Whitlock:Haley shows some courage
 

Haley shows some courage
JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY

Rookie head coach Todd Haley has a big pair.

You could see that Tuesday afternoon when he opened his news conference with a brief apology to the media for a postgame inconvenience orchestrated by Chiefs general manager Scott Egoli.

“Apologize for after the game, being out there late,” Haley said. “Rookie head coach here, rookie mistake. Unaware of the time limit and how that makes it harder for you guys to do your job after the game.”

And you could really see Haley’s courage when he talked about the play of his quarterbacks, The Sixty Million Dollar Man and Brokie Croyle.

Despite Matt Cassel’s hefty price tag and the stake Egoli has in Cassel’s success, Haley appears quite determined to make Cassel earn untouchable-franchise-QB status.

“You gotta ultimately do what you think gives your team the best chance to win,” Haley responded to a question about his QB philosophy. “If that means another quarterback being in there other than Matt Cassel, then sign me up.”

That was the money quote. Haley set it up by reminding reporters that as an NFL assistant in New York, Dallas and Arizona, he participated in the process of Glenn Foley, Drew Bledsoe and Matt Leinart getting demoted in favor of Vinny Testaverde, Tony Romo and Kurt Warner.

Haley’s Tuesday news conference was absolutely fascinating. It was Bill Parcells-esque, not Bill Belichick-esque.

You understand the difference? In dealing with the media, Parcells is real, honest, straightforward. Belichick is intentionally bland, mysterious and worthless. Haley was groomed by Parcells. Egoli was groomed by Belichick.

Parcells has been successful everywhere he’s coached. Belichick built a dynasty in New England after flopping in Cleveland.

We’re two weeks into the Haley-Egoli regular-season marriage, and I believe we’ve just seen our first public sign these guys might be unequally yoked. There are definite signals they disagree about Egoli’s Sixty Million Dollar Man.

Monday afternoon, I was mesmerized listening to 610 Sports as former Chiefs player and NFL broadcaster Bill Maas explained his opinion that Haley wanted to start Brodie Croyle against the Raiders and that Egoli objected.

I thought Maas was crazy, but he sounded very convincing.

Tuesday, as I listened to Haley discuss his QBs, I had to admit Billy Bob knew something.

Haley was asked if he could envision Cassel not being the starting quarterback this season.

“I wouldn’t speculate on that,” Haley said. “There were a lot of positives in Matt’s performance.”

Haley then added that in a typical football game, there are seven critical plays a quarterback can make that will be the difference between winning and losing.

“There were clearly seven in (the Raiders) game where we’d probably like to do something different,” Haley said.

In case you missed the connection, dude just said Cassel went zero for seven on game-deciding plays. That pretty much answers how Haley feels about the end-of-half debacle, the sack Cassel took on third and 1 at the end of the game and an assortment of other offensive calamities.

As for Croyle, Herm Edwards’ quarterback of the future, Haley had nothing but good things to say about Kansas City’s opening-day starter.

“I’m excited about Brodie’s progress,” Haley said. “I think Brodie getting to play in the first game, got his feet under him a little bit, started to gain some confidence, and I think that was clear in last week’s practices.”

Haley later relived Kansas City’s close loss at Baltimore: “I thought Brodie Croyle went into a very difficult situation, hostile environment, against a very good defense, and he looked like an NFL quarterback. He gave us a legitimate chance to win. He executed the game plan the way he was asked to execute it.”

So what do I think?

Croyle’s too injury-prone to be my starter. And Cassel was way too unproven to be anybody’s Sixty Million Dollar Man. Haley is in a tough position. I’m impressed with the way he’s handling it. He’s attempting to be true to the message he’s delivered to his players — every position is open to competition.

I haven’t made up my mind about Haley. I’ve had only one opportunity to really talk with him, and that sitdown was ruined by Egoli. He talked over the top of Haley the whole night (a three-hour dinner). Seriously, questions were asked directly to Haley, and Egoli drowned out the rookie head coach with fury, arrogance and rants about championship teams being built by playing secrecy games with the local media.

I was embarrassed for Haley and in awe of Pioli’s ego. I’ve covered professional sports for 16 years, wrestled with King Carl Peterson, stood toe to toe with drunken, delusional, hostile millionaire athletes, battled Mike Lupica and irritated billionaire owners.

None of them can touch Scott Egoli.

I like the fact Kansas City has a football coach with a pair big enough to try.

I just stopped in to say I'm not reading whatever inane drivel he wrote.

I honestly thought that was a pretty fascinating read, albeit he is probably making a mountain out of a molehill.

That's the first I've heard of the three hour dinner.

I wonder if Pioli told Haley that a nutless monkey could do his job?

http://i40.tinypic.com/ubrzn.jpg

THAT'S what all this "Egoli" garbage is about? I don't buy it.

