My friends, it’s the best of times with the NFL season here once again. Lord, how we missed it.
Then again, it’s the worst of days as you’re being subjected to The Ball in triplicate this week. That’s right: Thursday, Friday and (gulp) weekend editions. That entitles you to hazard pay in some states though you’ll only take home roughly 21% of what you’ve earned if you live in New York or Cali.
Today’s Ball, of course, is prompted by tonight’s clash between two longtime AFC West rivals: the Kansas City Chiefs (17-3 in 2024) and Los Angeles Chargers (11-7), clubs that have been slugging it out since they joined the AFL in 1960. You can catch the action on YouTube - some sort of interweb TV thing that’s just come about - at 8 pm ET, the only time zone worth its iodized salt.
For the uninitiated, the AFL was a heck of a league, full of superstars, many of whom went on to eternal football glory. In fact, 38 AFL players (!) are enshrined in Canton, including a bunch of Chargers and Chiefs. Guys like San Diego offensive tackle Ron Mix and wideout Lance “Bambi” Alworth. KC linebackers Buck Buchanan and Willie Lanier and, of course, HOF QB Lenny Dawson.
Dawson was known for his love of the nightlife, and one can only imagine how much he would’ve enjoyed a Friday night in Brazil, site of this evening’s game. Close your eyes and you can almost see a young Lenny running São Paulo’s streets with the speed of Deion at the 1989 NFL combine. At his side, I can picture another AFL legend, Joe Willie Namath, two young bucks representing the good old US of A. You think those dudes might’ve missed their curfew?
Tonight’s game is the second ever between the teams at a neutral site - KC toppled the Chargers in Mexico in 2019 - with the Chiefs leading the series, 71-58, including the postseason. There’s also been one tie in this rivalry: a 10-10 1965 contest that would’ve knocked out the most ardent of insomniacs.
San Diego’s first points that afternoon came via the foot of one Herb Travenio, a part-time linebacker who became one of the first black kickers in the sport’s history. He hit 18 field goals in ‘65 - third in the AFL - and was perfect on extra points, 40/40. That’s pretty sweet.
Scores won’t be as hard to come by this evening with Messrs. Mahomes and Herbert slinging the rock around Corinthians Stadium. The Chargers QB is just 2-7 against Kansas City but he’s put up big numbers with a touchdown-to-turnover ratio of 21-6. Good stuff.
That said, Mahomes is as tough to beat at neutral sites as he is everywhere else, save for a couple of Super Bowls where he and the boys cratered like JDS Uniphase in the early 2000s.
Of course, it’s the opener and football is often sloppy in September but these are two well-coached teams, and I expect Harbaugh and Reid to have their squads ready to play. Look for a back-and-forth affair for much of the night with the star QBs trading body blows as these top-tier coaches match wits.
At evening’s end, after I’ve consumed three-quarters of a pizza and something with coconut on it, I think the Chiefs win on a late Harrison Butker field goal, sending RIGHT WING MATT into the kind of hysterics he normally reserves for watching “Dancing Trump” memes on Instagram. KC, 28-25