Chiefs Sam Mellinger Nails It! - Page 2

Marcellus · 11-18-2012, 07:39 PM

Sam Mellinger | Chiefs’ disconnect with angry fan base grows deeper
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

The elevator door opens, and here comes Clark Hunt. He is dressed in a dark suit, like always, solemn look on his face as he walks through a basement hallway at Arrowhead Stadium. Over his head, a television plays the final seconds of another remarkably inept showing by the team he inherited from his father and that is now embarrassing the family name.

“The Chiefs lose again,” the voice on the television says.

Hunt doesn’t look up. Doesn’t speak. Just keeps walking, into the locker room of the undisputed worst team in football. The door shuts behind him. A security guard in the hallway turns the TV off, and it’s just as well because the Chiefs’ pathetic 28-6 loss to the mediocre Bengals is finally over. By now, we’ve all seen enough from a 1-9 clown show.

The only things left are shame, ugly accusations about mistreatment from fans, and questions.

If not now, then when? If the Chiefs can land like an anvil at the bottom of the NFL in year four of a process that was supposed to be competing for the division championship, then what, exactly, could it possibly take for major changes?

If not after this, then what?

“I’m not feeling very good at this point,” coach Romeo Crennel says.

Some perspective: Bill Self’s winning percentage at Kansas is .835. Nick Saban’s at Alabama is .831, Tom Brady’s in New England is .774, and Michael Jordan’s in playoff series is .806.

Opponents at Arrowhead Stadium since last November are at .889.

Arrowhead used to be one of the toughest places in the NFL to play. Television executives loved having games here, the barbecue smoke in the parking lot and screaming fans inside making for some of the league’s best theater.

Now, fans are literally dressing for a funeral – an organized statement to wear black in mourning of the franchise they fell in love with.

Chiefs officials – Hunt, most notably – have done a rotten job of showing it, but they’ve been privately concerned about a growing fan resentment for some time now. Hunt continues to meet with angry fans, partly to gather information to help diagnose the problem.

Until now, team brass held a stubborn belief that the loudest dissent came from a vocal minority, but in a season full of milestone losses, here comes one more: Arrowhead evenly split between fans dressed in black, fans dressed in other colors and empty seats.

If this doesn’t push Hunt to make major changes in the coming weeks, then it’s fair to wonder what could.

A handful of fans are accusing the team of confiscating critical signs or kicking them out of the stadium. A team spokesman made a point to “vehemently” deny security guards had orders to remove critical fans, saying the only issues were mass distribution of flyers impeding pregame traffic.

Either way, it’s one more piece of evidence of an undeniable and enormous disconnect between team and town. A family paid for an obituary in Sunday’s Star for a man who died “of complications from MS and heartbreaking disappointment caused by the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Two fans write in to say they saw “Pioli doesn’t” taped underneath “Kansas City knows” on a t-shirt for sale in a store. Fans are wearing black, or paper bags, or both. One section passed time during the game with a paper airplane contest.

And those are the ones who still bother to show up for games.

Here is an incomplete list of things to happen more often this fall than the Chiefs winning:

The team captain being benched, the quarterback suffering a concussion, a banner flying over the stadium calling for the GM to be fired, the head coach saying he doesn’t understand what happened with the team, and players celebrating a touchdown that didn’t count.

So far, you are as likely to catch the Chiefs on a day their coach fires himself as defensive coordinator as you are a day they win a game of football. One of their two biggest free-agent acquisitions called fans “sickening and disgusting.” The other one got cut a few weeks back.

Their offense has managed 12 touchdowns, 20 field goals and 31 turnovers. They’ve now lost six of 10 games by 16 points or more, the most in the league, and they’ve trailed by at least 17 every game but two. Dwayne Bowe has 49 catches, and Dustin Colquitt has 49 punts.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think fixing a tragic comedy of a football team takes more than posting a sign that says “ELIMINATE BAD FOOTBALL.”

The Chiefs should be used to talking about blowout losses by now, but they’re not getting any better at it.

