KC Replay: Former Chiefs coach voted to Hall of Fame, plus Pro Bowl and Bieniemy Watch
A former Chiefs head coach was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past week: Dick Vermeil, whose final stop in a long and decorated pro football career was right here in Kansas City.
He’ll be inducted officially this summer.
Elsewhere, a contingent of Chiefs played in the Pro Bowl for the first time in several years. Not because they didn’t have anyone worthy of appearing in the NFL’s annual all-star game, but because Super Bowl participants — which the Chiefs were in February of 2020 and 2021 — spend that time getting ready to compete for football’s most coveted trophy.
So for one more week, at least, our every-Sunday recap of KC sports highlights and headlines starts there, with the Chiefs.
He’s on his way to Canton
Vermeil’s finest moments as an NFL head coach came before his 2001-05 tenure in Kansas City. He led the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams to Super Bowls, winning it all with the latter franchise in Super Bowl XXXIV.
But his time here was not insignificant, and that has as much (or more) to do with Vermeil as a quality human being as it does with the results he produced on the field. The line to congratulate Vermeil this summer in Canton will be peppered with pals he made in KC ... including, perhaps, close friend and confidant Andy Reid.
The Pro Bowl Chiefs
The Chiefs are doing their best to get over that Jan. 30 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. But recovering from losing by a field goal with a third straight Super Bowl appearance on the line can’t be easy.
(Not sure if you caught it, but tight end Travis Kelce was none too pleased when NFL Honors host Keegan-Michael Key made Patrick Mahomes’ second-half performance against Cincy the butt of a joke Thursday night.)
These things take time, and perhaps last Sunday’s Pro Bowl was part of the healing process for the half-dozen Chiefs selected to play in the game at Las Vegas. Mahomes, Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Orlando Brown Jr., Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark all participated, and while none posted impressive stats, each looked to be making the most of the experience before a stadium filled with appreciative fans.
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Eight hours but no offer for Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy’s annual run through the gauntlet of NFL head-coaching interviews concluded ... and he’s still the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator.
After what was said to be an eight-hour sit-down with club officials in New Orleans last weekend, the Saints replaced Sean Payton with defensive coordinator (and former Raiders head coach) Dennis Allen.
Bieniemy’s contract here is just about up, so he and the Chiefs will need to reach a new accord if he’s to remain the KC OC for another season. There’s nothing indicating that won’t happen — Reid has been Bieniemy’s most notable supporter these past few years — but some speculate the organization could (or even should) make a change.
Following that line of thinking, perhaps Bieniemy, 52, would have a better shot at becoming a head coach if he’s not working in the shadow of Reid, who’s regarded as one of the game’s greatest play-callers ever. It’s all very convoluted and speculative at this point.
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Compass points toward new jersey sponsor
Sporting KC picked up a new jersey sponsor for this season and beyond, and it’s a name that should be familiar to fans of the local Major League Soccer Club.
Building upon a relationship that’s included naming rights for the team’s performance complex across the highway from Children’s Mercy Park, the Compass Minerals logo will appear on the players’ shirts through the 2028 season.
Ivy Investments had been Sporting’s jersey sponsor until the pandemic hit. The team wore the logo of its own philanthropic organization, the Victory Project, across its chests last season. Now, that spot belongs to Compass.
Highs, lows for KU, KSU, MU hoops
It was a week of peaks and valleys for the area’s Division I men’s basketball teams.
Host KU beat the stuffing out of Baylor last Saturday, 83-59, then lost 79-76 on Monday night at Texas. (The Longhorns later received a fine and reprimand from the Big 12 because fans stormed the court in Austin after the game.)
K-State beat TCU on the road last weekend, 75-63, but then lost 76-60 at home against Baylor on Wednesday.
And Mizzou beat Texas A&M 70-66 last Saturday in College Station before losing 70-62 at Vanderbilt on Tuesday. The MU women also had a big game in the Volunteer State last week but came undone in the third quarter and lost 76-62 at No. 13 Tennessee.