Clark caught between a rock and a hard place

[Fat Elvis]

Clark is in a Catch-22. If he lets Pioli go now, there will be the perception among the fans, owners, and the NFL in general that he doesn't really make the decisions around here- he will be percieved as beeing subject to the whims of the fans. On the other hand, if he doesn't let Pioli go, he will have totally alienated the entire fan base who makes his team profitable (outside of TV revenues). The Chiefs have made one PR blunder after another this year and fans are on the verge of outright revolt.

In all seriousness, if you are Clark- and view this purely as a business decision- what is your next move?

[Ghost of Maslowski]

if i'm Clark i keep moving at glacier speed towards repairing my dysfunctional franchise, because it's sure to further enrage my dwindling fanbase and therefore is a sound business decision.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by splatbass

BS. Even Al Davis was able to hire coaches, and no one micromanaged more than him.

Al Davis hired a bunch of bottom-of-the-barrel coaches. Gruden and Kiffin were two of the youngest coaches to ever coach football (Kiffin was the youngest). He sought out high risk young guys who wanted a shot. And guess what, most of them were let go within a few years because Al Davis drafted whomever he wanted, regardless of whether it fit the coach's philosophy.

[BossChief]

Right now, the Chiefs are a sprinter with a fractured leg and Pioli thinks we should put it in a cast as is instead of doing what needs done and break it the rest of the way so it will heal properly.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Al Davis hired a bunch of bottom-of-the-barrel coaches. Gruden and Kiffin were two of the youngest coaches to ever coach football (Kiffin was the youngest). He sought out high risk young guys who wanted a shot. And guess what, most of them were let go within a few years because Al Davis drafted whomever he wanted, regardless of whether it fit the coach's philosophy.

The Raiders problem was the same as any other loser team (like the Chiefs)

They didn't have a quarterback.

When they got Gannon, look what happened.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by BossChief

The Raiders problem was the same as any other loser team (like the Chiefs)

They didn't have a quarterback.

When they got Gannon, look what happened.

which is the key and what Hunt might decide to focus on

You get Crennel DC help and a franchise QB and stuff improves a lot faster than gutting everything again.

[alnorth]

Clark caught between a rock and a hard place

No, he's not. He's the F'ing owner, no one can fire him.

There is an argument to be made for a coach or a GM to not be seen as being subject to the will of the fans, or they'll be seen as weak, unable to be their own man, etc. More likely to be fired, less likely to find another job.

An owner doesn't have to care about what anyone else thinks. If he believes Pioli should be fired, he should fire him. The media then criticizes him for bending to the fickle whim of the fans? Screw the media, the owner doesn't have to worry much about his reputation.

[R8RFAN]

Clark says **** you all, Clark will do things the way Clark wants too and if you don't ****ing like it don't come to the games because he has plenty of people to buy that ticket.

Clark is the 1% , he deserves it and the rest of you can eat a bag of dicks.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Laz

this was about the office and gum wrapper-gate. I could give a **** whether Pioli 'kicks ass' in the offices and makes a secretary cry.

I'm glad you are so narrow-minded that you think this was about a gum wrapper. This is about gestapo tactics. This is about micromanaging who employees have lunch with, not allowing access into certain stairwells, egotistically yelling at people who call you by your last name. These are stories about coaches being micromanaged all the way down to who HAS to start at QB. These are stories about a toxic culture and there have been no defenders of what the Chiefs are doing except for top level management. You are delusional if you think this is anything close to normal.

all the way from Texas? Pioli isn't from Texas ... so Clark Hunt was involved?

That is the implication, yes.

Plenty of teams keep the players quotes on lockdown ... means nothing. Would rather have a raving lunatic like the Jets?

There is no team as robotic as the Chiefs. Not even the Patriots.

More Wrapper-gate ... who gives a shit

When the NFL's best scouts and personnel guys who could one day are all gossiping about how dysfunctional your organization is, don't you think that potential future scouts, coaches, and players are hearing this and steer away from Arrowhead?

QB situation has definitely been screwed up. I've wonders myself whether Pioli has purposed avoided bringing anyone in that could compete with Cassel to protect him.

It is brutally obvious. And it's not just about not making any real attempt to bring in Clausen for Weis or Orton for Romeo. It's about Romeo/Daboll designing an offense that seems almost rebellious in nature -- as if they hate that they have to play the QB, so they're just going to not let him do anything. Isn't it weird that after a full game of Cassel dump-off screens, Romeo immediately dials up 3 of 4 pass plays for Brady that are downfield?

**** that insane bastard Todd Haley. Did Pioli bug Haley's father's phone too?

Whatever you think of Todd Haley, Dick Haley is a well respected personnel guy with tremendous experience. And he was right about Cassel. So **** the guy who got the decision wrong (Pioli), not the guy who said it was wrong.

Pioli definitely seems to want to run a specific style of football

He has shown zero ability to move outside of that box. Because of that, there is simply no way he can hire anyone outside of the tree.

exeraggation much? We heard a rumor that Weis said he wanted to draft Clausen in the War Room. We have no idea whether that's true and we sure as hell don't know that he 'screamed up and down' about anything. Clausen turned out to pretty much suck anyway.

