Steven Knievel

There is something about danger that stirs. It awakens that primordial spirit lying dormant behind our academia and cordiality and rouses us to test our edges. It calls us to strut, to flex, to make a display of strength at a nearly unimaginable level. Whatever wild-eyed drive, death-defying lust is buried in our bones, it has fallen on me today.

This is the second record-breaking Chiefs game I will attend. The first was on September 29, 2014 when Arrowhead stadium stole the crown back from Seattle of being the loudest crowd in a sports stadium. Today, I am about to don my American flag helmet and cape and hurl myself into the coldest game in Arrowhead stadium's history. It is currently -4 degrees and it should reach all of 8 by the end of the game.

I am starting Mariota, who is from Honolulu, against my better judgement. But I couldn't pass up the chance to see three of my fantasy players in real time! Dan, notice is hereby served. You may give endless hours and relentless texts during the season to establish yourself in this round of playoffs, but I am giving blood. Today I sacrifice my body to football, to fandom, to the Chiefs.

Boom Shakalaka


- Chief Rocka

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

A bad sport usually disappears once the season's over, a good sport writes articles complaining about it... 

Rave of the Week

This weekend, I was knocked out of the playoffs by “Chief Rocka.” I normally don’t like to credit the victor, but in this case, it’s unique as this marks the first time someone other than Limited Edition or Sons of Thunder have done that in the West since 2010. It’s progress. It’s momentum. It’s what I’ve loved about this league…the pursuit of being elite.

I began writing these weekly post under the title, “rants and raves” back in about 2008. It didn’t officially get its trademark name till several seasons later and there was no historical archive of them before our blog was created, twomentalk.blogspot.com. I didn’t consider myself a writer at all. In many ways, I wish I still had those early entries to illustrate how poorly I couldn’t write. However as I look back upon the last eight years: season after season, article after article, sentence after sentence…I became a very good writer. I will always be grateful for platform because it’s been the foundation of so many wonderful things.

Storytelling has become one of my biggest strengths in my personal, professional and play life. After TMH began, I started a blog. In fact, as I write this, I have to ask myself, “Would I have embarked upon Friday Night Live if I hadn’t built the subconscious confidence from writing on a weekly basis?” In my career, my primary role is to create a story and tell it to an audience and it’s all thanks to a weekly article called, “Tuesday Morning Hangovers.” I owe so much to a weekly seasonal habit that started simply from the practice of writing to ten people. Ten guys who play waivers. Ten people who set their lineup (no thanks to Julio Jones) and ten people who progress through high and low seasons because at the conclusion of the playoffs, it’s still the momentum of being one step closer. We don’t play this game for only the current season, we play it because the history of this season will last forever. As small as this article may be right now, it does represent one thing…one more step in becoming an elite writer and the history of my captured script progression will last forever, too.   

This is why you cannot give up in life; nothing we do in life is ever really small. The magnificent view we construct in our lives for the future is the fraction of what we can see in our life right now and that picture only expands based on our commitment to make it grow, today.

Rant of the Week      

Okay, now that the regular season is over, I can say it, I didn’t care for the IDP at all. Dare I say, I almost hated it? The concept was worth exploring and testing this season as all games should evolve over a decade. I certainly wouldn’t still be playing Madden 2001,* although it was a great game for its time (and IDP had its time, too). There will be a lot to digest this offseason, but I’m basically throwing up at the thought of having an IDP in the inside of my roster, again. An IDP is the metaphor for restaurants that make burgers, pizza and tacos…if you add too much to the menu, it’s not going to go well (see this season). I don’t want the name, “Elite” associated with a value store, simile-league whose scoring system represents the black Friday of detritus that has points available any and everywhere for a fractional rate.*

