Arrowhead anxiety: Turnover off the field causes concern

[Dr. Gigglepants]

Secrecy, intimidation, fear and a watchful eye have become hallmarks of working for the Chiefs, say some current and former employees.

BY KENT BABB THE KANSAS CITY STAR

Todd Haley walked into the public relations office at Chiefs headquarters on a Thursday in early December. Four days before he was fired as the team’s coach, he wanted to talk about what life was like inside this organization. But he didn’t know who else might be listening.

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http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/14...nover-off.html

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This article goes into a lot of detail on the changes that came into effect with the Pioli regime. Sounds like a shitty ass place to work now.

[unlurking]

Lot of exaggeration and hyperbole here. First off, there's no way the Chiefs could legally tap any phones in the office, let alone personal cell phones. All they can do is check logs, which include the numbers and dates/times on the office phones. It's not legal to secretly record conversations in the building either. Of course they can read company email and track internet usage as well. This happens (or can happen) in most of corporate America, so why would an NFL team be any different?

I'm not saying Pioli/Hunt aren't mad scientist, evil whack-job, Nazis. I'm just saying that this article doesn't have enough legitimate information in it that can't be argues away as he said/she said or disgruntled employee complaints. Pioli sounds like a micro-managing asshole who I'd never want to work for, but I've known people like that to do some amazing things. Although they usually burn out quickly.

[The Bad Guy]

The Chiefs could absolutely have the offices tapped with intercom systems and ways to hear what they are saying in private conversations in their offices.

[Hammock Parties]

Babb gathers information for this story:

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Originally Posted by Omega

Babb gathers information for this story:

[notorious]

Some employees bitch, some adapt.


The employees that bitch usually blow things out of proportion.


But, for the life of me, I can not figure out that if Pioli has such an eye for detail, how can he be blind when it comes to Cassel?

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

The Chiefs could absolutely have the offices tapped with intercom systems and ways to hear what they are saying in private conversations in their offices.

Of course than can, technically, but it is ILLEGAL.

Voice recordings are illegal without a MINIMUM one party consent in the conversation. This is why all those nanny cam spy products are camera only. It is illegal to record a conversation where none of the participants are aware they are being recorded.

EDIT:
Obviously one way to get around this would be to inform all employees AND visitors (in case two are talking without an informed employee present) that there are listening devices scattered around the facility. If all employees and guests had been made aware of this fact, this would have been news years ago.

[Stanley Nickels]

I really don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak, but to get sort of "meta" on this thread, I'm really impressed with the intelligent and thoughtful responses from both sides on here. This board isn't the biggest in the world, but the posters are generally very knowledgeable and insightful (for the most part).

Great thread.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by unlurking

Of course than can, technically, but it is ILLEGAL.

Voice recordings are illegal without a MINIMUM one party consent in the conversation. This is why all those nanny cam spy products are camera only. It is illegal to record a conversation where none of the participants are aware they are being recorded.

I think the Haley stuff was hilarious because it's a bit paranoid. But that said, there are people in this organization that came from a place where they did pretty much anything to get information, including taping practices. And McDaniels still did it when he went to Denver. I wouldn't find it hard to believe they are a bit fanatical about this stuff. If you know you can do it to other organizations, you probably become paranoid about it happening to you.

[notorious]

No wonder Haley looked like shit in interviews. Non-stop paranoia will wear a man down.

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally Posted by unlurking

Lot of exaggeration and hyperbole here. First off, there's no way the Chiefs could legally tap any phones in the office, let alone personal cell phones. All they can do is check logs, which include the numbers and dates/times on the office phones. It's not legal to secretly record conversations in the building either. Of course they can read company email and track internet usage as well. This happens (or can happen) in most of corporate America, so why would an NFL team be any different?

I'm not saying Pioli/Hunt aren't mad scientist, evil whack-job, Nazis. I'm just saying that this article doesn't have enough legitimate information in it that can't be argues away as he said/she said or disgruntled employee complaints. Pioli sounds like a micro-managing asshole who I'd never want to work for, but I've known people like that to do some amazing things. Although they usually burn out quickly.

Get real it is legal to tap business owned phones. Has been done for years and has held up in court. Most business' do it.

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by tk13

I think the Haley stuff was hilarious because it's a bit paranoid. But that said, there are people in this organization that came from a place where they did pretty much anything to get information, including taping practices. And McDaniels still did it when he went to Denver. I wouldn't find it hard to believe they are a bit fanatical about this stuff. If you know you can do it to other organizations, you probably become paranoid about it happening to you.

Oh, agreed. The discussion about blacking out the view of the practice field from office windows had me chuckling. I can't blame them for that in the least, and as you say, it didn't seem to be enough against McDaniels! I don't fault him for stuff like that at all. Plays and communications are similar to proprietary trade secrets in the corporate world.

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by Mojo Jojo

Get real it is legal to tap business owned phones. Has been done for years and has held up in court. Most business' do it.

Re-read the article, then check the legal requirements again.

As I stated earlier, one party MUST be informed that their conversations are being recorded. Businesses that do so inform their employees in writing and 99% of the time require an employee to sign a statement that they have been notified of this fact. It is illegal to monitor conversations without either party being informed.

The article clearly states that Haley thinks his personal cell phone is being monitored. It also states that the Chiefs have denied that they are monitoring phone calls.

Obviously the Chiefs cannot legally record Haley's personal cell phone, and if the Chiefs denied they were recording office phones somebody would have claimed that they signed an ROB acknowledging the fact that their calls were being recorded.

EDIT:
I can see where I might have been unclear in the previous post you quoted. I should have stated explicitly in that post (as I did in follow ups), that it is is illegal to record conversations without at least one party consent. The comments about people "fearing" they were being recorded in the article means that they obviously were not. By law they would have to be informed of that fact. Since they didn't know if they were being recorded, it stands to reason that they were not. Unless you believe the Chiefs were willing to commit federal crimes.

[luv]

I've been through a change in management where I used to work, and this same thing happened. You adapt to the new regime, or that's not the place for you.

Peterson was one who let the press in on everything. Pioli is not like that. Sounds to me like their digging and making a normal management change sound like a big deal. It was the same thing being said over and over, like they were trying to drive a point home. I lost interest reading halfway through.

[Extra Point]

Carl Peterson wasn't the transparent guy painted in this article. He was a haggler who screwed up John Tait's presence here, let go of T-Rich, when we could have kept him for a song, and had his share of difficulties with the local press.

I don't miss the 5-Year Plan, I do miss putting up points.

[FringeNC]

Does this cloak and dagger stuff work in the NFL? As long as employees are notified ahead of time that privacy doesn't exist at Arrowhead, I have no problem with it. (Now, of course, if Haley's mobile phone was hacked.....)

I'm just not sure this is the way to build a dynasty in the NFL. Having a franchise QB in combination with a franchise coach is the only way it is really done anymore.

I do think Pioli seems like a really strange guy, and probably not very likable. I could give a **** if wins though. Thus far, there are two defining events of the Pioli era, and neither of them is has to do with the winning: His fixation with Matt Cassel and his weird estrangement from his head coach, two events that might not be unrelated.

If he delivers a franchise QB, none of this stuff will matter, and Pioli will just be viewed as being an eccentric, driven guy.