The Buck Stops With Clark Hunt

We don’t solicit written pieces on this site, but we have some very talented readers who sometimes send us their thoughts. If the story is well written and expresses an opinion then it’s our pleasure to share with all the readers. Here’s another example.

Being the owner of an NFL franchise is a tough job if you choose to do it correctly.

While you are trying to build your franchise, there are 31 other organizations trying to persuade players to leave your team, hire away your good coaches, sign the free agents you want, beat you to the undrafted free agents that you want, figuring out your players’ weaknesses, your coaches’ weaknesses and your weaknesses. All of those organizations who missed the playoffs will be sitting down to make changes in the next few weeks, and they will be looking to steal talent from you, just as you should be looking to steal talent from them.

Clark Hunt has staggered out of the gate in his role as owner of the Chiefs. His teams have four last place finishes and one first-place finish. The Chiefs’ record is 27-54 and they have been outscored by 474 points in the regular season.

The Chiefs have been outscored by more than 100 points in only six seasons in their entire 52-year history and four of them are on his watch. They have been outscored by at least 109 points in 4 of the last 5 years and were outscored by 126 points this year. The 2011 team set a record for the fewest points scored in a full season during their entire history, and many of those seasons were 14 games.

If Clark Hunt was in charge of Clark Hunt, he would have fired himself. Instead, he has fired one general manager, two coaches, a president and most of his other staff at least once, and apparently three or four times in the public relations department. …Read More!

Time For A Winning Approach

(Happy New Year from Mexico to all fellow Chiefs fans and may 2012 be filled first and foremost with health, so that everything else opens up rather easily.)

October seems like an eternity ago right about now, but it was nonetheless a defining point for a pair of teams in the AFC West.

In Oakland, the QB (Jason Campbell) that merrily brought a measure of efficiency to the Raiders’ cause –compared to the work submitted by JaMarcus Russell– was irremediably lost in Week 6 to a broken collarbone. In Denver, the best wide receiver on the Broncos’ roster (Brandon Lloyd) was given away to the Rams for a late-round pick at the trading deadline.

Back in the Golden State, the best playmaker that the Silver and Black possess (Darren McFadden) got injured enough that he hasn’t practiced in nearly 70 days. And in the Rocky Mountains, the signal-caller that was supposedly the undisputed offensive leader of the team (Kyle Orton) was stripped of his starting duties in favor of a seemingly unfinished product (Tim Tebow) after 5 games and a 1-4 start.

Not to mention that Raiders’ owner Al Davis passed away early in the tenth month of 2011. …Read More!

A Reader’s Look: Consistency Missing Under Hunt

Clark Hunt inherited control of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006 when Lamar died. Since then, the Chiefs have had two general managers, three head coaches, four offensive coordinators, three defensive coordinators and the other coaching positions have been a revolving door. When this season ends, the coaching staff will be overhauled again. By the time the 2012 season begins, the Chiefs will have likely undergone the most coaching changes in the shortest amount of time in the history of the franchise.

Hunt has also fired most of the front office personnel, with most being escorted from the building by a security guard. Almost all of the public relations staff has changed. The scouting staff that drafted the most successful draft class in the last ten years (2008) and that drafted most of the franchise’s core players (Johnson, Hali, Bowe, Carr, Flowers, Charles, Dorsey, Colquitt, Albert) was disregarded and summarily dismissed in 2009.

Under Hunt, the franchise has become secretive and security now has a high priority. One wonders why. Since Clark took over full management of the franchise, the Chiefs are 25-52 with one division title. It is the second worst five-year stretch in franchise history, surpassed only by the 1974-78 stretch, when their record was 21-51. It is highly unlikely that any other franchise is nosing around attempting to replicate that record. By contrast, from 2001 through 2006, the Chiefs were 53-43 with one division title and one wildcard appearance. Hunt didn’t inherit a bad team or a bad organization. …Read More!

What’s The Deal With Tebow?

Over more than 30 years of hanging around the NFL I’ve seen a few things that I couldn’t quite figure out.

But nothing has stumped me like Tim Tebow and the legion of detractors that has for the last two years spent a lot of time ripping him, his ability and his performance. Tebow is the most polarizing figure that’s come into the NFL in decades. Let me amend that – Tim Tebow is the most polarizing figure in the league that has not been arrested or gone to prison.

Why do so many dislike this guy? It’s not just fans. It’s the media that covers the league. It’s even opponents; players like those on the Detroit Lions who openly mocked Tebow before, during and after those teams met earlier this season.

The complaints heard about Tebow are petty and on the level of junior-high playground gossip. He’s too nice. He’s overrated as a player. He gets too much attention for a guy who hasn’t done anything in the NFL. …Read More!

Joe Pa Forgot The Most Important Thing

Joe Paterno has won more games than any coach in the history of major college football.

Joe Paterno has been a long-time benefactor of Penn State University, where his and his family’s donations total in to the millions of dollars and have built libraries and created laboratories far beyond the athletics department during his 62 years on campus.

Joe Paterno for 46 years has been the head coach and leader each year of 100-plus players, assistant coaches and countless other staff members. He has coached fathers, and then their sons. He’s revered by nearly everyone that’s been part of the Nittany Lions program since he replaced his mentor Rip Engle for the 1966 season.

Joe Paterno is the father of five and grandfather of 17. He was a loving son and brother.

Joe Paterno is and has been a lot of things. But first and foremost, Joseph Vincent Paterno was a person, a human being raised in Brooklyn, a graduate of the Brooklyn Preparatory School, the U.S. Army and Brown University. He was brought up to know the difference between right and wrong.

And it is his failure as a person that has brought down the life he’s built over the last half-century. He has no one to blame but himself.

Meeting Wednesday evening, the Penn State University Board of Trustees voted to fire Paterno immediately.

…Read More!

Epics & Fails – Miami Edition

I must start by apologizing to all of you faithful followers of EPICS & FAILS for not presenting last week’s Halloween Edition (and trust me that I reaaaally wanted to do them). I have a very good excuse for not doing it … but I believe that you deserve better. So I won’t go down that road. Instead, you get my assurance that you won’t miss them again:

And with that out of the way, off we go.

