I am not emotionally prepared for any of this

[Adamixoye 604]

I'm 38.

I've attended 3 Chiefs game in my lifetime, all at Arrowhead - 1989 vs. Broncos, 1990 vs. Vikings, and 1998 vs. Raiders (the Derrick Thomas 6 sack game on SNF).  Those first two games I was 8-9 and not super into sports; I started following them closely in 1991.  I wish I could have been back to some games, and I hope to in the next couple of years, maybe, but I've lived all over the country and right now I'm still about 6 hours away.  Even remotely, I've been through the ups and downs that we've all experienced over the last ~30 years.

I'm more positive some than Chiefs fans, especially in the middle of a game; I didn't go "same old Chiefs" when we were down to the Texans or Titans. I am simultaneously emotionally invested and emotionally guarded; games, and especially the lead up to games, have become increasingly stressful for me, even as I believe and hope for the best.  I enjoy the wins but take the losses hard.  I go in hoping, in particular, that if we lose it isn't heartbreaking.  That's been hard because we've only lost single-score games since mid-2017, and they've all sucked.  It feels like we could have won every single one of those. 

There was a time when, while I would never root against the team, I was so guarded that I wondered if it would be easier on me for them to lose earlier than later.  I really don't want to lose a Super Bowl; I thought it would be easier to stomach the idea of losing in the AFC playoffs as underdogs, say like on the road in 2015 to NE, than losing in the Super Bowl.  Again, I still rooted for them every second.

Well the last few years I couldn't feel that way, obviously.  Losing another game with the first round bye to the Texans would have been awful.  Losing the AFCCG to the Titans when the sea had been parted for us would have been miserable, especially with the narratives that we couldn't stop Henry.  Losing another home playoff game would have been the worst.

So here we are.  Obviously to win a Super Bowl you have to make the Super Bowl.  Obviously, unless you have an absolute juggernaut of a team on both sides of the ball, there's going to be doubt going into the game.  I don't love how we stack up against San Francisco.  I certainly think we can win.  I don't know what odds I would assign either way.

Boy, I am not prepared for a loss.  I'm not prepared for the offseason narratives, for Skip Bayless to come up with some stupid logic and gloat about Mahomes.  To hear all the love for Lamar Jackson as the new hotness.  To look at Mahomes' big new contract and wonder if it's going to cripple our team.  To worry he'll be individually brilliant but never make it back, a lot like what happened in Dan Marino's career.  I believe we'll be competitive for 10-15 years as long as he's healthy, but 50 years have taught us that these opportunities are rare.  You have to cash them in.

But man, I'm not even prepared for a win, either!  Like the Joker says in The Dark Knight, I'm like a dog chasing a car, I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it!  How would I celebrate?  Am I going to be able to enjoy it or just be relieved?  My wife has already been a little on my case for not being externally excited enough about the Super Bowl (she's more heart on her sleeve).  How would I approach next season?  Etc.

I don't know if any of this makes any sense.  I just had to articulate it to some people who might actually understand, explain.

And hopefully I will find out what the win feels like.  I'm not sure I'm prepared for it, but I'd like to find out.

[oldtimer 8,686]

6 minutes ago, Adamixoye said:

 

So here we are.  Obviously to win a Super Bowl you have to make the Super Bowl.  Obviously, unless you have an absolute juggernaut of a team on both sides of the ball, there's going to be doubt going into the game.  I don't love how we stack up against San Francisco.  I certainly think we can win.  I don't know what odds I would assign either way.

Boy, I am not prepared for a loss.  I'm not prepared for the offseason narratives, for Skip Bayless to come up with some stupid logic and gloat about Mahomes.  To hear all the love for Lamar Jackson as the new hotness.  To look at Mahomes big new contract and wonder if it's going to cripple our team.  To worry he'll be individually brilliant but never make it back, a lot like what happened in Dan Marino's career.  I believe we'll be competitive for 10-15 years as long as he's competitive, but 50 years have taught us that these opportunities are rare.  You have to cash them in.

But man, I'm not even prepared for a win, either!  Like the Joker says in The Dark Knight, I'm like a dog chasing a car, I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it!  How would I celebrate?  Am I going to be able to enjoy it or just be relieved?  My wife has already been a little on my case for not being externally excited enough about the Super Bowl (she's more heart on her sleeve).  How would I approach next season?  Etc.

I don't know if any of this makes any sense.  I just had to articulate it to some people who might actually understand, explain.

And hopefully I will find out what the win feels like.  I'm not sure I'm prepared for it, but I'd like to find out.

