More Haley Nuggets of Wisdom.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Mark it down: Chiefs buck trend, show yen to lose pounds

Orlin Wagner / Associated PressNew Chiefs Coach Todd Haley stretches as he puts rookies through their paces during a recent workout.

After last season's 2-14 finish, the team has nothing to lose -- except weight. New Coach Todd Haley has put a high priority on conditioning, and he's getting results.
Sam Farmer
June 21, 2009
The Kansas City Chiefs just might be the biggest losers in the NFL.

And that's good news.

To be specific, the Chiefs have lost a combined 340 pounds this year -- and not, say, by cutting some rotund defensive tackle. They lost the weight through hard work, something apparently in short supply when the team went 2-14 last season.

"We were out of shape and not really strong," said new Coach Todd Haley, who has put a premium on his players dropping some pounds. "I talked to our strength coach at Arizona [where Haley was offensive coordinator last season] and he said if you're a highly efficient team that's working, you lose about 120 to 150 pounds in the off-season."

The Chiefs face more than their share of hurdles. With a defense that produced an NFL-record-low 10 sacks last season, and an offense in transition -- and missing All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez -- Kansas City would do well to win six games this season.

But the way Haley sees it, getting in shape was priority No. 1. To that end, he instituted mandatory weigh-ins at the beginning and end of each week, making players who were too heavy on Fridays do extra running. He sat in the weight room every day and watched the workouts, and had his coaches monitor things when he couldn't. (It will be interesting to see how players ultimately react to that, seeing as they often judge coaches by whether they "treat us like men.")

Regardless, Haley identified the problem and set out to fix it. In the process, he shed some serious pounds himself, going from 217 to 192.

"The players understood that to be around, we weren't going to have a fat team," he said in a telephone interview. "And if you were fat, we'd probably just move on at some point as soon as we could."

The approach wasn't always subtle. Take the case of tackle Branden Albert, who was selected 15th in the 2008 draft. He went from chiseled to chunky last season, winding up at least 30 pounds heavier than when the Chiefs drafted him from Virginia.

Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli found Albert's picture from the scouting combine, when the player was a relatively svelte 309 pounds, and taped it to his locker. The inspirational needling did the trick.

"The guy was 303 yesterday," Haley said. "He's on an eating plan and carries his meal around in a Tupperware. He's lifting, and he's so much stronger. He's almost got abs coming through."

Albert, who Haley said "looked like a mess" when he started the program, passed all his rigorous conditioning tests last week.

"It's just a huge transformation," Haley said. "He's put himself into a position to compete and potentially be great."

Anger management

Haley isn't always a hothead. But he plays one on TV.

One of the enduring images from the NFC championship game was of Haley calling a string of excellent plays against Philadelphia while angrily arguing with receiver Anquan Boldin, who pulled off his helmet and was briefly restrained by teammates.

"That changed everything for me," Haley said. "I couldn't go anywhere in Phoenix after that. I used to be able to hide against the wall, but then everybody knew me all of a sudden."

He doesn't mind players thinking he could blow a gasket at any moment, whether it's true or not.

"You'd much rather have that than to be glad-handing and patting somebody on the butt; you don't want that as your reputation," he said. "I'm going to be about pushing you hard and not pulling any punches."

And, hey, Haley made the right calls -- against a Philadelphia defense designed by the outstanding Jim Johnson, no less -- and the Cardinals wound up winning.

"Here I'm trying to call plays to win a championship and I've got somebody yapping behind me," Haley recalled. "It took us to the Super Bowl, and then all of a sudden it became the perception of, 'What's this player doing? Is he an idiot? This coach is trying to call plays.' "

Thank God we got something out of this off season besides a shit draft.

Haley is the "pick" that matters.

[KCUnited]

We're the Biggest Losers before the season even begins.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Silock

There's a difference between preaching fundamentals and actually teaching and executing it. The only talent you need is the ability for most of the team not to **** things up, with a handful of guys with above and beyond talent. Obviously, it must scale to the level at which one is competing.

You don't teach fundamentals at the professional level.

My point is that talk about fundamentals or weight loss, etc. is banter for teams who haven't won shit and will likely suck.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I don't think it means anything.

