I sat in the stands two Sundays ago and watched the Kansas City Chiefs post their fifth loss of the season, and the experience was a real eye-opener. Sheltered in a section that is predominated by long-time season ticket holders I was struck by the lack of emotion expressed by the Chiefs faithful.

Despite the Chiefs thoroughly timid execution that afternoon, the crowd was mostly friendly. There were few boos except those that rained down when Coach Herm Edwards sent out the field goal unit on 4th and 1 and the ensuing questionable call that denied the Chiefs’ score. On the flip side, the cheers were meek and folks stayed mostly seated. Not long ago it was an unwritten tenet that you must stand and make noise on 3rd down no matter the score. No more. The only emphatic shows of support were reserved for tight end Tony Gonzalez who was in uniform for the Chiefs this week after a tumultuous week that had him on the trading block. Gonzalez and punter Dustin Colquitt provided the game’s only highlights.

Team higher-ups and the members of the local press are under the impression that Chiefs fans are angry and frustrated. The bad news is that Chiefs fans don’t care. The worse news is that they don’t care at all. Expectations are non-existent for the Chiefs success now or anytime in the foreseeable future. On a gem of an October afternoon with warm breezes and temperatures in the mid-70’s, talk in the stands revolved around local and national politics, family vacations, and catching up with the grandkids’ activities. The game served as little more than an irritating diversion on what was otherwise a pleasant afternoon.

Chiefs fans are largely continuing to populate Arrowhead on Sunday afternoons out of tradition and routine. There is next to nothing happening within the organization or on the field to attract spectators to the stadium but there is a loyal – but dwindling – group who still find enjoyment in the Sunday custom of live professional football. Those fans aren’t angry. They’re apathetic. They are resolved to defeat.

The slow deterioration of the Chiefs has been witnessed by fans for the past decade. Posting ten terrific years at the helm of the Kansas City Chiefs, Peterson orchestrated the rise of the team from irrelevance to one of the league’s elite franchises. Peterson and his staff revived pride among the fans and rebranded Arrowhead Stadium as a tailgating Mecca and intimidating venue. The corrosion now appears fully complete with the attitude of indifference currently displayed by the once-passionate Chiefs loyalists.

Example: When quarterback Brodie Croyle was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter, no one even noticed. Casting a fleeting glance field-ways, fans near me interrupted their conversations a few plays later just long enough to register that Damon Huard was lined up. The news of Croyle’s serious (maybe career-ending) injury didn’t start making the rounds until late in the game.

The news was met with a sense of relief. Having zero confidence, fans at Arrowhead that Sunday expressed remorse that Croyle has been so inescapably prone to injury were relieved that the young quarterback may be officially out of the on-going quarterback debate. With the 2008 Chiefs showing no signs of improvement it is utterly immaterial who plays quarterback this year. The quarterback plague afflicting the Chiefs this year has resulted in one clear conclusion. There is not a quarterback currently on this roster that can consistently lead the team and win games.

With an eye towards history, I have been a resolute believer that the Hunt family honored the contracts it made and that Peterson was secure in his job for as long as he chose to keep it. I remain convinced that the Hunt philosophy of patience and allegiance didn’t skip a generation. Those looking for an immediate dismissal of Peterson or Edwards are likely to be disappointed yet again.

Following the decline of last year’s season, Hunt declared that he would be watching for indicators that the team was progressing and making strides towards regaining its status as a championship contender. Since the competitive showing in New England in Week 1 and the home-field victory against the Denver Broncos nearly a month ago, the Chiefs have gone downhill steadily both on and off the field. If the interest of the fans continues to wane the Chiefs will have bigger problems to solve than who will be their quarterback of the future.