Wednesday Whining: They're In a Mad Bundle

I'm exhausted. We're halfway through the week, and it feels like the Monday leading up to bye week. I want very badly to make sense of everything that has transpired in the last six weeks, with special focus on the most recent two of those, but at this point I doubt my own lucidity. I will, nevertheless, attempt to suss out some of this serious-yet-sensationalist ado, after the jump. Or a nap. Actually, both...

It would be one thing if the Kansas City Chiefs were a good football team right now. It would be one thing if they were decent. The latest polls show that they are neither, yet they're drumming up more attention for themselves than any other franchise to which I pay due attention (Editor's Note: For the record, I don't pay any attention to any other franchises.).

The bottom line is that the Chiefs didn't get a deal done for tight end Tony Gonzalez, and he has expressed to the media his frustrations, but has also added that it will not affect his future play as a Chief. The main bit of legitimate information comes from Jay Glazer over at FOX Sports.

"I know teams offered a third and in the end, Carl made the asking price a second. I'm very disappointed that he didn't go through with it after he told me he was going to try to make it happen. I've been around this league a long time, it's a business. There's nothing I can do about it. I was pissed off about it, but I'll get over it. I won't let it affect my play and my preparation...But you know what? I can't cry about it. If anything, this has motivated me even more. I'm a Chief, will be happy to be a Chief and will bust my butt for the Chiefs. I was never not happy being a Chief. I just wanted the chance to spend my last couple of years winning a title, not rebuilding. But I'm here to help rebuild, I'll work with all our young guys and get after it like I always have."

Direckshun at Arrowhead Pride levies all blame and failure at Carl Peterson.

"...in this situation, asking for a 2nd for a 32-year-old who can't help us makes you the incompetent administration. And you are becoming increasingly exposed.

In the grand scheme of things, this isn't a monumental mistake, but it is significant because it illustrates your consistent modus operandi that has punished this franchise far more frequently than not.

Your time with this team, and the NFL, is running out."

A long-time figure with the Chiefs organization points out that (what remains of) Gonzalez's contract was part of the negotiations, a part that some fans might not recognize, or understand.

And again, courtesy of Arrowhead Pride, Gonzalez has spoken with his teammates, as well as with the press (Note: If ever there was a must read, this is it.).

Apparently, this issue is now a dead one. Kind of. The fact remains that for all Peterson-bashers -- and in this case I will join them -- that the non-occurrence of this transaction only goes in stride with Peterson's history of dealing with personnel. He's hard-nosed, and selfish, the latter a question mark as to whether it applies to the franchise as a whole or his personal success/integrity with regard to his 20 years of service for the Hunt family.

In notes of random, it kind of sucks that Tony assumes that "everyone knows" a second-rounder would never happen for a 32-year-old tight end. I have to believe that a team one slice of the ultimate pie short of real intimidating contention for a championship would part with such a pick for such a player. But it didn't happen. There is the salary factor to consider, as well as the possibility that perhaps certain teams don't figure such a player to be such a massive need. It also sucks that Peterson wouldn't bend to get it done, solely for Gonzalez's sake. Having said that, there are (again) the contract details that might've put KC behind the eight ball in terms of the salary cap, and there is the unspoken (perhaps) reality that the Chiefs players might now have if Gonzalez had been dealt, and that is this: "now the season's really over," or "now we're officially terribler than we were." Further, and perhaps most important, it appears that there was deception along the communication lines in that Gonzalez was told what was necessary for the deal to come to fruition, it seemed attainable, but didn't happen, and that is the second-most-important part of the suckiness.

The largest, though, is the reputation that this gives the franchise. Actually, I'm not sure if it gives the Chiefs any particular reputation, but at very least it leaves me with a sour taste. I'm always thinking in utopianesque fashion; in this case there's some sliver of a chance that the Chiefs could with Gonzalez on the roster, win a championship before he retires. Given that at this moment that seems wholly unlikely, it really bums me out and embarrasses me that upper management is too proud to just admit that there is still a lot of work to be done with this team, more than can conceivably be accomplished before Tony hangs them up.

For some strange reason, I was really looking forward to this Sunday's game against Tennessee. Now, with everything that's transpired, I'm a little down, sensing that still more poor decisions await.
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