Say It Ain't So!

This may be the worst possible news that a Denver Broncos fan could hear this offseason: ESPN is reporting that the Kansas City Chiefs have fired Herm Edwards (disappointing in it's own right because Herm wasn't doing so hot in KC) and is close to hiring... Mike Shanahan! Nooooooooo!

While I've said before in previous posts that Broncos fans are largely happy that Shanahan is gone because of his failings in player management in Denver, no one really argued that Shanahan wasn't an excellent coach on the field. He especially was a great offensive mind that knew how to get the most out of his players on that side of the ball and create mismatches. If Shanahan does in fact join the Chiefs, a team that already has a run-first mentality and one of the leagues better runners (Larry Johnson, although there's no guarantee he'll be around next year), Kansas City could become very dangerous. Of course the quarterback question remains as Tyler Thigpen looked very good at times last year but still doesn't necessarily look like he's the answer at the position.

This is probably the worst case scenario for Broncos fans. If Mike had run off to Dallas, that would have been fine; they're in different conferences and would only meet once every four years except in the Super Bowl. Even if Shanahan had gone to the Jets or one of the other open AFC positions, it would have been more palatable than running to a division rival that has given the Broncos fits for years. Now the Broncos will (possibly) have to face Mike Shanahan twice a year, every year, and unless Josh McDaniels is a miracle worker with the Broncos horrible defense, this does not sound very appealing.

Had Shanahan gone to an NFC team, I could see myself rooting for him to do well. But with him not only in the AFC but in the AFC West, I can't see myself not hating him and rooting against him each week. I think this is a rule of being a fan: you're not allowed to cheer for a division rival, no matter who is on that team, unless your team is already eliminated from contention. And the Broncos had better not be eliminated from contention before the Chiefs any time soon. I wish Shanahan well off the field, but I hope the Chiefs go 2-14 for years to come.

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