Bob's your Information Minister
12-05-2005, 12:53 AM
Whiny Donks!
Unsportsmanlike atmosphere
JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Overheard at Arrowhead
Predictably, there were a lot of short nerves and tongue-biting in the always-overcrowded visitors’ locker room, on this Sunday occupied by the Broncos.
To start, there was the rare overturning of a spot that essentially took away the Broncos’ final shot at winning. But there were plenty of other calls by the officials that had the Broncos contemplating popping off.
The one most upsetting was the personal-foul call against John Lynch with just less than 10 minutes to go. Trent Green had just thrown an incompletion to Eddie Kennison, setting up a crucial third-and-7 play from the Denver 9.
As both teams started back to their huddles, a seriously late flag came flying from the back of the end zone: personal foul against Lynch, helmet-to-helmet hit, first and goal at the Denver 4.
On the next play, the Chiefs scored the winning touchdown.
“It’s almost like the officials looked back at the scoreboard and saw it was No. 47 (Lynch’s number) and then threw the flag,” Denver cornerback Champ Bailey said. “I saw it as a good hit.”
Defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said: “I better be careful. I don’t want to get fined. The thing is, the flag was so late. It was so late, man.”
Lynch tried his best to refrain afterward, at least a lot more than he did at the time. After the Chiefs scored following the penalty, Lynch was seen yelling at the official, “That (the touchdown) was yours! That was yours!”
Lynch drew another personal foul — unsportsmanlike conduct for mouthing off. “Obviously, I didn’t think it was a penalty,” Lynch said. “But it was their judgment that it was.
“The thing is, I can’t then get another penalty after that. I have to show more poise than that.”
Denver’s offensive linemen weren’t too thrilled about some non-calls as well. They were spotted afterward complaining to one another that the Chiefs were offside on at least two plays, one at the end of the first half when Denver was near field-goal position.
“How can you not call that?” one Bronco said. “The guy (the line judge) just looked at me and shrugged. Hey, that’s his job, to see that.”
Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer was also a bit testy afterward.
Asked how disappointed he was about some poor decisions he made, especially the interception inside the Chiefs’ 5 in the first half, Plummer looked incredulously at the reporter.
“You know me — of course I’m (upset),” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t give a (blank) afterward because I’ll go right back and try to make a good play. You didn’t see any give-up from us today, did you?”
Someone then made the mistake of asking Plummer whether he thought the Broncos gave the game away.
“Like they (the Chiefs) don’t have good players,” Plummer asked. “They went out there and played well.
“That would be an insult to them (to say the Broncos gave it away). I can’t say that.”
***
Sunday was an interesting day for Broncos rookie cornerback Darrent Williams out of Oklahoma State.
The Chiefs and offensive coordinator Al Saunders repeatedly picked on Williams throughout the game, especially when the Chiefs needed some big yardage.
But that strategy changed somewhat when Green threw an awful pass intended for Chris Horn that flew into Williams’ hands at the Denver 28 late in the third quarter.
“You know you’re going to get picked on when you’re a rookie,” Williams said, somewhat defiantly. “But it’s not just being a rookie — you get picked on in this league regardless.”
As disappointed as the Broncos were with the loss, they did seem confident they would bounce back.
“We’ve got four games left,” Lynch said. “It comes down to whoever plays well down the stretch. We’ll be ready.
Unsportsmanlike atmosphere
JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Overheard at Arrowhead
Predictably, there were a lot of short nerves and tongue-biting in the always-overcrowded visitors’ locker room, on this Sunday occupied by the Broncos.
To start, there was the rare overturning of a spot that essentially took away the Broncos’ final shot at winning. But there were plenty of other calls by the officials that had the Broncos contemplating popping off.
The one most upsetting was the personal-foul call against John Lynch with just less than 10 minutes to go. Trent Green had just thrown an incompletion to Eddie Kennison, setting up a crucial third-and-7 play from the Denver 9.
As both teams started back to their huddles, a seriously late flag came flying from the back of the end zone: personal foul against Lynch, helmet-to-helmet hit, first and goal at the Denver 4.
On the next play, the Chiefs scored the winning touchdown.
“It’s almost like the officials looked back at the scoreboard and saw it was No. 47 (Lynch’s number) and then threw the flag,” Denver cornerback Champ Bailey said. “I saw it as a good hit.”
Defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said: “I better be careful. I don’t want to get fined. The thing is, the flag was so late. It was so late, man.”
Lynch tried his best to refrain afterward, at least a lot more than he did at the time. After the Chiefs scored following the penalty, Lynch was seen yelling at the official, “That (the touchdown) was yours! That was yours!”
Lynch drew another personal foul — unsportsmanlike conduct for mouthing off. “Obviously, I didn’t think it was a penalty,” Lynch said. “But it was their judgment that it was.
“The thing is, I can’t then get another penalty after that. I have to show more poise than that.”
Denver’s offensive linemen weren’t too thrilled about some non-calls as well. They were spotted afterward complaining to one another that the Chiefs were offside on at least two plays, one at the end of the first half when Denver was near field-goal position.
“How can you not call that?” one Bronco said. “The guy (the line judge) just looked at me and shrugged. Hey, that’s his job, to see that.”
Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer was also a bit testy afterward.
Asked how disappointed he was about some poor decisions he made, especially the interception inside the Chiefs’ 5 in the first half, Plummer looked incredulously at the reporter.
“You know me — of course I’m (upset),” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t give a (blank) afterward because I’ll go right back and try to make a good play. You didn’t see any give-up from us today, did you?”
Someone then made the mistake of asking Plummer whether he thought the Broncos gave the game away.
“Like they (the Chiefs) don’t have good players,” Plummer asked. “They went out there and played well.
“That would be an insult to them (to say the Broncos gave it away). I can’t say that.”
***
Sunday was an interesting day for Broncos rookie cornerback Darrent Williams out of Oklahoma State.
The Chiefs and offensive coordinator Al Saunders repeatedly picked on Williams throughout the game, especially when the Chiefs needed some big yardage.
But that strategy changed somewhat when Green threw an awful pass intended for Chris Horn that flew into Williams’ hands at the Denver 28 late in the third quarter.
“You know you’re going to get picked on when you’re a rookie,” Williams said, somewhat defiantly. “But it’s not just being a rookie — you get picked on in this league regardless.”
As disappointed as the Broncos were with the loss, they did seem confident they would bounce back.
“We’ve got four games left,” Lynch said. “It comes down to whoever plays well down the stretch. We’ll be ready.