A Chance To Believe

 Hallelujah, Chiefs fans. A new era is beginning. The rebuilding process starts now, and this time, it comes with little objection from a hungry, excitable fan-base. A regime that brought only misery and broken dreams ends here, and an experienced, successful leader takes control. Like many have already said, all the credit here goes to the team's owner, who was wise enough to promptly sign the most successful coach available. In doing so, Mr. Hunt showed a commitment to keep this team relevant, and for that, he deserves every fan's gratitude.

With these inspiring changes taking place, a fan can already look back on this train-wreck of a season with less bitterness and more appreciation for historical value. Instead of holding on to a clearly outmatched coach, Mr. Hunt fired not only an unproductive employee, but a man this entire city has grown to respect on a moral level. That could not have been easy, but it was clearly necessary. Instead of playing things out in Pioli's final contract year, Clark embraced change and agreed to pay two GMs. That decision gives the franchise hope, and guarantees fans that their voices are heard. Instead of deliberating on coaches or playing things slow, Mr. Hunt decisively pinned down the best guy available and made him an offer before he could leave town. Regardless of what happens next, it should be clearly stated that Clark has made bold decisions to make this team a winner. After all, this wasn't the first time he's made an impressive, news-worthy move to keep the team relevant. Who wouldn't have been excited to hire that guy who built a dynasty in New England?

That being said, there are already reasons to limit your expectations and curb your enthusiasm. Things can always go wrong. Even if everything sucks, it can always get worse. This team sucks, and if it doesn't give Jamaal the ball often, it sucks a whole lot more. Fans and coworkers back in Philly complain about Reid's time management skills and late-game coaching decisions, as well as a frustrating rigidity in his ways. If he sticks to his old methods with the running game, and Jamaal gets his hands on the ball less often, Chiefs fans will be quick to berate him for that same stubbornness. And as always, there's more to it than just X's and O's here. Many in the league wonder if a year off wasn't the best choice for a man who just lost his son to a heroine overdose this August. All I can say is, the man knows what he wants more than anyone else, especially anyone in sports media. If devoting himself to Chiefs football is how he wishes to cope and move on, I'll be all-the-more eager to root for him and his team.

Even with the looming questions about the running game and the quarterback situation, Andy Reid already brings excitement and an heir of professionalism to the league's worst team. In his 14 years as the Eagles' head coach, Reid won his division 7 times and a playoff berth 9 times. In 2004, he led Philly to an NFC championship, losing only to the Patriots by one field goal in The Big Game. He still stands as one of only three coaches in the NFL with the title or executive power of general manager. The other two, Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan, have five Super Bowl wins between them. Reid boasts a 130-93 regular season record in his tenure with Philadelphia- the most wins in team history. Within the same time-frame, the Chiefs have 98 regular season wins. Andy has 8 seasons with 10 or more wins in 14 years. Since the franchise's inception in 1963, the Chiefs have only done this 14 times.

So, yes, there are reasons to be cautious, but there are plenty more reasons to be excited- to be, dare I say it, hopeful. Following the worst season in team history, the Chiefs immediately fixed their two biggest problems and hired a consistent winner with playoff experience and an obvious will to push through any adversity with success. What's not to love? So remember, as we enjoy the playoffs this weekend, we get the wonderful opportunity to realistically fantasize about the Chiefs earning a Wild Card spot in 2013. We get the opportunity to hope, and we all have Clark Hunt to thank for it.