Mitch Holthus on Des Moines radio daily during camp...updates here

[htismaqe]

8/18 Update posted by htismaqe
Hinted (like he hinted Monday about Tynes' arrest) that Todd Collins was in trouble. More to come later today from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Vermeil appeared to have Tynes' back, but he was visibly upset with the kicker at other times. Still thinks competition will be brought in.

Surtain has been the star of camp. Said even though the guy is a top NFL CB, he approached camp like he was fighting for the 53rd spot on the roster. Great player and great example. Derrick Johnson is legit and has the chance to be up there with DT, Lanier, and Bell.

On the offensive side, talked alot about LJ and the o-line, and how stellar Roaf and Waters have been.

-------------------------------

8/16 Update posted by jspchief
Talked about Gunther on the rampage.

Morning practice, he tore Grigsby a new asshole for mistakes lining up.

Afternoon practice, he told Alphonso Hodge that he can find 100,000 people to do the job as good as he is, and that he fired the last player that played like that. Apparently Hodge talked back to him at that point, which can't be good for your lifespan.

Coaches that win a superbowl with one team have never won one with the next team.

Vermeil is frustrated with all the man hours missed. Is tired of guys sitting out for every little nick.

Some scrub from ISU quit the team.

Talked a bit about Bell, but didn't say anything that hasn't been in the other threads. Practicing in pads, but not hitting.

-------------------------------
8/15 Update posted by htismaqe
The news is not good boys.

The Chiefs gave up 8 plays over 15 yards. Gunther is beyond furious, Mitch said he was "beside himself". Jared Allen has been demoted, Jimmy Wilkerson is now starting.

Kevin Sampson has a toe tendon problem, out 2-3 weeks. Todd Collins has a possible fracture, out 2-3 weeks. Holcombe will be out 6 weeks.

He said Lawrence Tynes had a bad weekend "on and off the field". When asked to elaborate about the "off the field" comment, he hemmed and hawed and never did answer. Tynes must have gotten drunk too. Anyway, he said there will likely be competition brought into camp. The good news is that Tynes didn't miss a kick yesterday.

Will Shields participated in workouts and could see full practice later this week, so that's at least one good thing.
-------------------------------

8/12 Update posted by htismaqe
Talked about the game. Starters will play slightly more than 1 quarter, except for Priest, LJ, Green, Gonzo. They will likely play only a couple of series'. Shields won't play. Bell won't play. Dunn is out.

-------------------------------
8/11 Update posted by htismaqe
Not much today. Priest and Tony were "dancing like spring chickens" last night so that was good news.

Talked mostly about the defense and the need to create turnovers. Forget yards, the defense last year had only 21 takeaways (franchise record) and 85 plays of longer than 20 yards (NFL average is 55).

-------------------------------
8/10 Update posted by htismaqe
Talked about the WR's. Said, after Kennison, there isn't anybody that stands out. They're all the same. Talked a bit about Booth and McIntyre and their stints in NFLE. Said Freddie is still out, he tried to talk to him last night and Freddie just kinda grumbled and groaned and kept walking. Said that everybody at the position (WR) could be a 1-2 catch guy to compliment Holmes, Gonzo, and WILSON. Yes, he mentioned Wilson in the same breath as Holmes and Gonzales. Said the team will likely keep only 5 maybe 6 WR's.

He said the team is much healthier already. Both Priest and Gonzo were back last night and looking better. Not sure about LJ.

-------------------------------
8/9 Update posted by htismaqe
Concerned about special teams because of loss of Blaylock and Beisel. Said Boomer or Scanlon is going to have to step up. The good news is that Benny Sapp is turning into a monster on special teams.

Also concerned about reps on Friday vs. the Vikings. Gonzo is better, wasn't limping much last night, but he won't play. Dunn won't play. Priest probably won't play. Larry Johnson is now dinged up, minor, but might not play.

-------------------------------
8/8 Update posted by htismaqe
Very concerned about Tony's foot. He was limping pretty bad all weekend. Seemed concerned about Jason Dunn too.

Greg Wesley looks like he's out to prove that he's still a hitter. Layed a hit on Priest like you wouldn't believe. Derrick Johnson also looks like he's on a mission to let everyone know he's not afraid of contact like the draftniks said.

