Whitlock - Don't laugh, your team may be next (stands up for us again)

[Hammock Parties]

Don't laugh, your team may be next

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/w...be-next-101512

Don’t ridicule Kansas City Chiefs fans. One day soon, you could be in their position, a punch line for uninformed, unsympathetic national media, reduced to begging ownership to act responsibly and fairly, the target of scorn from the very athletes you support, forced to finance your own public-relations campaign.

This is where professional sports are headed. The disconnect between local fans and the franchises they love is being powered and accelerated by multi-billion-dollar TV contracts and the billions of ancillary dollars generated by video games and whatnot.

The guy in the cheap seats never mattered. We’re getting to the point, especially in the NFL, where no one in the stadium matters. It’s virtually impossible for an NFL franchise to fail and/or lose money. Before anyone has purchased a season ticket, NFL teams are swimming in enough cash to feed most third-world countries.

That’s why Chiefs right tackle Eric Winston got away with slandering a loyal fan base. That’s why the national media delighted in Winston’s ridiculous exaggeration. And that’s why we opened Sunday morning with a news story that Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli had received a two-year contract extension despite a Matt Millen Lite, four-year run in Kansas City.

You remember Matt Millen, right? Many of you laughed at Detroit Lions fans and their Millen Man March to remove their in-over-their-head team president. Millen, despite his ineptitude, was a Supreme Court justice in Detroit. He led the Lions for eight years primarily because there’s nothing an NFL executive can do to financially damage a franchise.

Cincinnati owner Mike Brown has been trying to destroy the Bengals for two decades. He can’t do it.

At some point, Bengals fans will reach the level of frustration that motivated Lions fans to take to the streets and Chiefs fans to voice displeasure at Arrowhead Stadium.

Fans don’t have a voice in the mainstream media. That should be clear in the aftermath of the Eric Winston-Matt Cassel-Chiefs fans controversy. The mainstream media are in bed with ownership and athletes, the people media believe they need. Athletes and media believe fans are stupid and unworthy of genuine respect. We think it’s a waste of time to look at things from the perspective of the average sports fan.

Let’s apply the bogus logic Winston applied to fans to athletes. Winston claimed that if only a few hundred Chiefs fans cheered when Cassel got hurt that it was still too many and it was still sickening and disgusting. Basically, he’s saying if one percent of the fan base does something inappropriate, it’s worthy of passionate public rebuke and the vilification of an entire fan base.

So if one percent of professional football players run afoul of the law, should we vilify all NFL players? Or would that be an unfair generalization? What’s more dangerous, a few cheers when a hometown player gets his clock cleaned or an NFL player driving while drunk? One act leads to potential hurt feelings, the other leads to possible death.

The media and the ex-jocks pretending to be media on TV were having such a fun time beating up on fans that no one applied any critical thinking to Winston’s opportunistic stupidity.

Not only do fans not have a voice, they’re despised and abused.

Winston’s whiny, inaccurate rant about the alleged behavior of a handful of Chiefs fans became a national talking point. Well, the story is what has made this fan base this angry. It’s the lack of accountability for ownership and management throughout the NFL (and professional sports). As more and more television money pours into professional sports leagues the less power true sports fans have. We’re not changing the channel. Sports is the only TV product that is DVR-proof.

An NFL franchise is the perfect investment. It makes the owner and his front-office cronies the most powerful and important people in any city. They’re untouchable.

No player in NFL history had an eight-year run of incompetence that could rival Millen’s. Why would a $3-million-a-year executive face less performance pressure than a $500,000 special-teams player? How could the Chiefs even consider giving Scott Pioli a contract extension?

I’m aware the original report about Pioli’s extension was refuted later in the day Sunday. But I don’t believe Jason La Canfora of CBS reported sketchy information. I believe Tampa Bay’s 38-10 thumping of Kansas City made the Chiefs walk back the leaked information.

Clark Hunt isn’t stupid. Kansas City’s fan base is frustrated and motivated. A group of fans started a Twitter feed @saveourchiefs dedicated to getting Scott Pioli fired. In two weeks, the feed has amassed 73,000 followers. Last week the group flew a banner over Arrowhead Stadium demanding that Pioli be fired and Cassel be benched. They’re planning more activity for KC’s next home game on Oct. 28. (I donated $600 to their cause. I’m a Chiefs fan.)

