During the first quarter of the season, I was an outspoken advocate for Brodie Croyle to be named the starter for the Kansas City Chiefs. I wasn’t happy with the play of Matt Cassel, nor the label that he was given as the franchise quarterback. Today I stand corrected. I couldn’t see the forest from the trees, and I ignored what the coaches’ saw when they determined that Cassell would be the starter.

However, I still believe that the Kansas City Chiefs have to find a quarterback for the post-Cassel era. That responsibility should not be placed in the hands of Brodie Croyle, and definitely not Tyler Palko. Tyler Palko reminds me a lot of Tyler Thigpen, the former 3rd string quarterback for the Chiefs, now a member of the Miami Dolphins. That being said, the fact remains that a football team will only go as far as the quarterback will take them.

As I have stated during the first quarter of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs must “focus, finish.” I became a Chiefs fan when Marty Schottenheimer became the head coach in 1989, and I watched him preach the phrase “focus, finish” throughout his entire campaign. How ironic that long after Marty has gone, the Chiefs find themselves hearing his voice in the locker room yet again. In addition to this, the popular slogan for the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs entitled “Chiefs Will” has also entered into this atmosphere. A sentence that best describes this motto is as follows:

The “Chiefs Will” make the 2010 NFL Playoffs!

Being a Chiefs fan is not as easy as being a fan of some of the other teams that are in the NFL. Being a true Chiefs fan includes enduring many episodes of bad timing, bad luck, unfortunate situations, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills (of the early 1990′s), the deaths of Derrick Thomas (The Great One) and Joe Delaney, Matt Cassel’s appendectomy, acquiring players that are on their last leg (Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, Ty Law, Andre Rison), not starting Rich Gannon over Elvis Grbac, and just plain ol’ misfortune!

You must be strong willed and be able to “man up” if you want to be a Chiefs fan. I mean after all, we haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1970. I guess we can wait five five more years right? No one has a clue how difficult it is for me to write this. Although I do believe that we will win the AFC West and earn a spot in the playoffs, I do not believe that we are good enough to make it to the Super Bowl. During the 1990′s the Buffalo Bills stood in our way, in the early 2000′s it was the Indianapolis Colts who stood in our way, and currently in 2010 it’s the New England Patriots who stand in our way.

Beneath the surface there is another obstacle that stands in our way, and that is a Super Bowl caliber quarterback. If you read between the lines of the above paragraph you will be able to see what I am talking about. I’m talking about Jim Kelly, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. When will the Kansas City Chiefs get a quarterback of high caliber that is not on his last leg, and is not trying to jump start his career (i.e. Matt Cassel, Trent Green, Warren Moon)? All we can do until that time comes is continue to have faith in our franchise. We must continue to believe that the “Chiefs Will.”

Until that time comes, I will continue to put my faith into Matt Cassel and Brodie Croyle. As bad as I want Bill Cowher to come to Kansas City, I will continue to believe in Todd Haley. I have built a trust in Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali, Brian Waters, and Brandon Flowers. I also believe in what Scott Pioli and Clark Hunt are trying to do with the franchise. I will continue to fight for what I believe in, and that is that one day the Kansas City Chiefs will return to dominance as they once did during the 1990′s when they accomplished the best regular season record of the decade (102-58).

Situations like this require all Chief fans to recite the Chiefs Fight Song: