T’is the season of kindness and giving. And it is in the tradition of the season to look back and give thanks on what we have.

   I am personally thankful and glad for so many things. I am thankful for the writing skill and devotion of Joe Posnanski and Jason Whitlock. If you don’t know who they are, they’re nationally acclaimed columnists for the Kansas City Star. 

   I am happy for them because they share the same passion and love for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs that I do. Whitlock is just as fed up with the Chiefs as the rest of us and he keeps pushing for Carl Peterson to be fired. 

   Posnanski still maintains faith in the Royals and in some of the hard times of the summer months, he keeps me inspired, even when its hard to find something to feel hopeful about. 

   I am even more grateful for them now because of this simple and morbid truth. Our city is dying. Professional sports in our city as we know it are nearing the brink of destruction. 

   The last time the Chiefs or the Royals won a playoff game was January of 1994 when the Chiefs and Joe Montana came out victorious against the Houston Oilers. The fact that it was against the Oilers is proof enough for how long ago that was. 

   But let me come back to my original thesis. Our city IS dying. Fans increasingly and increasingly are caring less and less about the success of professional teams and are starting to shift more towards collegiate and high school athletics. 

   What is the most depressing about this downward spiral is that five years ago, the Chiefs were the talk of the NFL and the Royals had a season that gave our city hope. That year in 2003, Kansas City became the first city in history to have two teams start 9-0. But then we began a tailspin that has left us with a city that has just stopped caring, and that is unacceptable,. A fan base is vital to any organization. 

   Five years ago, a home game was almost a guaranteed victory just because of a guaranteed sellout. Now, fans may have stopped caring about the games themselves, but they haven’t stopped caring about the team. 

   Our city has been crying for Peterson to be fired since the end of last season, and we will continue to call for his removal until it happens. This is why a strong and loyal fan base is so vital to a team’s success. With an active fan base, executives in the organization are forced to act in the best interests of the team and not their pocketbooks. That’s whats happening with the Chiefs and that is one of the problems the Royals have had over the years. David Glass has kept his pocketbook tighter than Mark Wood’s pants for many years and that is one of the biggest reasons for the organization’s downfall. 

   And as I said earlier, it is the season of giving and thankfulness, so take heart and take stock of what you have to be thankful for.