I feel ya

[Mloe68 1,521]

My perspective as a person who’s attended hundreds of games including every home playoff game since 1991 is very different. And I think most people who were in that stadium last week would agree. That win meant SO much that winning or losing next Sunday will never take away from it.  Maybe it didn’t play that way on tv, but it was much more than a stepping stone game snd I don’t think anyone in that stadium was worried about the Super Bowl. It’s going to be something to be enjoyed. A new experience. 
I literally got texts from all over the country from random people who had tailgated with us through the years. It was compelling, memorable and uniquely special. 
Now on to the next challenge.  Win or lose though nobody’s life is changing. Might as well just enjoy the ride and not overthink something you have zero control of. 

[Okiechief1 425]

2 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

 

 

Now on to the next challenge.  Win or lose though nobody’s life is changing. Might as well just enjoy the ride and not overthink something you have zero control of. 

Yep

[Iluvhouse24 1,808]

2 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

My perspective as a person who’s attended hundreds of games including every home playoff game since 1991 is very different. And I think most people who were in that stadium last week would agree. That win meant SO much that winning or losing next Sunday will never take away from it.  Maybe it didn’t play that way on tv, but it was much more than a stepping stone game snd I don’t think anyone in that stadium was worried about the Super Bowl. It’s going to be something to be enjoyed. A new experience. 
I literally got texts from all over the country from random people who had tailgated with us through the years. It was compelling, memorable and uniquely special. 
Now on to the next challenge.  Win or lose though nobody’s life is changing. Might as well just enjoy the ride and not overthink something you have zero control of. 

I completely agree Mike. I feel like we got over the hump. Whatever happens Sunday is gravy.

[KC Warpaint 3,234]

19 minutes ago, Okiechief1 said:

Now on to the next challenge.  Win or lose though nobody’s life is changing. Might as well just enjoy the ride and not overthink something you have zero control of.  

agreed, we are in uncharted territory for quite a few of us lifelong fans, i was only 5 years old in 1969 so i am going to enjoy this week and the game on sunday

WIN or LOSE

oh and BTW, who cares what skip bayless says about Mahomes...he is a big cowboy homer and a complete tool

 

 

[jetlord 10,209]

Some good thought in this thread and I can understand everyone else's feelings.  The wife and I have discussed this all week and agree that last Sunday was the time we could have been crushed with a bad loss.  Sure, we want the SB win, the joy and excitement it brings to the city, and the relief that Andy finally got the monkey off his back.  But losing the game, even a close loss, won't leave us with the empty feeling we've experienced so many times in playoff games.  The Chiefs are at the top, win or lose, and will have excellent chances to be there several more times in the near future..

[mex 65,581]

yep... we done got the big bowl of ice cream

can still enjoy it even without the cherry on top

[oldtimer 8,686]

31 minutes ago, jetlord said:

.  But losing the game, even a close loss, won't leave us with the empty feeling we've experienced so many times in playoff games.  

but what if... the Chiefs look like High Schoolers out there  and get pummeled 45-10. I mean flat our embarrassed ..MVPat throws for 3-4 Ints, 2 Ints for TD's.. ST fumbles..just implode?  A Raider v Buccaneers type of SB seriously doubt that would happen  but playing Devils Advocate. Yea it wont be "Same Ol Chiefs" but we will have looked like fool  in front of the entire world which is much worse that just on PrimeTime TNF,SNF or MNF...

How ya feel then? Like I said just playn Devil's Advocate 

 

 

[jetlord 10,209]

43 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

but what if... the Chiefs look like High Schoolers out there  and get pummeled 45-10. I mean flat our embarrassed ..MVPat throws for 3-4 Ints, 2 Ints for TD's.. ST fumbles..just implode?  A Raider v Buccaneers type of SB seriously doubt that would happen  but playing Devils Advocate. Yea it wont be "Same Ol Chiefs" but we will have looked like fool  in front of the entire world which is much worse that just on PrimeTime TNF,SNF or MNF...

How ya feel then? Like I said just playn Devil's Advocate 

 

 

Doesn't matter.  It's only a win or loss.  At this point, no one should feel like either team is a pretender and doesn't deserve to get there..  Sometimes, things just start off badly and then snowballs out of control.  If it happens to the Chiefs, I'm confident they will still be competitive for years to come.  If they win, it's no guarantee that they will be on top next year.  Lose by 30 or by 3 doesn't really matter.  No matter the margin, it will get very tiresome hearing all the talking heads and the debbie downers here spend another year whining about how Andy just can't win the big ones.  Stupid talk, but we'll hear it.  

[Adamixoye 604]

Just wanted to get my thoughts out there and I don't want to argue.  My feelings are my feelings.  I understand I can't control the game.  I understand it's better to be in the game than not.

