|
09-30-2012, 07:02 PM | |
21st Century Schizoid Fan
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Gates of Delirium
Casino cash: $1034950
|
Mellinger: Enough’s enough: Clark Hunt must make major changes now
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/30...hunt-must.html
Enough’s enough: Clark Hunt must make major changes now By SAM MELLINGER The Kansas City Star The Chiefs lost their last bit of reasonable hope in a loss so head-shakingly embarrassing it pushed this season from merely awful to pathetic, and some rich men are going to lose their jobs over this. They need to, anyway, or else a fan base that deserves better is suffering for no reason. If this season were a meal, you’d send it back. Or end up really sick. Either way, you wouldn’t go back to the restaurant, and that’s the part that has the legs to create some real change after only a few of the Chiefs’ closest friends stuck around to see the end of an embarrassing 37-20 loss to the Chargers at home on Sunday. Because this is beyond hope, beyond excuses, beyond any explanation that isn’t a fireable offense for everyone who can be fired. This is gross, and imagining it improving requires a stiff imagination or a stiffer drink. Romeo Crennel needs to fire Matt Cassel as the starting quarterback, because Cassel is now not only bad but hopeless. Pioli needs to fire Crennel, because he’s building a convincing case as the worst head coach in the league. And Clark Hunt needs to fire Pioli, because every stitch of progress with this roster is undermined by fundamental flaws in quarterback, head coach and philosophy that are a direct reflection of the general manager and serve as something like a parking brake on the franchise’s stated goal of winning championships. The argument to make major changes goes something like this: Crennel is overmatched trying to be head coach and defensive coordinator, and a roster top-heavy with stars but lacking in depth cannot drag a leaking quarterback through today’s pass-happy NFL. Pioli has not earned the right to choose the next quarterback or a third head coach. The argument to maintain status quo goes something like this: hey, it’s the NFL, and maybe the Chiefs can get really, really, really lucky. Tickets are already sold for games that are already scheduled, so the Chiefs will go ahead and play out the last three-fourths of a meaningless season, but by now the only drama is whether games will be blacked out, how bad Cassel has to stink before he gets benched, and whether a bumbling product that’s now lost three games by two touchdowns or more will be enough to convince Hunt that his broken franchise needs major fixes. That win last week in New Orleans felt good for a moment, like a candy bar for that afternoon crash, but we’re going to end up remembering it as empty calories keeping the Chiefs from a higher draft pick – a pick that needs to be made by whomever Hunt hires after he fires Pioli. Because, enough. We’ve seen enough. The quarterback hand-picked and made apparently untouchable by Pioli’s faith and New England nostalgia has been booed in both stadiums at Truman Sports Complex and now has 10 turnovers in four games. Pioli’s Chiefs continue to spit into the NFL’s wind, and the franchise’s fans deserve better than to slog through a 19th consecutive season without a playoff win while wasting more productive years from Tamba Hali, Dwayne Bowe, Justin Houston and the other good players stuck in a slogging Process that might max out at mediocre. A roster so galvanized 10 months ago by its beloved Romeo is now a stumbling mess, three blowout losses in four tries, only a comeback win over one of the few organizations in football with less direction keeping them from being winless. Cassel isn’t up to the demands of championship quarterback, and it’s not his fault that his bosses are slow to recognize he’s just good enough to get beat. Crennel is now 27-44 as a head coach, and Pioli still hasn’t been in charge of a playoff win without Tom Brady starting at quarterback. Four years into what seemed like a great idea at the time, Pioli’s teams have an 0-1 postseason record and are working on a third disaster in four years. Pioli is on record saying Cassel can be good enough to win a title. Everything he’s done here for four years is based on that belief, and with that evaluation so obviously wrong, there is no way Hunt can responsibly give him the chance to choose the next quarterback. At this point, the worst thing that can happen is that the Chiefs win enough games to hold off major changes and strive for mediocrity one more year and waste more of the careers of players under long-term control who can be part of the solution. The good news is it’s hard to imagine them doing even that. When you think about it, this about the worst position a team can put its fans in: hoping for a season so bad it forces changes. Here comes Hunt’s chance to show Chiefs fans he shares their disgust in an underperforming team and won’t accept failure. Your move, Clark. To reach Sam Mellinger, call 816-234-4365, send e-mail to smellinger@kcstar.com or follow twitter.com/mellinger. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com. |
Posts: 69,776
|
09-30-2012, 11:06 PM | #151 |
The Insider
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Lake of the Ozarks
Casino cash: $808752
|
Same type of team he had success with in New York, is in place here. Strong running game and nice set of receivers. He could have developed nicely here, as we had no need to rush him as a n00b either - Huard or Croyle could have took the lumps the first year and eased his way into the lineup late in 2009 when the schedule became easy. Not to mention no Tyson Jackson, Matt Cassel or Mike Vrabel and we could have had Patrick Chung/James Laurintaus/etc. All would have been better than the cluster**** we ended up with in 2009.
|
Posts: 50,697
|
09-30-2012, 11:09 PM | #152 | |
Roy E.
