Chiefs Babb: Peterson’s exit no surprise to some in Chiefs’ organization

**Tribal Warfare** · 12-17-2008, 05:58 AM

Peterson’s exit no surprise to some in Chiefs’ organization
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

As Chiefs employees adjusted Tuesday to a future without Carl Peterson, coach Herm Edwards said the news did not come as a surprise to everyone.

“We knew this day was coming,” Edwards said. “This was going to transpire.”

Edwards was among an exclusive and guarded group of Chiefs employees who had known for months that Peterson would not be with the team beyond this season. Edwards said Peterson and chairman Clark Hunt had ongoing discussions about the manner in which Peterson would exit, and only a few of the highest-ranking team officials were in on the secret.

Edwards wouldn’t say Tuesday when he first heard that Peterson wouldn’t be retained beyond this season. Peterson’s contract was due to expire after the 2009 season, but neither side was interested in allowing Peterson to enter next season as a lame duck. Edwards said it had become a foregone conclusion that Peterson would not enter another offseason as the Chiefs’ general manager, president and chief executive.

“It’s been in discussion for a while,” Edwards said. “Carl was going to step down sometime, at the end of the season or before the season had ended. At this point in time, it was best for the football team.”

Peterson resigned Monday, a day after the Chiefs blew an 18-point lead in the second half to San Diego. Peterson, who made it a habit to sit in on Edwards’ weekly meetings with reporters, did not attend Tuesday’s conference.

With the essence of the decision being made months earlier, the only surprise might have been the move’s timing. Players wondered aloud Monday why Peterson would step down with two games left in this 2-12 season. Hunt met with Peterson on Monday afternoon to finalize the decision, and Edwards said Tuesday that the timing centered on Hunt’s hope to get an early start on finding Peterson’s replacement at general manager.

Longtime Chiefs employee Denny Thum was appointed interim president/GM, but Hunt said those jobs would be split and that he would look outside the organization for a permanent general manager. He did not rule out promoting an employee to the president’s office.

“They wanted to be in position to where they could start the process now,” Edwards said. “It’s to the team’s benefit. That was the right thing to do.”

Edwards said he was continually informed about where Peterson’s future stood. The coach has said he speaks often with Hunt, so he was not astonished when Hunt met with Edwards on Monday and told him the decision had been made.

That’s different for a locker room full of players who were not privy to those discussions or the specifics that came out of them. Some learned Monday by text message or phone calls, and Edwards said he’ll have to work this week to keep players’ minds on football and the Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs’ next-to-last opponent.

Edwards said players have endured, and bounced back from, other distractions this season. Six players, including Kansas City’s top two quarterbacks, suffered season-ending injuries. Tight end Tony Gonzalez asked Peterson for a trade and was unsatisfied when it did not happen. Running back Larry Johnson missed four games for disciplinary reasons. Edwards said players responded well to those news items; he said he expects them to do the same as they begin their final two weeks of practice this morning.

“Our deal as a football team is to do what we always do,” Edwards said. “They find a way to focus. I think our staff does a good job. With injuries and everything else you can imagine, they found a way to combat that. They’ve done a good job with that all year, with everything that’s happened.”

**007** · 12-17-2008, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

“Our deal as a football team is to do what we always do,” Edwards said.

Find a way to lose

TEX · 12-17-2008, 06:19 AM

I'm glad Peterson stepped down, but Herm needs to go with him. This whole deal sounds like Herm ****ing Edwards will be in KC long term. I HATE how he seems to have Clark Hunt's support. If he is forced on the new GM, it says alot about that person as well as Hunt. There has never been a better time to blow the whole thing up and start over. It was a mistake to hire Herm in the first place and it will be an even bigger one to retain him as HC after the season.

**Tribal Warfare** · 12-17-2008, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

I'm glad Peterson stepped down, but Herm needs to go with him. This whole deal sounds like Herm ****ing Edwards will be in KC long term. I HATE how he seems to have Clark Hunt's support. If he is forced on the new GM, it says alot about that person as well as Hunt. There has never been a better time to blow the whole thing up and start over. It was a mistake to hire Herm in the first place and it will be an even bigger one to retain him as HC after the season.