Oh you mean the many reports indicating that Weis glowed about him? Or the fact that Weis was going to run Clausen's workout, but decided it was a conflict of interest? Or the fact that Clausen eventually fell into a manageable position nobody anticipated? It doesn't matter if he sucks or not. It's a classic example of our coaches showing no faith in Cassel, and Pioli doing NOTHING in 4 years to create even marginal competition for Cassel. Pretty telling that the only QB competition ever brought in was a guy who was there to replace Cassel when he was out on IR.

speculative bullshit ... you have no idea whether any of that's true. But even if it was, LOTS of head coaches get pissed because they 'aren't allowed to buy the groceries' or whatever the hell Parcells used to say.

This offense and defense are by the letter what Pioli wanted. You can try to excuse it any way you want to. But Pioli got every single thing his way. There is zero evidence that the coaches ever won any battle against Pioli.

Babb said that 'HE KNEW' it happened under Haley but that he 'wondered' whether it was happening under Crennel. So you tell me, how could he know under Haley but not Crennel UNLESS HALEY WAS THE SOURCE? Forgive me if i don't consider that crazy,lying bastard Haley a reliable source.

You'd have to have your head in the sand not to read into Romeo's consistent comments about the QB position, his then neutering of the QB role in the offense, and his shaky defensiveness of Cassel in press conferences, the refusal to throw downfield on any situation that's 3rd and 5+.

blah,blah,blah ... **** the media. Don't give a shit whether they are pissed or not.

That's funny. Because last time I checked, one of the greatest advantages about playing in Kansas City was Arrowhead Stadium. Even during a winning season, nobody cared about the team. We don't have fluff pieces about players. We don't have TV shows with fun characters like Jared Allen. We root for this team, but we don't connect with any of the players.

This media blackout is ****ing ridiculous. And if Clark was smart, he'd realize he's losing a shitload of money that would be better spent promoting the team instead of shutting the fans out.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by BossChief

The Raiders problem was the same as any other loser team (like the Chiefs)

They didn't have a quarterback.

When they got Gannon, look what happened.

Gannon was developed in a terrific system coached by Gruden, even if Callahan got the credit when they got to the Super Bowl. It was still about coaching. Gruden was a lucky hit. The problem was every bit about a bunch of misfits who couldn't play well with each other and a bunch of athletically gifted guys with no football talent, as it was about the QB issue.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Laz

which is the key and what Hunt might decide to focus on

You get Crennel DC help and a franchise QB and stuff improves a lot faster than gutting everything again.

Bullshit.

Romeo Crennel is not a good head coach. Been saying that for months. He runs a soft program and his players play soft and without intensity or fire or discipline.

If you bring in a guy like DeCosta, he has the pieces to run a 3-4 like he has in Baltimore. And you can easily hire an offensive coordinator who can make the pieces we have in place work.

We need a new QB, head coach, and defensive coordinator who runs 3-4. That's it. That's not a blow-up. That's maybe a half year spent adjusting to the new schemes.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Bullshit.

Romeo Crennel is not a good head coach. Been saying that for months. He runs a soft program and his players play soft and without intensity or fire or discipline.

DJ went from one of the 3 best ILB in the league under Haley to mediocre under Romeo.

Romeo sucks at motivating players. Especially guys who need motivation. You gotta push the right buttons. Every player is different.

Jimmy Johnson wrote about this in his book. He had a Masters in psychology. He knew what buttons to push.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

DJ went from one of the 3 best ILB in the league under Haley to mediocre under Romeo.

Romeo sucks at motivating players. Especially guys who need motivation. You gotta push the right buttons. Every player is different.

Jimmy Johnson wrote about this in his book. He had a Masters in psychology. He knew what buttons to push.

Yeah. I can't believe anybody actually believes the problem is that Romeo doesn't have DC help. With the talent the Chiefs have, there is no excuse... period... for not having our players punching people in the mouth right now.

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by alnorth

No, he's not. He's the F'ing owner, no one can fire him.

There is an argument to be made for a coach or a GM to not be seen as being subject to the will of the fans, or they'll be seen as weak, unable to be their own man, etc. More likely to be fired, less likely to find another job.

An owner doesn't have to care about what anyone else thinks. If he believes Pioli should be fired, he should fire him. The media then criticizes him for bending to the fickle whim of the fans? Screw the media, the owner doesn't have to worry much about his reputation.

Any business owner who ignores the needs of his customers will not be in business long. The problem is that since his father lost the oil money, the team has been run as a business with money being the deciding factor. The Chiefs and other sporting groups are the family's main source of income. They really need to get out of the business.

[R8RFAN]

Originally Posted by whoman69

Any business owner who ignores the needs of his customers will not be in business long. The problem is that since his father lost the oil money, the team has been run as a business with money being the deciding factor. The Chiefs and other sporting groups are the family's main source of income. They really need to get out of the business.

Not in the NFL dude, it's not your normal business, people will come just to party and it does not matter if the team sucks...

Raiders don't sell out because most of them are broke out there, if they had the money it would sell out just like the Cheaps every week

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by R8ers

Not in the NFL dude, it's not your normal business, people will come just to party and it does not matter if the team sucks...

Raiders don't sell out because most of them are broke out there, if they had the money it would sell out just like the Cheaps every week

Stadiums don't sell merchandise when fans hate the team and don't identify with the players. They don't buy concessions if they're leaving in the 3rd quarter. And while you may think a ticket is "sold" just because somebody bought it in advance, again, when thousands of people are buying less beer and goodies because they're not showing up to games, these affect the bottom line. Not to mention I'm sure Clark Hunt has in the back of his mind the thought of how he is going to maximize season tickets for next year.

This year, we had some false hope that the team would be watchable, so people bought season tickets. If Pioli is extended, next season is going to be nightmare for season tickets. I feel bad for any sales guy put on that job.