tk13
05-13-2005, 01:04 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/11632956.htm
Sideline spot for Gunther
Cunningham to move from the press box
By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star
The more he thought last winter about what ailed the Chiefs, Gunther Cunningham kept coming to the same conclusion. They needed more, he believed, than just an infusion of defensive talent.
Cunningham figured the Chiefs on game day could use more of him — specifically, his brand of emotion and the in-your-face style of motivation that only he could provide.
So Cunningham is planning to move during games from his traditional perch up in the press box to the sideline, where he can inject that emotion frequently. He will still make the defensive play calls but will do that from a different vantage point.
“That's the most important thing, without a doubt, to be able to look them in the eye and be able to get a better feel,” said Cunningham, the Chiefs' defensive coordinator. “It's a lot easier to know where they are (emotionally). Being upstairs, you're removed and you can't feel your guys well enough. It's like you're out on an island all the time. Being face to face with them, you can tell.
“Coach (Dick) Vermeil does a great job of being upbeat along the sideline, yet his background is all offense. Maybe the defensive guys need their own guy down there.”
Vermeil prefers that his coordinators work from the press box, where they can better see the game unfolding. But Vermeil was willing to go along with Cunningham's plan on what he called an experimental basis.
“We'll do it in the preseason,” Vermeil said. “If he feels comfortable and I feel comfortable and it works, then we'll leave him down there. I think it will work.”
To Cunningham, it's all part of changing a defensive culture that is dramatically different from when he coached with the Chiefs his last time around. Then, the Chiefs were built around vocal defensive players who could handle the responsibility of sideline leadership.
Those leaders are mostly offensive players now. Fewer defenders are willing to get in a teammate's face if there's a need.
That's the role Cunningham plans to fill, and it's an unusual one for him. He resided in the press box on game day since joining the Chiefs in 1995, except when he was the head coach in 1999 and 2000.
“I've always felt I should give players space to play the game,” he said. “I always felt they should be able to play the game without having somebody in their ear. But every environment and every defensive culture is different. What works at one place or at one time may not work the next time. There were a lot of times last year that I thought this could maybe help. I also thought it was so out of the ordinary for me to do that, I figured I needed to think about it more and evaluate it more.
“If I had been down on the field last year, I would have had a better feel for the defensive backs. I think I could have helped those individuals a little more, and maybe we could have done some things differently.”
If Cunningham had been mulling such a decision, a recent discussion with defensive end Eric Hicks swayed Cunningham. Hicks urged Cunningham to come to the sideline to provide the Chiefs with an emotional boost.
“There were times last year when things weren't going well and some guys could have used a jump from his personality down there,” Hicks said. “He's a fiery guy. He has a way of commanding attention.”
Defensive coordinators work from the sidelines in increasingly greater numbers, so Cunningham's move isn't unusual. Greg Robinson was on the sideline during his three seasons with the Chiefs.
Cunningham is making the move for different reasons.
“Greg was down there always trying to fix things that were going wrong for the defense,” Hicks said. “Gunther will be three-quarters fixing things and one-quarter getting in your (face). The position coaches can generally handle the X's and O's and the adjustments. They always have the headphones hooked up to the coordinator.”
Cunningham certainly will be more a part of the action from the sideline. Up in the booth, his direct communication with a player is rare. Occasionally, one will put on a headset and be linked via wire to Cunningham, but that's it.
Now he will be free to communicate as freely and often as he wants.
“You can lose touch with people when you're in the press box,” Vermeil said. “You can pass on information, but you can't pass on emotion. You can't pass on temperament. Sometimes being down on the sideline can be a distraction. It just depends on the individual.”
In the case of the usually loud Cunningham, it could be too much of a good thing. That may be what Vermeil wants to see during the preseason before giving the move his full blessing.
The biggest negative to the move is that the game will be more difficult for Cunningham to see. He will have to rely on the defensive assistant the Chiefs decide to send to the booth in his place.
Having the better vantage point is why offensive coordinator Al Saunders works upstairs.
“When you're on the field, you're getting information too late, in my opinion,” Saunders said. “You're depending on someone else to be your eyes. I would rather depend on somebody else to be my voice than be my eyes.
“Up in the box, you're more of an orchestrating director. On the field, you're more of a participant. If I had a rookie quarterback, I would be on the sidelines because you can communicate every single play. If I had a young staff, I would be on the sidelines because communication is so critical.”
Saunders prefers to communicate during games with quarterbacks coach Terry Shea and the other offensive assistants rather than with the players directly.
“If you're extremely content with the guys you're working with, it's natural to be upstairs,” he said. “The offensive coaches have been together here for so long that the process works so well. If you're concerned about the emotion of the players, then that may be the overriding factor to go down to the sidelines.”
Saunders also appreciates the relative quiet of the booth. Upstairs, he's away from players bugging him to run certain plays, the emotions of the moment, the noise of the crowd and the general chaos of the sideline.
“You would never study for a final at a rock concert,” said Saunders, who spends his time mapping the next offensive series while the Chiefs are on defense. “You would do it at home or somewhere else in the quiet confines. That's the same as calling plays. I would rather call them in an environment that's conducive to thought and quiet as opposed to the rock concert going on down on the field.
“That's one of the biggest differences between defense and offense. Defense is often centered around emotion and emotional play. The options in terms of calls on each down are dramatically reduced on defense. On offense, the volume of plays you have available is so much greater. Defense isn't that involved. So maybe a move like that makes more sense on defense.”
