WHITLOCK: Beating a Dead Horse

[CoMoChief]

Same ol shit.....but Whitlock's at least entertaining.

Fans have paid enough during Peterson’s reign
Edwards
CHRIS OBERHOLTZ
Edwards

Right now, about the only thing not wrong with the Kansas City Chiefs is you, the fans who wear red on Fridays, fill up Arrowhead Stadium on Sundays and call radio talk shows on Monday to gripe.

Absolutely everything else about your favorite football team is an utter mess — from the quarterback situation to the unsightly renovation to the unexciting style of play to Carl Peterson’s continued employment hovering over the franchise like a very dark cloud.

It always comes back to Carl with me. You and Carl are the two constants throughout all of this. And you’ve done your job far better than Peterson.

No one can question your loyalty or passion for the Chiefs. You’ve given Peterson and the Hunt family 20 years of faith, the last half of it being the blind variety.

And now, with our economy in the toilet, high gas prices and your children’s college savings in jeopardy, your tax dollars are financing a major overhaul of Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums.

Yeah, you’ve carried your load. You’ve been the most valuable player for the Chiefs and the Royals since Marty Schottenheimer was bounced and the Royals ran Hal McRae out of town.

And what has been your return?

On the football field, it’s been half-baked teams that embarrassed you at playoff time with their inability to score points under Marty and play defense under Dick Vermeil. Herm Edwards’ team can do neither.

After Sunday’s 34-0 thrashing by the Carolina Panthers, there is no reason to deny the obvious: The payoff for two decades of rule by Peterson is the worst team in franchise history — a team without a promising quarterback, a youthful, dynamic assistant-coaching staff or much of a foundation for success.

Wine is the only thing I can think of that doesn’t go stale after 20 years. You cannot credibly argue that Carl Peterson has a plan to lift the Chiefs from their current hellhole.

His lone sure-fire plan is to reach deeper into your pockets. You’ve already been told/warned about what you will be required to pay to sit in those shiny new seats and suites at the renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Even for very good seats, the increases are astonishing and foreshadow parking-price and concession escalations that could make a family-of-four, club-level-seats trip to see Peterson’s Chiefs max out around $1,300.

You’ve done enough, and you’ll soon be required to do more.

The Lions fired Matt Millen after seven years. The Rams dumped their coach and are shaking up their front office. OK, there’s no guarantee the Lions or Rams will be better than the Chiefs in the near future.

What it does signal is that there is a demand for improvement from their ownership and fan base.

By failing to voice your displeasure, you’re inviting Clark Hunt to take seriously the succession plan Peterson and his flunkies have been cooking up.

My read from discussions over the past year with Chiefs employees is that Peterson would like to hang on to his CEO/president title and elevate Bill Kuharich to general manager and Denny Thum to some sort of associate president role. Kuharich would be in charge of all personnel decisions, Thum would be in charge of the salary cap and Peterson would continue to milk the Hunts for a fat paycheck.

In other words, absolutely nothing would change.

The theory they want you to believe is that Kuharich and Herm work beautifully together in identifying young talent. The Chiefs allegedly have had marvelous back-to-back drafts. Dick Vermeil’s drafts were embarrassingly bad

Vermeil and his personnel sidekick, Lynn Stiles, were George Bush and Dick Cheney, and Herm and Kuharich are Barack Obama and Joe Biden, change we can believe in.

The reality is One Arrowhead Drive has never been a democracy under Peterson.

I know many of you desperately want me to trash Herm Edwards and his coaching staff. You think I’m too easy on Herm. I’m not. Herm and his washed-up coaching staff are irrelevant.

The Chiefs will not move forward until Peterson is removed.

I don’t believe the Chiefs can be a player in the Bill Cowher sweepstakes with Peterson still in power. Maybe I’m wrong and a record contract will lure Cowher to work for the man Marty bickered with the second half of his KC tenure. But it would make no sense for Hunt to saddle Cowher with Peterson’s baggage. You would think that Herm and Marty would counsel Cowher to avoid that.

And with Peterson in office, the Chiefs certainly have no shot at landing New England’s front-office guru Scott Pioli, Bill Belichick’s right-hand man. Pioli is ready to get out from underneath Belichick’s shadow and run his own franchise. He would be a terrific hire for the Chiefs.

Peterson is holding your franchise hostage. You’ve heard me make this rant before. I’m going to keep making it until something gets done.

[DeezNutz]

Herm and his washed-up coaching staff are irrelevant.


Probably true.

[Tribal Warfare]

NO SHIT!