Having said that, I'm surprised by some of the responses.  Every time we've hit a milestone, breaking the playoff loss streak in 2015 with Alex, breaking the home loss streak last year with Patrick, everyone has said it's not good enough.  We want a championship.  The idea that just getting over the hump to get into the game is some huge accomplishment is an idea I'm not sure I agree with.  Obviously it breaks a streak but this isn't the goal.  This won't be satisfying if we don't win.

Again, just my feelings.

[moons314 2,463]

I've got a bit of a different perspective here.  A few weeks ago I was on record saying win or lose the Super Bowl was pretty inconsequential as long as we got there, since that was the next hump to get over.  A conversation yesterday changed that for me.  Good friend of mine which I grew up with, his dad, whom I would also consider a friend since I've known him my entire life, well his dad has skin cancer.  I get that non melanoma skin cancer isn't terrible on the cancer scale, but I've known 3 people who've had it, only to have a recurrence elsewhere in the not so distant future that proved fatal.   The reason this changed my perspective is that the friends dad is 72, had season tickets since 1981, and every one of the 15 or so games I've been to have been with him.  My first game ever back in the 90s, we come back from walking around, and his dad is standing there holding a very young Derrion.  He was friends with DT's mom, so we got to eat after the games with the players back when she used to cook for them.  After the game at Arrowhead, Chris Jones jumped into the crowd where they were behind the sidelines.  My friend said that's the happiest he's ever seen his dad.  I know I'm kinda rambling at this point, but what I'm getting at is, I really really want to win this one, and there will be a majorly somber feeling if we don't, just because there's a chance that if we get one down the road, a friend who has been dedicated to the Chiefs for a long time and many bad seasons might not get to see it.  I want them to win one now for this reason.  Hopefully this rambling post made sense.

[azchief21 5,278]

1 hour ago, oldtimer said:

but what if... the Chiefs look like High Schoolers out there  and get pummeled 45-10. I mean flat our embarrassed ..MVPat throws for 3-4 Ints, 2 Ints for TD's.. ST fumbles..just implode?  A Raider v Buccaneers type of SB seriously doubt that would happen  but playing Devils Advocate. Yea it wont be "Same Ol Chiefs" but we will have looked like fool  in front of the entire world which is much worse that just on PrimeTime TNF,SNF or MNF...

How ya feel then? Like I said just playn Devil's Advocate 

 

 

I don't like this OT. Bring back the Chiefs Advocate OT.

[Chiefsfan1963 1,101]

1 hour ago, oldtimer said:

but what if... the Chiefs look like High Schoolers out there  and get pummeled 45-10. I mean flat our embarrassed ..MVPat throws for 3-4 Ints, 2 Ints for TD's.. ST fumbles..just implode?  A Raider v Buccaneers type of SB seriously doubt that would happen  but playing Devils Advocate. Yea it wont be "Same Ol Chiefs" but we will have looked like fool  in front of the entire world which is much worse that just on PrimeTime TNF,SNF or MNF...

How ya feel then? Like I said just playn Devil's Advocate 

Seeing that Mahomes and Garapalo (sp) SF lead teams have never lost by more than a TD I don't see it happening so not worried.

[Calichief 3,016]

3 hours ago, oldtimer said:

but what if... the Chiefs look like High Schoolers out there  and get pummeled 45-10. I mean flat our embarrassed ..MVPat throws for 3-4 Ints, 2 Ints for TD's.. ST fumbles..just implode?  A Raider v Buccaneers type of SB seriously doubt that would happen  but playing Devils Advocate. Yea it wont be "Same Ol Chiefs" but we will have looked like fool  in front of the entire world which is much worse that just on PrimeTime TNF,SNF or MNF...

How ya feel then? Like I said just playn Devil's Advocate 

 

 

Just won’t happen with pat 

[Mloe68 1,521]

11 hours ago, Adamixoye said:

Just wanted to get my thoughts out there and I don't want to argue.  My feelings are my feelings.  I understand I can't control the game.  I understand it's better to be in the game than not.

Having said that, I'm surprised by some of the responses.  Every time we've hit a milestone, breaking the playoff loss streak in 2015 with Alex, breaking the home loss streak last year with Patrick, everyone has said it's not good enough.  We want a championship.  The idea that just getting over the hump to get into the game is some huge accomplishment is an idea I'm not sure I agree with.  Obviously it breaks a streak but this isn't the goal.  This won't be satisfying if we don't win.

Again, just my feelings.

