I was feeling a little down yesterday before the game. Despite my best efforts at working my network, reducing the list price on NFL TicketExchange every day since Monday and even dropping by a couple of sports bars in my neighbourhood to canvass interest, I was unable to sell my tickets to yesterday's game. And it wasn't a December game against Jacksonville where both teams were 2-12 either; this was a big conference game between two 5-3 AFC teams played in perfectly good weather and not on a holiday weekend on either side of the border. So, in the end, I emailed my tickets to my fine Buffalo friend and fellow season ticket holder, Joe, who tried to sell them at the stadium but with no luck. Why? One reason, I honestly believe, is that this year we received no printed tickets - just 2 credit cards with the games loaded on them and the ability to email individual "tickets"to third parties who would then print them on their own paper and take the paper to the stadium gate. I had one guy interested on Saturday evening at Gabby's on Yonge Street but when I said that I would have to email him the tickets, he remembered that he had to change the oil in his car on Sunday. Joe tells me that he had the same kind of problem yesterday. A piece of 20lb paper from a home printer, purported to be "tickets" to the game, just doesn't carry the same weight or look nearly as legitimate as printed tickets on card stock with professional imagery - ie, actual tickets. I think I'll call my account rep today to share the feedback. It's not really the $200 value which I forfeited but the idea that seats at the 30 yard line, 19 rows above the Chiefs bench for a sold out game went unused.
On the opening drive of the second half, leading the Chiefs 10-3, the Bills drove down the field and, just as they were about to score to take two touchdown lead, Bills quarterback Jeff Tuell threw an interception at the goal line which was returned for a touchdown and they then went on to lose the game. That was in early November last year. Yesterday's game was eerily similar, except that the Chiefs, rather than intercepting a pass, made Bryce Brown fumble as he was about to rumble into the endzone to put his team up 17-3. After the fumble, Brown's momentum sent the ball bouncing into the endzone where it flipped up and right into Scott Chandler's sure hands. But he dropped it and it bounced out of the endzone for a touchback. The Chiefs would themselves score two touchdowns which would be all they would need.
The problem with these big games is that one team has to lose. And lose the Bills did. I blame myself in a sense as the Bills record with me in the stands is 2-0 and, without me, it's 0-3. Or, maybe it's the dark home uniforms - also 0-3 while with the home white uniforms, their record is 2-0. The Bills dominated the game statistically and could have and should have won. But, as Bill Parcells used to say, you are what your record says you are. And they lost the game to go to 5-4 while the Chiefs capitalized on two fumbles to go to 6-3 and now obviously hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Buffalo. Now, the Bills have a short week and trip to south Florida to face the Dolphins on Thursday night. Miami also lost yesterday and also stands at 5-4. They will be motivated not to let the Bills sweep the season series from them and seriously jeopardize their playoff aspirations.
There was an Andy Reid lookalike sitting somewhere in the first row yesterday. The similarity was uncanny as he had a red Chiefs jacket, headset, glasses, moustache, clipboard and the perfect body shape. CBS showed him several times on their broadcast. His name is Chris Wilhelm and he's from Lancaster PA. He has been a Chiefs fan for many years and drove 5 hours to the game. He must have been ecstatic when Reid was named Chiefs coach before last season because, although the body shape would still work well, he would have had a hard time looking much like Romeo Crennel.
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