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.