By Dennis Minich
There are times when it feels like the world is just piling on. For example, you are running late for an important appointment and then out of nowhere, you get a flat tire. So, now you are not only going to show up for an important meeting late, but chances are good you are going to be frazzled, tired and possibly dirty if you had to change it yourself. But then, after all of the hassle and angst you arrive to find the meeting was cancelled at the last minute and they want you back the next day. Being late was a problem. The flat tire was aggravating. The cancelled meeting was piling on.
This week we may be experiencing piling on. Since I am writing this before the “snow event of the ages” is hitting town, I can base my observations solely on what is supposed to happen. So, the entire metro area is in the dumps after the local football squad laid an egg in the championship game Sunday. As if being in the funk is not enough, now Mother Nature has decided to dump a winter’s worth of snow on us in a couple of days. In addition to the bad streets and stuck cars, we are also expecting frigid temperatures. All of which would have been much easier to have lived through had we had the glow in our hearts of a championship football team.
I hope it provides some solace to you to know the Chiefs were without a doubt the best football team in the league this year and that doesn’t change simply because they lost one game, even though it was at a bad time. You may note I said they are the best team and that is, frankly, an indisputable fact. I came to the realization Monday night while watching a television program.
During the show, there was a commercial for some kind of company. I don’t even remember what the product was. But I was struck at the end of the commercial when in a box in the corner of the screen, there was an official-looking shield, I think it was red and blue which makes things more official, and the wording around the shield was “One of the most ethical companies in the world.” I wish I had remembered what product they were advertising, because I would have gone and bought whatever it was, because who doesn’t want to deal with one of the most ethical companies in the world?
I wonder who ranked them for their ethicalness. How does one qualify for that award? How many companies win that award? It kind of reminds me of a Kansas City attorney’s office where they say, “He’s smart and he’s honest. And that’s all you need.” I am thrilled to know the only requirements to be a great attorney are smart and honest. I would have thought maybe he might need a law degree, might need some experience and maybe some books or legal pads or something. But no, all you need is to be smart and honest. And I know that because I saw that on television. I think maybe whoever determined all you need to be is smart and honest may belong to the same club as whoever is passing out the most-ethical company awards.
I remember seeing an episode of “Pawn Stars” where the owner, Rick Harrison, said, “I own the world-famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. Do you know how we know it is world famous? Because it says so on the sign on the side of our building.” I think maybe, he was saying you can pretty much say anything that is subjective, because who can prove you are wrong. To expand, places like North Carolina, Memphis and Texas claim they have the best barbecue in the country, but we know that’s not true, the best is in Kansas City. Seriously, you can believe me, why would I say something that isn’t true?
Which brings us back to football. When you consider the players, the coaches, the fans, the stadium, the mascot, the cheerleaders, the tailgating, the signage, the parking, the color of the uniforms, the price of nachos, the TV ratings, the alcohol consumption, the advertising, the make of lawn tractor, the number of lights over the field, the wind directions inside the stadium and the general wonderfulness of Kansas City, can there be any question as to what was the best team in football this year? It’s like being a smart and honest attorney, nothing else really matters, certainly not wins and losses. So, I am confident there is no debate the Chiefs are the best team in football this year.
But then we get piled on and the worst snowstorm of the millennium is bearing down on us right now. We might not get any snow out of it, but that doesn’t change the fact it is the worst snowstorm ever. Because someone said it is.