Chiefs suffer from lack of respect, not motivation
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
The no-respect card. Rodney Dangerfield played it rather effectively for an entire career. Coaches in every sport scan newspapers, radio and TV commentary looking for an excuse to pull out the no-respect card.
John McCain hopes the card will land him the presidency, selling the myth the media don’t respect his Miss Alaska vice-presidential pick simply because she’s cute, right wing and clueless about the world outside of Alaska.
You know why people play the no-respect card? Because, more often than not, it works. Rodney Dangerfield earned millions repeating the same no-respect jokes for decades. Joe Namath won Super Bowl III because the Jets believed no one respected them. And McCain’s poll numbers have spiked since Sarah Palin batted her eyes and read jokes scrolled on a prompter.
You don’t need substance to win in America. You only need the right sales pitch and a gullible audience.
So that’s our ray of hope of the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs. Let’s hope they’re gullible. Well, actually, they don’t need to be gullible at all. They can legitimately play the no-respect card. Wow, you want to talk about low expectations. No one thinks much of these Chiefs.
Saturday, while I was enjoying watching a rancid San Diego State squad expose Notre Dame once again, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King blurted these words during the halftime show:
“The Patriots are lucky opening the season with the Chiefs, the worst team in football entering the season.”
King said it so nonchalantly that he might as well have announced that yesterday was Saturday. It’s a given among football followers that the Chiefs are going to struggle this season.
That’s a good thing. It means the Chiefs don’t have to look far for motivation this season. Herm Edwards won’t have to spend much time preparing his pregame speeches. When he says no one outside the Kansas City locker room expects the Chiefs to win today’s game, he won’t be exaggerating. Hell, he’ll have several players inside his locker room fully expecting the Patriots to break out a can of whoop(butt) this afternoon.
That’s OK. Most of Edwards’ players will take the field determined to prove their doubters wrong. There’s nothing better in the sports world than shocking the world and flying a finger in the face of your critics.
The Chiefs need to play with a chip on their shoulder pads. It’s not like they have a No. 2 receiver, an experienced offensive line, a proven quarterback, a playmaking pass-rusher, a shutdown corner, a kicker or a general manager equipped to provide those ingredients.
Whatever the Chiefs accomplish today at Gillette Stadium and throughout the rest of the season, it will be a byproduct of having the right attitude.
One of two things will happen with the Chiefs this season: 1. They’ll use the nobody-respects-us card to energize themselves throughout the season and play above their heads; 2. They’ll use their lack of talent as an excuse to lie down.
If they go with option one, they’ll win four games this season. If they go with option two, only good fortune will hand them two victories this season.
We’ll get clues which direction this team is headed today, but we won’t really know until midseason.
Today, the Chiefs should play with passion. They’re young, fighting for starting jobs, contract leverage and respect. Many of the players don’t even know how personnel-challenged this team is.
To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.