**********

EPIC: HEY, IT COULD’VE BEEN WORSE!

The votes are in and it’s unanimous: the Chiefs sucked on Sunday. Big-Time. But before I let you further dwell on the sorrow –you know, of losing to an 0-7 team– please allow me to point out that this wasn’t, by far, the worst loss to a winless team that the Chiefs have suffered. Not when you consider that we already have a worse defeat (to the 0-11 Chargers in Week 13 of the 2000 season, as you’re about to see in the following clip) in our record books. Consequently, feel liberated Chiefs fans, for the Dolphins’ game is not the worst we’ve endured. I know, I know…it is a pretty lame EPIC. But at least you won’t blame me for trying.

********* …Read More!

Numbers – Dolphins vs. Chiefs

The numbers look every bit as bad as you would expect in the loss to Miami Sunday at Arrowhead. But here’s a new one for you to crunch on:

Miami ran 47 plays (24 runs, 23 passes) and scored 31 points. The Chiefs ran 73 plays (34 runs and 39 passes) and scored 3 points. If you discount Miami’s three kneel-downs at the end of the game, the Dolphins scored seven-tenths of a point per play. The Chiefs scored three-one-hundredths of a point per play.

Here are just a few of the highlights – or lowlights if you prefer:

• The Chiefs allowed the Dolphins more than 10 yards every time they passed.
• The Chiefs had no sacks and did not force a turnover.
• While the overall rushing defense looks acceptable with holding the Dolphins to 3 yards or less on 12 of the 24 carries, three of quarterback Matt Moore’s runs were kneel-downs for minus-2 yards. That effectively means the Dolphins averaged more than 5 yards per rushing carry and that doesn’t even factor in the 38-yard run to the Chiefs 6 that was called back for offsetting penalties on the Dolphins first drive.
• From the start of the second quarter to early in the third, the Chiefs called 17 passing plays. Quarterback Matt Cassel had to scramble or was sacked on nine of them. This was at a time when the Chiefs trailed by no more than 14-3. …Read More!

Numbers: Monday Night vs. Chargers

On the surface, the Chiefs rush defense looks as if it put up some significant numbers against the Chargers. In four quarters, plus overtime, they allowed just 102 yards rushing. They held the Chargers to 3 yards or fewer on 15 of the carries.

But the importance of run defense is not in the sheer numbers. It is being able to get off the field late in the game to get the ball for your offense to attempt a game-winning drive or run off the clock.

In that regard, the defense failed abysmally. With the score tied 20-20, the Chargers got the ball at the Chiefs 48 with nearly 5 minutes remaining. With first down at the Chiefs 27 and just 3:27 remaining, the Chargers pounded out consecutive runs of 6, 6, 4 and 5 yards to put them in third-and-1 at the 16. Another successful run gained a first down and the Chargers were just a secure quarterback exchange from kicking the winning field goal.

As we know, Philip Rivers mishandled the snap, the Chiefs recovered, and overtime came. But the inability to stop the run in that situation might have cost the Chiefs dearly. …Read More!

Behind the Scenes at Monday Night Football

I was privileged to attend several Monday Night Football games around 12 or 13 years ago as the guest of director Craig Janoff and learned then why MNF was the best sports broadcast in America at that time.

Producer Kenny Wolfe worked with announcers Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf, Boomer Esiason and Frank Gifford, and the sideline reporter was Lynn Swann in one of the games I attended. Dierdorf, Gifford and Swann were all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Boomer was a Pro Bowl quarterback who had led his team to the Super Bowl. Michaels and Janoff have received lifetime achievement awards for their professions, and the broadcast team won multiple Emmy Awards during their tenure. The team was highly experienced, having broadcast the Olympics, World Series, Triple Crown, and many other sporting events and they knew how to make broadcasts more exciting while focusing on the game and players instead of media sideshows.

…Read More!

One Man’s Look At The Chiefs Roster

We always enjoy hearing from our readers, largely because you guys never cease to amaze me with the depth of your knowledge and use of your craniums.

The following arrived in the e-mail late this past week and I found the take interesting, so I decided to share it with everyone. Enjoy

********************

Bob: take a seat – this may be a longer read. I worked through the current Chiefs line-up and tried to identify the areas of biggest need. Here’s what I came up with.

OT: I’m actually fine with what the Chiefs have here. Albert and Richardson get the job done, sack stats are down compared to last year, and I think a rate of 1 sack per 20 pass attempts is acceptable. Richardson is on a RFA contract; however, I think he has earned a long term extension by now. Gaither’s waiting in the wings, I think he still isn’t 100% recovered from injury. He’s on a 1-year contract, so we’ll have to wait and see if he’ll be around in 2012. Mims is a project. I won’t count him in for 2012. Bottom line: no action required if the current crew stays put. …Read More!

Numbers: Chiefs vs. Raiders

The Chiefs defense stepped up big time last Sunday and the win at Oakland emphasized two key ingredients – turnover ratio and the ability to stop the run.

The six interceptions the Chiefs grabbed against Oakland were certainly the reason they won the game. Interceptions for touchdown are momentum-changing plays. Three picks stopped potential scoring drives with the Raiders in Chiefs territory. The other was equivalent of a punt.

Those negated the one significant interception tossed by Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel in the third quarter (I discount end-of-half interceptions.)

The Chiefs goal-line stand at the start of the second quarter was the second most important facet of the game because it too was a momentum-changing moment against a team that had beaten them up physically just a year ago. It was a continuing trend of the Chiefs becoming more physical against the run. …Read More!

Epics & Fails – Oakland Edition

Let’s get to them:

EPIC: JON McGRAW GETTING THE MONKEY OFF HIS BACK

History was made on Sunday … and yes, I’ll get to the Chiefs shutout in just a second. But this one is entirely about Jon McGraw. Because for the first time in his 4-year tenure with the team, the Chiefs finally won a game in which he recorded an interception, thus snapping a 5-game losing streak that the team had carried whenever the K-State product got his hands on the ball. Break out the Cristal Jon, for you’ll no longer be deemed as a weak link.

