Tony "Boobie" Gonzalez

Upon re-watching Friday Night Lights last evening, I had a realization.

Chiefs fans must move forward.

Many fans of Kansas City's NFL franchise are understandably disappointed, and feel a sense of hopelessness due to the loss of future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez; after all, he is arguably the greatest tight end to ever lace up a pair of cleats.  However, this is not the NBA.

Tony Gonzalez is not Michael Jordan.

Jordan's retirement caused many to question the very future of basketball.  That's why I like football.  Football is about strategy, perseverance, and the will to win.  It's about leadership and preparation.  Most importantly, though, football is about the concept of "team."

On Friday Night Lights, when James "Boobie" Miles goes down in the first game of the season, the citizens of Odessa feel that their state championship dreams have been shattered.  The Permian Panthers pull together, however, and come up just inches short in the big game.

Additionally, consider the Patriots' 2008 season.  Matt Cassel, who the Chiefs now hope can be their franchise quarterback, rose from the ashes of Tom "Boobie" Brady and led the Patriots to an 11-5 season.  Even after losing the best player on their roster, the Patriots kept their football team rolling and won ballgames.

When Larry Johnson went down in week eight two seasons ago, the Chiefs crumbled and lost every remaining game of the year.  As a team, they cannot let the loss of Tony "Boobie" Gonzalez hinder their progress. 

The braintrust of Clark Hunt, Scott Pioli, and Todd Haley is driven, confident, and seems to want to do what it takes to win.  Even though Gonzalez sometimes seemed like Superman, he was not the entire team.

Gonzo is Gone-zo, and it's time for fans to accept that fact and move on.