John Rieger – USA Today Sports
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid‘s years in Philadelphia were a roller coaster ride both on and off the field.
Reid took control of a stationary 3-13 Philadelphia Eagles team in 1999, and started them slowly gaining momentum upward. They finished the 2000 season 11-5. They were nearing the top.
The Eagles, under Reid, then won four-straight NFC East titles, and went to the Super Bowl in 2004. They were at the pinnacle of the ride, and we all know what happens next…
Philly’s team took a free fall back to the bottom of the division at 6-10. Reid in the lead cart, zipped them right back up. They won the East (10-6) again the following season, but were approaching an unforeseen curve.
On Feb. 2, 2007, two of Reid’s three sons were arrested within hours of each other, and for completely separate incidents. There was a common charge, though, possession of heroine. This caused him to take time off from the Eagles’ organized team activities that spring, citing “personal reasons.”
This loop-the-loop left Philadelphia in disarray. It sent the Eagles to the bottom again in 2008, and back to the top in ’09 and ’10.
On Aug. 5, 2012, Reid’s oldest son, Garrett, was spending some quality time with his father at the Eagles training camp on the campus of Lehigh University. He was found dead in his dorm room of an accidental heroine overdose.
The wheels had come off for Reid. After a 4-12 season, the ride in Philadelphia was over.
The Chiefs have a little known history with amusement rides themselves. Their founder, Lamar Hunt, also helped establish the Worlds Of Fun theme park in Kansas City. Since Hunt’s passing in 2006, his son Clark Hunt has been in charge of the franchise.
I don’t know if two people high in the heavens are helping to pull their loved ones closer or not, but the Chiefs are back on track at 4-0 this year. They’re moving upward quickly. There’s still a long way to go, but those paying the price of admission are getting antsy.
There’s a new thrill ride in Kansas City. Don’t go to the wrong attraction, though. It’s inside Arrowhead Stadium where Hunt and Reid are showing a group of young men how to have some wholesome family fun… Win.
Troy Alan is a Kansas City Chiefs writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TRantMedia or “Like” him on Facebook.
