Chief's Passing Game - Receivers to Blame

Much talk around Kansas City this week has focused on the play of Chief's QB Matt Cassel. Cassel has not come close to living up to his enormous contract and has been average at best in his short time in Kansas City. However, blaming all of the Chief's passing woes on Cassel is wrong - Kansas City's mediocre receiving corps should shoulder most of the blame.

Until Cassel has a legitimate number one receiver, it is impossible to fully analyze his accomplishments. The Chiefs spent a first round pick on WR Dwayne Bowe, who has, to put it mildly, failed to live up to expectations. Bowe's drop of an easy touchdown catch against the Colts (that would have given the Chiefs a fourth quarter lead) has prompted SI's Peter King to name him the goat of the week. This is the Chief's best wideout? Chris Chambers has all but dissapeared this season as well, leaving Cassel with little to work with with his receivers.

Despite the poor numbers, the Chiefs do have some hope to improve in the passing department. Rookie tight end Tony Moeaki looks like a futre Tony Gonzalez, and has produced at a high level while also providing a few eye-popping grabs. The Chiefs have playmakers who can do a lot after the catch like Dexter McCluster and Jamaal Charles, and the team's strong running game should keep the passing game open.

The team needs to address its problem at receiver quickly for Matt Cassel to have any chance to be a legitimate NFL QB. Until he has the proper talent at wideout, Cassel's performance grade remains an "incomplete."

The Sunflower Showdown is This Thursday in Lawrence

Kansas Jayhawks play Kansas State Wildcats in Lawrence

For the one hundredth year in a row, the University of Kansas Jayhawks will play the Kansas State University Wildcats in football this Thursday night in Lawrence. The Jayhawks got an extra week of practice after a bye giving them more time to work on game plan, or go into a severe depression after getting run out of Waco, TX last Saturday by the Baylor Bears. The Jayhawks are 2-3 overall, and 0-1 in the Big 12. The Wildcats come into this one licking wounds of their own having been abused at home by the Nebraska Cornhuskers. As bad as Kansas has looked this season, you can always throw out the record books when it comes to the "Sunflower Showdown" (God, what a stupid name). I would even say they have a chance.

The all time series record between these two fine institutions is 65 for KU, 37 for K-State, and 5 ties. More recently the series has been pretty even having split the last eight meetings, but KU has won the last three meetings in Lawrence. Kansas State has turned in the better body of work thus far this season, but has not ventured past the friendly confines of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, this will be the first road test of the year for the Wildcats. Vegas has the Cats favored by 2.5 points. I'd lay the points in this one, Kansas State wins by a touchdown.

The game will be widely televised on Fox Sports Net regional carriers at 6:30PM Thursday Night, although I can't imagine it will have a large audience outside the State of Kansas.

Brett Favre Scandel Could Tarnish Legacy

Celebrated athletes falling from grace is nothing new, and Brett Favre may be the latest to join the list. Favre is currently involved in a sex scandal from his days with the New York Jets. The future hall of famer is accused of sending inappropriate pictures of himself to Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger, as well as leaving her voice mails and other signs of evidence. The scandal may produce a suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, which would bring an end to Favre's epic consecutive starts streak. More importantly, it will likely destroy the legacy of America's favorite All-American athlete.

Favre is one of the most popular and enduring athletes in America today, and there are plenty of good reasons why our country loves him so much. He has constantly fought through hardships in his life and came out stronger, from surviving a near-fatal car accident in college to shredding the Oakland Raiders right after his father died. Favre was that good ol' boy from the Mississippi Bayou, the small-town kid who became the greatest player in the history of America's small-town franchise. Then it all went downhill.

Favre started garnering a lot of negative attention in his public war with Packers' President Ted Thompson and later signing with the New York Jets. After an average season in New York, Favre stabbed Packer fans in the back even further, signing with the hated Minnesota Vikings. Favre's legacy slowly turned from All-American hero to spoiled, me-first prima donna. The sex allegations may be the final nail in the coffin. Remember when Favre's wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and all we heard about for three strait months was Favre's family commitment with the shots of Deanna Favre in the stands? This same player was sending naked pictures of himself to another woman years later. Even worse, we are now learning that this behavior is nothing new for number 4. America has finally caught on, and Favre will now join the long list of Athletes who's personal lives tarnished their legacy.

Kansas City Zoo Offering Free Admission To Kansas City Residents

Kansas City Zoo Offering Free Admission To Kansas City Residents

Once again this year, The Kansas City Zoo will be offering free admission to Kansas City, MO residents for the entire month of October and November. The deal is good any day during normal business hours. You need to provide a photo identification, and proof of residency consisting of utility bill, credit card bill, or some other official correspondence. Normal hours are 9:30AM - 4:00PM on weekdays, and weekends the Zoo closes at 5:00PM.

For those of you who have not been to the Kansas City Zoo lately, they have made lots of improvements in the last several years. The most recent of which is the Polar Bear Passage - a state of the Art Polar Bear Exhibit that houses "Nikita", a three year old male. It has a large chilled water pool for swimming and observation areas from three angles. Pretty cool.

The Africa region of the Zoo is excellent also, in fact it was rated #1 in the country according to "America's Best Zoos 2008". The African Exhibit is 95 acres and represents animals from 5 countries. It includes quite a large family of Chimpanzees, a gorilla, an african plains exhibit that houses Zebras, Giraffes and others.

I highly recommend our city's zoo, if you like it, come back again - you can get an annual zoo membership for $79 - this incudes FREE admission for your whole family for an entire year. Normal admission prices are $11.50 for adults, and $8.50 for kids over 3. For other Kansas City Events and things to do click here.

Chiefs Lose to Colts, Fall to 3-1

The Kansas City Chiefs' magical start to the 2010 season finally hit a roadblock today, as the Indianapolis Colts beat the NFL's last unbeaten team, 19-9. The loss drops Kansas City to 3-1, and brought the team back down to earth after the Chiefs became the talk of the NFL en route to a 3-0 start.

Despite the loss, Kansas City fans can still remain optimistic about this season. The Chiefs lost on the road to Indianapolis, who never loses at home and was hungry after losing at Jacksonville last week. The Chiefs continued to run the ball extremely well and Matt Cassel played well and minimized mistakes. The Chiefs once again were plagued by drops, which has been a theme in Kansas City over the last couple seasons. Dwayne Bowe, known for having a bit of a history with dropped balls, failed to haul in a perfectly thrown ball in the endzone for a touchdown. The running game remains Kansas City's biggest threat, but the passing game must continue to evolve for the Chiefs to remain a contender.

While Kansas City's offense struggled, the Chief's defense played well, frustrating Peyton Manning all afternoon and forcing the Colts to settle for field goals every time it sniffed the end zone. The Chiefs defense under Romeo Crennel has quickly turned into one of the league's better units, and should only get better.

Despite the loss, Kansas City still remains in great shape to have a shot at the playoffs. With the easiest schedule in the league, the Chiefs can afford to drop a few tough games like facing Peyton Manning on the road.