Fire Me Boy!
08-20-2005, 01:08 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/12429793.htm
Breaking camp puts Chiefs in good mood
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
RIVER FALLS, Wis. — Chiefs receiver Eddie Kennison ran in a half circle, his finger pressed on the practice horn. It squirted out a muffled squeal, then faded.
It’s over.
Twenty-four days of training camp ended Friday with laughter, slow drills and a short walk-through practice on the Wisconsin-River Falls campus. Tonight, the Chiefs will be back home at Arrowhead to play a preseason game with Arizona. On Friday, coach Dick Vermeil, who’s watched his team build a new defense and shake a few knocks in the public spectrum, was in a good enough mood to crack a funny.
“I actually originally had planned to come back for another week,” Vermeil said. “But I thought I might experience a mutiny, so I didn’t. I think we made the right decision. I think it’s time to go home and do what we have to do to continue to become a good football team.”
It was a camp that started with linebacker Derrick Johnson in Texas because of contract issues but ended with Vermeil calling Johnson a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. It was filled with nagging injuries, including a broken pinky finger by Tony Gonzalez. Vermeil said Friday that Gonzalez probably will be held out tonight, though the Pro Bowl tight end has still been practicing and catching footballs with his hand wrapped.
Safety Sammy Knight, one of the new defensive acquisitions, said the 3 1/2 weeks in River Falls gave the revamped defense time to come together. He also said it’s too early to tell whether they’re ahead of schedule.
“We won’t know until after we play a few games,” Knight said.
As the team walked off the field Friday, Vermeil made a point to mention something the Chiefs will temporarily leave behind — the three legal incidents involving five players in different parts of the area. He said it won’t affect whether the Chiefs win or lose in 2005.
Their 3 1/2 weeks at camp could.
“I feel good,” Vermeil said. “Of course I’m always optimistic, and I choose to be optimistic.”
■ COURT DATES SET: Two Chiefs will be in court Oct. 6 on charges from a late-night disturbance early Sunday morning at a Minneapolis hotel.
Greg Wesley’s attorney entered a not-guilty plea Friday on one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Wesley’s court date is the same as teammate Junior Siavii, who is charged with one count of disorderly conduct and one count of fifth-degree assault. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
Wesley and Siavii are represented by Minneapolis-based attorney David Valentini.
Police were summoned to the Graves 601 Hotel at 1:20 a.m. Sunday because of a disturbance. Siavii allegedly threw objects and yelled obscenities at a hotel security guard.
Breaking camp puts Chiefs in good mood
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
RIVER FALLS, Wis. — Chiefs receiver Eddie Kennison ran in a half circle, his finger pressed on the practice horn. It squirted out a muffled squeal, then faded.
It’s over.
Twenty-four days of training camp ended Friday with laughter, slow drills and a short walk-through practice on the Wisconsin-River Falls campus. Tonight, the Chiefs will be back home at Arrowhead to play a preseason game with Arizona. On Friday, coach Dick Vermeil, who’s watched his team build a new defense and shake a few knocks in the public spectrum, was in a good enough mood to crack a funny.
“I actually originally had planned to come back for another week,” Vermeil said. “But I thought I might experience a mutiny, so I didn’t. I think we made the right decision. I think it’s time to go home and do what we have to do to continue to become a good football team.”
It was a camp that started with linebacker Derrick Johnson in Texas because of contract issues but ended with Vermeil calling Johnson a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. It was filled with nagging injuries, including a broken pinky finger by Tony Gonzalez. Vermeil said Friday that Gonzalez probably will be held out tonight, though the Pro Bowl tight end has still been practicing and catching footballs with his hand wrapped.
Safety Sammy Knight, one of the new defensive acquisitions, said the 3 1/2 weeks in River Falls gave the revamped defense time to come together. He also said it’s too early to tell whether they’re ahead of schedule.
“We won’t know until after we play a few games,” Knight said.
As the team walked off the field Friday, Vermeil made a point to mention something the Chiefs will temporarily leave behind — the three legal incidents involving five players in different parts of the area. He said it won’t affect whether the Chiefs win or lose in 2005.
Their 3 1/2 weeks at camp could.
“I feel good,” Vermeil said. “Of course I’m always optimistic, and I choose to be optimistic.”
■ COURT DATES SET: Two Chiefs will be in court Oct. 6 on charges from a late-night disturbance early Sunday morning at a Minneapolis hotel.
Greg Wesley’s attorney entered a not-guilty plea Friday on one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Wesley’s court date is the same as teammate Junior Siavii, who is charged with one count of disorderly conduct and one count of fifth-degree assault. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
Wesley and Siavii are represented by Minneapolis-based attorney David Valentini.
Police were summoned to the Graves 601 Hotel at 1:20 a.m. Sunday because of a disturbance. Siavii allegedly threw objects and yelled obscenities at a hotel security guard.