Belcher

Chiefs mourn Belcher, defeat Panthers

- In one of the saddest and most shocking sports stories in recent memory, starting Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend on Saturday morning before driving down to the Chiefs' training facilty and committing suicide in front of the team's GM, Scott Pioli, and head coach, Romeo Crennel.
- Belcher, who was 25 years old and had no history of violence actually thanked Pioli and Crennel for all they had done for him before taking his own life.  The story gets even worse.  Belcher and his 22 year old girlfriend had a 3 month old child.  The girlfriend was the cousin of Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles, who was one of Belcher's best friends.  And possibly the worst of all is that Belcher's mother was visiting at the time and witnessed her son murder her grandchild's mother.
- It continues a horrible history of Chiefs players dying in stunning manner: 
1. In 1965, star FB Mack Lee Hill died from complications during a knee surgery that he sustained during a game.
2. In 1983, second year star RB Joe Delaney, who set four team records in his short stint with the Chiefs died after trying to save three drowning children.
3. In 2000, Derrick Thomas, Hall of Famer and possibly the greatest Chief of all time, died after his car skidded off the road in a snowstorm.

- After what seemed like weeks but was barely more than 24 hours, the Chiefs played a game against the Carolina Panthers (they voted to play after considering cancelling or postponing the game).  Speaking within eyeshot of Belcher's locker, where his jersey still hung, Crennel summed up the team's feeling by tearfully saying, "We're football players and football coaches and that's what we do, we play on Sunday."  The results, although rendered moot in the wake of what had happened were inspiring:
- The Chiefs scored a TD on their opening drive for the first time since 2010.
- The team was less than three minutes away from going an entire game with no penalties and no turnovers, something that they had never accomplished.
- Career also-ran Brady Quinn had a nearly perfect game, throwing two touchdowns and only four incompletions.
- They won a home game for the first time all year.


- On a personal note, I'm as avid of a Kansas City fan as any of you will ever meet and my self-esteem actually rises and falls with the successes and failures (mostly failures of late) of the team.  I've spent the past two days coping with my own feelings on this story and have repeatedly changed my mind about how I feel about it.  First, I was shocked and ashamed to support a team that had employed an individual capable of such a heinous crime.  After giving it time to settle in, I came to realize that a team who employs hundreds of players and staff members should not be held responsible for the actions of one (obviously troubled) individual.  All that the fans and members of the organization can do is pick up the pieces and try to do what they can to bring about healing in the wake of an awful tragedy. 
- Finally though, I've come to realize how spoiled and petty I've been as a sports fan.  On Friday, I would have told you that nothing could possibly happen to make this season any worse.  The Chiefs were 1-10, getting blown out in multiple games.  They led the league in turnovers, didn't lead a game for the first half of the season and were even being mocked by fans both in and out of the stadium.  But football is only a game, and if there's one positive about this tragedy it's that it has given me (and hopefully thousands of other sports fans) some perspective on what really matters.


BCS games set

- The 5 major bowls of the college football postseason were set on Sunday, with a major BCS buster making the field despite not having a coach.
- First and foremost, Notre Dame was set to play in the National Championship game after finishing their undefeated regular season last week and now they know they will face Alabama, who defeated Georgia after coming back from a 21-10 deficit in the third quarter.  Georgia nearly won in the final seconds but down 32-28, their final drive failed when a receiver failed to get the last 5 yards needed for a touchdown.
- This year’s slate of games looks to be largely terrible, and almost all of them should result in double digit victories for the favorite (including Alabama in the National Championship game). Florida will be a huge favorite over Big (L)east Champion Louisville. Stanford should be a big favorite over Wisconsin, and Florida State should crush Northern Illinois (more on that below). Perhaps the only game that could be projected to be close would be Kansas State vs Oregon, which up until three weeks ago, was projected to be the national championship game.
- Northern Illinois jumped Oklahoma in the final BCS rankings to snag one of the coveted (and lucrative) BCS bowl games. They will be served up as fodder to ACC champion Florida State. However, another ACC school will be watching closely. Dave Doeren was named the new head coach of the NC State Wolfpack on Sunday, and will be leaving NIU immediately. The Huskies will be coached by long-time Doeren assistant Dana Bible in the Orange Bowl.