***

EPIC: THAT’S SOME SWEET MUSIC, D.J.

Thirteen tackles, 12 solo, and 1 back-breaking hit at the goal line that not only preserved a two-touchdown lead for the Chiefs, but that also, in the irony of ironies, turned the Black Hole in the only kind of cemetery that is not to the liking of the Raider faithful. Can someone please point out to me a better showing by Derrick Johnson in his career? The impact of this performance has left me woozy enough to not remember a better one.

*** …Read More!

The Case For Brian Dawkins In A Chiefs Uniform

I can positively say that aside from the Raiders, the Broncos are the rivals. There’s no lost love between us. We don’t like them. They don’t like us. They would never want to help us. We would never want to help them.

But now is the time to meet in the middle.

The League’s trading deadline comes Tuesday, yet so far, we’ve already learned something rather telling: the Broncos have given up on their season. Trading WR Brandon Lloyd to the Rams is a clear-cut sign that they’re going for Andrew Luck, since it makes absolutely no sense for the team that just turned its reins of the offense to Tim Tebow, to get rid of the one reliable asset that they had in that area. And the one that could’ve helped determine if Tebow can effectively and consistently put the ball in the air. Throw in the fact that the Broncos just received a conditional sixth-round pick for one of their most talented –and still young—playmakers, and we have sufficient evidence to believe that in order to put himself in a position to get his fellow Stanford man, John Elway is not concerned with starting a fire sale.

One where the Chiefs would be wise to be a part of.

Because if there’s one player that could be useful for the Red and Gold squad in these still-far-from-relaxing times, is Broncos S Brian Dawkins. …Read More!

The Numbers – Game No. 5/Indianapolis

You know how I love the running game as it relates to winning in the NFL.

So it was a delight to see that Jackie Battle stepped forward – at least for one Sunday – to be the answer for the Chiefs. It was the first time this season any runner had a 100-yard rushing game. Of his 19 carries, 12 were for more than 4 yards. He had a 2-yard run for first down, giving him 13 winning plays. Lest you get the idea that he was the entire reason for success, note that Thomas Jones was successful on 50 percent of his runs as well, gaining more than 4 yards on four runs and getting a 3-yard first down run.

That is the most consistent rushing performance of the season on a team that needs to run the ball to be successful.

* Matt Cassel had two scrambles (called pass plays) and three kneel-downs.

Winning runs are runs that gain 4 or more yards or result in a first down or touchdown. …Read More!

Epics & Fails – Indy Edition

EPIC: REDEMPTIOM AT HIS BEST
Remember this from last year…?

And…remember this from early yesterday…?

()

Well, I confess that I have a sweet spot for redeeming stories. And when they happen to someone that I’m already rooting for (in this case, in the form of 7 catches, 128 yards, and 2 outstanding TD’s in Bowe’s return to the scene of the crime that almost turned him into a pariah), they get even better. Like, exponentially better.

What a difference a year makes, huh? …Read More!

So Long, Mr. Davis

()

Words will abound regarding Al Davis’s recent passing. And as it is the case with any individual whose ground-breaking life comes to an end, they will be primarily focused on his positives.

That’s why you either did or will, hear things about how he was a pioneer; a fighter; a passionate man who would not simply be content with being a sheep in the League’s corral; a prominent figure who helped the AFL to vigorously compete with the Establishment (the old NFL); a driven character whose “Commitment to Excellence” led the Raiders to attain three World Championships; and how, without his influence, the NFL would definitely not be in the place that it’s currently standing.

And yes, in essence, that’s the way it should be.

But if you think that Good Ol’ Al would only enjoy hearing about the good stuff that you could find in his legacy, well, let me tell you that you’re wrong.

Make that, absolutely wrong. …Read More!

The Numbers Game: Chiefs @ 4 Games

The first quarter has come to an end. The Chiefs are 1-3.

In Charlie Sheen’s words “Not Winning!”

That’s the big picture.

Not surprisingly, the Chargers are leading the AFC West; they were the pick of most prognosticators. The Chiefs are a three-point loss to the Bolts out of first place. Here’s how the division has gotten where it is in four weeks. The AFC West teams all play against the AFC East and NFC North.

The Chiefs, after the abysmally slow start, lag behind their pace of 2010 in almost every key category on offense and defense after four games. The only place where the Chiefs are better in raw yardage in 2011 compared to last year is in pass offense averaging 159.8 yards per game (compared to 158.0 in 2010) – though that too is worse statistically in terms of where it ranks in the league.

Both Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones had more rushing yardage than the Chiefs leader this season, Dexter McCluster. Quarterback Matt Cassel had a 74.0 passer rating in 2010, and is at 75.2 this year after four games. Dwayne Bowe had just nine catches for 152 yards a year ago. He’s at 16 catches for 252 yards so far this year. Tamba Hali had 4.5 sacks compared to 4.0 this year. …Read More!

Why The Chiefs Should Go Airborne

Just like everybody else who’s yet to surrender to the Suck 4 Luck initiative, I cling to the wishful thinking that things will ultimately be OK around One Arrowhead Drive. But even while that unrelenting optimism still gets the better of yours truly, the nature of the setbacks suffered so far have undoubtedly made me aware that we’ve reached the point where supporting the status quo is no longer an option. And that’s what leads me to believe that if the Chiefs are really intent on making something out of their ’11 campaign, then, decidedly, one important change must take place – starting this very Sunday against the Vikings.

Such is, to let the football fly. Indeed, to make it the priority in the offensive approach, instead of the running game.

A suggestion that stands in clear opposition to what common sense would tell us right now, considering that Matt Cassel‘s performance has been flat-out awful since the end of last season. And if you tack on that the confidence of the Chiefs’ signal caller is probably extremely low after learning that he felt “devastated” following last week’s game, trust me that I won’t blame you if you believe that I’m crazy for passing along this proposal. …Read More!

