The Patriot Way takes all the fun out of it

I have to get something off my chest — I don't love the Chiefs anymore. And it has nothing to do with my dedication as a fan.

The Chiefs and Arrowhead return to relevance on Monday Night Football

More important than a last-second victory, a 1-0 start, or being alone in first place in the division was the resonating feeling every Chiefs fan at Arrowhead Stadium or watching at home surely felt in the moments after the team's triumphant 21-14 victory over the San Diego Chargers Monday night.

It was in the hugs and the high-fives. It was in the fist pumps and the cheers. It was in the war chant being belted out by fans on the walk in and out of the stadium.

Everyone felt it and everyone knew. On Monday, professional football in Kansas City became relevant again.

Chiefs Must Show Progress In Atlanta

Well folks, it's here. Football is back. On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Georgia Dome to take on the Atlanta Falcons in their first preseason game of 2010.

With what had to be one of the more impressive offseasons in recent memory, the Chiefs, after two full weeks of a mostly smooth training camp, are finally starting to make believers out of the usual skeptics. Friday, though, will be the team's first test, and it will be GM Scott Pioli and Head Coach Todd Haley's first real opportunity to show the city and fans the progress they've made.

Progress is the operative word here. It's really all I'll be looking for Friday overall. Still, there are a few specific things I'll be looking for that will help us get a better understanding as to where this team is and what we can realistically expect when the games begin to count.

My eyes will be, for the majority of the evening, on the left tackle position. More specifically, I'll be watching Branden Albert. The Chiefs had many weaknesses in 2009, possibly none bigger than the offensive line's inability to protect the quarterback. While Pioli improved the interior line via free agency and the draft, the left tackle position, or the blind side, was left unaddressed.

There hasn't been much talk about Albert during training camp, which may be a good sign. Here's to hoping it is. Many experts are predicting the Chiefs offense to be much improved this season, but it'd be hard to imagine things getting any better without the third-year tackle taking a major step forward.

If the line can protect, the Chiefs have an opportunity to be much better in the passing game this season. It will be interesting to see, in limited play Friday, if quarterback Matt Cassel has developed better timing and chemistry with his receievers compared to 2009. Chris Chambers, whom the team picked up off waivers from the Chargers mid-last season, quickly developed into Cassel's favorite target because of the continued inconsistent play of Dwayne Bowe. Everyone knows it's now or never for Bowe. Pioli and Haley have shown rare patience with the controversial wideout. Now, to be fair, early reports from camp have shed Bowe in a positive light. It's been said, but not confirmed, that Bowe worked out with All-Pro Arizona Cardinals receiever Larry Fitzgerald this past offseason. For our and his sake, let's hope it pays off. If all we see is more of the same (bad routes, drops), don't be surprised if this ends up being his last go-round in Kansas City.

As we know, Pioli did nab speedy running back/slot receiver Dexter McCluster in the second-round of the 2010 draft. If the upcoming season goes south in a hurry, McCluster may be the only reason for Chiefs fans to continue watching late in the year. He's already become the standout fan-favorite amongst the training camp spectators in St. Joseph, and if things go according to plan, he should eventually provide Kansas City with some national star power for the first time since Jared Allen wore the red and gold. New Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis probably won't give the Chargers (the Chiefs' first regular season opponent) too much game film on McCluster, especially since it is just the first preseason game, but this will still be fun to monitor.

Another fan-favorite in camp so far has been the team's first-round pick, safety Eric Berry. Berry has impressed just about everyone so far - from the coaching staff to the fans - with the way he conducts himself on and off the field. It'd sure be nice to see him make a play Friday. It won't mean much of anything if he doesn't, but it's been a long time since we've seen an immediate return on such a high draft pick in Kansas City. Many are expecting the former Tennessee star to make an impact early for the Chiefs, but it doesn't mean much until we see it happen. The sooner Berry makes his presence known (Like during the first defensive series Friday possibly?), the better.

It's safe to assume we won't know much more about this team after Friday than we do right now. We will find out, though, just how superstitious Haley and the rest of the coaching staff is. I'm, of course, talking about whether or not the Chiefs will be wearing their white pants against the Falcons. See, throughout the 90s (otherwise known as "the glory years" in my inner-circle), the Chiefs wore all white on the road. And, as we know, the Chiefs won a lot during that time period. Then, when Dick Vermeil took over in the early 2000s, the team switched to the red pants on the road. It seemed like a fashionable enough move at the time.

Now, I believe it's time to bring back the white road pants permanently. In the past couple seasons, the team has used them for a game or two here and there, and it would immediately remind me of the glory days of the 90s when our entire city stopped everything for three hours to watch Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith and Dale Carter dominate opposing offenses. The white pants on the road could be symbolism for the tide turning in Kansas City.