Crennel, for instance, has tried to send messages this year by switching quarterbacks and cutting cornerbacks and giving up his defensive coordinator duties to concentrate more on offense (the Chiefs have responded by scoring 19 points in 25 possessions), and pledged that anyone who turns the ball over will be benched.

He has vacillated between “ELIMINATE BAD FOOTBALL” and “PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL” signs, but is still wondering what else he can do to stop his team’s pathetic football.

“We’ll evaluate and determine if there’s anything else we can do,” Crennel says.

Thing is, too many in the Chiefs’ locker room seem to be in denial. Flowers mentioned that some people think the Chiefs are among the NFL’s top five in talent. Shaun Smith called for fan loyalty, and pointed out that only two teams can play in the Super Bowl. Jamaal Charles said a coaching change would only set the Chiefs back, as if they’re not already there.

The Chiefs are playing worse than bad football. This is football so bad it’s turning one of the league’s most loyal and passionate fan bases into its most angry and outwardly disrespectful.

Maybe it’s only natural that some of the men in the locker room are in denial about that. But after another blowout loss where empty seats and fans dressed in mourning outnumbered everyone else, the owner must now face reality.

To reach Sam Mellinger, call 816-234-4365, send e-mail to smellinger@kcstar.com or follow twitter.com/mellinger. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/18...#storylink=cpy

Boom!

FAX · 11-18-2012, 07:54 PM

Hmmm ...

That was okay, but it was a stink bomb when what we really need right now is the 500 megaton bunker buster.

You're a better writer than that Mellinger. Think of your ink as venom and the page as Pioli's pale, great toe. Don't disappoint us any more or there's a banner somewhere with your name on it.

FAX

**BigMeatballDave** · 11-18-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Probably already posted, but...

HonestChieffan · 11-18-2012, 07:54 PM

Good read. The hard part to accept yet becoming true is that we have become direspectful. Not sure how you deal with that but as much as I despise Peoli and the coaches i hate what I see said by some fans.

**DaFace** · 11-18-2012, 07:54 PM

If nothing else, the Star's reporters have gained major brownie points with the fans (or at least the fans here) through all this.

**Gonzo** · 11-18-2012, 07:55 PM

America... **** YEAH!

FAX · 11-18-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Set the Chiefs back to what, winless?

Jamaal would be smart to keep his mouth shut.

In his defense, he is not the most articulate sperm in the load.

He was probably trying to say something profound and it just sorta came out that way.

FAX

Chief77 · 11-18-2012, 07:56 PM

Nice write up Sam. Cant wait to hear what Fescoe has to say tomm. I will be checking my phone often while at work just hoping to see that Fat Scott has been canned.

Marcellus · 11-18-2012, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

In his defense, he is not the most articulate sperm in the load.

He was probably trying to say something profound and it just sorta came out that way.

FAX

Holy cow dude, that is pretty direct.

FAX · 11-18-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yeah, that line deserved a little more attention. It's absolutely staggering how someone (Hunt) who is allegedly so smart can be so ****ing stupid.

There's always the danger that a person will over-react in situations like this. You want to avoid that, if at all possible.

In this case, he's taken the concept a little further than I would have, but I understand his reluctance to act any sooner.

Meanwhile, I'm sure he's thinking of how to extricate himself from this bizarre situation and come out a hero on the other side.

FAX

Tonka83 · 11-18-2012, 07:58 PM

Good job Sam!

**DaFace** · 11-18-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Good read. The hard part to accept yet becoming true is that we have become direspectful. Not sure how you deal with that but as much as I despise Peoli and the coaches i hate what I see said by some fans.

I do kind of agree with this. I want this movement to cause change as much as anyone, but I do hope that things can be mended after this regime is gone. I don't want the fans to completely lose their supportive and loyal culture long-term. I just want that supportive and loyal culture to have teeth.

Chief77 · 11-18-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Good read. The hard part to accept yet becoming true is that we have become direspectful. Not sure how you deal with that but as much as I despise Peoli and the coaches i hate what I see said by some fans.

