Will a blackout work? - Mellinger

http://mellinger.kansascity.com/entr...ve-our-chiefs/

If you are a Chiefs fan, you undoubtedly know about the grassroots fan movement that calls itself Save Our Chiefs. I’ve written about them a few times, players have been asked about them, and it’s been all over the internets.

But what we know about their reach is still fairly vague.

As I type this, their Twitter account has 68,811 followers but nobody can really be sure what that means. The number used to be well over 100,000 but the people who run it self-reported a bunch of spambots. There’s also the thought that whatever the number of real-life human beings are following on Twitter, the number who passionately support the message is smaller. In other words, there are Chiefs fans who don’t wish Scott Pioli to be fired who follow Save Our Chiefs on Twitter just to keep up with things.

The other way that Save Our Chiefs has created waves is in paying for banners to be flown over Arrowhead Stadium before games. They have another one scheduled for rush hour traffic tomorrow morning. But all it takes is one person with about $600 to get a banner flown, so again, it’s hard to know how many people are behind the message.

The point of all this is that we’re about to have our best indication yet of how many people are on Save Our Chiefs’ side.

That’s because the message is going from Twitter and message boards to something more tangible for Sunday’s game, for which the group is pushing a “blackout” — you know, everybody wear black like it’s a funeral.

So far, people inside the team’s offices can diminish Save Our Chiefs’ reach as a small but vocal minority, and there’s really nothing tangible that people could point to in response.

It’s true that if you have ANY fans angry enough to fly critical banners over games or start a movement like this that attracts more than a tiny handful of supporters you’ve got a problem, but it’s also true that none of us — not me, not you, not the people who run Save Our Chiefs — can have a real strong feeling of how many people are with this.

That changes, in large part, on Sunday. Because thousands of the Chiefs’ most passionate fans will be there in person, and many more than that will be watching on TV and there will be nowhere to hide.

If Clark Hunt looks out at his stadium and sees the same mix of red jerseys as usual, he can more confidently feel like the angry letters he receives come from a vocal minority.

If he sees a big number of people actually wearing black and treating the stadium as a church funeral, then that will be the most powerful message yet about fan disapproval.

We’ll find out in three days.

Read more here: http://mellinger.kansascity.com/entr.../#storylink=cp

I think he's right. There's no way the black shirt wearers make a dent in the red. I'm very concerned. pr_capone can't even find people to pass out fliers. Who is going to go out of their way to wear black? A couple thousand people isn't going to cut it. All the banners, interviews, and social media followers in the word won't send a message Sunday. This is where SOC comes up short.

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

In my eyes, this wearing black stuff is just hand wringing.

Clark will fire Pioli if he cares enough to win football games. If he's stupid enough to keep drinking the kool-aid after this shit show, I'm not watching the chiefs until he's fired. I'm done.

Regardless of if you wear black at this point the opinion of the fanbase is pretty well known to anyone paying attention at all. The ball is in his court. I'm done flailing my arms about it.

This is true. But Lamar kept this franchise at status quo for decades in the 70's and 80's. We're kinda hoping Clark won't repeat history. I think taking a stand is a whole lot better than just quitting. But we all cope differently and I'm sure I'll reach the "I quit" point someday too.

[outhega]

I don't think it a ton of people will wear black to the game. That being said I think when we start getting blown out and the people wearing red start leaving in the late 3rd and 4th quarters, you will see that the truly passionate fans still in the stands at the end of the game will be clad in black. That, to me, will be a pretty good statement.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

I think the blackout is pointless but I like and agree with the passion because that is how I feel. But I wouldn't fly banners or do a blackout. Clark will clean house because things are real bad (and they are), not because the fans are wearing black or flying banners. Results talk. Loss of money talks. Y'all should use the money being used for banners for a CP get together or an auction to help support the site or raffle off stuff or something like that. Clark isn't stupid. Pioli isn't coming back. He knows it'd be suicide. He's going to make changes because we're 1-8, not because we're flying banners and wearing black shirts.

[R8RFAN]

Admit you are wrong and back down now to save face.....

You are a fan, not the owner, if you don't like what you see, don't buy tickets.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Chiefs Pantalones

I think the blackout is pointless but I like and agree with the passion because that is how I feel. But I wouldn't fly banners or do a blackout. Clark will clean house because things are real bad (and they are), not because the fans are wearing black or flying banners. Results talk. Loss of money talks. Y'all should use the money being used for banners for a CP get together or an auction to help support the site or raffle off stuff or something like that. Clark isn't stupid. Pioli isn't coming back. He knows it'd be suicide. He's going to make changes because we're 1-8, not because we're flying banners and wearing black shirts.

Yeah we are 1-8 almost beat the Steelers. Granted they were minus Ben for some of the game but still it was our best game up to this point in the season. We still have the Raiders, Browns, on the road and the Panthers at Arrowhead that are winnable if we play like we did against the Steelers.
If we end up at 3-13 or 4-12 I am not so sure the Pioli gets the axe.

[Chiefnj2]

My gut tells me Pioli signed an extension after 2010 and Clark will not want to buy out the remainder.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by R8ers

Admit you are wrong and back down now to save face.....

You are a fan, not the owner, if you don't like what you see, don't buy tickets.

We love our Chiefs. We are not wrong. We will not Back Down!

We are trying to restore the majesty back to Arrowhead that Pioli and this current regime has taken away.
We are not shaming this franchise as you have proclaimed.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

My gut tells me Pioli signed an extension after 2010 and Clark will not want to buy out the remainder.

That is fear.

[R8RFAN]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

We love our Chiefs. We are not wrong. We will not Back Down!

We are trying to restore the majesty back to Arrowhead that Pioli and this current regime has taken away.
We are not shaming this franchise as you have proclaimed.

Good luck, I think a wedge is dividing the fanbase

[ImAWalkingCorpse]

Originally Posted by R8ers

Good luck, I think a wedge is dividing the fanbase

His name is Scott Pioli.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by R8ers

Admit you are wrong and back down now to save face.....

You are a fan, not the owner, if you don't like what you see, don't buy tickets.

...and as a fan we have the avenues to voice our displeasure. This regime said they could get 22 guys off the street and field a better team than Herm. The team can't win a home game and more often than not gets blown out to boot. **** them.

You are free to slurp up the Silver and Black dogshit all want though.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

*Waiter serves Reighters his burger with a turd on it*

"Mmmmmm tasty sir. Enjoy the big tip."

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Chiefs Pantalones

I think the blackout is pointless but I like and agree with the passion because that is how I feel. But I wouldn't fly banners or do a blackout. Clark will clean house because things are real bad (and they are), not because the fans are wearing black or flying banners. Results talk. Loss of money talks. Y'all should use the money being used for banners for a CP get together or an auction to help support the site or raffle off stuff or something like that. Clark isn't stupid. Pioli isn't coming back. He knows it'd be suicide. He's going to make changes because we're 1-8, not because we're flying banners and wearing black shirts.

The whole point is to show Clark the frustration that this fanbase has for Pioli. I don't think there is one person out there who fully thought that this would cause him to fire Pioli. It's to show Clark that we aren't happy with how this team is playing. It's still up to Clark to make the ****ing decision.

[R8RFAN]

Originally Posted by PGM

*Waiter serves Reighters his burger with a turd on it*

"Mmmmmm tasty sir. Enjoy the big tip."

tHIS GIRL IS ON FIRE.... THIS GIRL IS ON FIIIIIIIIIRE!