George Harris Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel 2008

Anytime you see people with "Parking Systems" imprinted on their jackets, you should be afraid. Very afraid.

Afraid as in, afraid you're not gonna get into Arrowhead on time to see the kick-off because the guys in the jackets will route you completely around the stadium before letting you into a lot to park.

Which turned out to be merciful because the Chiefs fumbled the kick-off. The Giants recovered and scored before we got to our seats.

The Chiefs countered with a field goal, but that's about as close as it got. The final score looked closer than the game really was.

Early on, Matt Cassel threw a pretty good pass to Duane Bowe, the guy with rock-solid hands. The pass bounced harmlessly off the rocks, and for the rest of the game, Cassel seemed determined not to give any of his receivers another chance to drop a pass.

But that sounds harsh. Cassel was running for his life most of the time, and who could expect him to care where the ball went.

The Chiefs tried an onside kick after a score. I liked the enthusiasm, and why not try. They knew they were going to have to take some chances to win. Alas, it didn't work.

Half-time entertainment was a Jazzercize demonstration by ladies in pink shirts who had raised money for breast cancer research. A worthy cause, and they had raised over $60,000. But the Chiefs could have laid Duane Bowe off for a day and donated his salary to match the ladies' fundraiser total. A worthy cause plus a wise move would be a tough combination to beat.

The Chiefs had some success with a shotgun formation with a cute, forward handoff to Larry Johnson. Then they tried it again...and again...and again... until long after even I saw it coming.

A really bad call can take the steam out of a young team. The Chiefs got that when a secondary defender crunched a Giants' receiver, making him drop the ball. A clean, great hit that drew a penalty. The poor guys seem to get ticketed whether they make a mistake or a great play. The Giants used the penalty to move in for a TD.

The Giants seemed to get bored late into the fourth quarter and allowed the Chiefs to score. Rumor in our section was that the Chiefs sent a messenger to the Giants' bench to see if they'd allow a Jazzercize lady to catch a pass and run to the end zone with a Chiefs' escort without being tackled. The proposal was considered but rejected.

But the day was beautiful, and it doesn't matter that the Chiefs lost. They have a 20 year plan to rebuild the team, including a bi-state tax for funding for an offensive line.

Or maybe some stimulus money would help. You may laugh, but don't say "You lie" because these are desperate times, and Chiefs fans are yearning for some good ole MartyBall.

Those were the days, and fans in our section seemed hopeful that the glory days will return. Until then, the Chiefs may be an awful team, and, joking aside, they seem to be trying hard, maybe too hard.

I'll keep watching and hoping these young guys succeed.

Monday morning quarterback editing note: My friend tells me he thinks the jackets we saw said "Crowd Systems" not "Parking Systems."

Ah, that explains it: There is no parking system.