Chiefs WARPAINT ILLUSTRATED FIGHTS BACK.

Direckshun · 05-20-2008, 02:30 PM

Not that great of an article, but it's the offseason.

Cliff Notes: More Draft Banter
By Pat Clifton
Warpaint Illustrated Columnist
Posted May 20, 2008

In a new weekly series, Warpaint Illustrated Columnist Pat Clifton takes a look around the internet for inaccuracies from the National Media about the Kansas City Chiefs. This week he takes on the bloggers at Fox Sports.com, The Sporting News and Pro Football Talk.

In recent blogs (in which I have lambasted Chiefs management and called for their heads on sticks outside Arrowhead Stadium) other Chiefs fans have accused me of over-reacting. One Chiefs fan commented that “13 [draft] picks this year and [next year's draft] should give [the Chiefs] a chance to compete for the AFC West title in 2010." There was also talk of "getting ready for a championship run," and one guy even said, "I don't mind being a .500 team as long as we beat the few teams we need to (you know, division rivals)."

Chiefs fans are pathetic in this manner. They are OK with rebuilding, and then two or three years later making a run at winning the division. They are OK with finishing .500 as long as they beat the stupid Raiders. Frankly, they are OK with mediocrity. Quite simply, any sports fan content with mediocrity, for any reason, is a loser. Sports isn't about competing for the division, beating your division rivals, or making a run at a championship. Sports is about winning the championship. If that doesn't happen, the season was a failure, but fans of the Chiefs often seem to overlook the biggest, most important part of sports.

-JC Scheffres, FOX sports

I will attempt to channel the sentiments of every member of Chiefs Nation through my keyboard in response to Scheffres. First of all, his rant about how the goal in sports should be winning championships is true, but isn’t that what the Chiefs are trying to do? Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Patriots weren’t built in one offseason. They had had a string of bad and mediocre years leading up to their first championship in 2002, while the St. Louis Rams had three straight losing seasons before winning Super Bowl XXXIV.

If Chiefs fans were content with mediocrity they wouldn’t be behind this youth movement, and they’d still be happy with signing aging free agents to patch up holes instead of drafting long-term solutions. If Chiefs fans were content with mediocrity, Kansas City television stations wouldn’t have to buy up seats to prevent blackouts at Arrowhead Stadium.

My favorite part of Scheffres’ rant is how sports aren’t about beating division rivals or making runs at a championship, but rather winning a championship. Last time I checked, you have to both beat division rivals and make a run at a championship before you can actually win one.

The Chiefs had a great draft, but a healthy Johnson would make more of an impact than any of those rookies. If Chiefs coaches are smart, they won't ask Johnson to carry the ball 416 times like they did in '06. That's too much for any back. In eight games last season, Johnson gained just 559 yards as opponents stacked the line of scrimmage with blatant disrespect for the Chiefs' passing game. If the Chiefs can get half-decent play at quarterback, Johnson could have another huge year.

-Clifton Brown, Sporting News

Brown was right when he wrote that the Chiefs had a great draft, and that a healthy Larry Johnson will have a big impact this year, but the degree of Johnson’s impact will have a lot to do with the great draft. The two are not mutually exclusive. Without the drafting of Branden Albert, Barry Richardson, and Brad Cottam, the impact of Johnson’s health wouldn’t be so large.

You can go ahead and pencil in Albert as the opening day starter at left tackle and consider him a huge upgrade over the left tackle-by-committee shuffle the Chiefs used last year. Just with the addition of Albert next to Waters on the left side alone, Johnson will already have larger holes to run through.

Sixth-round pick Barry Richardson will be competing for the starting right tackle spot with veteran Damion McIntosh, and is considered a road-grader of a run blocker. If he doesn’t win the right tackle position outright, expect him to definitely be in the rotation. Brad Cottam was drafted as the replacement for Jason Dunn, and his huge frame will help in the run game.

Brown was right again when he predicted the success of KC’s offense will be reliant on quality quarterback play, but that too will be dependent upon the success of the new faces along the front line.

With the Chiefs using zero of their 12 draft picks on quarterbacks, many presumed that Brodie Croyle would continue as the starter, at least for 2008. Enter Tyler Thigpen, a seventh-round pick of the Vikings in 2007 whom coach Brad Childress thought he could slip through waivers and sign to the practice squad before the Chiefs pounced, could challenge Croyle. Not next year, but right now. Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Chiefs believe that Thigpen could topple Croyle for the starting job in 2008.