Talked again about Gunther unleashed, about the fights, and about the defense's passion.

Finally he said there's going to be a couple of games where the defense and LJ have to carry this team.

-------------------------------
8/5 Update posted by htismaqe
Was asked about Priest's concussion. Said the defense has been unleashed by Gunther, tired of being picked on. In goal line drills (when Priest got hurt) the defense stuffed them EVERY time except...

When Larry Johnson carried the ball. He was just too strong and drug people into the end zone. Easily the offensive MVP of camp so far.

Was asked about the fighting and if it was desired. Said "NO QUESTION" emphatically. Said the intensity is way up, especially on defense, and it's been missing for far too long. Vermeil has asked Gunther to go balls to the wall this year, leave it all on the field.

Said Bo is silently having a good camp and that he separates himself easily from the other WR's because he's 1) 4 inches taller and 2) a key to our ST's.

That's about all I can remember.

-------------------------------
8/4 Update posted by jspchief
Talking LBs mostly.

Said he doesn't think Woods or Fujita make the team, barring a string of injuries at either position.

That's about it. Short interview. Told interesting story about hot Svitek got to America.

-------------------------------
8/3 Update posted by htismaqe
Anyway, he did clarify or expound on a couple of his statements from previous interviews:

1) We have to get off to a good start this year. Yesterday, it was about the assistants looking for other jobs. Today it was the danger that a poor start would cause everybody -- players, coaches, and fans -- knowing that this is Vermeil's last year, to start discussing who the next coach would be instead of worrying about this season. I think from the brew-ha-ha yesterday we had on the very subject, despite the fact that the season hasn't even started, shows that he's probably right.

2) Ferentz being mentioned as a HC candidate. Bob Stoops would be in there too.

The only thing of substance that he talked about was YET ANOTHER back injury, this time to Jason Dunn.

-------------------------------
8/2 Update posted by htismaqe
Dexter McCleon IS the starter opposite Surtain. Not only that but Sapp is the nickel. Ambrose and Washington are both quite a bit behind. (Interestingly enough, I heard DA say the same thing on 610 about 30 minutes later).

Also, this year is not like last year. If we go 1-3 we could be done. This is Vermeil's last year and if we start out slow, the assistants could just start looking for jobs instead of focusing.

He also said that Kirk Ferentz' name has been whispered around Arrowhead.

-------------------------------
8/1 Update posted by htismaqe
I heard most of the part about the coaches and what's going on there:

Vermeil and Peterson have told Saunders, no excuses get Larry Johnson on the field -- Holthus editorialized a bit, said LJ looks SUPERB so far in camp

Gunther and Saunders may have it out at some point during camp. There's been a few fights. Vermeil asked Gunther to tone it down a bit last year, but this year Vermeil has let him go back to being his old self. Saunders and Gunther have the giveaways/takeaways on a huge poster in the locker room and the defense right now is +8. Gunther rubs it in every chance he gets.

That's really the big stuff I heard him say. Mitchell's injury didn't sound serious, he was confident Shields would be fine (although he did say it was a little concerning), Wiegmann looks rejuvinated, and Priest looks like a "spring chicken".

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatik88

Gee, I wonder where he got that info from.
http://espn.go.com/magazine/Copy%20o...no19hirdt.html

Rule 1: No Team That Won Fewer Than Four Games in a Season Has Ever Won the Super Bowl the Next Season. This is the era of last-to-first teams, and the last three Super Bowl winners came from so far off the radar screen that none made a single appearance on Monday Night Football during its title campaign. The Rams won coming off a 4–12 season, the Ravens after 8–8 and the Patriots after 5–11, leaving no precedent for last year's doormats, the Bills (3–13), Lions (2–14) and Panthers (1–15). Nor, of course, for the Texans (0–0).

Rule 2: No Team That Won Exactly Seven Games in a Season Has Ever Won the Super Bowl the Next Season. A little-known corollary to Rule 1 that's effective in eliminating teams from Super Bowl consideration. Last year's seven-win teams -- the Browns, Titans, Giants, Cardinals, Saints and Falcons -- won't have to fret about getting the last pick in Round 1 of next year's draft.