Hope Lives In A Do-Or-Die Football Moment

“Sitting in your chair, I would probably say the same thing, and 999. 999 times out of a million, you would be correct. But in the pages of history, every once in a while, fate reaches out and extends its hand.” – Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) to a captured Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), in Quentin Tarantino‘s 2009 movie Inglourious  Basterds.

And with that, there’s hope.

At least for the next 4 quarters…

***

Short-sighted. Insensitive. Classless. Those were the precise adjectives that I employed to describe the occurrence when I first learned about it; and I’m confident that they perfectly expressed how the football world deemed the incident. But upon further review, and in the interest of fairness, there’s one more thing that I’d also like to say to the people behind NFL.com, after watching them utilize Jamaal Charles’ misfortunes to promote their Fantasy Football operation:

Thank you. Thank you very much — for that colossal blunder will be instrumental this Sunday in resolving a rather important issue around KC.

Indeed for the encouragingly better … or for the terminally worse.

You see … I believe in Todd Haley. I believed in him since the day he was hired, and even in these tumultuous times for the Arrowhead Ones, I’ve remained steadfastly supportive of our less-than-glamorous leader. Partly, because three years into the Post-Peterson regime, he’s the only member of the Chiefs hierarchy who’s always faced the spotlight whenever the going has gotten rough. …Read More!

It’s a Free Country … That’s the Point

With the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, 2001 coming up on Sunday there has been a great deal of chatter about how Chiefs fans should react to our national anthem.

Years ago, and I can’t remember exactly when, fans at Arrowhead Stadium started substituting “Home of the Chiefs” at the end of the anthem for the original “Home of the Brave.”

For some reason, that’s always disturbed some people who claim it is disrespectful. Those people have come out of the woodwork this week, calling for Chiefs fans to save their “Chiefs” and say “Brave.”

“Should the Arrowhead faithful end the National Anthem as they usually do on Sunday: “and the home of the Chiefs”?” wrote the Kansas City Star’s editorial writer Yael T. Abouhalkah. “No, they shouldn’t. It should be sung as written: “the home of the brave.” It’s always disrespectful to end with “Chiefs” in place of “brave” …”

Here’s my take: if you want to say “home of the Chiefs”, then say home of the Chiefs; if you want to say “home of the brave”, then say home of the brave.

It’s not disrespectful at all to substitute the team for the brave, and there hasn’t been a Chiefs fan that’s done so that was doing it to insult anyone, including the military that serve and protect us. They have stood and honored their country and their favorite team.

The fans that have done so over the years are enjoying their freedom to do so, which is the point of all of this. We have not a dictatorship in this country that determines that everyone must say “the right thing.” The military that served and protected us over hundreds of years, worked to protect the right of fans to substitute the Chiefs for the brave. This virus of political correctness continues to infect our relationships and leaves people afraid to express themselves, to use the freedoms that have been won and protected for them. Freedoms that if kept under wraps make them disappear.

America is about having an opinion, a love, a passion, a joy, and being allowed to speak publicly and express that feeling.

So sing out “home of the Chiefs” if that’s how you feel. If you neighbor sings “home of the brave”, then slap him on the back, shake his hand and enjoy being part of the greatest country in the world.

Gotta Give Muir A Chance

I’m going to give Todd Haley the benefit of the doubt on his decision to promote line coach Bill Muir to Chiefs offensive coordinator. Hasn’t he earned that?

In my limited contact with Haley – no one on the outside gets real close to the coach – there is no doubt he has a vision for the Chiefs. It’s a winning vision. He has a vision for what his coaching staff should be. He has a vision for how he should operate as head coach.

Haley is a smart guy. He knows it doesn’t matter who calls the plays. It works both ways. The Packers’ Mike McCarthy and Tampa’s Jon Gruden reached the Super Bowl calling the plays. The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and Patriots’ Bill Belichick have rings without play-calling roles.

Haley knows he was a better head coach in 2010 than he was in 2009. He had two experienced coordinators he could turn the A-B-Cs of game-planning while he monitored the big picture. Who’s to say that is going to change?   …Read More!

Enrique’s Post Patterns – Indianapolis

(Throughout the season, as soon as game day is over and the facts are compiled, Enrique will dissect the patterns that dominated the Red and Gold weekly extravaganza. See if you agree.)

You’ll have to excuse me, but since the Chiefs lost, I have to start with the ugly:

THE OUT PATTERN (aka, the one that needs to be dismissed right away.)

I thought about taking the high road and celebrating once again that first-year TE Tony Moeaki led the Chiefs in receptions (like he has done in all of the ’10 season). But frankly, the loss to the Colts did not put me in that kind of mood. So, a pragmatic spirit is responsible to point out that for the
4th consecutive contest NO CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVER caught more than four passes in a game. A streak that is especially disturbing once you realize that our top-two receivers are a fourth-year, former 1st-round pick (Dwayne Bowe) that should be showing a trace of playmaking-consistency by now, and a 10-year veteran with a Pro Bowl berth under his belt (Chris Chambers) that got a contract extension as recently as this off-season … because of his productivity. Is it Matt Cassel‘s fault? Is it Bowe? Chambers? Charlie Weis? I don’t have a clear-cut answer for that, but believe me when I say that I’m closer to finding out what’s going on with the Chiefs’ passing game.

Oh, and by the way…if you expect me to address the killer drop by Dwayne Bowe on Sunday afternoon, please hang on a little longer. I have a column coming up that will tackle the subject. And yes, you are right. That last paragraph is what you’d normally identify as a
teaser.

…Read More!

Is Cassel Really That Bad?

OK, I get it … Matt Cassel stinks. I read and hear it in mainstream media. I read it online. I am not convinced. Would I rather have Peyton Manning? Stupid rhetorical question … so would almost any team in the league.

On Sunday against the Colts, Cassel averaged 5.3 yards per attempt and completed 55.2 percent of his passes. At one point in the third quarter, he tossed six straight incomplete passes. No touchdowns, no interceptions.

