Happy Wednesday!! We are officially in range of the NFL draft. I know the League season has been live for over a month, but I consider the draft the “real” start of the season. This has not always been the case. Not long ago, the CHIEFS were a middling team or worse, which put them in the mix for the highest of high dollar free agents. It is no longer the case, so those transactions are rare. This is a good thing. The Denver Broncos did not trade their future for Russell Wilson off his worst year as a pro because the success got too heavy. It was because they have sucked since Manning retired.
The most significant recent pre-draft news was the Mahomes extension. Veach is not in the overspend to speed a rebuild mode. The past month has been borderline boring aside from the Hill trade. I hope this comforts most fans as much as I feel relaxed. As I do. What have I been up to these past couple of weeks? A couple of things of note, and we can get into them now.
Reinvigorating My Love for Our Past Time
Baseball is America’s pastime. That is an accurate statement but no longer the truth. The last sentence was difficult to write because baseball has always been my favorite sport to follow. However, the difficulty does not alter the fact. Baseball has tried my patience incredibly over the past few years. The frustrations of long, plodding games prefaced a bitter labor dispute, and Covid was the icing on the crap cake. Baseball handled Covid the worst of the major four sports, and it was not close. I was never leaving, but I was starting to distance myself.
The first true issue for me was not the game pace. I think the “pace” is a significant problem for the game, but I am personally content with a 3+ hour slow burn. It’s one of the few things about which I am patient. The under 2-hour wham-bam is one of my favorite things about soccer, but baseball will keep my tolerance of it being a long experience. My biggest problem came in 2020 when I did not get to attend a game. I did not know what level of importance that played in my relationship with the sport until it was not there. It harmed my second favorite part of the game, fantasy baseball. The 2020 season was such a mess that I did not buy into the 2021 season. I went to games and played fantasy, but it was…blah.
A Tale of Two Off Seasons
The two offseasons mentioned happened recently. As in, they were the pre and post-labor deal this past off-season. I prepared myself to miss a season and did it well enough not even to care. Then one day in March, the sides figured it out. Suddenly, the placeholder fantasy draft day was for real. The massive weight of the dispute lifted, so my sights set on the other weight: my 2021 fantasy failure. I fielded the worst fantasy team I have ever assembled last baseball season. Revenge is in order.
414 Day
Milwaukee’s area code is 414. It is common to refer to Milwaukee as The 414. April 14th is Milwaukee Day.
This year it was also the Brewer’s home opener day. So naturally, I was there.
There is a bit of a discourse in Milwaukee that ties nicely to Kansas City and surrounds the name of a stadium. No one rushed to learn anything about GEHA. It was probably six months before most knew the pronunciation G-E-H-A instead of Gee-Ha or Gay-Ha. All the focus was on the negative side.
The Brewer’s stadium is a bit different in that there has always been a naming sponsor. Our problem is the change in sponsorship from the perfectly topical Miller Park to the Wisconsin local but not as cool American Family Field. There are fans in the area that will always say Miller Park. I get it, but I’m not one of them. AmFam doubled the Miller annual amount, and Miller did not match. Contract negotiations a not that simple, but those are the bullet points. I think it sucks that Miller is not the park’s name, but they did not believe it was worth $30M to change that sentiment.
An Ode to American Family Field
I love the Brewers ballpark. The sightlines are excellent, the roof and outfield walls retract, so games never cancel, and it has a good vibe.
I would never call it the best or even a top 5 baseball park. The best title goes to Oracle Park in San Fran, and the rest of my top 5:
- Oracle Park (San Francisco Giants)
- PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs)
- Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox)
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles) or Coors Field (Colorado Rockies)
Number 5 depends on the day you ask me. I hit both last summer and love them both. American Family Field beats all of them in a key category: facilities. That ballpark has the shortest bathroom and beer lines of any stadium, any sport. This is when sold out. I have been to over one hundred pro sports venues, and no one comes close to the setup in Milwaukee. The other key category where Milwaukee wins is in-game traditions.
Time to Make a Stand
There are certain things in life that simply require a person to take a stance. Donovan McNabb grew up in Chicago and has been on the record as rooting both the Cubs and White Sox. I can assure you that is not a thing, and he deserved every ounce of backlash he received. Everyone in Chicago stands on that topic, and both in not aside. I know a few people with an attitude of indifference to the other, but there is a strong stand for the favorite. You can love one and not care about the other, but you cannot love both. Here are some other examples:
- Heinz vs Hunt’s ketchup
- Crest vs Colgate toothpaste
- Coors Light vs Miller Lite vs Bud Light
- Coke vs Pepsi
Thanks to my dad, I reside firmly in the Heinz and Crest and nothing else camp. Coors Light is my preference, Miller my indifference, and I hate Bud Light. They win the commercial game, but they fail in brewing. The stunt about the corn syrup is one of the worst displays of corporate malfeasance I have ever seen. Rice is a million times greater offense to the Reinheitsgebot than corn syrup. The other reality is all American Light Lager is an insult to the ancestors praised on the tours. I am indifferent to Pepsi and will drink one, but Coke is the true cola. Especially as a cocktail mixer. Nothing subs Coke and 7UP.
A Major Milwaukee Stand
I moved to Milwaukee in September 2008. This was in time to attend games at Miller Park during the Brewer’s first playoff run since 1982’s World Series season. C.C. Sabathia was the trade deadline prize, and he ended up in MKE. The games were electric, but there was more in store for me. I will never forget my first Miller Park 6th inning festivity, the Klement’s Sausage Race. The fanfare and pageantry was the first noticeable element. All four sausages and hot dogs (not a sausage) emerge from the left-field corner and make their way to the 3rd base area starting point. The park announcers introduce them as they walk out and calls them to their marks. A stThen, arter pistol fires, and a sprint around home plate and past first base ensue. It is truly a spectacle.