Extending Pioli at this time would further motivate an already-active fan base. The fan base has taken to social media to educate local and national media about what has been going on with Chiefs football the last two decades and the lengthy list of errors Pioli has made in four years. They’re tired of reading the propaganda pumped out by Pioli’s partners in the mainstream media.

Don't laugh at their desperation. Don't harshly judge their missteps. You could be next.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by KCDC

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." Thomas Jefferson

It is your choice to be quiet on politics and now sports. Then, do not criticize those who refuse to accept the tyranny of KC fan abuse. Do not dismiss their leaders and spokespersons because they have their own agendas to feed as well. Instead, applaud those with the courage to speak up in a world all too full with sheep willing to be led.

I am more afraid of an army of one hundred sheep led by a lion than an army of one hundred lions led by a sheep. ~Charles Maurice, Prince de Talleyrand-Périgord

No, I'm not quiet on politics or sports. I just have accepted that my thoughts, worries, opinions, judgments, or actions will have little to do with changing that which I have no control over. Nothing except putting my money where my mouth is.

The only way to make change as fans is to stop participating in that which has been repeatedly tried and failed. How long have most of us been here bitching about this team? Exactly what has changed during that time?

We have a blueprint of what worked before. Remember? When there was no one in stands. The franchise could not count on season ticket holders every year. Many games were blacked out and people wore bags over their heads? It wasn't that long ago.

People spoke with their most powerful asset...their wallets. Will it work again? Who knows. I think it speaks louder and more powerfully to have FANATICAL Chiefs fans refusing to buy a crappy product than fans spending their money and crying victim and claiming they've been deceived.

No one is forcing anyone to buy tickets and support this team. The front office said this and fans acted all appalled and offended. Yet, the front office is telling you exactly where their Achilles heel is.

[Molitoth]

If Hitler would've targeted memyselfI instead of the jews, he would be a hero instead of dead.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Well, for starters I admitted there was NOTHING as a fan I could do to fix the Chiefs and if it truly makes me unhappy the one thing I can do is walk away. Make peace with knowing it's out of your control. Like I did with politics. This is actually an empowering admission. Then decide how you want to proceed. I walked away from politics. Completely.

You can find something that you enjoy about the hobby (which it is since few of us make a living participating) or you can walk away. I love watching NFL football, period. Even bad football is better than 95% of the other crap on tv out there. So watching the horrible Chiefs still brings me more enjoyment than say watching Honey PooPoo or the Kardashians.

I don't spend much money on the team anymore since I don't want the Hunt's pockets any deeper. We go to games if we get free tickets. I found a job on Sundays where I can listen to the game while I get paid. I buy gear severely discounted (see Amazon.com). I still enjoy sitting around the tv with my family, drinking beer, eating junk food, and watching a game. Sometimes it's the only time together we get for the week.

Does any of this help fix the Chiefs? Nope, but I go full circle back to my realization that NOTHING I CAN DO WILL FIX THE CHIEFS. Might as well make the best of the situation or walk away. Those are the choices.

Well Denise, if you choose to not have a voice, then don't insult those of us who choose to speak up.
It has been said that you gave up on this franchise years ago and I myself have noted that the only time you speak up is when you can cause controversy or take an adverse stand against the majority. This is one of the many reasons this board took the place of the old one. Because no one here values your contributions or your opinions.
Feel free to go back to the DC and complain about things there with your groupies. I'm sure there are plenty of topics for you to have an "opinion" about.

[Iowanian]

Only a moron would look to a French quote on military leadership.......appropriate.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

If Hitler would've targeted memyselfI instead of the jews, he would be a hero instead of dead.

He would be pretty old though.

[Raiderhater]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Whatever, if teaming up with Jason Whitlock is what is needed to save the fan base or the Chiefs then this team is on an inconceivable plunge to hell. One that makes the Titanic look like a fender bender.