Manning wasn’t so great either, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt and completing 59.1 percent of his passes. He had a touchdown and an interception, and he was roasted on internet boards at Indianapolis newspapers following the game nearly as savagely as Cassel has been in Kansas City.

Both quarterbacks were hurt by dropped passes. Dwayne Bowe dropped a 30-yard touchdown pass that Cassel put in precisely the place were Bowe (and not the defender) could catch it. Bowe got both hands on it and couldn’t hang on. That was the first of three straight incomplete passes on that series. All three were dropped.

Consider these numbers. If Bowe catches the pass, Cassel doesn’t throw two more passes that series – one of them another drop by Bowe on a slant pattern. So his numbers improve to 17 of 27 for 196 yards – an average of 7.26 yards per attempt, a touchdown, no interceptions and right in the acceptable range for a quarterback. More importantly the Chiefs would have been in front 13-9 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. …Read More!

A Milestone Sunday For Chiefs?

We’re only 19 (regular season) games into the Scott Pioli/Todd Haley Era, and yet there have been encouraging signs to assume that the duo indeed carries the Magic Touch.

Last year there was the rare home triumph over the Steelers in Arrowhead Stadium. This past January, the Chiefs notched their first victory at Invesco Field since the Broncos corral was inaugurated in ’01. And at the beginning of September, the Arrowhead Ones won a pre-season game for the first time in over two years. However, this weekend the bar will be raised a little bit higher.

Since 1984, the Chiefs have made four visits to Indianapolis and in rigorous chronological order, here they are: …Read More!

A Chance To Be Head Coach

Monday night was just what Todd Haley envisioned it would be like when he was a head coach.

He wasn’t calling plays. He watched his team’s defense. He made a critical substitution on special teams. He monitored the lightning and rain, the number of plays each defender along the defensive line had. He managed the game.

And he loved it. He loved the 21-14 win, of course. He loved the surprising two-score lead his guys held midway through the third quarter. He loved it that his guys kept San Diego out of the end zone late in the game.

But what he really loved was being a head coach and doing the job the way he envisioned it should be done all those years he worked in the trenches as an assistant coach. On Monday he was involved in all aspects of the game. And . . . without much doubt, he helped his team win.

“This is the vision I had when I took the job,” Haley said late Tuesday afternoon and clearly showing the after-effects of the long night before. “I had a lot of fun coaching last night.”

Here’s what you should have suspected about Haley all along during his rookie season.

He didn’t want to call the plays. He didn’t like thinking about his next offensive series when his defense couldn’t stop anyone from running the ball. And he’s a smart enough guy to know that hurt the Chiefs a year ago. So when he got his staff in place, he became what he always thought he would be as a head coach. …Read More!

The Chiefs Will Be Super … Another Man’s Opinion

While going through my random sports notes, I noticed the following facts:

– Back in February, the Colts lost a Super Bowl in Miami for the first time since 1969. The following year’s NFL champs were … the Kansas City Chiefs.

– Back in April, Duke Basketball won its first National Championship since 2001 – The previous time that happened, a team that had Scott Pioli, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Mike Vrabel, Otis Smith and Anthony Pleasant under contract (the New England Patriots) was making preparations towards winning the Lombardi Trophy … I wonder: where are they now?

– Back in June, the Celtics and the Lakers played the 7th game of the NBA Finals in L.A., an occurrence that had been missing from the sporting landscape since … 1969. Did I mention who were about to become NFL champions soon after?

– Far away in England, but also back in June, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played the longest match in tennis history, breaking the previous mark that was set … in 1969. No need to repeat the obvious.

– Looking ahead, this year’s Super Bowl will be played in Dallas. Mmm … the Chiefs once upon a time were FROM Dallas. Wouldn’t it be poetic that for a franchise looking to make its long-awaited return to glory, would be able to do so by returning home…?

My guess is that you probably know where I’m headed … the Chiefs will go to the Super Bowl this year. …Read More!

How Important Was Last Night’s Triumph?

Here’s your one-word answer: Very.

Yes, it came against a team that was protecting its most talented players. Yes, it still took place within the time frame of the training schedule. And no, the corresponding footage surely won’t be classified under the “CLASSIC” tag at the NFL Films headquarters.

Still, you can’t properly measure the value that it has.

Under different circumstances, the outcome of the pre-season finale between the Chiefs and the Packers would not have been considered as a subject for dissection. In fact, the very game would not have been worthy of additional attention. We can all agree on that. Taking into account that these kinds of instances are primarily being used nowadays as a last resort for a handful of rather desperate individuals (either struggling to fulfil their dreams of becoming active members of the fraternity called National Football League, or simply trying to hang on for dear life to that already-attained status), it really wouldn’t be that surprising to expect the final analyses to be focused around performances like the ones presented by Jackie Battle, Travis Daniels and Jackie Bates.

But every now and then, important concerns do get to be clarified at the last hour. And for the Arrowhead Ones (as a whole), the positive 17-13 result against Green Bay shed an inspiring light on more relevant issues than the customary ones that first meet the eye. Some that cannot be judged by raw numbers, and that primarily, are based on gut feelings. Among those achieved you can count: …Read More!

A Case For Sean Weatherspoon

We always like to hear from our readers and sometimes they even send comments we think everyone would like to read. That’s what Matt Verderame did and what follows are his thoughts on the player the Chiefs should grab with the fifth choice. If you can put together your thoughts as well as Matt, feel free to send them to info@bobgretz.com. No guarantees of being published, but don’t let that stop you should the muse tickle you.

Many draft experts talk about the value pick. Taking the best player available vs. a team’s biggest need is commonly discussed with the NFL draft. Also, there’s where a team picks (especially early on) dictates who they take. I think all that is overrated.

Every team in the NFL does scouting years in advance preparing for certain players in each draft. Most of the time these players coming out are assigned a value by men such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, and everyone goes along with it. With all due respect to these men who put months upon months of work into their craft, they aren’t NFL scouts. They also don’t follow every team as close as their respective fans because there just isn’t enough time in the day, so they aren’t as acutely aware of every team’s needs.