[T-post Tom]

He's right on this one. From what I've read and heard from the NFL insiders, Scott Pioli would be as close to a 'sure thing' as you're going to find for a good GM. Which probably means he won't be coming here.

[ChiefsCountry]

Well there is the article some of you were bitching for.

[oaklandhater]

Need more like this from the rest of the media

[Mecca]

Well there is the article some of you were bitching for.

Well we should hope for alot of them so things get done.

[007]

meh.

[oaklandhater]

Well we should hope for alot of them so things get done.

QFT

[Kerberos]

Like anything Whitlock writes is going to influence Clark Hunt one way or the other?

I DO think Carls time is running out. But it WON'T be because of anything Whitlock writes or says about "The Artist Formerly Known As King Carl".

It will be because of the dwindling fan base and Clarks desire for a better product in the stadium.

There are a LOT of unhappy people with the way things are going. No one said rebuilding wouldn't be ugly and downright disgusting too watch. But something has to give and I think the weak link is seated in the GM's office.

[Goapics1]

Excellent article. Well done Jwhit!

[oaklandhater]

Yet another artical gochiefs should look to when he thinks he is writeing a critical artical about the chiefs.

[Mecca]

Like anything Whitlock writes is going to influence Clark Hunt one way or the other?

I DO think Carls time is running out. But it WON'T be because of anything Whitlock writes or says about "The Artist Formerly Known As King Carl".

It will be because of the dwindling fan base and Clarks desire for a better product in the stadium.

There are a LOT of unhappy people with the way things are going. No one said rebuilding wouldn't be ugly and downright disgusting too watch. But something has to give and I think the weak link is seated in the GM's office.

Well something has to influence him, it's likely stadium turnout and Whitlock could affect that considering how shitty our team is with this on top of it.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Like anything Whitlock writes is going to influence Clark Hunt one way or the other?

I DO think Carls time is running out. But it WON'T be because of anything Whitlock writes or says about "The Artist Formerly Known As King Carl".

It will be because of the dwindling fan base and Clarks desire for a better product in the stadium.

There are a LOT of unhappy people with the way things are going. No one said rebuilding wouldn't be ugly and downright disgusting too watch. But something has to give and I think the weak link is seated in the GM's office.

QFT.

A sportswriter influencing the decisions of the owner of an NFL team?

Sounds like people have been visiting the wishing tree again...including Jason.

Bill Cowher and Scott Pioli?

Did someone lace his BBQ with drugs?

[Deberg_1990]

If the CHiefs dont make any changes in the offseason or make the changes that JWhit alludes to here, then i wont understand why one single season ticket holder would ever want to renew until REAL change is made? That would be a complete insult and a farce to the entire fanbase.


Quit enabling this administration.

Its pretty obvious all these tools care about is money.

Lack of money speaks volumes.

[PRIEST]

Good read hit's points ,Crap Peterson is the problem not the solution , but then we all knew this

[BigRedChief]

Same ol shit.....but Whitlock's at least entertaining.
Same ol shit? So you think King Carl is doing a good job?

This same ole shit needs to said again and again. We get distracted by poor effort from the players. Bad coaching decisions etc...

But IMHO the core issue as to why we have not been consistently successful in King Carl.

[ILChief]

if they "replace" Carl with a combination of Thum/Kuharich and keep Carl I will puke. If you're gonna clean house, send all three of them packing.

Let Carl hire Thum and Kuharich to help him run the Lions.

[Nzoner]

It will be because of the dwindling fan base and Clarks desire for a better product in the stadium.


According to Lenny on Monday morning sportstalk,Clark Hunt was already gone by the time he(Lenny) made it to the locker room.I took it as though this was not a common thing and Lenny all but said he took it as Clark was very pissed off.

[Goapics1]

Clark was very pissed off.

He should be. This team sucks ass and is going nowhere.

[milkman]

Although I agree with Whitlock on most of this article, in one way, he is every bit as myopic as the rest of the fan base.

Bill Cowher?

Screw that.

[Chiefnj2]

Anyone have a link to an article when Herm was first hired and Whitlock's opinion of the hire?

[teedubya]

Scott Pioli is a pipe dream, but wow that would give Chiefs nation hope!! Change we can believe in.

Plus, how pissed off would the Boston Chowderheads be if we ganked Pioli?

[Goapics1]

Plus, how pissed off would the Boston Chowderheads be if we ganked Pioli?

Who cares. Those fuggers can crash and burn.

[Mr. Plow]

QFT.

A sportswriter influencing the decisions of the owner of an NFL team?