-Mike Florio, Profootballtalk.com

Both Florio and Schefter are wrong. Brodie Croyle will have every opportunity to be Kansas City’s franchise quarterback of the future. If the offensive line can get it together, Croyle may have a breakout season. He has elite arm strength, and has shown good pocket presence by standing tall when he knows he’s going to get drilled.

One thing that seems to slip a lot of people’s minds is that the Chiefs have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. When Larry Johnson is healthy and has holes to run through, he is a top-three running back in the NFL. Dwayne Bowe almost racked up 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie campaign, even with a porous offensive line protecting his quarterbacks, and Tony Gonzalez is the greatest tight end of all time.

The glaring weakness on this offense is up front, and the creation of depth and competition at that spot by this year’s draft will undoubtedly force improvements. Because it was so bad last year, the offensive line can’t help but get better, so expect to see Croyle improve likewise. If Croyle doesn’t improve, Thigpen might get a shot later on in the season, but the job is Croyle’s to lose.

teedubya · 05-20-2008, 02:34 PM

Are they going to add an additional $5 Frazod Sangina fee to peruse their forums now also?

Rooster · 05-20-2008, 02:38 PM

Oh no angry bloggers!!!....

Simply Red · 05-20-2008, 02:47 PM

Don't care.

Spott · 05-20-2008, 02:50 PM

A lot of things define what a loser is, but apathy towards your football isn't one of them.

B_Ambuehl · 05-20-2008, 02:54 PM

I didn't read it all that closely but what whomever said about KC fans being OK with rebuilding is full of it. By midseason 3/4 of this board will be calling for Herm and Carls head due to the losses.

The stuff about the offensive line is BS hype. The only definite upgrade will be at right tackle. McIntosh did a pretty good job at LT last year and Albert will be lucky if he allows less pressures there than McIntosh did last season. Barry Richardson wasn't even dominant in college why does everyone expect him to come ot the NFL and be a road grader? Brad Cottam hasn't proven he's even in the same area code as Jason Dunn when it comes to run blocking.

**chiefforlife** · 05-20-2008, 03:07 PM

Good Article, GREAT SITE!

**Easy 6** · 05-20-2008, 03:12 PM

I kinda like the idea of a "Reporter at Large"...going around 'taking on' disbelieving infidel bigmouths.

But he & seemingly everyone else lately, is discounting Svitek at RT...at that position, i could definitely see him beating out McIntosh & especially a 6th round rook in Richardson.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 05-20-2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott free

I kinda like the idea of a "Reporter at Large"...going around 'taking on' disbelieving infidel bigmouths.

But he & seemingly everyone else lately, is discounting Svitek at RT...at that position, i could definitely see him beating out McIntosh & especially a 6th round rook in Richardson.

Svitek hasn't proven he could beat out a broken down Turley and a god-awful Chris Terry.

As it stands right now, I'd hope/think that either Herb Taylor or Barry Richardson win the job.

dj56dt58 · 05-20-2008, 03:16 PM

all i got was...

(LJ) will have a bigger [impact] than (the rookies) []

Brock · 05-20-2008, 03:17 PM

Svitek is a zero.

**CrazyPhuD** · 05-20-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Warpaint Illustrated Columnist Pat Clifton takes a look around the internet for inaccuracies from the National Media.

Sorry couldn't get past this bit....OH the irony....pot this is kettle....

**pr_capone** · 05-20-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott free

I kinda like the idea of a "Reporter at Large"...going around 'taking on' disbelieving infidel bigmouths.

But he & seemingly everyone else lately, is discounting Svitek at RT...at that position, i could definitely see him beating out McIntosh & especially a 6th round rook in Richardson.

At this point, if Svitek were to fall down and drive a 9 inch spike through his right eye, I would not be at all saddened.

Friggin waste of a roster spot.

B_Ambuehl · 05-20-2008, 03:26 PM

Svitek is one of those guys that can't play but like a lot of backup lineman he could end up having a 10 year NFL career. He's got a good story behind him and nice aggressiveness....gets in lots of fights in training camp and such.