Herm is good as gone, Clark hasn't given Herm the greenlight that he's safe due to a new GM's preferences.

KCJohnny · 12-17-2008, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

I'm glad Peterson stepped down, but Herm needs to go with him. This whole deal sounds like Herm ****ing Edwards will be in KC long term. I HATE how he seems to have Clark Hunt's support. If he is forced on the new GM, it says alot about that person as well as Hunt. There has never been a better time to blow the whole thing up and start over. It was a mistake to hire Herm in the first place and it will be an even bigger one to retain him as HC after the season.

Uh, Tex?
Blowing it up and starting all over is what we ARE doing. Stay tuned for the 2009 off season moves...

milkman · 12-17-2008, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

I'm glad Peterson stepped down, but Herm needs to go with him. This whole deal sounds like Herm ****ing Edwards will be in KC long term. I HATE how he seems to have Clark Hunt's support. If he is forced on the new GM, it says alot about that person as well as Hunt. There has never been a better time to blow the whole thing up and start over. It was a mistake to hire Herm in the first place and it will be an even bigger one to retain him as HC after the season.

It sounds to me like Herman ****ing Edwards is trying to blow smoke up our asses.

There isn't way that this has been an ongoing discussion and that they just felt that this was the perfect time to make a change.

If this had been in the works for an extended period of time, they would have waited for the end of the season.

milkman · 12-17-2008, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCJohnny

Uh, Tex?
Blowing it up and starting all over is what we ARE doing. Stay tuned for the 2009 off season moves...

Blowing it up and starting all over is what has been done with the roster.

They need to blow up the front office and coaching staff and start all over.

MikeMaslowski · 12-17-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

It sounds to me like Herman ****ing Edwards is trying to blow smoke up our asses.

Blowing smoke up my ass

Giving a gratuitous and insincere compliment, possibly to deceive. (Can be my, your, his, or her ass, but probably not plural, as in their asses.)
Yeah, sure. Thanks for the kind words, but I think you're blowing smoke up my ass.

Sounds like herm...

TEX · 12-17-2008, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Blowing it up and starting all over is what has been done with the roster.

They need to blow up the front office and coaching staff and start all over.

Yep. That's EXACTLY my point.

TEX · 12-17-2008, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Herm is good as gone, Clark hasn't given Herm the greenlight that he's safe due to a new GM's preferences.

I don't know about that. I heard Clark say that the final decision would be his after he and the new GM discussed the situation.

TEX · 12-17-2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCJohnny

Uh, Tex?
Blowing it up and starting all over is what we ARE doing. Stay tuned for the 2009 off season moves...

Sure, with the players. That needs to also include the front or it's all for nothing. This one's easy - Herm, and all associated with him, must go.

**Rausch** · 12-17-2008, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

Sure, with the players. That needs to also include the front or it's all for nothing. This one's easy - Herm, and all associated with him, must go.

Clearly it was the plan to oust Peterson this season, yet almost no one knew about it.

Herm is being very careful in his wording lately. There's very little of that uber-confident Herm sarcasm in his prssers lately.

It's possible he already knows this year/next year is his last and has been told as much. Who knows...

SenselessChiefsFan · 12-17-2008, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

It sounds to me like Herman ****ing Edwards is trying to blow smoke up our asses.

There isn't way that this has been an ongoing discussion and that they just felt that this was the perfect time to make a change.

If this had been in the works for an extended period of time, they would have waited for the end of the season.

Not really. Season ticket renewals are going out right about now. All perfectly timed.

Herm will probably be back. The new GM will probably evaluate him over the next year.

Herm has taken some pretty average teams ot the playoffs. So, he has some support in the NFL community.

BigChiefFan · 12-17-2008, 08:39 AM

Like I said before, Herm must be sweating bullets because a competetant GM will relieve Herm from his duties. You can't win a total of 6 games in two seasons and expect to keep your job.

**Rausch** · 12-17-2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

Like I said before, Herm must be sweating bullets because a competetant GM will relieve Herm from his duties. You can't win a total of 6 games in two seasons and expect to keep your job.

