KANSAS CITY, Mo. Providing succinct and blunt testimony that sure seems to speak for plenty of others, the Rev. Sam Mann, my dear friend and a passionate Chiefs fan, texted me on Sunday evening:
What the hell is going on(?) Releasing Houston? Am I missing something?
Sorry if the H-word offends, but it seemed to carry a little more currency and oomph coming from a man of the cloth.
When I responded that the economics of the NFL leave me dizzy and baffled, he suggested that sounded like a good title for a book. As it happens, its a page-turner that was only beginning.
FORD????? What the Hell is this organization doing? he wrote me early Wednesday.
Be nice to understand the end-game, wouldnt it? Especially when as of Wednesday afternoon safety Eric Berry once regarded as the heart and soul of this team was the latest to be cast off.
Eric. Berry. Gone.
An incredibly difficult decision, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in a news release from the Chiefs.
Hes a special person, coach Andy Reid said in the same statement before, like Veach, wishing him all the best.
Presto, that was that when it came to explanations of all this from the Chiefs brass, which understandably enough doesnt want to trumpet its strategy in the middle of this gut-check gut rehab on defense but in turn has to understand how odd this is to fans.
Its hard to think of a precedent for this momentous sort of disruption in a team that was so close to a Super Bowl.
This radical reform started logically enough in January with the firing of defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, the hiring of replacement Steve Spagnuolo and the extreme makeover of the defensive staff.
Somehow, its only gained momentum since, and who knows where it will end now?
You could make a case that thats as it should be when it comes to eradicating this teams Kryptonite the last few years. Out of chaos comes order, and all that.
But even if you fully trust those making the decision, ultimately Reid and Veach, blind faith is a tough sell in the limbo of this frenetic shuffle.
