15-yard penalty for stupidity

Ever glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see a car that you know will not be able to stop in time? There's nothing you can do except brace yourself and hope the damage isn't too bad.

The Kansas City Chiefs should start glancing in their rearview mirror right about now. Because there's a car heading their way.

That "car" and the damage it will cause have nothing to do with the team's performance on the field. Rather, the crisis-in-the-making has to do with their unveiling of "Arrowhead Park."

This "park," is actually a slab of concrete set aside for those fans who wish to arrive the day before the game to begin tailgating. That's right, it's for people who want to get started on their, er, lubrication a day ahead of schedule. All for $90, or $110 if you want to bring in a trailer.

Features of this park include the following: No sleeping outside or tents allowed. Portapotties which, on the Web site, they request that you "leave them in place so they are convenient for all our guests." (Lets you know what they expect, doesn't it?) Midnight until 6 a.m. on the day of the game designated as "quiet hours." Security on duty at all times to keep the rabble from getting out of hand.

All sounds rather idyllic, doesn't it? Pay $90 to sleep in your car or camper around folks who may be in some state of disrepair.

Whether or not the thought of spending as much as 24 hours in a stadium parking lot prior to a game intrigues or repulses you, the point is that this is a headline in the making. Sometime this season, someone at the "park" will misbehave at a level that will merit negative media attention.

If the team is lucky, it will only be mischief necessitating expulsion of the miscreant(s). But considering some of the activities that go on already in the parking lots, it seems only logical to expect that more time, more weather, and more alcohol will lead to more significant, even felonious problems.

This isn't intended to be a temperance lecture. Rather, the idea here is that once the brainstorming ends, the reality check must begin. Consider the following checklist:

• What's the upside benefit? If an idea "just sounds like fun," sorry...that's not enough. The upside benefit of any tactic should hit the bottom line (as it will via the "park") or, at the very least, measurably enhance the target audience's perception of your organization.

• What's the downside risk? This is the "CEO goes down in the plane" game. You must figure out everything that might go wrong, and what would happen if it did. Focus first on the worst thing that could happen and work back from there. Figure out what you'd do if the things on your list occurred.

• Is it worth it? Once you have the benefits and the risks down on paper, see whether the scales tip toward go, or no go.

The message? It's less a question of the likelihood of something happening, than the severity of the consequence if it did. After all, the Chiefs don't throw the bomb on every play because it increases the chances of interception. Too bad the front office doesn't seem to have the same common sense.