The roster is bereft of talent, so how surprising is it that a fair number of these guys are fat turds? My guess is that a more talented roster would have less "fat" to trim.

As far as the conditioning goes, what do you expect from a team full of players who spent 1 to 3 years under the auspices of Herman ****ing Edwards?

[FAX]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The Royals have a manager, Herm Hillman, who preaches "fundamentals." And the team sucks shit.

Talent wins. Much of the rest is nothing but artifice.

As you are one of the top, all-time posters in the history of ChiefsPlanet and an individual with both proven and extraordinary intelligence and wisdom, I cannot bring myself to disagree with you, Mr. DeezNutz.

Talent wins, to be sure. When you pit one talented peep against a non-talented peep, the talented peep wins almost every time unless the non-talented peep is cheating or holding the talented peep's wife hostage while promising to force her to eat three-day-old broccoli casserole if the talented peep doesn't lose.

However, the Chiefs seemed to fade in the late going during most games last year ... at least that's how it seemed to me. We didn't look sharp in the 4th quarter. Not at all. It's very possible that some of that had to do with conditioning.

FAX

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

I've heard this 340lbs number batted around for the last week. Is that an inordinate amount of weight to lose, or is it par for the course but the CHiefs are trying to make a big deal out of it? In other words, we can't be the only team in the NFL that has fat guys on it at the beginning of the OTA's...

I think there's 85 or so people on the roster.

340/85=4

I'm not horridly impressed.
Posted via Mobile Device

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

As far as the conditioning goes, what do you expect from a team full of players who spent 1 to 3 years under the auspices of Herman ****ing Edwards?

Nothing.

You think the Steelers are sitting around counting the number of lbs lost and then publicly announcing it? It's almost laughable.

[tomahawk kid]

Isn't the S&C Coach in Arizona the "Get your stinkin' mind right" bench press coach from the NFL Combine.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Trotting out numbers about weight loss is pretty much wasted breath, IMO.

We're going to be in great shape and outwork everyone, right? I'm ready for my varsity football t-shirt now. Every single HS coach in this country says the same thing.

Yeah, then take a look at how many games we've lost in the 4th qtr

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by FAX

However, the Chiefs seemed to fade in the late going during most games last year ... at least that's how it seemed to me. We didn't look sharp in the 4th quarter. Not at all. It's very possible that some of that had to do with conditioning.

FAX

Perhaps, but I doubt it.

For example: you can run all the wind sprints you want, but if you don't have playmakers on defense, players who can get you off the field, you're going to be tired in the 4th, regardless of training.

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Yeah, then take a look at how many games we've lost in the 4th qtr

This and the injury bug could be a direct result from Hermie's lack of adequate conditioning

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Nothing.

You think the Steelers are sitting around counting the number of lbs lost and then publicly announcing it? It's almost laughable.

I think the Steelers have a defense and a genuine Qu-

Aw, **** it.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

This and the injury bug could be a direct result from Hermie's lack of adequate conditioning

I'd say that conditioning was a direct result of Croyle and Huard going down. It had nothing to do with the former being made of glass and the latter repeatedly stabbing himself with his dildo to the point of exhaustion.

If Herm had just made them do that extra rep and shed that extra pound!

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

I think the Steelers have a defense and a genuine Qu-

Aw, **** it.

Exactly.

This shit is borderline embarrassing.

Haley wants to talk about the benefits of conditioning? Great. I'm all for it. Who wouldn't be? Trotting out an artificial number to praise the amount of pounds lost makes me cringe.

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I'd say that conditioning was a direct result of Croyle and Huard going down. It had nothing to do with the former being made of glass and the latter repeatedly stabbing himself with his dildo to the point of exhaustion.

If Herm had just made them do that extra rep and shed that extra pound!

Those weren't the only guys getting hurt every week. Everywhere Herm went injuries were sure to follow. I wouldn't want to be in the studio with him.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Nothing.

You think the Steelers are sitting around counting the number of lbs lost and then publicly announcing it? It's almost laughable.

The Steelers don't have to worry about fat and lazy players.

They don't draft them...