By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Monthly musings …
• Chiefs Derangement Syndrome is sure in vogue now that the playoffs have started.
• And remember, unlike another derangement syndrome often cited, media types can pander to 31 different fan bases rather than allies of one political party.
• The person they most want to discredit, of course, is the face of the league, Patrick Mahomes.
• Does Mahomes benefit from favorable calls? Perhaps. But it’s not unprecedented.
• Tom Brady did too, playing for a franchise that was caught red-handed cheating.
• The consequences for those New England teams? None really. Their championships will forever remain intact.
• Look, if you’re a Chiefs fan, enjoy it. Your team is in the heads of every opponent and opposing fan base.
• Also, Mahomes remains focused and strong-willed as he bids for a third straight Super Bowl championship.
• Realize this, too. The Houston Texans will find it hard to ever become a powerhouse.
• Not as long as they blame the refs by saying they walked into Arrowhead knowing they’d get jobbed.
• Excuses sound good to some people, especially those bashing the Chiefs.
• But excuses weaken teams. Excuses can’t cover Travis Kelce, can’t pass-block effectively and can’t execute on special teams.
• Those are the flaws that contributed to Houston’s loss; more so than any unfavorable calls.
• Not many want to acknowledge, on a national scale, that the Chiefs built their curent reign on character.
• Andy Reid is one of the best to ever do it because he leverages his curiosity.
• He gets to know his players and anyone else who works in the Chiefs operation.
• Speaking with Mahomes’ daughter outside the locker room after the Houston win was no publicity stunt.
• When you get to know your people, it promotes teamwork. Not everyone complies, but those who don’t usually get shipped elsewhere.
• One of them, Kareem Hunt, came back into the fold and will be the running back the Chiefs count on in the AFC Championship game on Sunday against the Bills.
• Kansas City needs Hunt, and whatever Isiah Pacheco can add, to keep the ball out of Josh Allen’s hands.
• For the Chiefs to win, someone unexpected will step up and either make a big play or overachieve for 60 minutes.
• Allen is a great quarterback and the Buffalo team he commands is capable of playing for a Super Bowl title.
• Mahomes, however, remains the proven leader I want in a postseason run.
• Especially when he and the Chiefs are clearly in the heads of so many haters.
• I have long been convinced Bill Self is at his best with experienced teams.
• It’s why this portal thing must be maddening for him. Fans clamor that he goes after high-rated talent, and he does.
• Yet assimilating those players into his system seems tough on Self.
• Frankly, if he goes after just one or two guys from the portal and built his team mostly with high school recruits, he could be better off.
• What’s that? Recruits could always escape to the portal if disgruntled after their freshman year?
• First, KU has the NIL money to also retain talent. Two, if players are that eager to leave, let ‘em. This is KU basketball.
• There’s a heritage to learn and uphold. Those who are out for themselves don’t belong.
• Doesn’t that describe everyone in the portal to some extent?
• Self will figure things out. Even this season is far from over yet.
•Jerome Tang is seemingly learning that player retention is a good thing.
• The question is whether the K-State coach is capable of coaching up guys as well as he can recruit them.
• Jeff Mittie hoping for more fan support and K-State fans buying more women’s basketball tickets at their own pace are mutually exclusive elements. Each has their merits.
• K-State fans have turned out in masses for women’s hoops before and will again.
• However, the recent injury to Ayoka Lee is heartbreaking considering everything the record-setting star has been through.
• I will never forget when Ray Bechard provided me a lengthy tutorial on volleyball rotations and what each player attempted to achieve from their positions.
• Absolutely enlightening and something the legendary KU coach did not have to do for some novice like me while steering the Jayhawks on another NCAA tournament run.
• That’s the kind of guy he is. All the best, Ray. Quite the ride for a guy from Grinnell.
• Worth noting: Ray’s brother, Harold, has been a pal since the days of covering state sports together. Great family.
• If you have not attended a Washburn men’s basketball game yet, get off your apps, your video games and ESPN’s cornhole channel to go see the No. 1 Ichabods.
• They play with fire, passion and aggression while knocking down 3s, exchanging dart-like passes and converting breakout dunks off steals and rebounds.
• They’re deep, too. As Washburn rounds into championship form next month, remember that the MIAA tournament is in Kansas City, and an NCAA regional could well be at Washburn.
• Don’t be a Houston Texan. You have no excuse not to go watch Brett Ballard’s Bods.
• One of my favorite events is at my favorite high school gym this week – the Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka High.
• For entertainment value and this year, nostalgia, Topeka hosts few events like it.
• Reminds me, I missed the governor’s State of the State address. The TIT is a welcome substitute for any historian.
• Finally, I’m writing with a heavy heart following the passing of Bill Griffin.
• He once received the nickname, Bullwhip, as a baseball player at KU. He didn’t like it, but he could still flash his trademark smile whenever I said it.
• He teamed with Mike Manns forever to call Topeka preps on radio.
• Then he went on to team with Rick Peterson to forge this website so Topeka preps could still receive the coverage it deserves.
• Here’s to Bill, whom I’ll remember always when the dice hit big ben on the end. RIP.