Not that I disagree and maybe it was just my reading comprehension....BUT.....It sounded to me Whitlock was more or less pleading to fans to not attend the games, which would affect income, which could affect the view Hunt has on Peterson, which could - God willing - get him fired.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Not that I disagree and maybe it was just my reading comprehension....BUT.....It sounded to me Whitlock was more or less pleading to fans to not attend the games, which would affect income, which could affect the view Hunt has on Peterson, which could - God willing - get him fired.

Just as bad.

If fans are so easily manipulated that they need a talking head to tell them not to go to games, then they deserve whatever they get, IMO.

It's like Whitlock just pulls this piece out of his back pocket when he has nothing else to write about...

[Deberg_1990]

Although I agree with Whitlock on most of this article, in one way, he is every bit as myopic as the rest of the fan base.

Bill Cowher?

Screw that.

He did say this:

"I don’t believe the Chiefs can be a player in the Bill Cowher sweepstakes with Peterson still in power"

[OnTheWarpath15]

He did say this:

"I don’t believe the Chiefs can be a player in the Bill Cowher sweepstakes with Peterson still in power"

I think the point that Milkman is making is that Whitlock is just as retarded as the fans for WANTING to be in the "Cowher sweepstakes"...

Maybe I'm off base, but that's how I read it.

[milkman]

I think the point that Milkman is making is that Whitlock is just as retarded as the fans for WANTING to be in the "Cowher sweepstakes"...

Maybe I'm off base, but that's how I read it.

I'm pretty sure you're off base, but you did read that specific post right.

:D

[Reerun_KC]

I think the point that Milkman is making is that Whitlock is just as retarded as the fans for WANTING to be in the "Cowher sweepstakes"...

Maybe I'm off base, but that's how I read it.

true, I want nothing to do whit the Chin, that is not change, that is mediocrity.

[Mecca]

Just as bad.

If fans are so easily manipulated that they need a talking head to tell them not to go to games, then they deserve whatever they get, IMO.

It's like Whitlock just pulls this piece out of his back pocket when he has nothing else to write about...

At this point anything that gets them out of here is good enough for me, if that means the retards buy into the columnist I'm all for it.

[Hammock Parties]

Good stuff. I for one, don't believe for a second that Carl is going to be kicked upstairs.

Clark's going to come in here and chop everyone's heads off. I believe in Clark Hunt!

[GoTrav]

Scott Pioli is a pipe dream, but wow that would give Chiefs nation hope!! Change we can believe in.

Plus, how pissed off would the Boston Chowderheads be if we ganked Pioli?

Make it happen!

[gblowfish]

The problem with Fatlock is he has no more credibility that Kevin Keitzman.

When Joe Posnanski starts to bag on the Chiefs however, you know things are bad.

I've said all along that this season is about one thing only: Stadium Renovation. The Hunt family can't wait till the construction is done, so they can double or triple ticket prices and run all the working class fans out of the bottom bowl of Arrowhead. Or sure, Joe Six Pack will still be able to get a ticket, In section 325 about 3,000 feet above the field.

I'm very cynical about the NFL in general. Too big for their britches, and Carl is the poster child for that.

[Mecca]

The problem with Fatlock is he has no more credibility that Kevin Keitzman.

When Joe Posnanski starts to bag on the Chiefs however, you know things are bad.

I've said all along that this season is about one thing only: Stadium Renovation. The Hunt family can't wait till the construction is done, so they can double or triple ticket prices and run all the working class fans out of the bottom bowl of Arrowhead. Or sure, Joe Six Pack will still be able to get a ticket, In section 325 about 3,000 feet above the field.

I'm very cynical about the NFL in general. Too big for their britches, and Carl is the poster child for that.

Sarah Palin has taken over!

[Deberg_1990]

The problem with Fatlock is he has no more credibility that Kevin Keitzman.

When Joe Posnanski starts to bag on the Chiefs however, you know things are bad.

I've said all along that this season is about one thing only: Stadium Renovation. The Hunt family can't wait till the construction is done, so they can double or triple ticket prices and run all the working class fans out of the bottom bowl of Arrowhead. Or sure, Joe Six Pack will still be able to get a ticket, In section 325 about 3,000 feet above the field.

I'm very cynical about the NFL in general. Too big for their britches, and Carl is the poster child for that.

Is the Wine and Cheese crowd as loyal as Joe Six Pack??

I highly doubt that.

[xbarretx]

Well we should hope for alot of them so things get done.

QFT

Whitlock stirring the pot on this one or not... hes 100% correct. if i knew which SN he had on here id give him rep for it.