Whatever.:rolleyes:

Shit like this makes the departure of Joe Posnanski hurt that much more.

Honestly, has anything gone well for Kansas City professional sports in the last ten years?

jwhit has been writing some good stuff lately, granted its stirring the pot type of stuff but he has been spot on. If Croyle wasnt such a walking injury I wouldnt mind seeing a little battle, especially with all of Pioli's Bullshit right 53 player stuff.

I just love how people that have absolutely no contact with Haley, Pioli or Whitlock are so quick to dismiss his stories.

IMO, that's ****ing stupid and just as bad as people who first doubted the stories I shared on Chiefsplanet.

I'll chalk it up to the saying that "Ignorance is Bliss".

I, for one, believe Whitlock.

jesus, it's like a 13 yr old girl...

He'll have his fist so far up his ass, every time Haley has a thought, it'll have to tiptoe past Scott's wedding ring.

Ok, so now we know that this is the first time Whitlock didn't enjoy a 3 hour long dinner.

We also know that this, and not the Brian Waters episode, started this agenda.

But I do agree with him on one thing. Haley's got a set on him.

Good read

Of course you do.
You rebel.

I gotta admit, every time I think of pioli I think of les grossman

Whitlock is a hack of mountainous proportions.

He has a personal agenda to push.

He thinks that the media should get some kind of special treatment, and since Pioli isn't giveng him that treatment, he reaches, draws conclusions with only the most minimal info to support those reaches.

He's the worst columnist I've ever read, and has been since the first time I saw his weak ass material.

I think Whitless needs to leave the nicknaming to Phobia.

This article helps explain the underlying cause of Whitlock's dislike for Pioli.

I'm not sure what to think of Maas' report that Haley wanted to go with Croyle. That bothers me.

If people can put aside their hatred for Whitlock and stop making fat jokes for a minute, the article does an interesting analysis of Haley's press conference.

You honestly believe that Pioli sat down for a three hour dinner with Whitlock?

Do you honestly believe, given what we know about Haley's personality that he would allow even his boss to talk over him like that without a reaction?

I don't.

Why would Scott hire a head coach that doesn't see eye to eye on his own philosopjhy about players and winning? I don't buy it. I really doubt there is some kind of rift between them about the QB. If Cassel stinks it up so bad this year then we will hit the draft for another. I have no doubt that's what Scott would do.

Colt MCCoy in KC red.

Whitlock has moved on to his "Divide and Conquer" strategy.

Zack Grienke

I wonder if he's referring to the banquet or the Red Coaters pot luck dinner?I don't think Whitlock had a sit-down with just those 3. Sounds like he's embellishing some. He's also using Bill Maas as his source...

"I thought Maas was crazy, but he sounded very convincing.

Tuesday, as I listened to Haley discuss his QBs, I had to admit Billy Bob knew something."

Not to mention the "fury" and "rants" that Pioli was alleged to use at this dinner? Where were they, in the back of an Italian restaurant? It just doesn't fit Pioli's tight-lipped, controlled, Patriot Way mentality.

:rolleyes:

this is what pioli gets for giving whitlock time, even after the "waters is crying" and halioli are meenies articles whitlock wrote.....


more childish name calling...

I'm going to have to watch it, because reading the interview made it seem like he was just saying that Brodie was doing okay, nothing to get excited about, but if he happened upon Joe Montana he would be willing to bench Cassel.

And we don't know if he the reason he wanted to start Brodie was because he was worried about whether Cassel could play on the injured leg, especially since a big part of his game is scrambling and moving around in the pocket.

He said Colt McCoy.....lynch him.

Yes.

Because if this were fabricated, Whitlock would be fired. His entire profession depends upon personal integrity, like appropriately using and citing/attributing sources.

haley didn't say anything he hasn't said since the day he arrived....just in the interest of honesty

Absolutely.

The guy is a national journalist/reporter.

He's got a deal with Fox. He's been a host on ESPN. He's employed by the Knight-Ridder corporation which owns many newspapers across the country.

I don't think there's any way he'd risk his career on a lie.

Unless you are Mitch Albom.

I agree with him x 10. Thus far not a single Belichik disciple has done anything other then prove they're worth the laughter that gets thrown their direction, and that includes Pioli. If Pioli was somewhere else and made the same decisions there he's made here the majority here would be laughing at him just like they do Mangina.

Why is Whitlock burning bridges with this regime 2 games in??


There is obviously something personal going on.

The bolded part is absurd. The rest is merely extremely unlikely.

Whitlock's manufacturing his next villain. He's got to have something to write about.

For Christ's sake we're two games into their first season and he's breaking out the torches and pitchforks.