Overall, the coaches, players, and fans just need something positive to take from the first preseason game. Last year, with a young roster, the team played poorly during the preseason and it carried over well into the regular season. The team is still very young this year. The fans still haven't completely bought into a complete turnaround (Word is, the Chiefs still have plenty of tickets they need to sell - to the extent that it's likely one or both of the home preseason games will be blacked out.). So a solid performance Friday - and maybe a victory - sure couldn't hurt.

The Revis Situation

It seems there is a pretty intense situation going on in New York these days. It involves New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and his desire for a new, long-term contract.

There was plenty of talk leading up to training camp that Revis would holdout after putting together a monster 2009 campaign. The third-year cornerback established himself as the face of the NFL's number one defense while helping the Jets make it to the AFC Championship game (with a rookie quarterback, no less). The nickname "Revis Island", a term used for Revis and/or the side of the field he's playing on, refers to the fact that he's often allowed to matchup with the league's top receivers without any help from a safety.

Revis, of course, did not report to training camp. He's now 10 days into his holdout, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Jets owner Woody Johnson has said he doesn't think Revis will play for the team this season.

Here's the deal. ESPN is reporting that Revis, who is due to make $1 million this season with three years left on his current contract, is looking for something in the range of 10 years and $160 million (wow). The Jets brass, according to the New York Daily News, have offered him a 10-year deal worth $120 million.

These dollar amounts all seem ridiculous to the casual fan, but as we know, it's all relative. Before the 2009 season, the Oakland Raiders gave premiere cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha a major pay raise, making him the highest-paid corner in the league at about $16.5 million per year. Revis, believing (correctly) that he is as good as or better than Asomugha, or any other cornerback for that matter, wants to get paid like Asomugha. In this light, Revis' request seems understandable, given the precedent that has been set.

Surprisingly, many Jets fans have turned on Revis during this ordeal. It's odd. In most player vs. ownership financial battles, it's the team's brass who find themselves worse off in the public eye. Also, Revis was already one of the more popular players in New York. I couldn't imagine if, during his time with the Chiefs, the late Derrick Thomas asked for a new contract and the Kansas City community then collectively sided with King Carl Peterson and the Chiefs brass. There would have been a boycott of Arrowhead Stadium until a new deal was done.

And let's be clear. Maybe Revis is not yet ready to be compared to the likes of Thomas in terms of his stake in the community, but his importance to the Jets defense going forward is certainly on the same level.

Revis' popularity has also taken a hit due to ESPN's biased coverage of the story. They're biased for two reasons:  The coverage is being dictated by the worldwide leader's employees who, some of which, are New York residents and/or Jets fans, and also because, and this is directly related to reason number one, the bias stems from the networks ridiculous love affair with Jets coach Rex Ryan.

Instead of boring you with the disgusting details of the ESPN/Ryan relationship, we'll go at it this way. On Wednesday, Ryan suggested he would call off practice and bring the whole organization in - including the players - to have a meeting with the Revis camp until a deal is worked out. Ryan claimed to be "absolutely serious" about the idea.

It's a joke. This is why coaches coach and general managers and owners, well, they do what they do. Ryan ought to apologize, take his comments back, and claim he wasn't thinking clearly because of heat exhaustion. As frustrating as the Chiefs tight-lipped shot-callers can be, most fans would still probably choose professionalism over the circus Ryan has created.

Anyway, back to Revis. The key in the negotiations, as it usually is in the NFL, is the guaranteed money. It's been reported that the last offer the Jets made included only $5 million in guarantees. To put that in perspective, Chiefs' first-round draft pick Eric Berry signed a deal two weeks ago worth $34 million in guaranteed money. Needless to say, the Chiefs have high hopes for Berry. Still, he hasn't played a down in the NFL. How in the world could Berry be worth more - that much more - than Revis, coming off the season he had in 2009?

So the total years and money on the contract are almost meaningless. NFL contracts aren't structured like some of the other major sports, and most contracts end up having loopholes in them to where the team can get out of the deal without any major penalties long before the contract is due to expire. Revis would be a fool to accept only $5 million in guarantees, because it's the only part of the contract that really has any substance.

Injuries are something players have in mind, as well. Revis is the best player in the NFL at his position, but is currently being paid (and will be, unless a deal is worked out, for the next three years) like a reserve. Anything can happen in the NFL, and players' careers can end at any moment. Take Revis' former teammate, Leon Washington, for example. The Jets offered Washington a long-term deal with guarantees included during the 2009 offseason. Washington declined, instead opting to play out the rest of his contract in hopes that he could raise his stock even higher during the season. Washington then broke his leg early in the year, ending his season and changing the league's perception as to how high of a level he can play. He missed out on millions of dollars because of the risk he took.

Revis can't afford to make the same mistake, and shouldn't feel pressure to take any risks here. He's the best cornerback in the league and deserves to be paid like it.