[xbarretx]

Good stuff. I for one, don't believe for a second that Carl is going to be kicked upstairs.

Clark's going to come in here and chop everyone's heads off. I believe in Clark Hunt!

when?

[Hammock Parties]

when?

I think he'll do it after the season.

Of course, hell could freeze over and they could win 6 games.

[xbarretx]

I think he'll do it after the season.

Of course, hell could freeze over and they could win 6 games.

blasphemy! ;)

[chasedude]

Peterson is holding your franchise hostage. You’ve heard me make this rant before. I’m going to keep making it until something gets done.

:clap: This is once you and I are in agreement Jason. I just wish some of the other media would fess up and agree.

[milkman]

when?

After Carl dies.

He doesn't want to be Raiders east, with a dead man running the franchise from the mausoleum.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Fuck Bill Cowher.

[shaneo69]

Like anything Whitlock writes is going to influence Clark Hunt one way or the other?

Yes, it actually works. Miklasz and Burwell pretty much forced Rosenbloom to can Linehan with their double-teaming articles in the P-D.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Yes, it actually works. Miklasz and Burwell pretty much forced Rosenbloom to can Linehan with their double-teaming articles in the P-D.

I read the same articles you did, and to think that they actually infuenced Rosenbloom's decision is wishful thinking.

I'd say that Linehan's record, and his destruction of the locker room was the reason he was canned.

Hell, the only reason he wasn't fired earlier (before Miklasz and Burwell's writings) is that Rosenbloom was trying to honor his dying mother's wishes that Linehan be kept on.

[ChiefsCountry]

Thats kind of funny as well since Rosenbloom lives in LA.

[Rausch]

Yes, it actually works. Miklasz and Burwell pretty much forced Rosenbloom to can Linehan with their double-teaming articles in the P-D.

Jwhit assured me himself that there's no way anything a columnist has to say would influence a new and pressured owner.

You live in a fantasy world...

[CoMoChief]

Jwhit assured me himself that there's no way anything a columnist has to say would influence a new and pressured owner.

You live in a fantasy world...

Not to mention Clark is hardly ever in KC to read the papers anyway, nor does he care as long as he's making that $50M a year in profit.

[Hammock Parties]

Not to mention Clark is hardly ever in KC to read the papers anyway, nor does he care as long as he's making that $50M a year in profit.

Clark reads our website every day. I'm sure he's checking out the Star's website.

[Otter]

Clark reads our website every day. I'm sure he's checking out the Star's website.

And you were delivered by the stork, the girls ignore you because you're too handsome and everyone who makes fun of you is just jealouse.

[Hammock Parties]

And you were delivered by the stork, the girls ignore you because you're too handsome and everyone who makes fun of you is just jealouse.

Go ahead and mock me. It's true.

I have to watch what I write. I wish I had impunity like Whitlock, but I sure don't.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Go ahead and mock me. It's true.

I have to watch what I write. I wish I had impunity like Whitlock, but I sure don't.

I think a more correct statement would be "Somebody" in the Chiefs organization checks (y)our website every day. Like Bob Moore. Or even Gretz.

It's a shame you have to stunt your writing in this manner for fear of your boss losing his seat in box. That's the stuff foot shuffling porters are made of.

[Hammock Parties]

It's a shame you have to stunt your writing in this manner for fear of your boss losing his seat in box. That's the stuff foot shuffling porters are made of.

They wouldn't kick Nick out of the box. But it wouldn't be good for us.

[Micjones]

Chiefs Brass is really concerned about the media being critical of the organization?

I mean to the point where a seat in the pressbox would EVER be an issue?

[Rain Man]

An article complimenting the fans? Bob Gretz isn't going to like that.

[WilliamTheIrish]

They wouldn't kick Nick out of the box. But it wouldn't be good for us.

You could be right. The organization needs as many sunshine pumpers as it can get these days.

[Mr. Laz]

you want carl gone then don't go to the home games

seriously ... if the seats are 100% empty for the final home game it will send a better message than anything else.

[dirk digler]

Good stuff. I for one, don't believe for a second that Carl is going to be kicked upstairs.

Clark's going to come in here and chop everyone's heads off. I believe in Clark Hunt!

JW pretty much stated what I did a few days ago and that Kuharich is the succession plan and Herm stays.

I have to admit this is probably one of JW best pieces I have read in a couple of years.

He needs to write more like that

[Saleenman607]

you want carl gone then don't go to the home games

seriously ... if the seats are 100% empty for the final home game it will send a better message than anything else.


QFT......at least 75% empty would send a serious message.