kicker. While the hype of the next game against the Ravens seemed to spell trouble, we found ourselves basking in the glory of the Chiefs handily routing them. Yet, it was only a week later that we faced the Patriots, where we struggled, but pulled out a win. Finally, however, the Chiefs seemed to go in over-confident and struggled in a shocking loss against the Raiders. With each step, the realism of the adversity has risen. A good fan is realistic, but also confident. After winning 13 games in a row and given Reids winning record against the Raiders, no one expected a defeat, in fact, not even many Raiders fans expected to win. Much less, the adversity the team faced both from the officials as well as the improved Raiders, proved to be enough to bury the team, for the moment. So thinking of this, the test and reality for this team and this fan base, will again always be simply, “How will they respond?” 

We’ve Been Here Before

Now wait! Hold on! We’ve been here before! The date will be a year from next week, as of the writing of this article. It was October 18, 2019 and Patrick Mahomes was knocked out of the game, and as he later described it, at the Super Bowl Parade event at Union Station:

“We had a lot of adversity. I mean the injuries.

I mean my knee was on the side of my leg!”

Chiefs fans, it can always be worse, and we will always have adversity, but let’s not forget what kind of adversity this team has already faced and overcome. It should still be fresh in our memory, the in-game battles this team has fought through. From being down by a 24-0 deficit to the Texans in the division round, to being down 17-7 against the Titans in the AFC Championship matchup. Moreover, trailing by 10 in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl only to come back and win it all!  How often have we been tested with adversity and stood with our team to see this victory? 

Summary: “We’ve Only Just Begun”

Following our first loss of the year, it should be Chiefs fans who remind these players of just how significant their previous accomplishments are, and moreover, realize that this season has just started. Through all the adversity experienced through our favorite team, our lives, as well as the ravages of Covid-19, we will take this adversity, and not just deal with it, but smile at it. Why? Firstly, because we’re already strong and proven, but secondly, because, we know it will inspire the study and introspection that is required to make us stronger!

Stronger as a team and stronger as a fan base… if we let it. GO CHIEFS!

Dan Guinn — KCIRONFAN – ArrowheadOne

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