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.

[durtyrute]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Ditto, IF he had had a quality QB and a supportive GM I'm confident he would have excelled and overcome his inexperience.

This. He was hired by one of the most respected teams in the NFL. I don't think he was as bad as people here think he was.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

After over 40 years of this kind of crap, I am worn out from it. The team takes one step ahead, then three backwards. It's 1987 all over again.

My God, ownership should have kept Pioli from making these same mistakes again.
PIOLI is bad, very bad, but RAC is an embarrassment to anyone that has ever worn red.

But Jason is here to save the day.

Seriously, no one change is going to help this franchise. Be it GM, HC, or QB. We've changed them all. The one constant? The ownership. Fans will fall head over heels over the next new head coach, QB, GM and the end result may end up the same...again.

The ownership is not going to stop Pioli from a damn thing. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil...

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

But Jason is here to save the day.

Seriously, no one change is going to help this franchise. Be it GM, HC, or QB. We've changed them all. The one constant? The ownership. Fans will fall head over heels over the next new head coach, QB, GM and the end result may end up the same...again.

The ownership is not going to stop Pioli from a damn thing. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil...

You epitomize evil.

You also lack reading comprehension and any level of intellect. The only thing crowning Whitlock a savior is you. No one else. The rest of us agree with his piece and are thankful that someone who has a national journalistic voice is recognizing the cause.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

You epitomize evil.

You also lack reading comprehension and any level of intellect. The only thing crowning Whitlock a savior is you. No one else. The rest of us agree with his piece and are thankful that someone who has a national journalistic voice is recognizing the cause.

Oh honey, if I wanted to champion a cause I'd be savvy enough to not pick Jason Whitlock to do it.

I mean, how long until we get the Chiefs fan hair column or small peter twitter?

[A Salt Weapon]

Wow, great job Jason.
Posted via Mobile Device

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Seriously, no one change is going to help this franchise. Be it GM, HC, or QB. We've changed them all. The one constant? The ownership. Fans will fall head over heels over the next new head coach, QB, GM and the end result may end up the same...again.

The ownership is not going to stop Pioli from a damn thing. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil...

I am coming around to this type of thinking. I used to think ownership was just following good management principles, allowing the GM and Coaches to do their job.

But Clark should have put his foot down on the RAC hire, it is the third time this franchise has made this mistake since I have been following them.

I loved RAC as a DC, but he has destroyed this team as HC. I am not sure any HC could restore the environment needed to make these players a winner again. The whole thing may need flushing, players and all.

[ChiefMojo]

Bravo Jason, bravooooo!!!!

[Red Brooklyn]

Bravo, indeed.

Excellent read, Jason.

Thank you.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

But Clark should have put his foot down on the RAC hire, it is the third time this franchise has made this mistake since I have been following them.

.

It was kind of a tough spot for Clark. The 3 options were:

1) Get rid of Pioli. Basically tear down everything after 3 years and begin anew. The Hunt family is very patient and that is something they likely wouldn't do.

2) Let Pioli completely clean house. He could have gone outside of RC and cleaned house but then you basically have to give Pioli another 3 years. You have to let the "new" HC have some time developing the team. If you are beginning to question the first 3 years of Pioli, giving him another 3 doesn't seem very wise.

3) Let Pioli continue to build the "new england model" that he originally came to KC with and let him promote RC who the players played hard for the last 3 games of the year. This option probably gives Pioli the shortest leash of all three because there is continuity with the staff and vision. IMO, it is easier to evaluate and get rid of SP in the shortest amount of time with this option.

[kaplin42]

Originally Posted by jwhit

Don't give up.

Hey Jwhit,

If you're ever out here in Los Angeles, I would be happy to buy you a drink. We may not have KC bbq, but I will take you to Korean bbq.

Thank you for defending the fan base and getting the real message out.

[Lzen]

Good stuff, Jason. Keep it up.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

It was kind of a tough spot for Clark. The 3 options were:

1) Get rid of Pioli. Basically tear down everything after 3 years and begin anew. The Hunt family is very patient and that is something they likely wouldn't do.

2) Let Pioli completely clean house. He could have gone outside of RC and cleaned house but then you basically have to give Pioli another 3 years. You have to let the "new" HC have some time developing the team. If you are beginning to question the first 3 years of Pioli, giving him another 3 doesn't seem very wise.

3) Let Pioli continue to build the "new england model" that he originally came to KC with and let him promote RC who the players played hard for the last 3 games of the year. This option probably gives Pioli the shortest leash of all three because there is continuity with the staff and vision. IMO, it is easier to evaluate and get rid of SP in the shortest amount of time with this option.

Or 4. Make him work with the coach he hired in the first place.

[Iowanian]

Dense is a filthy skankapotomus and an antagonist raider fan. She likely pleasures herself with a truck stop toilet brush to finger paintings of Rich Gannon.


I think it's fair to say, most fans are accepting that this team is a filthy tramp. It's the level of acceptance required to move on from a bad girlfriend...and as I've said for several years, the Chiefs are my bad girlfriend. Even when she's behaving in 2003 and treating you pretty good, it's only a matter of time before a gang bang when your college pals from Indy come for a visit.

It takes that level of acceptance to go ahead and do the things that hurt and make a change. I was on my way to KC for the raider game with my bride. Instead, we'll skip that goat screw and get a nicer hotel and go to a nicer dinner.

I'm not stepping foot back in Arrowhead until some big changes are made.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Oh honey, if I wanted to champion a cause I'd be savvy enough to not pick Jason Whitlock to do it.

I mean, how long until we get the Chiefs fan hair column or small peter twitter?

Oh disgusting savage, if you wanted to champion a cause you'd do it yourself - which you already do - and you get taken less seriously than a Romeo Crennel weight loss commercial.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

Oh disgusting savage, if you wanted to champion a cause you'd do it yourself - which you already do - and you get taken less seriously than a Romeo Crennel weight loss commercial.

We're all Chiefs fans here.

There's absolutely no reason you two can't be the bestest of friends...