Many people are saying the Chiefs will draft OT Bryan Bulaga or S Eric Berry because that’s what “value” says. I propose a question: say after the Chiefs workout of LB Sean Weatherspoon they feel he is the best player in the draft at a position of need. If they feel he has more upside than say Rolando McClain, but McClain may be a safer, more fan friendly pick, what is Mr. Pioli to do? …Read More!

Why Football Teams Must Have Lawyers

We don’t spend a lot of time working political angles on this site; too many trap doors there and the rough and tumble, well sometimes it is bloodier than football.

But (you knew there was a but coming, didn’t you!) I can’t walk away from this one.

The website Politico.com reported Wednesday evening that the Federal Election Commission revealed this week that it had dismissed a complaint alleging that the Chiefs had illegally boosted Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.

The issue is a video that the Chiefs ran on the big screens at Arrowhead Stadium on November 2nd before a game with Tampa Bay. Featured in one of those videos was McCain, who was two days away from Election Day. In the video, McCain praised U.S. military personnel and honored the “hardships, danger and sacrifices you have born so valiantly for us.” …Read More!

A Hope For L.J.

Bob’s Note: We always welcome reader reaction and comments. Sometimes what comes through the e-mail box catches our attention because it’s written so well, or with passion and insight. When that happens, we like to pass along the work of our readers.

Thousands and thousands of jerseys in the Sea of Red … millions of dollars spent by fans across the nation … the bragging by Chiefs fans … the pride felt by Chiefs fans … the chanting, “L.J., L.J., L.J.!”

Gone in 60 seconds.

What happened to L.J.? 1,750 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2005. Pro Bowl. 1,789 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2006. Pro Bowl. Eight games started in 2007.

And on November 4, 2007, everything changed. Larry was pulled down awkwardly by Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk and limped off the field. He would not play the rest of the year. There have been moments since then, moments which defined the L.J. of 2005 and 2006, the L.J. who Chiefs fans loved and worshiped. Those moments have been scarce, but each moment brought back the excitement to each and every Chiefs fan. L.J. is back, he’s back, he’s angry and he’s pissed. Watch Out!

Unfortunately, those moments were followed by letdowns. The ghost of L.J. past disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. Chiefs fans were again left wondering, what happened to L.J.?

Was it the new contract he signed? Was it the new coach? Was it the new scheme? Did he lose his heart? Did he lose his motivation? Did he lose the hunger to win? Does he party first and play football second? We may never know.

What I do know, is that when L.J. was punishing NFL defenses, he had the largest and loudest supporting cast in all of the NFL, Arrowhead Stadium, also known as the Sea of Red. Kansas City Chiefs fans from California to Maine were wearing Chiefs apparel, specifically Larry Johnson apparel, with pride. He even had his own line of apparel. …Read More!

That Nasty R Word

Funny how Carl Peterson and Scott Pioli both dislike the same word:

Rebuilding.

The Chiefs were more than a year into trying to rebuild the roster under Herm Edwards before Peterson could choke out the word.

And on Thursday, when the Chiefs actions made it very plain that 2009 is about rebuilding, the man who replaced Peterson moved quickly to squash use of the term.

“We don’t believe in the rebuilding term and all that stuff,” Pioli said just moments after the team traded Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2010 second-round draft choice. “This is something we feel was in the short-term and long-term interests of the Chiefs and the program we are moving forward with right now.”

Right now as the dust settles on the departure of a 10-time Pro Bowl tight end, it sure looks like rebuilding. Pioli may not want to say so, but losing the team’s leading receiver last season and one of the most consistent and productive offensive players in the league doesn’t do much to help his new quarterback Matt Cassel and the Chiefs offense for the 2009 season. …Read More!

The Legend

As I watched Len Dawson announce his non-retirement retirement Monday evening, I was reminded of another sporting legend.

In case you missed the news, Len said that come early April, he would be cutting back his hours at KMBC-TV, Channel 9 and would no longer handle the sports reports on the 6 and 10 o’clock newscasts.

“No, no I’m not retiring,” the 73-year old Dawson told viewers. “I’m too young to do that. But when you’ve been in this game (TV) for 43 years, for the first time in my adult life I’m going to down-size the work load that I have.”

Len’s announcement took me back several years ago when the U.S. Open golf tournament was at Oakmont Country Club in suburban Pittsburgh. Just a few minutes over hill and dale from the Oakmont course is Latrobe, home of Arnold Palmer. On the Tuesday of this Open week, Palmer was holding a clinic for junior golfers at the Latrobe Country Club course where he grew up. He now owns the course and lives there part of the year.

About a hundred junior golfers were there, accompanied by an equal number of fathers and grandfathers who were more excited than the kids. Palmer ran through the basics of golf and then asked if there were any questions. A lot of adults raised their hands, but Arnie asked first for questions from the kids.

Reluctantly, one youngster finally raised his hand and asked, “Mr. Palmer, where’s that tractor you ride in the commercial?”

Palmer roared with laughter and he sent someone to bring the tractor up from a barn. Yes, it was the same tractor he rode in those Pennzoil commercials and he posed for pictures and let the kids climb on the machine.

Those kids didn’t know Palmer as one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport. They knew him as the guy on television driving that old tractor.

There are a lot of youngsters – who I identify as anyone 30 or less – who know Len Dawson only as the guy who reads the sports on television and the guy who does radio on Chiefs games. …Read More!

Taking Chance

If you’ve spent much time on this site you know we don’t venture too far afield from the world of sports, and football in particular. It’s what we know, the business that has been part of my life for over 30 years now, so it’s comfortable and stable ground.

But every once in awhile the real world knocks on the window and can’t be ignored.

This happened the other night when the body craved sleep but the mind wasn’t ready to shut down for the day. That’s when I found the HBO movie Taking Chance.

If you have HBO, make this movie appointment television. Crank up the TiVo or DVR. Just do not miss this short, but powerful movie. If there’s no access to HBO, then be prepared in May when it’s released on DVD. It will be worth the investment.