I think it's more productive and positive to speak for ourselves. Lose the national spokesperson who is best known for speaking up himself. Stay proud and keep this place on the list of desirable destinations for people who look around the franchise and see shit EVERYWHERE....

except the fan base. At least give potential players, coaches, and management something to build on. That doesn't mean shutting up and towing the line. That means refusing to let Jason Whitlock or Eric Winston, or anyone else define the fan base. Both of these men took negatives of which the fan base was beyond willing to accept and make them fact.

The master of controversy and trolling has a problem with Whitlock of all people. Oh the irony.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Only a moron would look to a French quote on military leadership.......appropriate.

I have to spread my rheps around more before I can hit you again...

[ct]

Not sure if anyone has said it, haven't read the whole thread.

Love the article, and THANK YOU for helping out your fellow Chiefs fans!!!

However, one point I wanted to make: when you use your position as a writer to explain the cause, then tell everyone you donated $600 as a fan, creates a conflict of interest. You are (devel's advocate view here) banging the drum and fueling the fire at the same time.

Now you came clean and laid out the transparency, and that's a damn good thing, sadly not common enough nowadays. Just sayin, ya know?

[Raiderhater]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

No, I'm not quiet on politics or sports. I just have accepted that my thoughts, worries, opinions, judgments, or actions will have little to do with changing that which I have no control over.

And thank the Almighty for that.

Originally Posted by memyselfI

No one is forcing anyone to buy tickets and support this team. The front office said this and fans acted all appalled and offended. Yet, the front office is telling you exactly where their Achilles heel is.

This is probably your only post on this entire thread with which I agree. I don't think there will be a problem with that next year. Why do you think the Chiefs sell season tickets so hard? So they'll have some revenue for weeks 7-17, I guess. I'll never be a Chiefs STH. They have conditioned me well. Next year's STH marketing campaign, "We're so sorry, please come back."

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by Gonzo

Well Denise, if you choose to not have a voice, then don't insult those of us who choose to speak up.
It has been said that you gave up on this franchise years ago and I myself have noted that the only time you speak up is when you can cause controversy or take an adverse stand against the majority. This is one of the many reasons this board took the place of the old one. Because no one here values your contributions or your opinions.
Feel free to go back to the DC and complain about things there with your groupies. I'm sure there are plenty of topics for you to have an "opinion" about.

No one is insulting you except for the negative images you are accepting to be perpetrated about you... Like having no voice, victim, hapless, loser, etc.

Your loudest and strongest voice is on your ass...in your back pocket. NOTHING will speak so loud. All the complaining in the world won't speak as loud or produce more results than that green piece of paper.

See you aren't powerless and you aren't a victim. Choose to support the team FINANCIALLY or not. Then real changes will occur.

And nothing Whitlock says will have as much impact at that...though I'm sure he'll take credit.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Rausch

I have to spread my rheps around more before I can hit you again...

This looked......a little strange when I first saw it..........

Originally Posted by notorious

This looked......a little strange when I first saw it..........

He misspelled "herps".

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by notorious

This looked......a little strange when I first saw it..........

There will never, ever, be a post from me that doesn't include some element of humor.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

No one is insulting you except for the negative images you are accepting to be perpetrated about you... Like having no voice, victim, hapless, loser, etc.

Your ENTIRE argument is built on the fact that Whitlock referred to the KC fans as "working class".

You've tried as hard as you can to make "working class" into a socio-economic SLUR and tried to convince everyone that Whitlock was trying to denigrate the fans.

You're WRONG. There aren't too many losers on this board that would assign "working class" a negative connotation. You are one of the few.

It's not suprising, given where you have traditionally stood on political topics, that you would consider his use of the term "working class" to be a negative stereotype.

Originally Posted by memyselfI

And nothing Whitlock says will have as much impact at that...though I'm sure he'll take credit.

You are absolutely, unequivocally wrong.

It's called BRAND EQUITY. The Kansas Chiefs property itself - the logo, the name, the FANS - have a value.

When those things are devalued, the Chiefs BRAND is devalued.

If that weren't the case, they NEVER would have apologized for what happened on Twitter with teedubya.

What we're doing right now IS forcing change. Whether that turns out to be the change WE WANT remains to be seen...