Totally agree at least with my own actions. I used to scream n stomp and be frenzied during games. Now I dont feel any emotion for bad Chief football, and have so much disgust for this organization, it seems like it will be hard to ever cheer for these guys. I hate our Qbs, I hate our clueless coach, and I Despise the front office.

**DeezNutz** · 11-18-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

There's always the danger that a person will over-react in situations like this. You want to avoid that, if at all possible.

In this case, he's taken the concept a little further than I would have, but I understand his reluctance to act any sooner.

Meanwhile, I'm sure he's thinking of how to extricate himself from this bizarre situation and come out a hero on the other side.

FAX

All I'm saying is that this situation with the fans doesn't require astute analysis. If things aren't self-evident to Clark, we should all be very worried.

DTHOF · 11-18-2012, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

Jamaal is a good player, but pretty dumb when it comes to the way other things work. Like most football players though.

And Romeo said he wasn't feeling very good because he just finished cramming a whole box of twinkies into his fat ass and gave himself a stomach.

Or maybe he just heard that Hostess went out of business!!!!!

Brock · 11-18-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Good read. The hard part to accept yet becoming true is that we have become direspectful. Not sure how you deal with that but as much as I despise Peoli and the coaches i hate what I see said by some fans.

Pioli, Crennel, etc. worked in BOSTON. If catching some crap in KC is a problem, I don't know how they survived the east coast.

11-18-2012, 07:39 PM
Marcellus Diablo Negro Join Date: Sep 2003 Casino cash: $2872662	Sam Mellinger Nails It! Sam Mellinger \| Chiefs’ disconnect with angry fan base grows deeper By SAM MELLINGER The Kansas City Star The elevator door opens, and here comes Clark Hunt. He is dressed in a dark suit, like always, solemn look on his face as he walks through a basement hallway at Arrowhead Stadium. Over his head, a television plays the final seconds of another remarkably inept showing by the team he inherited from his father and that is now embarrassing the family name. “The Chiefs lose again,” the voice on the television says. Hunt doesn’t look up. Doesn’t speak. Just keeps walking, into the locker room of the undisputed worst team in football. The door shuts behind him. A security guard in the hallway turns the TV off, and it’s just as well because the Chiefs’ pathetic 28-6 loss to the mediocre Bengals is finally over. By now, we’ve all seen enough from a 1-9 clown show. The only things left are shame, ugly accusations about mistreatment from fans, and questions. If not now, then when? If the Chiefs can land like an anvil at the bottom of the NFL in year four of a process that was supposed to be competing for the division championship, then what, exactly, could it possibly take for major changes? If not after this, then what? “I’m not feeling very good at this point,” coach Romeo Crennel says. Some perspective: Bill Self’s winning percentage at Kansas is .835. Nick Saban’s at Alabama is .831, Tom Brady’s in New England is .774, and Michael Jordan’s in playoff series is .806. Opponents at Arrowhead Stadium since last November are at .889. Arrowhead used to be one of the toughest places in the NFL to play. Television executives loved having games here, the barbecue smoke in the parking lot and screaming fans inside making for some of the league’s best theater. Now, fans are literally dressing for a funeral – an organized statement to wear black in mourning of the franchise they fell in love with. Chiefs officials – Hunt, most notably – have done a rotten job of showing it, but they’ve been privately concerned about a growing fan resentment for some time now. Hunt continues to meet with angry fans, partly to gather information to help diagnose the problem. Until now, team brass held a stubborn belief that the loudest dissent came from a vocal minority, but in a season full of milestone losses, here comes one more: Arrowhead evenly split between fans dressed in black, fans dressed in other colors and empty seats. If this doesn’t push Hunt to make major changes in the coming weeks, then it’s fair to wonder what could. A handful of fans are accusing the team of confiscating critical signs or kicking them out of the stadium. A team spokesman made a point to “vehemently” deny security guards had orders to remove critical fans, saying the only issues were mass distribution of flyers impeding pregame traffic. Either way, it’s one more piece of evidence of an undeniable and enormous disconnect between team and town. A family paid for an obituary in Sunday’s Star for a man who died “of complications from MS and heartbreaking disappointment caused by the Kansas City Chiefs.” Two fans write in to say they saw “Pioli doesn’t” taped underneath “Kansas City knows” on a t-shirt for sale in a store. Fans are wearing black, or paper bags, or both. One section passed time during the game with a paper airplane contest. And those are the ones who still bother to show up for games. Here is an incomplete list of things to happen more often this fall than the Chiefs winning: The team captain being benched, the quarterback suffering a concussion, a banner flying over the stadium calling for the GM to be fired, the head coach saying he doesn’t understand what happened with the team, and players celebrating a touchdown that didn’t count. So far, you are as likely to catch the Chiefs on a day their coach fires himself as defensive coordinator as you are a day they win a game of football. One of their two biggest free-agent acquisitions called fans “sickening and disgusting.” The other one got cut a few weeks back. Their offense has managed 12 touchdowns, 20 field goals and 31 turnovers. They’ve now lost six of 10 games by 16 points or more, the most in the league, and they’ve trailed by at least 17 every game but two. Dwayne Bowe has 49 catches, and Dustin Colquitt has 49 punts. If you didn’t know better, you’d think fixing a tragic comedy of a football team takes more than posting a sign that says “ELIMINATE BAD FOOTBALL.” The Chiefs should be used to talking about blowout losses by now, but they’re not getting any better at it. Crennel, for instance, has tried to send messages this year by switching quarterbacks and cutting cornerbacks and giving up his defensive coordinator duties to concentrate more on offense (the Chiefs have responded by scoring 19 points in 25 possessions), and pledged that anyone who turns the ball over will be benched. He has vacillated between “ELIMINATE BAD FOOTBALL” and “PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL” signs, but is still wondering what else he can do to stop his team’s pathetic football. “We’ll evaluate and determine if there’s anything else we can do,” Crennel says. Thing is, too many in the Chiefs’ locker room seem to be in denial. Flowers mentioned that some people think the Chiefs are among the NFL’s top five in talent. Shaun Smith called for fan loyalty, and pointed out that only two teams can play in the Super Bowl. Jamaal Charles said a coaching change would only set the Chiefs back, as if they’re not already there. The Chiefs are playing worse than bad football. This is football so bad it’s turning one of the league’s most loyal and passionate fan bases into its most angry and outwardly disrespectful. Maybe it’s only natural that some of the men in the locker room are in denial about that. But after another blowout loss where empty seats and fans dressed in mourning outnumbered everyone else, the owner must now face reality. To reach Sam Mellinger, call 816-234-4365, send e-mail to smellinger@kcstar.com or follow twitter.com/mellinger. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/18...#storylink=cpy Boom!
Posts: 69,423