**Easy 6** · 05-20-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Svitek hasn't proven he could beat out a broken down Turley and a god-awful Chris Terry.

As it stands right now, I'd hope/think that either Herb Taylor or Barry Richardson win the job.

IMO the play at RT improved during Sviteks stint...of course, it wasnt too hard to see improvement over Bad & Worse.

I just think he's in the mix, with Taylor being another potentially solid candidate.

05-20-2008, 02:30 PM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4313447	WARPAINT ILLUSTRATED FIGHTS BACK. Not that great of an article, but it's the offseason. Cliff Notes: More Draft Banter By Pat Clifton Warpaint Illustrated Columnist Posted May 20, 2008 In a new weekly series, Warpaint Illustrated Columnist Pat Clifton takes a look around the internet for inaccuracies from the National Media about the Kansas City Chiefs. This week he takes on the bloggers at Fox Sports.com, The Sporting News and Pro Football Talk. In recent blogs (in which I have lambasted Chiefs management and called for their heads on sticks outside Arrowhead Stadium) other Chiefs fans have accused me of over-reacting. One Chiefs fan commented that “13 [draft] picks this year and [next year's draft] should give [the Chiefs] a chance to compete for the AFC West title in 2010." There was also talk of "getting ready for a championship run," and one guy even said, "I don't mind being a .500 team as long as we beat the few teams we need to (you know, division rivals)." Chiefs fans are pathetic in this manner. They are OK with rebuilding, and then two or three years later making a run at winning the division. They are OK with finishing .500 as long as they beat the stupid Raiders. Frankly, they are OK with mediocrity. Quite simply, any sports fan content with mediocrity, for any reason, is a loser. Sports isn't about competing for the division, beating your division rivals, or making a run at a championship. Sports is about winning the championship. If that doesn't happen, the season was a failure, but fans of the Chiefs often seem to overlook the biggest, most important part of sports. -JC Scheffres, FOX sports I will attempt to channel the sentiments of every member of Chiefs Nation through my keyboard in response to Scheffres. First of all, his rant about how the goal in sports should be winning championships is true, but isn’t that what the Chiefs are trying to do? Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Patriots weren’t built in one offseason. They had had a string of bad and mediocre years leading up to their first championship in 2002, while the St. Louis Rams had three straight losing seasons before winning Super Bowl XXXIV. If Chiefs fans were content with mediocrity they wouldn’t be behind this youth movement, and they’d still be happy with signing aging free agents to patch up holes instead of drafting long-term solutions. If Chiefs fans were content with mediocrity, Kansas City television stations wouldn’t have to buy up seats to prevent blackouts at Arrowhead Stadium. My favorite part of Scheffres’ rant is how sports aren’t about beating division rivals or making runs at a championship, but rather winning a championship. Last time I checked, you have to both beat division rivals and make a run at a championship before you can actually win one. The Chiefs had a great draft, but a healthy Johnson would make more of an impact than any of those rookies. If Chiefs coaches are smart, they won't ask Johnson to carry the ball 416 times like they did in '06. That's too much for any back. In eight games last season, Johnson gained just 559 yards as opponents stacked the line of scrimmage with blatant disrespect for the Chiefs' passing game. If the Chiefs can get half-decent play at quarterback, Johnson could have another huge year. -Clifton Brown, Sporting News Brown was right when he wrote that the Chiefs had a great draft, and that a healthy Larry Johnson will have a big impact this year, but the degree of Johnson’s impact will have a lot to do with the great draft. The two are not mutually exclusive. Without the drafting of Branden Albert, Barry Richardson, and Brad Cottam, the impact of Johnson’s health wouldn’t be so large. You can go ahead and pencil in Albert as the opening day starter at left tackle and consider him a huge upgrade over the left tackle-by-committee shuffle the Chiefs used last year. Just with the addition of Albert next to Waters on the left side alone, Johnson will already have larger holes to run through. Sixth-round pick Barry Richardson will be competing for the starting right tackle spot with veteran Damion McIntosh, and is considered a road-grader of a run blocker. If he doesn’t win the right tackle position outright, expect him to definitely be in the rotation. Brad Cottam was drafted as the replacement for Jason Dunn, and his huge frame will help in the run game. Brown was right again when he predicted the success of KC’s offense will be reliant on quality quarterback play, but that too will be dependent upon the success of the new faces along the front line. With the Chiefs using zero of their 12 draft picks on quarterbacks, many presumed that Brodie Croyle would continue as the starter, at least for 2008. Enter Tyler Thigpen, a seventh-round pick of the Vikings in 2007 whom coach Brad Childress thought he could slip through waivers and sign to the practice squad before the Chiefs pounced, could challenge Croyle. Not next year, but right now. Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Chiefs believe that Thigpen could topple Croyle for the starting job in 2008. -Mike Florio, Profootballtalk.com Both Florio and Schefter are wrong. Brodie Croyle will have every opportunity to be Kansas City’s franchise quarterback of the future. If the offensive line can get it together, Croyle may have a breakout season. He has elite arm strength, and has shown good pocket presence by standing tall when he knows he’s going to get drilled. One thing that seems to slip a lot of people’s minds is that the Chiefs have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. When Larry Johnson is healthy and has holes to run through, he is a top-three running back in the NFL. Dwayne Bowe almost racked up 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie campaign, even with a porous offensive line protecting his quarterbacks, and Tony Gonzalez is the greatest tight end of all time. The glaring weakness on this offense is up front, and the creation of depth and competition at that spot by this year’s draft will undoubtedly force improvements. Because it was so bad last year, the offensive line can’t help but get better, so expect to see Croyle improve likewise. If Croyle doesn’t improve, Thigpen might get a shot later on in the season, but the job is Croyle’s to lose.
Posts: 59,288

