So Much Drama, So Few Wins

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver is suspended for the next four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

By James Sullivan

Chiefs Coalition Columnist

     The soap opera known as "As the Chiefs Turn" took another strange twist this week with the suspension of wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. 

     He was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.  According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Bowe was suspended for taking a diuretic.

     Bowe reported to camp some 20-30 pounds overweight.  For a wide receiver even one with a big frame such as Bowe that is really packing on the pounds in such a short time frame. 

     Sure as suspensions go taking a diuretic isn't quite on the level of hitting your girlfriend or team insubordination, more on that later.  Nonetheless, it's a four game unpaid suspension for the Chiefs leading wide receiver.  

     For an offensive that could only convert one of 15 third down conversions against the lowly Oakland Raiders last week how much more can losing your top wide receiver really hurt?

     Bowe, 25, has been in and out of head coach Todd Haley's doghouse all year.  He's been mysteriously demoted from first to third string in the preseason without much of an explanation.  I believe now that we have a better understanding of why Bowe is the target of Haley's ire.

     From dropped passes, blown assignments, lining up on the wrong side of a formation and flunking drug tests Bowe may present the former wide receiver coach, Haley, his biggest challenge to date.  If Haley can turn Bowe into a Pro Bowl receiver then perhaps we should give him a glass of water and see if he can turn that into wine.

     On the same day Bowe's suspension was announced, former Chiefs running back and drama queen, Larry Johnson, signed on with the Cincinnati Bengals.  It just so happens that the Bengals lead back Ced Benson injured his hip in the team's victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

     It doesn't quite seem fair that the problem child, Johnson, goes from a 2-7 team to a 7-2 team but hey life's not fair is it?

     Johnson's tenure as a Chief started off stormy and ended even worse.  In between, Johnson demonstrated that he possessed an uncanny ability on the field and uncontrolled behavior off of it.

     Former Chiefs general manager and president Carl Peterson gave Johnson the big contract but traded away an All-Pro defensive end in his prime in Jared Allen.  In Johnson's first home game after he signed his big extension he got to Arrowhead Stadium for a noon game at 10:45 am in his chauffeur driven Bentley.   I know this because I saw it with my own two eyes.

     I knew there and then Johnson had gone off the deep end and there was no coming back for this wanna be superstar.  A running back's shelf life is short in the NFL and Johnson wanted to be known as one the best of all time. 

     It is no coincidence that he was released by the Chiefs less than 75 yards away from becoming the team's all-time leading rusher.  A mark held by the mercurial Priest Holmes.  The man Johnson replaced due to injuries.

     Of course Johnson has already talked smack on a social network website that he will make the Chiefs pay for releasing him.  Like he left them any choice.  His derogatory comments about homosexuals and Haley's credentials was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

    It's bad enough that Chief fans have to endure the worst stretch in franchise history but to have their two top offensive weapons in Johnson and Bowe remove themselves from competition through their actions and not injuries just adds further insult. 

    Thanks for nothing fellas.  I'm quite sure this offense can go one for 15 on third downs without you.