Taking Chance is based on the first-person narrative of Marine Lt. Col. Michael Strobl as he accompanied the body of 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps, USMC, to his hometown and final resting place of Dubois, Wyoming. Phelps was killed in Anbar Provence in Iraq on Good Friday in April 2004.

Kevin Bacon (right) portrays Strobl. This is a true story.

This is not a political movie. It’s not pro-war or anti-war, although the story of a vital young man losing his life thousands of miles from home will always leave questions in your mind about the incredible price of war.

The story line is simple: a Marine takes a fallen comrade’s body back to his family. …Read More!

The Road Ahead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe sometime this weekend, Scott Pioli will take a moment, roll back in his chair, grab a gulp of his favorite adult beverage and exhale.

But it will only be a brief moment. There is still so much work to do for Pioli when it comes to shaping the Chiefs team that all will see come July and training camp in River Falls, Wisconsin.

At least now, he has a partner.

There were a lot of reasons to hire Todd Haley. He’s been a successful coordinator in the pro game and that’s the training grounds for most of the head coaches who get hired in the league. He’s shown an ability to relate and if needed get after today’s pro football player. Just ask Keyshawn Johnson. Or, Terrell Owens. Or, Anquan Boldin.

But the No. 1 trait Pioli was looking for with his head coach was very simple: he wanted someone he could work hand-in-hand with as they go about reshaping and bringing the Chiefs back to respectability.

Sounds simple. But it’s not always easy to find the right personality to make two people work as one well-oiled machine. The NFL landscape is littered with examples where a GM-Coach worked as a unit, only to eventually be divided. Just take the example of the New York Jets, where Mike Tannebaum was the man who pushed for the hiring of Eric Mangini three years ago. Some 36 months later, Tannebaum was part of the process that fired Mangini.

Yes, Pioli-Haley have a history together. They chewed the same turf with the New York Jets from 1997 through 1999. Pioli was in personnel and Haley was part of the coaching staff. Their paths obviously crossed, but they did not work so closely together that they were able to finish each other’s sentence. …Read More!

Something Coaches Can’t Forget

When you are a head coach in the National Football League, it comes down to one thing:

Winning.

There’s no other word that makes your job safe. Not rebuilding, not retooling, not almost, not close, not popular.

It’s about winning. Sometimes, even that won’t keep you employed.

But at the minimum, there must be winning.

Herm Edwards always knew that. He always worked towards that. But he let down his guard in 2008. He thought he had time to win.

Turns out, time ran out on him.

When the 2007 season ended with a 4-12 record, Edwards thought he had two years to get the Chiefs roster in shape and get the team winning again at the level of a contender for the playoffs. He knew the ’08 season would be a tough one, but never did he imagine it would turn into the 2-14 debacle that befell the franchise.

But ’08 was going to be the time to retool the roster, and ’09 was going to be the rebuilding of the won and lost record.

Well, the roster certainly got retooled and now somebody else has the opportunity to reap the benefits of that work.

That’s what makes the firing of Edwards so unfair. To suffer through the pain of what happened on the field in ’08 and then not get the chance to make things right and enjoy the potential fruits of that agony is heartbreaking.

Edwards made a mistake. He violated one the 10 Commandments of Coaching: win every game possible and approach every season like the Grim Reaper is sitting in your team meeting. Next year, even next week is not important, nor is it guaranteed. …Read More!

Hunt’s Home Run

From the Truman Sports Complex

To mix some sports and metaphors here, Clark Hunt hit a home run in hiring Scott Pioli as the Chiefs GM.

But Chiefs fans just need to remember one important thing: it’s a home run in the bottom of the first inning. There are a lot of decisions and a lot of football to be played before this homer leads to a Kansas City victory or championship.

When Pioli used that dreaded “P” word during his introductory news conference on Wednesday evening at the Chiefs offices, I could hear more than a few voices from Chiefs Nation sigh. Chiefs fans feel they have been very patient. They are tired of waiting. It’s now been 39 years since that January day in New Orleans when Lenny, Bobby, Buck, Otis and the boys strolled off the playing field at Tulane Stadium with Lombardi Trophy No. 4.

They want another one, and they want it now.

They are going to have to wait. Pioli is not some Football Shaman, who comes with a bag full of pigskin pixie dust that he’ll sprinkle around the locker room and practice fields that will suddenly turn this franchise into a Super Bowl contender. …Read More!

A Personal Look At Tony Dungy

I first met Tony Dungy in 1977.

He was a college free agent in his first NFL training camp at St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. I was a guy just out of college, in my first newspaper job and trying to figure out how to get out of my hometown and climb the ladder. Hanging around the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed like a good ticket to escape.

Now, I’m not going to blow smoke and say Tony and I bonded that summer or that year when he made the team. But we talked several times because he was such an approachable young player. He always had a smile on his face and there was a serene quality about him even then. Dungy would laugh about this, but he seemed to be in control of his life and his career even as a unproven rookie.

Dungy was taking the hardest road possible into the NFL: he was undrafted and trying to make an established team. On top of that, he was changing positions; he was a quarterback at the University of Minnesota, but he first went to the Steelers as a wide receiver.  His lack of speed and injuries on defense moved him to the secondary. He made the Steelers roster as a safety, the only rookie free agent to make the team in three years.

And for two seasons he was part of the team, including the ’78 squad that won Super Bowl XIII. Dungy led that championship team with six interceptions, all the more remarkable because he was the nickel back and started just two games. One of those was in the end zone on the final play of the game to seal a victory against arch-rival Cleveland. Dungy was a guy that made things happen with his brain; he was a student of the game and he learned very quickly that what he lacked in speed he could make up by getting to the ball first.

I will always remember him for a day in Houston against the Oilers in that rookie season where Dungy became a great trivia question answer: name the last NFL player to throw and make an interception in the same game. The date was October 9th and when Terry Bradshaw and Mike Kruczek left the game with injuries and with third quarterback Cliff Stoudt inactive, Dungy took over in the fourth quarter. He ended up throwing a pair of interceptions, after getting one himself earlier in the game against Houston’s Dan Pastorini. …Read More!