You can with Car-.....oh.

12-17-2008, 05:58 AM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-3087187	Babb: Peterson’s exit no surprise to some in Chiefs’ organization Peterson’s exit no surprise to some in Chiefs’ organization By KENT BABB The Kansas City Star As Chiefs employees adjusted Tuesday to a future without Carl Peterson, coach Herm Edwards said the news did not come as a surprise to everyone. “We knew this day was coming,” Edwards said. “This was going to transpire.” Edwards was among an exclusive and guarded group of Chiefs employees who had known for months that Peterson would not be with the team beyond this season. Edwards said Peterson and chairman Clark Hunt had ongoing discussions about the manner in which Peterson would exit, and only a few of the highest-ranking team officials were in on the secret. Edwards wouldn’t say Tuesday when he first heard that Peterson wouldn’t be retained beyond this season. Peterson’s contract was due to expire after the 2009 season, but neither side was interested in allowing Peterson to enter next season as a lame duck. Edwards said it had become a foregone conclusion that Peterson would not enter another offseason as the Chiefs’ general manager, president and chief executive. “It’s been in discussion for a while,” Edwards said. “Carl was going to step down sometime, at the end of the season or before the season had ended. At this point in time, it was best for the football team.” Peterson resigned Monday, a day after the Chiefs blew an 18-point lead in the second half to San Diego. Peterson, who made it a habit to sit in on Edwards’ weekly meetings with reporters, did not attend Tuesday’s conference. With the essence of the decision being made months earlier, the only surprise might have been the move’s timing. Players wondered aloud Monday why Peterson would step down with two games left in this 2-12 season. Hunt met with Peterson on Monday afternoon to finalize the decision, and Edwards said Tuesday that the timing centered on Hunt’s hope to get an early start on finding Peterson’s replacement at general manager. Longtime Chiefs employee Denny Thum was appointed interim president/GM, but Hunt said those jobs would be split and that he would look outside the organization for a permanent general manager. He did not rule out promoting an employee to the president’s office. “They wanted to be in position to where they could start the process now,” Edwards said. “It’s to the team’s benefit. That was the right thing to do.” Edwards said he was continually informed about where Peterson’s future stood. The coach has said he speaks often with Hunt, so he was not astonished when Hunt met with Edwards on Monday and told him the decision had been made. That’s different for a locker room full of players who were not privy to those discussions or the specifics that came out of them. Some learned Monday by text message or phone calls, and Edwards said he’ll have to work this week to keep players’ minds on football and the Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs’ next-to-last opponent. Edwards said players have endured, and bounced back from, other distractions this season. Six players, including Kansas City’s top two quarterbacks, suffered season-ending injuries. Tight end Tony Gonzalez asked Peterson for a trade and was unsatisfied when it did not happen. Running back Larry Johnson missed four games for disciplinary reasons. Edwards said players responded well to those news items; he said he expects them to do the same as they begin their final two weeks of practice this morning. “Our deal as a football team is to do what we always do,” Edwards said. “They find a way to focus. I think our staff does a good job. With injuries and everything else you can imagine, they found a way to combat that. They’ve done a good job with that all year, with everything that’s happened.”
Posts: 43,464

12-17-2008, 06:19 AM	#3
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Galveston, TX Casino cash: $-1516873	I'm glad Peterson stepped down, but Herm needs to go with him. This whole deal sounds like Herm **ing Edwards will be in KC long term. I HATE how he seems to have Clark Hunt's support. If he is forced on the new GM, it says alot about that person as well as Hunt. There has never been a better time to blow the whole thing up and start over.** It was a mistake to hire Herm in the first place and it will be an even bigger one to retain him as HC after the season. __________________ "Do we have time to run WASP?"
Posts: 37,117

12-17-2008, 08:39 AM	#14
BigChiefFan MVP Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: In the Top 10 Casino cash: $9924205	Like I said before, Herm must be sweating bullets because a competetant GM will relieve Herm from his duties. You can't win a total of 6 games in two seasons and expect to keep your job. __________________ A 35 year drought can make you thirsty.
Posts: 15,777