Rule 3: No Head Coach Who Won a Super Bowl With One Team Has Ever Won a Subsequent Super Bowl With a Different Team. Many have tried, including Vince Lombardi, Hank Stram, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson and George Seifert; none has succeeded. What does that mean for Dick Vermeil's Chiefs and Mike Holmgren's Seahawks? No soup for you!

Rule 4: No Team That Lost in the Wild-Card Round Has Ever Won the Super Bowl the Next Season. Not as well known as "The Buccaneers can't win in the cold," but just as devastating. There have been 78 wild-card games, and thus 78 losing teams, since Pete Rozelle inaugurated the concept in 1978. The first 74 have gone 0–74 at winning the Super Bowl the following year; the other four are last year's wild-card losers: the Buccaneers, Jets, 49ers and Dolphins. Sorry, guys.

Rule 5: No Team Whose Opening-Day QB Was Drafted by a Team That Had Never Before Drafted a Super Bowl-Winning QB Has Ever Won a Super Bowl. First, say that three times fast. For example: Donovan McNabb is the Eagles' opening-day quarterback this year. He was drafted by the Eagles, who have never drafted a QB who has won a Super Bowl. So, say goodbye to the Eagles, Ravens, Chargers, Vikings and Broncos. (Elway, remember, was drafted by the Colts.)

Rule 6: No Team With a Head Coach Whose Surname Starts With the Letter "C" Has Ever Won a Super Bowl. In fact, only one C-coach has even reached a Super Bowl: Bill Cowher lost to Barry Switzer in Super Bowl XXX. (Of course, you know that S-coaches have won their last five Super Bowl appearances ... but I digress.) The immutable laws of alphabetization thus eliminate Dave Campo's Cowboys, Bill Callahan's Raiders, Tom Coughlin's Jaguars and Cowher's Steelers as possible winners of Super Bowl XXXVII. (They also toss a double dose of dirt on Dom Capers' Texans, though you can get eliminated only once around here.)

Rule 7: No Team That Has Played a Regular-Season Game in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium Has Ever Won a Super Bowl That Season. Nine different teams -- including the Buccaneers, of course -- will play regular-season games in Tampa this year. Seven of them have previously been axed from a possible photo op with the commander-in-chief. The Rams and the Packers will go into the off-season cursing the NFL's scheduling formula that sent them to play at Raymond James, thereby snuffing out their chance to hoist the Lombardi.

Rule 8: No Team That Averaged Fewer Than 17 Points Per Game in a Season Has Ever Won the Super Bowl the Next Season. It doesn't matter how many points Steve Spurrier's Redskins might score in the upcoming regular season. The die was cast last year, when the Skins averaged only 16 points per game. This rule also eliminates the Bengals, who averaged only 14.1 points in 2001.

Rule 9: No Team That Allowed More Than 26 Points Per Game in a Season Has Ever Won the Super Bowl the Next Season. The Colts made it this far, but Rule 9 does to them what the training camp Turk does to undrafted free agents. It doesn't matter how well Tony Dungy's D fares this season; the horse escaped the barn when last year's Colts yielded 30.4 points per game.

Rule 10: No Team That Went From Last to First in Its Division Has Ever Won the Super Bowl the Next Season. In other words, after a big leap forward, it's tough to maintain your place and/or take it up another level. This spells curtains for the Bears and the Patriots, each of whom finished last in their respective division in 2000 before emerging as 2001 division champions.

THis is about as relevant as Mama Leone's Palm reading service.

No team who has collectively shit up the toilettes have ever won a Super Bowl either.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

WTF is up with Hodge? Holds out and then talks back to a coach? He ain't done chit yet.

Hodge didn't hold out so I don't know where you're getting that from.

Gunther is just pissed because alot of the mistakes that are being made on D are just flat out stupid mental mistakes. Guys lining up wrong. not reading a play right, a defensive end rushing in like he's rushing the passer on a running play. Some of these mistakes they're making are things you learn when your 7 years old.

I think he's got a reason to be pretty pissed off at this point.

[htismaqe]

bump

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

8/18 Update posted by htismaqe
Hinted (like he hinted Monday about Tynes' arrest) that Todd Collins was in trouble. More to come later today from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

wtf?

What the hell is going on in TC this year. geezus.