Give me a ****ing break... :rolleyes:

he's a columnist, not a journalist....and he doesn't have any sources, he listens to the radio, as he admits in the article...that's his source: the radio

I don't think he fabricated that. I wonder if it was a one-on-one, though.

I've been consistent on my position since the beginning. There are two guys minus Clark Hunt in this partnership, and one of them impresses me a hell of a lot more than the other.

And it ain't the guy in the suit.

Fab Five?

Yeah, was there ever much of a reaction to that, other than snickering and embarrassment? I suppose he claimed being hopelessly naive?

why is everyone on this site defcon 5 already?


people love drama

His career is built on bullshit and controversy.

I highly doubt he'd lose it on a he said/he said thing if Pioli and Haley came out said that Whitlock is talking out of his ass.

Columnists are journalists.

He's not a beat writer, so he's allowed his opinion. Journalistic integrity most certainly applies across the board.

Tom Dimitroff is the exception. Then again, he's also the only one who didn't shoehorn his team into the 3-4 and went out an immediately drafted a QBOTF and didn't rely solely on players from his old organization, so....

http://apse.dallasnews.com/news/2005/041105albom1.html

What Albom did was write a column as if his two interview subjects were at the Michigan State-North Carolina NCAA tournament Final Four game in St. Louis on April 2. In earlier interviews, former Michigan State players Jason Richardson and Mateen Cleaves told Albom they planned to attend the game, but they did not.


Filing on Friday for a section that was printed by Saturday morning, several hours before the game, Albom wrote, and copy editors did not change, that Richardson and Cleaves had flown in for the game and were in the stands wearing Michigan State clothing.


The column emphasized how much Cleaves and Richardson missed their college experiences. It turned out schedule conflicts kept both players from attending the game.

"journalistic integrity" has nothing to do with whitlock's articles...

he's too lazy to even talk to mass....he just listened to the damn radio and wrote a column for the sole reason of using the phrase "egoli" a dozen more times....

a high school newspaper would be embarrassed to print it

Nice call.

I do remember this now. Nuthooks, applied exponentially.

This is 100% Whitlock stirring the pot. Pioli has never struck me as egotistical or arrogant, just confident. If Whitlock wants to call that arrogance, then so be it. But if dude was egotistical, he'd be all over the media getting his name out there and making sure he eclipsed his head coach in every manner. That's what Carl did, every time he had an issue he'd go straight to one of his cronies in the press and lob some verbal salvos back.

I'm pretty sure that Whitlock is referring to the three hour dinner that many front offices do prior to the season with the media in order to meet and greet all the reporters, and that it wasn't a one on two dinner. I'm also not going to put much stock in a guy basing his opinion of a GM and coach based on one sitdown dinner convo and one Brian Waters story. I mean up to now he was calling Haley an idiot and arrogant, and now he's praising him for having a pair? Give me a break...

No argument that the 610 Sports bit reads terribly weak. Not interviewing BM for the column is a huge error.

There's more than one kind of arrogance. He's insinuating that Pioli finds the media to be beneath him, but also that they are basically a bunch of scum sucking underlings whose only purpose is to undermine his master plan, and should be treated as such.

Basically everyone that has come out of New England is viewed as arrogant.

Well?

LMAO

(Only half kidding.)

Yeah, it's interesting and I'll give him that. However, it's entirely overshadowed by his personal dislike of Pioli. I honestly don't give two shits about Whitlock's "lack of access".

Fury? Arrogance? Right...that doesn't sound a wee bit exaggerated.

Pioli's helped take a team to the top of the mountain....multiple times! As for playing secrecy games with the media, that's just too ****in' bad. If he says every Kansas City Chief employee needs to wear monkey suits on Thursdays prior to gameday and THAT'S the key to winning Super Bowls, then every goddamn employee better follow suit. If winning a Super Bowl means less access, then so be it.

Hell, Whitlock could be right about all of this. Pioli's truly could be acting like a douche and we could be 0-32 in our next two seasons despite the lack of press involvement, but Whitlock's going about this in such a bitchy fashion it makes it very VERY hard to take his word on any of this.

IMO when I was around him for a bit in River Falls he came off to me to be very egotistical or arrogant. I for one don't give two shits either way. I want him to build a great team, not be my best friend.

...he did no research, contacted no one, checked no sources, characterized a dinner with two other people without giving them an opportunity to respond, and listened to the radio and decided it "sounded convincing"...and repeated the same childish name calling against pioli....


it's something a 9 yr old would write, and something a 9 yr old would like....

I do wonder how this perception that the media is evil and should be treated like they will ruin your plan came from with GM's, seems weird to me.

Uh...

I don't buy this limp, skinny, "division" argument Whittles is trying to flop out on the table.

