Friday Morning Cup O’Chiefs

MU-KU HAVE SIGNED FOR FOUR MORE YEARS OF FOOTBALL EACH NOVEMBER AT ARROWHEAD.
Word of a new deal between the schools was no secret, but on Thanksgiving Day they announced a new four-year contract with the Chiefs to hold the game between these rivals at Arrowhead through the 2012 season. The teams will play each other this Saturday in the second meeting at Arrowhead.

“This continues what everyone knows was the late Lamar Hunt’s dream” said Carl Peterson. “Without question this is a great positive for Kansas City, Jackson County and Arrowhead Stadium.”

It’s also a great financial deal for the two schools. In the Big 12 Conference, there is no sharing of revenue with the visiting team. KU officials estimated the deal was worth $1.5-2 million more for each school than if they hosted the home games.

“It’s good for both schools,” Peterson said. “It’s a great economic impact for the Kansas City community. We’d like to sustain this, but ultimately it’s their decision. We’re hopeful that this thing will continue.”

Last year’s game was huge as both MU and KU came into the contest with national championship dreams. The Jayhawks were unbeaten, the Tigers had one loss. Mizzou’s 36-28 victory was played before 80,527 fans, the second largest crowd in Arrowhead history. It was also one of the most highly watched college football games of the season.

The two schools have played each other 116 times, making it the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi.

Also starting next season, Arrowhead will host the Kansas State-Iowa State series for at least two years.

If these college games continue, then the Chiefs will have to seriously consider putting artificial turf back into Arrowhead.  Right now, a pleasant fall with no rain during Sunday games has left the playing surface a bit threadbare down the middle, but in relatively good shape.  But Arrowhead has  four more games left with the MU-KU game, the Big 12 Championship Game and Chiefs home games against San Diego and Miami.

In the past the Chiefs have re-sodded the playing surface when necessary, but with increased use they may have to go to something more reliable and consistent.  Remember, Arrowhead had AstroTurf for the first 22 years it was open.  Grass was not the playing surface until the 1994 season.

A COFFMAN FAMILY THANKSGIVING

One of the most important players in this Saturday’s MU-KU game is Mizzou TE Chase Coffman. The Coffman family could have quite a Thanksgiving Day football game if they wanted, what with two brothers in college football, one in high school ball and father Paul Coffman, a former NFL tight end with the Packers and Chiefs. With all that talent, they stay away from backyard football before their turkey dinner.

FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY

On November 28, 1976, the Chiefs beat the Chargers 23-20 at San Diego Stadium. RB Ed Podolak’s five-yard TD run with less than six minutes to play gave Kansas City the victory over San Diego. Podolak had an earlier five-yard TD run and finished the game with 127 yards on 25 carries. Defensively, the Chiefs picked off three Dan Fouts passes, as S Gary Barbaro had two and CB Tim Gray had the other. They also had three sacks, two by DE Bob Maddox.

On Thanksgiving, November 28, 1996, the Chiefs beat the Detroit Lions 28-24 at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. It was a record breaking day for RB Marcus Allen. In front of a national TV audience and 75,079 fans, Allen had two touchdown runs of one-yard. That allowed him to set a new NFL record for career rushing TDs with 112. That passed the previous record holder, Chicago’s Walter Payton who had 110 over his career. Allen set the record in the first quarter and then added to it with a scoring run in the fourth quarter. They were two of four offensive TDs that day for the Chiefs, as QB Rich Gannon had scoring throws to WR Chris Penn for 17 yards and nine yards to TE Derrick Walker. RB Greg Hill ran 17 times for 103 yards and Gannon completed 15 of 18 passes for 120 yards and those two TDs. Defensively, the Chiefs had three interceptions, as LB Donnie Edwards, CB Tony Stargell and S Mark Collins all picked off passes. Edwards also had half-a-sack in the game.

It was on this day in 1969 that Dale Lavelle Carter (left) was born in Covington, Georgia. After playing junior college ball in Iowa and then at the University of Tennessee, Carter ended up playing seven seasons with the Chiefs, after being the team’s No. 1 draft choice in 1992. He ended up playing in 104 games with 88 starts at cornerback. He also did time as a punt returner and even took some snaps on offense as a wide receiver. Carter had 21 interceptions and scored four TDs on offense defense and special teams.      

Also on this day Ernie Ladd (right) was born in 1938. The Big Cat played two seasons with the Chiefs (1967-68), appearing in 28 games. Overall, he played eight seasons in the AFL after coming out of Grambling where he was a teammate of Buck Buchanan. Ladd hung around the Chiefs on the injured list in 1969, before quitting football to become a full-time professional wrestler.  Ladd ended up going into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.    At 6-9, 315 pounds, Ladd was one of the biggest and strongest men in pro football in the 1960s.  You’ll remember he was one of the people who helped carry Hank Stram off the field after the conclusion of Super Bowl IV in New Orleans. He had a 52-inch chest, 39-inch waist, 20-inch biceps, 19-inch neck, 20-inch calf, and he wore size 18D shoes. Ladd passed away in March of 2007.