05-20-2008, 02:34 PM	#2
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $9480002	Are they going to add an additional $5 Frazod Sangina fee to peruse their forums now also?
Posts: 36,652

05-20-2008, 02:38 PM	#3
Rooster Draft a QB Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: JoCo Casino cash: $9961689	Oh no angry bloggers!!!.... __________________ When Reno Hightower was a prick he was the best damn quarterback in the history of Kern County.
Posts: 5,753

05-20-2008, 02:47 PM	#4
Simply Red You Sweetie! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2021206219 VARSITY	Don't care.
Posts: 71,691

05-20-2008, 02:50 PM	#5
Spott Court Jester Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Orlando Casino cash: $3002400	A lot of things define what a loser is, but apathy towards your football isn't one of them.
Posts: 19,722

05-20-2008, 02:54 PM	#6
B_Ambuehl Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Casino cash: $9805405	I didn't read it all that closely but what whomever said about KC fans being OK with rebuilding is full of it. By midseason 3/4 of this board will be calling for Herm and Carls head due to the losses. The stuff about the offensive line is BS hype. The only definite upgrade will be at right tackle. McIntosh did a pretty good job at LT last year and Albert will be lucky if he allows less pressures there than McIntosh did last season. Barry Richardson wasn't even dominant in college why does everyone expect him to come ot the NFL and be a road grader? Brad Cottam hasn't proven he's even in the same area code as Jason Dunn when it comes to run blocking. __________________ Who's decision was it to fire Romeo" - Coleman C Hunt: "It was my decision but it was one that Scott agreed with" LOL
Posts: 2,605

05-20-2008, 03:07 PM	#7
chiefforlife Colorado Chief Fan Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $6233147	Good Article, GREAT SITE!
Posts: 5,589

05-20-2008, 03:12 PM	#8
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $3647775	I kinda like the idea of a "Reporter at Large"...going around 'taking on' disbelieving infidel bigmouths. But he & seemingly everyone else lately, is discounting Svitek at RT...at that position, i could definitely see him beating out McIntosh & especially a 6th round rook in Richardson.
Posts: 91,769

05-20-2008, 03:16 PM	#10
dj56dt58 Banned Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Missouri Casino cash: $9960055	all i got was... (LJ) will have a bigger [impact] than (the rookies) []
Posts: 6,361

05-20-2008, 03:17 PM	#11
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	Svitek is a zero.
Posts: 47,314

05-20-2008, 03:26 PM	#14
B_Ambuehl Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Casino cash: $9805405	Svitek is one of those guys that can't play but like a lot of backup lineman he could end up having a 10 year NFL career. He's got a good story behind him and nice aggressiveness....gets in lots of fights in training camp and such. __________________ Who's decision was it to fire Romeo" - Coleman C Hunt: "It was my decision but it was one that Scott agreed with" LOL
Posts: 2,605