11-18-2012, 07:54 PM	#16
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	Hmmm ... That was okay, but it was a stink bomb when what we really need right now is the 500 megaton bunker buster. You're a better writer than that Mellinger. Think of your ink as venom and the page as Pioli's pale, great toe. Don't disappoint us any more or there's a banner somewhere with your name on it. FAX
Posts: 44,492

11-18-2012, 07:54 PM	#18
HonestChieffan Seeking the Truth daily Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the Country in MO Casino cash: $2004309	Good read. The hard part to accept yet becoming true is that we have become direspectful. Not sure how you deal with that but as much as I despise Peoli and the coaches i hate what I see said by some fans. __________________ “Make no mistake. If you try anything to raise the cost of vishessavatubs, I will veto it.” - Joe Biden, SOTU 2023
Posts: 53,408

11-18-2012, 07:54 PM	#19
DaFace Kind of a mod Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Donkey Land Casino cash: $1806899	If nothing else, the Star's reporters have gained major brownie points with the fans (or at least the fans here) through all this.
Posts: 51,935

11-18-2012, 07:56 PM	#22
Chief77 Starter Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kansas Casino cash: $10004925	Nice write up Sam. Cant wait to hear what Fescoe has to say tomm. I will be checking my phone often while at work just hoping to see that Fat Scott has been canned.
Posts: 99

11-18-2012, 07:58 PM	#25
Tonka83 Starter Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Smithville MO Casino cash: $6286429	Good job Sam!
Posts: 589