Sideline spot for Gunther
Cunningham to move from the press box
By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star
The more he thought last winter about what ailed the Chiefs, Gunther Cunningham kept coming to the same conclusion. They needed more, he believed, than just an infusion of defensive talent.
Cunningham figured the Chiefs on game day could use more of him — specifically, his brand of emotion and the in-your-face style of motivation that only he could provide.
So Cunningham is planning to move during games from his traditional perch up in the press box to the sideline, where he can inject that emotion frequently. He will still make the defensive play calls but will do that from a different vantage point.
“That's the most important thing, without a doubt, to be able to look them in the eye and be able to get a better feel,” said Cunningham, the Chiefs' defensive coordinator. “It's a lot easier to know where they are (emotionally). Being upstairs, you're removed and you can't feel your guys well enough. It's like you're out on an island all the time. Being face to face with them, you can tell.
“Coach (Dick) Vermeil does a great job of being upbeat along the sideline, yet his background is all offense. Maybe the defensive guys need their own guy down there.”
Vermeil prefers that his coordinators work from the press box, where they can better see the game unfolding. But Vermeil was willing to go along with Cunningham's plan on what he called an experimental basis.
“We'll do it in the preseason,” Vermeil said. “If he feels comfortable and I feel comfortable and it works, then we'll leave him down there. I think it will work.”
To Cunningham, it's all part of changing a defensive culture that is dramatically different from when he coached with the Chiefs his last time around. Then, the Chiefs were built around vocal defensive players who could handle the responsibility of sideline leadership.
Those leaders are mostly offensive players now. Fewer defenders are willing to get in a teammate's face if there's a need.
That's the role Cunningham plans to fill, and it's an unusual one for him. He resided in the press box on game day since joining the Chiefs in 1995, except when he was the head coach in 1999 and 2000.
“I've always felt I should give players space to play the game,” he said. “I always felt they should be able to play the game without having somebody in their ear. But every environment and every defensive culture is different. What works at one place or at one time may not work the next time. There were a lot of times last year that I thought this could maybe help. I also thought it was so out of the ordinary for me to do that, I figured I needed to think about it more and evaluate it more.
“If I had been down on the field last year, I would have had a better feel for the defensive backs. I think I could have helped those individuals a little more, and maybe we could have done some things differently.”
If Cunningham had been mulling such a decision, a recent discussion with defensive end Eric Hicks swayed Cunningham. Hicks urged Cunningham to come to the sideline to provide the Chiefs with an emotional boost.
“There were times last year when things weren't going well and some guys could have used a jump from his personality down there,” Hicks said. “He's a fiery guy. He has a way of commanding attention.”
Defensive coordinators work from the sidelines in increasingly greater numbers, so Cunningham's move isn't unusual. Greg Robinson was on the sideline during his three seasons with the Chiefs.
Cunningham is making the move for different reasons.
“Greg was down there always trying to fix things that were going wrong for the defense,” Hicks said. “Gunther will be three-quarters fixing things and one-quarter getting in your (face). The position coaches can generally handle the X's and O's and the adjustments. They always have the headphones hooked up to the coordinator.”
Cunningham certainly will be more a part of the action from the sideline. Up in the booth, his direct communication with a player is rare. Occasionally, one will put on a headset and be linked via wire to Cunningham, but that's it.
Now he will be free to communicate as freely and often as he wants.
“You can lose touch with people when you're in the press box,” Vermeil said. “You can pass on information, but you can't pass on emotion. You can't pass on temperament. Sometimes being down on the sideline can be a distraction. It just depends on the individual.”
In the case of the usually loud Cunningham, it could be too much of a good thing. That may be what Vermeil wants to see during the preseason before giving the move his full blessing.
The biggest negative to the move is that the game will be more difficult for Cunningham to see. He will have to rely on the defensive assistant the Chiefs decide to send to the booth in his place.
Having the better vantage point is why offensive coordinator Al Saunders works upstairs.
“When you're on the field, you're getting information too late, in my opinion,” Saunders said. “You're depending on someone else to be your eyes. I would rather depend on somebody else to be my voice than be my eyes.
“Up in the box, you're more of an orchestrating director. On the field, you're more of a participant. If I had a rookie quarterback, I would be on the sidelines because you can communicate every single play. If I had a young staff, I would be on the sidelines because communication is so critical.”
Saunders prefers to communicate during games with quarterbacks coach Terry Shea and the other offensive assistants rather than with the players directly.
“If you're extremely content with the guys you're working with, it's natural to be upstairs,” he said. “The offensive coaches have been together here for so long that the process works so well. If you're concerned about the emotion of the players, then that may be the overriding factor to go down to the sidelines.”
Saunders also appreciates the relative quiet of the booth. Upstairs, he's away from players bugging him to run certain plays, the emotions of the moment, the noise of the crowd and the general chaos of the sideline.
“You would never study for a final at a rock concert,” said Saunders, who spends his time mapping the next offensive series while the Chiefs are on defense. “You would do it at home or somewhere else in the quiet confines. That's the same as calling plays. I would rather call them in an environment that's conducive to thought and quiet as opposed to the rock concert going on down on the field.
“That's one of the biggest differences between defense and offense. Defense is often centered around emotion and emotional play. The options in terms of calls on each down are dramatically reduced on defense. On offense, the volume of plays you have available is so much greater. Defense isn't that involved. So maybe a move like that makes more sense on defense.”