Talkin’ Linebackers

Our subject today is linebacker, with various avenues that we will traverse off that main highway.

Count me as someone who isn’t quite sure this moving Derrick Johnson to middle linebacker is such a good idea.

I understand the reasons behind Herm Edwards and Gunther Cunningham’s decision to move him inside. I just don’t think now is the time to do that.

Last week the Chiefs linebackers as a group and Johnson individually played their best game in weeks. It was one of the major reasons the Raiders had trouble running the football. Assignments were getting done at a rate higher than in previous weeks. There were some crushing collisions involving the linebackers and that’s always important when shutting down gaps and screwing up blocking schemes.

Considering all the problems the Chiefs have had on defense, it would seem the better choice right now to take what happened last week and build on that, rather than introduce a new element into the craniums of these linebackers.

That’s the little picture, however, and this 2008 season has really been about the big picture. That’s what Edwards and Cunningham are trying to address with the Johnson move.

Here’s the simple take: the Chiefs need two new starting linebackers for the 2009 season. One of the questions they can answer right now is whether they need a middle and outside backer, or two outside backers. By moving Johnson inside, they get four games to evaluate whether that might be a better spot for him.

The mere fact that they have made this move is evidence enough that Johnson has not had much of a season. So much was expected of him coming off his ’07 performance (107 total tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions) and he’s not delivered. He missed two games with a hamstring injury. So in 10 games he has 60 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles. He’ll have to be very productive over the final four games to reach last year’s numbers.

I think it’s safe to say that if Johnson was tearing up the league on the outside that no thought would be given to moving him inside. …Read More!

Commentary: More Hurdles For L.J.

What happened on Friday with the announcement of a one-game NFL suspension for Larry Johnson did not bring an end to his situation or clarity to his immediate future.

It’s just the first of a 100 yards worth of hurdles in front of the Chiefs running back.

I’m sure L.J. himself wishes he could put all this behind him, but the penance and possible punishment he faces for his actions are all parts of the penalty for putting himself in those situations.

He has court dates in December for the two charges filed against him in Kansas City, Missouri. The league has left open the door for further sanctions against him depending on the outcome of those legal proceedings.

That’s a hurdle he’ll have to deal with next month. In the more immediate future is November 10. That’s the day he will return to the team. That’s the day he has to start changing the way the Chiefs feel about him.

From the Hunts, to Carl Peterson, to Herm Edwards, Johnson has fences to mend. He’s got a lot of fence line to ride to get them all buttoned up again, if that’s even possible.

When he signed the biggest contract in Chiefs history in August of 2007, with over $19 million in guaranteed money, he made promises to the owners, the general manager and the head coach. Those promises were not only the unspoken ones that come from signing a deal that big. He told all those parties and stated publicly that he understood the responsibilities that went with the contract and his position with the team.

He said he was up to handling those. He wasn’t. He should get one more chance to prove he can be the type of person the Chiefs want on their roster. …Read More!

A Message for Larry

Let me establish this right from the start: I like Larry Johnson.

I like Larry Johnson the player. I like Larry Johnson the man.

I know that leaves me in a very small room with all his other admirers. Actually, probably a phone booth is all that’s needed these days. But that’s OK; it’s not the first time I’ve been on the so called wrong side, and won’t be the last either.

Some of the things that Larry Johnson the player and man have done I do not like. He’s dished out a lot of hurt lately, and I’m not just talking about hurting himself. I’m talking about a locker room full of teammates, a coaching staff and an organization that he’s let down. His actions off the field have not been very good either. I know he’s a target out there. He knows he’s a target out there. So I don’t feel sorry for the guy when he puts himself in situations where bad things can happen. Wear a target and walk into a shooting gallery? That’s his fault.

I carry no grudge against L.J. Many in the media do. They are loving this time, because he’s suffering and they are remembering all the times when he wouldn’t play their game, by their rules. Now they can bash away in print and on the airwaves and sound all righteous and pompous about how they saw this coming.

Larry Johnson needs help. On Wednesday before the glaring eye of the media that hates him, he admitted that yes, there’s a problem, and the problem is him. He says he’s going to find help in taking care of his problems. He apologized to the Hunts, the team, the coaches, the GM and the fans.

Where Larry goes from here is unknown. He won’t play Sunday against the New York Jets. The NFL is investigating his two most recent off-field incidents. There’s a suspension coming, that you can count on.

What happens after that is up to Larry. He has professionals who can help him with their advice. He also has friends who can hurt him with their advice.

I count myself as neither friend nor foe. I’m certainly not a professional. But I’ve got some advice for Larry. Coming from a guy who at various times has screwed up his own life pretty good that might seem pretty funny, but that’s not stopping me. L.J. likely will never see this, but I’ll feel better getting it off my chest.

Larry, it’s time to go Rocky. …Read More!

Now The Ball Is In Tony’s Hands

For the second time in a month, Tony Gonzalez did not get what he wanted.

The first occasion was the failure of the Chiefs coaching staff to make allowances and get him the career receiving yardage record at Arrowhead Stadium in the final moments of a victory over Denver.   Tony G. had all his family members and friends in the stadium that day.  A big party was planned afterwards to celebrate the moment.

Gonzalez pouted after not getting the record, a pout that continued 24 hours later when he spoke publicly about it in the Chiefs locker room to the media.  He said then that he didn’t feel he was being selfish.

Now comes strike two against Tony G.  His desire to be traded away from the Chiefs so he would not have to suffer anymore the pains of rebuilding ended up in nothing.  The league’s trading deadline passed at 3 p.m. CDT and he remained on the Chiefs roster.

On Wednesday, he reports back to the Chiefs facility at the Truman Sports Complex, pulls on the No. 88 jersey and gets back to work.

Now, the most important question is how Tony will handle this matter with the teammates that he wanted to abandon?  Will he pout like he did after the Denver game? Or will he stand up and say in some similar refrain  ‘Hey, I took a shot. It didn’t work out.  I’m ready to go out and get a victory against Tennessee’? …Read More!