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Here's the actual story in today's KC Star:

Former Chiefs president Peterson stays busy
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

ORLANDO, Fla. | Try as he might, Carl Peterson can’t seem to put the Chiefs in his past. After all, he still lives in Kansas City, though he and his wife, Lori, have put their Country Club Plaza condo up for sale and may soon be leaving town.

So he still followed, if from a distance, the dismantling and subsequent rebuilding of the franchise he operated, for better or for worse, for 20 years as the Chiefs’ president and general manager.

“Lots of changes with the Chiefs,” he said wistfully during a break at the NFL’s annual owners meetings. He was in Orlando helping a friend, Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross, market hand-held video devices to other teams and their fans.

“They made changes last year, and it looks like that’s continuing,” Peterson said. “Change is good. Hey, I made a lot of changes when I came in, too. When people you hired are no longer there, you feel bad for them. But life goes on.”

It has for Peterson. Soon after leaving the Chiefs at the end of the 2008 season, Peterson became chairman of USA Football, a nonprofit organization that promotes the sport. He helps at the California winery of former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil.

He also has the current project with Ross.

That doesn’t leave a lot of time for him to keep current on the Chiefs.

“I’m filling up the spaces with enough things, three different things right now between this, the wine company and USA Football,” Peterson said. “I’ve been traveling to both coasts a lot. USA Football is in Washington, or close to it. I go to the league office (in New York), also for USA Football.

“I’m not lacking for things to do. I’ve actually traveled more in the last year than I ever thought I would. Maybe it’s a little more than I want. But I’m content. I’m enjoying the down time. I’ve been able to spend some time with my daughter and grandson. I went to the Army-Navy game. I went to homecoming at UCLA this year. Those are things I could never do or wouldn’t allow myself to do.”

Soon, he may be on the move. Lori Peterson still works for Populous, the Kansas City-based sports architecture firm. But Peterson said she’s been spending much time lately in Miami, where she’s working on the under-construction Florida Marlins baseball stadium.

“It’s not definite what we’re going to do,” Peterson said. “We’re looking, debating what to do. I’ve got to get back to the water. I grew up on the water. For 20 years, I’ve lived without water in Kansas City. Which coast doesn’t matter. I don’t care, as long as there’s an ocean and I can see it when I get up in the morning.”

As for getting back into the NFL, Peterson said, “It would have to be a really special, unique opportunity.”

There was speculation after his break with the Chiefs that he would join Ross with the Dolphins. For now, at least, there seems to be no room for Peterson in Miami

“The Dolphins have everything in place, and they’re doing a great job,” Peterson said. “Steve is doing a great job. (CEO) Mike Dee and (vice president) Bill Parcells and (general manager) Jeff Ireland are doing a great job. Steve has been a 25-year friend going back to the USFL, and I told him when he came into the league that if there was ever anything I could do to let me know. And he has.

“I’ll be candid. I don’t miss a lot of the stuff that you have to deal with as a president and a general manager. It’s seven days a week, 24 hours a day. I don’t miss the phone calls late at night when we have a player in trouble or from an agent who wants to renegotiate a contract after his player has a great game. That’s irritating stuff.”

As for the Chiefs, Peterson said he wouldn’t pass judgment on the many moves they’ve made since he departed. He said he went to no games last season and saw part of some games on TV, but not many.

“I was really happy for a couple of our guys toward the end of the season when they got a chance to play,” he said. “Derrick Johnson and Jamaal Charles look like they did a really nice job. You always hope those guys do well.”

He did acknowledge it was painful for him to see the Chiefs’ sellout streak, which began in the early 1990s in one of Peterson’s first seasons in Kansas City, end in the final home game last season against Cleveland.

“It hurt to see they had a blackout,” Peterson said. “We had a long time without allowing that to happen. We worked hard to not let that happen. It’s a great, great fan base, and they love their football.

“But there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s no longer my watch.”