HBK

*Maybe Madden 2004…maybe…

*Now that’s what I call a RANT… 

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

Rave of the Week

In a very similar way to Steven’s article, I too, this weekend found myself rooting for the Prophets and Kings, but for a very different reason. For the past four seasons I’ve faced a reoccurring nightmare that usually last about 8 eight weeks or so…the possibility of an equal record. I get it now, old people. As you age, records do matter and four years ago I completed an undefeated season. Do you hear myself talking about the good ol’ days, already? The closest anyone has ever came to repeating it was my own standing, last season at 11-2 until the Sesame Street Gang entered the last week of the season at 11-1. We all measure a successful season at different metrics. For some it’s beating a long-time rival and for others, it’s a blowout win in week 6. For me, it’s a series of three questions: did I win the Super bowl, did I make the playoffs and does my record still stand? In hindsight, I was too naïve to understand 2012, I only cared that I won the championship. However since then, many seasons have transpired, I realize now how hard it would be to ever hit that mark, again. As it stands, I sit on the silver pedestal of 11-2 with now both Hery and Dan (bronze being 13-3) and perhaps it’ll become the new bronze to a future 12-1 record…but for at least for one more offseason, I remain alone at 13-0 and that’s my final rave of every regular season.

Rant of the Week

As the regular season fades and the playoffs approach, I’m reminded of a story I watched a few seasons ago. During one of Marshawn Lynch’s entrances into the end zone, he stopped and confirmed for the nationally televised audience, that he was, in fact a man. While this is an important fact to confirm as a man, it was a disappointing way to celebrate success as it was met by both fines and unhappy parents. From that moment, anytime Lynch entered the season, he would promptly turn and shake his linemen’s hands. For a few weeks I thought this was a sarcastic approach, (as we tend to look at things how we would behave) but as countless games went on, no matter how many times he would visit the end zone, regardless of how many skittles were thrown and despite his teammates wanting to celebrate, Marshawn Lynch would only shake hands. As I was pondering validity of Steven’s post and picture,* the same question kept returning, “Why do we hate losing so much to each other?” The historical image posted hit the rock on head.* Our league has always held a rich history of disrespect shown to an opponent to a mammoth sized proportion in victory. I’m not saying I used to play in the mud, I’m saying I was eating it like the prodigal son ate pig food. Goliath was like that, too. In fact, the Bible (which withholds no details) simply states, “the Philistine cursed David” in other words, “it was so bad, we’re not going to repeat what he said to the boy…” Now I’m not saying you can’t have fun, but the older I become, the more I realize how barbaric it is to purposely disrespect one (especially one you value) with the sole intent of elevating yourself. A well-known fact about the Elite. In many ways, its best this blog hasn’t always exists with historic words published, forever. As I stated in my “Rave,” records matter. At some point, I will show my future kids this league’s history and its shrinking blog, but I don’t want to show them a monster. I don’t want to show them one who disrespected the ones he called, “bros” because it’s true that this league was started by boys, but it’s maintained by men, today. Keep that in mind this postseason, gentlemen.

HBK

*S/o to Steven for pulling a picture from the greatest Hanna Barbara movie of all time.

**My bad, Goliath… 

The Bigger They Are...

Winning is winning. I'll take a W over and L any week of the season. However, I think we can all agree that there are some victories that we savor a little more than others.

Last week I took on one of the giants of our league (pictured above). It pains me to describe them as giants, but I can't deny their records or juggernaut teams. I have to commend them on drafting (SSG) and trading for (EDU) great teams. That being said, these are also the teams I love to beat and hate to lose to. Maybe it's because of their level of competition, maybe it's because I don't have time to proofread their comments. Whatever the reason, there is no sound like a giant's knees hitting the ground.

This brings me to this week. JB, you have proven yourself to be a daring strategist. You seem to always have a plan based on research, and no matter how outlandish the conclusions you draw from the data are, I respect your bravado. Whatever the research has been whispering to you lately, stay true my friend. DO NOT let SSG finish atop the league at 12-1. Rally your prophets, draft your edicts, and wage war on this giant. I can assure you the the taste of victory will be sweeter than any other this season.

That being said, I am starting my own David in Tyreek Hill over Goliath Amari Cooper this week. So I guess we'll see if the value I place on boldness results in anything more than heartburn.

Boom Shakalaka

-Chief Rocka