Of all the games on the schedule this year for the Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday was the one I wanted to go to. Needed to go to in my mind.

Not only was it a nationally televised game, the Chiefs were inducting one of my favorite players ever into the hall of fame.

I absolutely loved watching Tony Gonzalez. I grew up in the days of Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith and that duo got my interest in the sport.

It was the high-powered offense that made me absolutely love football. It really didn’t matter who threw the ball, Tony G caught it. Then scored and then dunked it.

When I first starting writing and actually covering the Chiefs, I was in awe being in the locker room hearing him talk. He was a hall of famer in my eyes, not just the Chiefs, but in Canton.

Trading him to Atlanta hurt. But I understand how the league works and it was the same way when Jared Allen was traded.

Seeing Tony G back at Arrowhead was awesome. He banged the drum at the start of the game and at halftime his name and number were unveiled on the upper deck. Then the crowd chanted, “Tony, Tony, Tony” over and over. With temps that felt like it was in the low 20s, it was the coldest Chiefs Hall of Fame ceremony I ever attended.

The only thing that would’ve made for a perfect night would’ve been a win by the home team. Up 28-14, it seemed all but locked up in the fourth.

Then, history repeated its self. A team with a good offense is let down by the defense. At the end, the feeling was like many in Tony’s days. Good but not good enough.

Philip Rivers was 0-20 in his lifetime when down by 14 or more in the final five minutes. This NFL season, teams up by 14 or more points, with 5 minutes to go, were 88-0.

Then, the Chiefs we all know arrived.

It felt like a playoff loss. It felt like Tennessee last year. Or Pittsburgh before that. Or Baltimore. The atmosphere felt like a playoff from the time I got to the parking lot and it felt like a playoff walking a mile back to my car in a sullen and somber parking lot, aside from a few choice words for the few Chargers fans there.

Here’s to hoping the next few times the Chiefs play at Arrowhead the joyous moments continue all day or night.

There is only one guaranteed game — Sunday, Dec. 30 vs. Oakland —left at home after that heartbreaking loss last week.

Can you imagine how tough it will be if we go from the favorite to the No. 5 seed because Bob Sutton can’t call a decent scheme?