The Chiefs game in Germany rated a 94 share in TV ratings last weekend. That means 94% of the TVs in use in Kansas City were tuned to the game on Sunday morning. The NFL owns us like indentured servants, and I’m ok with it. They own our calendars and most of our souls at this point. I’m not sure if it is healthy but it’s not changing anytime soon.
If you want an idea of what the future of a football-only Truman Sports Complex consists of you can get a sneak peek at a promotion the Chiefs are running out this winter. From Nov. 24 to Dec. 30, they are hosting a pop-up bar at Arrowhead on Thursdays through Sundays except when the Chiefs play at home. For a prepaid reservation fee, you can pay to go sip fancy cocktails and chew on overpriced finger foods at an Arrowhead penthouse and it will be all the rage. No conspiracy talk here, but the NFL has become the largest entertainment business in the world and they’re coming for your dollars and your time.
I’m old enough that I don’t get very emotional about sports wins or losses anymore, but I am an all go for any future Chiefs games being played at 8:30 a.m. That was glorious. A little breakfast-themed Chiefs get together with the family and then told them to all go back to their respective homes by noon and everyone was happy.
Among my family, I have three people that read this column. My son never reads it. He’s almost rude about his lack of interest in my opinions. My wife claims to read it just to make sure my ego is inflated enough to be popped every now and then. My daughter quietly keeps track of my thoughts, but she’s monitoring my mental health. She seems eager to put me in some sort of managed care.
My favorite reader is my daughter-in-law. She appears to be a loyal Ponder the Thought reader and it has endeared me to her.
Her husband, my son, texted me last week about the front-page story about the pay raises for county officeholders. I was a little excited because it appears from his text that he is finally maturing into a God and Tax fearing Republican. The text showed a picture of The Landmark and the headline announcing officeholder pay raises and he said, “How come they always find money in the budget for this.” It made me cry a little. He attended a liberal arts college, and I was afraid he would never grow out of the liberal indoctrination that was included, but here he was, showing some real Republican tendencies/afflictions.
I assumed from this interaction that he was now reading The Landmark that Foley sends them as part of my massive benefit package. When I saw him after that text, I asked him his thoughts about a part of my column, and he gave me that, “what is this old man talking about” look. He then fired off, “I only read as much as of the paper as possible from my mailbox to the table.” I’m not sure I will win a fight with him, but I thought about trying my luck, what I lack in physical prowess, I make up with mean spirit.
His wife then saved the day by recounting a portion of my column, soothing my ego, and saving one of us from embarrassing altercation result. I immediately decided to call an estate attorney and see if you could give your estate to a daughter-in-law but not son. Might be awkward, but I won’t be here to worry about it, let them sort it out.
(Guy Speckman cannot be reached, his calendar is full courtesy of the NFL)