Story ideas --Hodgepodge and leftovers

At the end of the year, I revisit my topic list for weekly columns. I always find an item or two that I liked, but they just didn't seem to warrant a full article. Here are two vastly different subjects, but I have chosen them to end this season together.

The first subject is a bit racy and romantic, but very appropriate for this time of year. It is the very human act of kissing. This article is scheduled to appear in the New Year's Eve addition, what could be more pertinent?

The act of kissing is ancient and practiced in almost every society. The social science community has argued its origin for a long time. Some think it is an instinctive human behavior, while others feel it is a cultural, learned trait. I don't really think too many of us care who wins that argument, we humans like kissing, no matter where it started.

My idea for this subject came from an old friend. We were talking the other day about the days of our youth, and she astounded me with this part of our conversation. She told me that in high school, there was this one guy (like Dragnet, she refused to use his real name to protect the innocent), who was really good looking, and all the girls wanted to go on a date with him.

Then she floored me when she said they all found out he was the worst kisser they had ever kissed. We both had a good laugh, but this got me to thinking about the many kisses we have all encountered over the years.

New Year's Eve has always been a time when kissing was more prevalent than at any other time of the year. There are many factors that help to make it so.

First, most people indulge in quite a bit of alcohol during the evening festivities. When you are a bit tipsy, your inhibitions tend to wane. Most of the time you have really presented yourself in your best light, as far as dress and makeup are concerned. From head to toe you try to look your very best.

Several of my friends refer to New Year's Eve as "Amateur Night." The idea being, that a lot of people go out on New Year's Eve, that are infrequent party people. It's as if they have saved all their wildness for just this one night.

Regardless of the reasons, there will be a lot of people who will be kissing others, who are not their mates. Sort of makes me wonder how many arguments and fights were caused by such kisses? For that matter, how many new secret romances trace their origin to a first kiss at New Year's? PS -- I've been using my chap stick every day this week!

My second story this week deals with my beloved Kansas City Chiefs. Last week, I watched as they floundered in another loss to the Steelers. At the time this is being written before the final regular season game, there is still a slim chance they could make the playoffs, but slim barely defines the dire straits we find our team in.

I have been a Chiefs fan since they moved to KC in 1963. I am a season ticket holder, and I will die a Chiefs fan no matter how often they disappoint me. Having said that, I have some real issues with the direction we are taking as a franchise.

It's at times like this that I really miss our old sports editor, Kelly Bradham. I am sure we would have hashed and rehashed this team and its future for several hours.

My basic problem with the Chiefs lies in the quarterback situation. In the 50+ years they have been in K.C, they have never drafted a quarterback that has led them to the Super Bowl.

The one time we made a number one draft pick a quarterback was in 1983, when we selected Todd Blackledge. Blackledge had been rated by all the scouts and combines as a sure thing. Trouble was, the rest of that draft produced the real sure things.

John Elway, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Ken O'Brien, and Dan Marino, were all taken in later rounds. It is a scar on the Chief's staff that will never be lived down.

During the rest of our years, we have acquired other team's castoffs. Len Dawson, Warren Moon, Steve DeBerg, Bill Kenney, Ron Jaworski, Dave Krieg, Steve Bono, Rich Gannon, Trent Green, Matt Cassel, and now Alex Smith, are just a few of the quarterbacks, that have come to K.C. from other teams.

I use the word castoff because that is exactly what I think of these choices. Certainly, several of these fine young men gave us some wonderful moments in Chiefs history, but only Len Dawson managed to lead us to two Super Bowls.

These players were either getting old, or their teams had decided they were not the future for their franchises. Still, that is the direction the Chiefs have taken season after season.

This past fall I was able to scratch one more item off my "Bucket List." I attended a World Series game in K.C. I was able to do that, because the Royals made a concerted effort a few years ago to draft good young players and develop them in a good farm system.

I don't have many years left for the Chiefs to get their act together. We need to scrap the present plan. We need to trade up in the draft, get a young quarterback, and build a team around him.

I have never been a garage sale person. I like to buy most of my needs new and unused. I feel the same way about the Chiefs. Let's quit trying to make the big show with another teams leftovers. A Super Bowl is still on my "Bucket List!"