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Olathe, KS
Casino cash: $10519646
|
Quote:
I don't think Clark has the balls to fire him mid-season. We'll have to wait til the end of the season to ship his ass out of town. |
|
Posts: 23,023
|
09-30-2012, 11:16 PM | #153 |
"Think ZOOM!"
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Space Station #5
Casino cash: $467236
|
|
Posts: 18,435
|
09-30-2012, 11:54 PM | #154 |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2005
Casino cash: $9054925
|
Pioli can't hear you from the sounds of having the number one offense in the NFL.
Oh, and Cassel has more yards through four games than...any other chiefs QB...he also has 10 turnovers and is completing less than 60% of his passes. Oh, and he has 4 or 5 TDs to go with his turnovers...(one of those TD's went to the chargers defense) |
Posts: 1,991
|
10-01-2012, 12:04 AM | #155 | |
testing ... 1, 2, 3
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Tennessee
Casino cash: $6753759
|
Quote:
The sickening thing about all of this is that Herm (God, am I about to really say this?) could probably have done a better job of making those 1st round picks than Pioli. Then, you have the added problem of converting Dorsey into a 3-4 DE which (I continue to assert) is inconsistent with his nature or talent. In other words, not only have we whiffed on picks entirely, we made little use of good picks we had (Hali being the exception). Frankly, it's an incredible situation. I'm not sure you could screw this deal up any more had you intentionally made every effort to do so. FAX |
|
Posts: 44,492
|
10-01-2012, 12:11 AM | #156 |
Scott Pioli
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Copacobana
Casino cash: $9313645
|
Of 5 of Cassel's TDs, 1 came in a non-garbage time situation.
1.
__________________
|
Posts: 23,215
|
10-01-2012, 12:18 AM | #157 |
#RIPAce
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: So Cal
Casino cash: $11892899
|
Fire Pioli.
Fire Romeo. Dump Cassel. Draft Smith. Pay Bowe. |
Posts: 17,345
|
10-01-2012, 12:19 AM | #158 | |
MVP
Join Date: Aug 2011
Casino cash: $3736550
|
Quote:
|
|
Posts: 12,790
|
10-01-2012, 12:21 AM | #159 |
MVP
Join Date: May 2001
Location: midtown KC
Casino cash: $794910
|
I know this.
I moved to Missouri in 1980. I was in third grade. I had never had a pro football team close enough to call a 'home team' before. I was 8. In all that time, I have never rooted against them-not Bill Kenney, or Steve Fuller, or Blackledge, or Jaworski, or Deberg, or Krieg, or of course Montana, not Bono, Grbac... until now. I literally hope every time Cassel drops back that he throws a pick. Not tipped-pass-pick, I want him to throw a who-the-hell-was-he-throwing-it-to-pick. I watch the game, and my emotional investment is in willing Matt Cassel to suck so bad that no one could possibly defend him anymore. That's the only way to have any hope for the future. I feel bad for guys like Hali, who are watching their prime years slip away behind a loser. I'll watch all season. It doesn't hurt anymore. I'll tell you this, though: If Cassel is still the QB, this will be the last season. |
Posts: 17,802
|
10-01-2012, 12:21 AM | #160 |
#RIPAce
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: So Cal
Casino cash: $11892899
|
I'd take Rex Ryan as a HC.
|
Posts: 17,345
|
10-01-2012, 12:27 AM | #161 |
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2006
Casino cash: $4845522
|
|
Posts: 1,640
|
10-01-2012, 12:28 AM | #162 |
Scott Pioli
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Copacobana
Casino cash: $9313645
|
Get the **** out of here.
I'd take him as a DC, but no ****ing way do I want another retread HC.
__________________
|
Posts: 23,215
|
10-01-2012, 12:30 AM | #163 |
GBM 8-12-15
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Dayton, Oh.
Casino cash: $10052154
|
__________________
2015 Adopt-a-Chief: Tamba Hali |
Posts: 59,997
|
10-01-2012, 12:45 AM | #164 |
MVP
Join Date: Aug 2011
Casino cash: $3736550
|
|
Posts: 12,790
|
10-01-2012, 12:48 AM | #165 |
Mahomes Dynasty
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Parts Unknown
Casino cash: $7862254
|
__________________
|
Posts: 39,194
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|