I'm convinced that Pioli and Haley are on the same page. It's one of the reasons we're bringing in poor, lost wideouts like a receivers orphanage. This is not a Carl/Herm debacle in the making ... both those guys are too smart for that. As for Pioli "talking over" Haley at dinner, my guess would be that Haley was speechless in the presence of a giant, ego-maniacal, fatass hack with manboobs the size of truck tires.

Another double serving of meritless speculation with extra fries.

FAX

I think the point is, that if they get the job done, what the media says right now is irrelevant. Whitlock can stir up all the shit he wants, and if Pioli and Haley do their job... in the end it won't mean a thing.

It's not that they look down on the media, its just that they have more important things to worry about.

Whitlock obviously has vastly overrated his and "the media" in general's importance. He's resorted to throwing bitch fits wayyyy before he's got any sort of track record to justify them.

In fairness, the dinner was their opportunity to respond and it was an interview. Whitlock can react to it in any fashion, and the fact that he spent that much time with Haley and Pioli constitutes research.

You're letting your dislike for Whitlock cloud your reaction to this piece.

The name calling, by Whitlock, has grown tiresome, though.

What if he wrote columns about not liking the moves they make and such because if I was writing them they'd look like that..

I agree, Mr. FAX, that there is scant evidence to support the division theory, and thus Whitlock's overall argument is weak as hell.

These responses are hilarious.

You guys don't believe Whitlock because you don't want to believe Whitlock.

I'm sorry but that's not a good enough reason to doubt him.

Passive-aggressive much?

Oh, and you type like a ****ing 9 year-old.

Well, I don't know... he hasn't. That'd be a first.

Instead we get a manufactured QB controversy, and some dreamed up "rift" between the GM and HC two games into the goddamned season.

It's tabloid level BS.

I think we should call it the Weekly Whitlock News.

Well, I can guarantee you that he knows more about the the inner workings of the Chiefs organization than ANY of the 11,000 ****tards that post on Chiefsplanet.

Not possible. Whitlock is fat.

"Rebuilding/Get over it".;)

I'm sure that he does. Maybe someday he'll stop writing columns like this and share some of it with the rest of us ****tards.

I believe the Croyle/ Cassel issue, Haley is finally realizing that Brodie has some talent. Hence the possible tension between him and Pioli. I said this before, I wouldn't be surprised if Cassel is pulled and Brodie becomes the number 1

Haley should have complete and total control over offensive talent; it's what he knows.
Conversely, Scott(I'm told, by such illustrious minds as JPB)comes from a system that builds defenses, so let him do it.

"Pioli and Haley are both morons, and they can't even agree on what moronic plan of action to follow. Hunt should axe both today. The Chiefs are going nowhere."

He's bitter as ****. They probably moved his seat in the press box, too.

And we know access to the players is at an all-time low.

Meanwhile he treated Herm like his best buddy most of the time...gee, wonder why...

Man you guys.... What did you expect Cassel to go do 30-34 for 400 and 3 tds. After two games (1 with our starting quarter back) some are calling for Brody and Complaining about management. The guy was hurt for 3 weeks and still didn't look that bad. Give the new regime a chance before we revolt.

I think he might be reading into what Haley said a little too much. Cassel is the guy.

This is going on the assumption based on that if Whitlock is telling the truth, and Haley's prior experience in Arizona.

HACK.

Your agenda is cheap and tawdry. Whitlock, your column should just be called Orca-Fat Black Whiny Bitch, and run once a month like the rest of the menstrual cycles out there. I can't take this twice a week entitlement tantrum.

It's probably most overblown because it's not like these guys are going to agree on everything. I don't think the premise is so far fetched... the idea that Haley would want to demote someone to teach them their job is not secure is not really a shocker. People disagree in the workplace on a daily basis. As long as they can be civil and keep working on the same goal that's all that matters... that's probably the sensational part of it. There's not a person on here who hasn't been told to do something by their boss they didn't want to do.

Whitlock, Herm, and Millen should get their own post-game effort and call it, "You Play, to Draft, a Cheeseburger".

I just don't think you can be that upset with Cassel's performance sunday. Lets give hime atleast 2 starts first

I could go for a finely drafted cheeseburger about now. Mmm...

Thank you for your sanity.

I'm as heartbroken as the rest of the pack, but come on people. You knew overnight was NOT going to happen, and we're still entertaining all this negative banter and knee-jerk crap???

C'mon folks, you can't make ice cream out of water, I don't care how hard you stir. Haley is the best coach the Chiefs have had in a while, and he's someone who displays a lot of emotion and wears a lot on his sleeve. Does he yell? You bet. You know why? Cause he gives a shit. And you know...so do I. If the players showed up with half of the passion he coaches with, we'd have a chance.

We made dumb mistakes last week. We're a young, vastly short on talent team in more positions than not, so show some fortitude, this was going to happen. Sucks that it had to happen against the Faid.

Lead by example Todd, godspeed.