What do Elvis Grbac, Matt Cassel and Steve Bono all have in common?
Yes, they’re all former or current (and soon to be former) quarterbacks for the Kansas City Chiefs.
More importantly, they were all failures.
Now one could argue about Bono, since he did lead that outstanding 1995 team with Marcus Allen, Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith. But it was just for the one year, after that…bye-bye Stevie.
The other thing they had in common was a clear uneasy feeling about living in KC.
Oh sure, they said they loved it here, loved the fans and the family atmosphere. Yet they hid from the public – at least our local public – and when they were traded or dumped, none of them ever came back to Kansas City unless it was for business.
Clearly it was a glad-to-be-outta-here attitude.
And Matt Cassel feels just like Steve and Elvis…it ain’t working, he’s unhappy and he has nothing to do with the this town outside of Arrowhead Stadium. Sure he makes a few forced appearances, but he rarely does interviews or is seen out in public.
Matt had good intentions when he was made the starter for the Chiefs. But I believe when it all went bad he left the building – at least mentally.
Think about it…
Four years at the plumb sports post here and we know almost nothing about Matt.
When he’s cut, he’ll be gone and fast. That 4-12 season did him in, he knew it and the public knew it.
Only Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli seems to have missed that one.
As WHB’s Soren Petro points out, the Chiefs have the worst record in the AFC the last four years. They’re only team to lose two home openers by more than 40 points in modern pro football. Wow.
At least Grbac was picked “The Sexist Man in Pro Sports” by People Magazine in 1998. That was Elvis’s last season in KC. We later heard that it was an error. The People photo guy was supposed to photograph Rich Gannon, but the magazine didn’t want to hurt Grbac’s feelings and went with it adding the telling line, “His personality makes him sexy.”
Rich was a nice looking guy, Elvis kinda looked like Dumbo the Elephant.
Sexy? No. Mistake? Yes.
So enjoy Matt THE FRANCHISE Cassel for this last hurrah. Hey, at least he got 60 million bucks! I’m sure everyday he thinks, “Why did I take this job? I could have gone to a better team and had a nice career.”
Instead he’ll be remembered for almost nothing – as just another Chiefs quarterback that didn’t work out.
Pioli may offer him a one year deal to help train the new kid next season. I figure Matt will say NO.
Hey, maybe he gets to back up Tom Brady in New England again. Brady goes down and Matt is the starter – bang, playoffs – he’s back, baby.
Matt, it was nice to meet you, sorry we never got to know you.
Enjoy the 60 million, you, Steve and Elvis got the last laugh.
Would you want to live in this miserable cowtown if you were a young QB with money?
I think not.
If a quarterback was any good, he would own this town. Lenny Dawson hasn’t done too bad here.
Both great points…like all of us, I love our city…for better or worse…I am just a realist…it ain’t Chicago, LA or even Palm Desert…oooops, ok nobody is Palm Desert…we make excuses..”oh who needs that traffic, crime, hate…” uh sorry we have everything else but the traffic…but boy is our airport dead or what? go in early evening…dead, dead,dead…man is it sad, I hear other out of towners talking…”is this a small airport or is this it?” Oh brother…maybe its because we only have, what, 8/9 airlines flying outta here?
However we do have some great people, food, entertainment and a huge sports fan base that deserves better, much better..imagine if the royals or chiefs were winners…wow..small caps on purpose they don’t deserve better.
Say what you want about KCI. If you have to fly out of there EVERY week like I did for 10+ years, it’s the greatest airport on the planet. When you can park 100 yards from your gate and arrive 30 minutes (or less) before your flight, that’s what I want. I don’t need 5-star eateries or 20 different shops. I’m there to get in and get out, not shop and eat. I used to live near Zona Rosa. My record was 22 minutes from the time the wheels touched the tarmac until I was pulling in my driveway. What the hell is wrong with that?!
+1, KCI in it’s current interation is one of the best things this city has going for it.
Hey it is fast and easy…you are right about that..no traffic..quick, yes its nice for us locals.
The All-Too-Familar Lament of an Over-The-Hill QB
“Kansas City? I’ve been traded to Kansas City?
You’ve got to be kidding!
The airport’s a dump and the restaurants are shitty,
The hotels are cheap and the streets look gritty,
And except for these girls I know (Holly and Carla?), the girls aren’t pretty …
Damn … need a new agent to do my bidding.”
KCI is perfect…….. if you’re LOCAL. Take it from someone who flew a million miles a year, theres no place like it. Now, on the other side of that coin, if you are from out of town and have to change carriers…. different story. Not a thing in the world in that place that gives clear, conscise direction on how to get to another airline OR another terminal. Heck, you can’t even tell there IS another terminal unless you pay attention on approach!!
But for me, I love it. Park and walk 100 feet to your gate. But, hey, I’m just an old, white, hater has been…. angry over everything in life, right, Harlinator? I”ll be out there the 26th to get on a flight and go back to the condo. Yes… life is hard for us under performers who once had it… but dont any more. I may only go to the beach 3 times this summer/fall.
Is your condo as nice as the “mansion” in olathe. That one is so nicely
decorated with those swell tables and chairs. Who does your decorating?
glaze if fate woulda been different the Benny would of been 99 today and you woulda been married 9 years today. Benny was a true warrior and gladiator no matter what your pops says. pops was just pissed because benny was going to spear him with a pitch fork. he might of shat himself!! who wouldnt of?
I think of Grandpa Benny daily, he was the best, what a guy…Clint Eastwood as an older man reminds me of Benny….yep 9 years married and 99 year old Grandpa Benny…maybe that would have been better for everyone…who knows…she was a great girl, Connie…I won’t see her likes again….young, sweet and in love…I was a shmuck…didn’t give her the time of day after a year or so..all my fault…so yeah things might have been better, who know…anyways miss them both.
wiiii i wouldnt give ya 7cents worth of pi.. for that stupid n…. happy 99th bennt
i meant benny