Bringing the Lamar Hunt trophy home for the first time ever isn’t just some hump to many of us.  Seeing that sign at Arrowhead that said the Trophy is Home was a lifelong memory. Maybe hard for you to understand and it’s certainly not worth arguing over. It clearly doesn’t mean that much to you personally and again why I said I had a very different perspective.  . 

Enjoy the ride and if we lose the focus should be on how to get better. Because upgrading the talent level is what got us here.  Did Veach do enough to make us World Champs? That’s what we will find out. Either way we still have to pay the bills on Monday morning, we still gotta go to work and  I doubt my wife  will stop nagging me about putting the keys in the wrong place.  

[SEMO 6,811]

12 hours ago, jetlord said:

Some good thought in this thread and I can understand everyone else's feelings.  The wife and I have discussed this all week and agree that last Sunday was the time we could have been crushed with a bad loss.  Sure, we want the SB win, the joy and excitement it brings to the city, and the relief that Andy finally got the monkey off his back.  But losing the game, even a close loss, won't leave us with the empty feeling we've experienced so many times in playoff games.  The Chiefs are at the top, win or lose, and will have excellent chances to be there several more times in the near future..

Not me.  Winning the AFC was awesome.  I want the Superbowl.

I'm sure Marino thought he would be back also.  He is still one of the best QBs to play the game, but will always bear that asterisk.

[Mloe68 1,521]

18 minutes ago, SEMO said:

Not me.  Winning the AFC was awesome.  I want the Superbowl.

I'm sure Marino thought he would be back also.  He is still one of the best QBs to play the game, but will always bear that asterisk.

Make no mistake. We all really want to win this game. Heck I’m spending a ridiculous amount of money (And I am far from rich!) to spend next week in Miami hoping to see the Lombardi hoisted.  But it feels like opportunity to me rather than a burden. And there was a definite feeling of a burden being lifted winning the Lamar Hunt Trophy. At least to me. We’d never done it.  

[Adamixoye 604]

6 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

 Maybe hard for you to understand and it’s certainly not worth arguing over. It clearly doesn’t mean that much to you personally and again why I said I had a very different perspective.

Well I sure didn't start the thread for you to patronize me in the way that you did in this post before you edited it, that's for sure.  I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to have my own thoughts and perspective on it.  I'm not telling anyone else how they should feel, but you are doing just that.

[Mloe68 1,521]

21 minutes ago, Adamixoye said:

Well I sure didn't start the thread for you to patronize me in the way that you did in this post before you edited it, that's for sure.  I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to have my own thoughts and perspective on it.  I'm not telling anyone else how they should feel, but you are doing just that.

You put it out there and I responded. It’s what you do here. This is not that important to overthink this whole situation anyway. When you get to my age, you will understand that.  Call that patronizing or not my own experience almost guarantees it. Raising a teenage daughter is perplexing and an emotional roller coaster. But it’s supposed to be that way. This is just supposed to be fun.  
 

[Adamixoye 604]

22 minutes ago, Mloe68 said:

You put it out there and I responded. It’s what you do here. This is not that important to overthink this whole situation anyway. When you get to my age, you will understand that.  Call that patronizing or not my own experience almost guarantees it. Raising a teenage daughter is perplexing and an emotional roller coaster. But it’s supposed to be that way. This is just supposed to be fun.  
 

Like I said in my above post, my first Chiefs game was 31 seasons ago and I've been following them closely for 29.  I'm married, with kids, I've moved and lived all over the country and have experienced plenty of things in my life that you probably never will, as you've probably experienced things I won't.  I fully understand that sports are trivial in the big picture of life.  Telling me that I'll understand when I'm older is in fact unnecessarily condescending and missing the (slightly tongue-in-cheek, though only slightly) point of my OP.

[Mloe68 1,521]

6 minutes ago, Adamixoye said:

Like I said in my above post, my first Chiefs game was 31 seasons ago and I've been following them closely for 29.  I'm married, with kids, I've moved and lived all over the country and have experienced plenty of things in my life that you probably never will, as you've probably experienced things I won't.  I fully understand that sports are trivial in the big picture of life.  Telling me that I'll understand when I'm older is in fact unnecessarily condescending and missing the (slightly tongue-in-cheek, though only slightly) point of my OP.

Maybe I should have simplified my response from the beginning.  So I’ll say this and leave this thread for good. 

If you are worried about what Skip Bayless might say if we lose. You are doing this entire Super Bowl experience wrong.  JMO

[KC Warpaint 3,234]

Everyone's thoughts and Perspectives on this week and the game are going to be different, lets not go down the rabbit hole and start lectures and

telling others what to do and how to enjoy this

[mex 65,581]

2 hours ago, SEMO said:

Not me.  Winning the AFC was awesome.  I want the Superbowl.