My stance on a hot dog is clear. Here is another hot take: sausages are the ONLY thing that should race at a ballpark. A couple of seasons after living in Milwaukee, I attended a Royals game in KC with family. The race at the K is ketchup vs. mustard vs. relish. I felt insulted but also sorry for the good people of Kansas City. They did nothing to deserve that farcical rip-off of a race. The truth is I find it funny when I see things like perogies or condiments. It is not truly insulting, but more disappointing at the lack of originality. I am indifferent to the Washington Nationals and their president’s race. It is an authentic attempt with the full suits and local topical—bonus points for the Teddy who never wins angle.
My Obsession
I have written about NASCAR and soccer with a common thread: picking a favorite. The sausage race is no different. I immediately gravitated to one racer in particular, and I refer to him as “#5 in your program, #1 in your heart, in the sombrero, Chorizo!!” According to the standings, I picked the least frequent winner. Apparently, that costume is the hardest to run fast due to the drag created by the hat. Go figure. A couple of years into our marriage, I walked into the kitchen, and Misty handed me a piece of paper with the instructions to sign. This is normally not the best of signs, but it was an incredible gift in this situation. From that moment, I have been rocking Brewer’s license plates (with the glove logo, of course) and the phrase CHRZ05. Yes, I have the best plates in the State.
One last thing about the racing sausages. The runners in the suits are stadium employees, and the only exceptions are visiting celebrity types. An example is Alanna Rizzo. She was an analyst for Root Sports Rocky Mountain a number of years ago, which meant she covered the Rockies. Prior to that role, she spent time in Madison at a CBS affiliate. That connection got her in a suit for a Rockies at Brewers game at one point. The runners in the suits are not people off the street. One year Misty found that out after making dozens of calls to the team trying to arrange to get me in the famous #5 for my birthday. No dice.
A New Concert Venue
One of my favorite parts of life is getting a surprise. Discovery is a better way of describing the feeling I have in mind. I have lived in Milwaukee since 2008 and have seen concerts at numerous venues. A place I had not been to until last Friday is the Northern Lights Theater in the Potawatomi Casino. Misty and I took in the Shenandoah 35th anniversary tour. The venue is very intimate and comfortable. We ended up seated in a booth no more than 20 yards from the stage, which put us in the last row of the lower level. The show was incredible, and the meet and greet after was an added bonus. We loved the place so much that we bought tickets to two more shows on the way out.
Some Mock Draft Action
This is a big draft for Veach and Company. That statement is true every year, but this feels a bit different. The CHIEFS appear to be in transition, and I view that as a good thing. It still sucks to lose Tyreek Hill, but it doesn’t suck to avoid $20M WR cap hits. Honey Badger’s departure is rough, but a long-term deal is probably not a good idea. His remaining status as a free agent shows that the rest of the NFL agrees with Veach. The CHIEFS are in the process of getting younger and, by extension, cheaper. This means nailing the draft.
The needs of the team are clearly Edge, CB, WR, and then depth. All the national sports pundits and draft analysts align on that position list. I did a 2 round mock on PFF’s tool and came up with this:
Round 1 Observations
The biggest thing that jumps out at me is George Karlaftis, Edge from Purdue, going to the Eagles at 15. Many a mock draft has him on the board at 29 to the CHIEFS. Peter Schrager’s mock is the latest example. I just don’t see him being there. The next thing I notice is Sauce Gardner going to the Giants at 7th. No way that guy falls that far. The third thing I notice is the absence of the Raiders and Broncos logos. That brings me joy. The last note is Malik Willis to Pittsburgh at 20, being the first QB off the board. Just…no. There is a difference between being a QB light draft and QB absence.
I do believe the CHIEFS take an Edge at 29, and Boye Mafe is who I expect it to be. PFF’s assessment of him:
“Mafe was a massive riser after he earned the highest pass-rushing grade among edge defenders during the Senior Bowl practices. He’s an ascending player who possesses one of the best get-offs in the class.”
That all sounds good to me. Jalen Pitre, CB from Baylor, was best available CB at 30, so I took him. His 47 stops to lead NCAA as a slot CB are the stats we need.
Round 2 Observations
I addressed the top two needs in the first round, so WR is the focus here. I align heavily with the camp that says to avoid trading up for WR and addressing D. The narrative out of Mahomes–the offensive players at Ft. Worth and his workouts indicates that Patrick is enamored with the size of Marquez Valdes-Scantling(MVS) and JuJu Smith-Schuster(JSS) and also the intention to spread the ball. I translate that to mean Hardman is the deep threat this coming season. It’s now or never for Mecole. All that said I took deep threat Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama. He had 16 deep catches in 2021. This may be a bit early to take him, but he fits the need.
My last pick in this one was Kingsley Enagbare. He receives an A+ in the name category, and brings consistent pressure to the fold. The word on this draft is Edge’s depth, and this is an example. The idea of the CHIEFS being able to take a guy who got at least one pressure a game his last two seasons in the SEC illustrates depth. My overall belief is that QB pressure is key to our success. The anger toward Spags and our defensive shortcomings makes sense. My counter to that sentiment is twofold:
- The D in the AFC Championship was not the problem. He clearly had his guys ready to play, so preparation is something he can do.
- His schemes work best when he has bulk and pressure up front. Not replacing him indicates a commitment to him and his schemes. The CHIEFS have to add bulk up front.
A couple of Edge defenders, a deep threat WR and a slot CB earn the A- for the first two rounds.
Josh Kingsley – ArrowheadOne