I'm sure Marino thought he would be back also.  He is still one of the best QBs to play the game, but will always bear that asterisk.

same with jim kelly... lots of great players on those buffalo teams

[Iluvhouse24 1,808]

On 1/25/2020 at 8:00 AM, Adamixoye said:

I'm 38.

I've attended 3 Chiefs game in my lifetime, all at Arrowhead - 1989 vs. Broncos, 1990 vs. Vikings, and 1998 vs. Raiders (the Derrick Thomas 6 sack game on SNF).  Those first two games I was 8-9 and not super into sports; I started following them closely in 1991.  I wish I could have been back to some games, and I hope to in the next couple of years, maybe, but I've lived all over the country and right now I'm still about 6 hours away.  Even remotely, I've been through the ups and downs that we've all experienced over the last ~30 years.

I'm more positive some than Chiefs fans, especially in the middle of a game; I didn't go "same old Chiefs" when we were down to the Texans or Titans. I am simultaneously emotionally invested and emotionally guarded; games, and especially the lead up to games, have become increasingly stressful for me, even as I believe and hope for the best.  I enjoy the wins but take the losses hard.  I go in hoping, in particular, that if we lose it isn't heartbreaking.  That's been hard because we've only lost single-score games since mid-2017, and they've all sucked.  It feels like we could have won every single one of those. 

There was a time when, while I would never root against the team, I was so guarded that I wondered if it would be easier on me for them to lose earlier than later.  I really don't want to lose a Super Bowl; I thought it would be easier to stomach the idea of losing in the AFC playoffs as underdogs, say like on the road in 2015 to NE, than losing in the Super Bowl.  Again, I still rooted for them every second.

Well the last few years I couldn't feel that way, obviously.  Losing another game with the first round bye to the Texans would have been awful.  Losing the AFCCG to the Titans when the sea had been parted for us would have been miserable, especially with the narratives that we couldn't stop Henry.  Losing another home playoff game would have been the worst.

So here we are.  Obviously to win a Super Bowl you have to make the Super Bowl.  Obviously, unless you have an absolute juggernaut of a team on both sides of the ball, there's going to be doubt going into the game.  I don't love how we stack up against San Francisco.  I certainly think we can win.  I don't know what odds I would assign either way.

Boy, I am not prepared for a loss.  I'm not prepared for the offseason narratives, for Skip Bayless to come up with some stupid logic and gloat about Mahomes.  To hear all the love for Lamar Jackson as the new hotness.  To look at Mahomes' big new contract and wonder if it's going to cripple our team.  To worry he'll be individually brilliant but never make it back, a lot like what happened in Dan Marino's career.  I believe we'll be competitive for 10-15 years as long as he's healthy, but 50 years have taught us that these opportunities are rare.  You have to cash them in.

But man, I'm not even prepared for a win, either!  Like the Joker says in The Dark Knight, I'm like a dog chasing a car, I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it!  How would I celebrate?  Am I going to be able to enjoy it or just be relieved?  My wife has already been a little on my case for not being externally excited enough about the Super Bowl (she's more heart on her sleeve).  How would I approach next season?  Etc.

I don't know if any of this makes any sense.  I just had to articulate it to some people who might actually understand, explain.

And hopefully I will find out what the win feels like.  I'm not sure I'm prepared for it, but I'd like to find out.

To be honest, IF we win the SB, I dont know what I'm going to look forward to. Going into the off-season looking at mocks, free agency, and coming up with my own off season plan is part of the fun for me. All because I want us to add those pieces necessary to get over the hump. 

I guess maybe it will be the same approach but instead of " what do we need to do to get to the top" it will be "what do we need to do to STAY on top."

I can handle losing the SB. Idk exactly why, but getting there feels like we broke through. I have litteldoubt Mahomes will play in more than one of these, so I guess I just feel like at this point it's just to be enjoyed.

SF is really good. I dont care about people saying they are overrated. I've watched them play about 5 or 6 times this yr. They are damn good in all phases.

If we start slowly again, we will not beat this team. If we score early and swarm when they run, we can beat them. But I have no expectations. I'm just enjoying the ride.

Then again I am 40 and I have been to probably 60 games in my lifetime. I've gotten past the place where losses devastate me. Ive gotten past the phase where going to the stadium and getting obliterated and screaming until I'm hoarse feels like a responsibility. 

My family has blood ties to this team. We spread sime of Dads ashes at Arrowhead after he died. My uncle broke out the SB ring my grandpa wore after our win last week. For my Dad, for his Dad, for Lamar...I just feel like we got over the hump already. The rest is pure enjoyment.