Football Mellinger:Joining media won’t fix Scott Pioli’s NFL reputation - Page 4

**Tribal Warfare** · 07:59 PM

Joining media won’t fix Scott Pioli’s NFL reputation
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star
Scott Pioli’s new life will require a microphone and makeup and there are a million jokes we can make here, some of them funny, all of them missing the point.

We can kid about how Pioli will begin a six-minute answer on live TV by asking to go “10,000 miles off the record,” or filibuster every segment by taking credit for the Patriots’ Super Bowls and continuing to blame his struggles with the Chiefs on Carl Peterson. But all of this misses the point.

Pioli’s name is a virtual curse word for many in the place he still calls home. The man who never saw much use for the media is now a member of the media. But if we can get away from jokes about candy wrappers and vitriolic banners flying at Arrowhead Stadium on game days and the “Right 53,” we can see what is happening here.

Pioli is making the predictable career move to join NBC’s Sunday night NFL studio show after being fired as Chiefs general manager in January.

And he’s kidding himself if he thinks this is the fix to a diminished reputation around the NFL.

“Evaluating in my old job the things I did well and the things I did not do well, I certainly believe understanding the media and what their job is was something I did not do a good job of,” Pioli told Sports Illustrated. “I thought this was a good opportunity to learn and grow, and get better in a lot of different areas.”

Pioli said those words in an SI.com piece that broke the news of his new career, which also will include appearances on NBC Sports Network. He didn’t respond to a message for this column, but if his goal is to get back into an NFL front office, his evaluation needs to go beyond how he dealt with the media.

Pioli is smart, driven, prepared, intellectually exhaustive and a hundred other things that could make him a productive part of a team’s front office. But he’ll remain a creation of Bill Belichick if he doesn’t understand what truly sunk him in Kansas City.

It’s true that Pioli was generally awful with the media, especially in his last year with the Chiefs. Usually, he just wouldn’t talk. When he did, his answers often alternated between condescending, defensive, rambling and amazingly self-unaware.

Pioli was awkward in interviews, overthinking every word. He was also obsessed with everything written or said about him, often quoting columns in the paper old enough that the links had expired.

But football people can be bad with the media and good at their jobs. Pioli knows this well after spending nine years working for Belichick in New England. But Belichick is good at his job. If Pioli is honest with himself, he’ll see he could’ve sent bags of manure to every reporter in town and kept his job as the Chiefs GM if he was good at it.

As much as he’d like to blame the media for his problems here — and Pioli started pushing that narrative to friends around the league months before he was finally fired — if he wants another chance, he’ll have to understand he was a rotten GM in ways that had nothing to do with media.

For starters, he hired two bad head coaches, blew way too many draft picks, and did precious little to strengthen the roster other than sign guys he inherited to long-term contracts.

But mostly, Pioli spent way too much time on things that had nothing to do with winning football games or bringing in better players.

Pioli talked a lot about creating “a championship environment” with the Chiefs, but mostly it turned into an environment where too many people were scared for their professional lives. Insecurity is why he spent so much time bad-mouthing what he took over from Peterson, tried to run the team’s communications department, and surrounded himself with too many yes-men to get honest self-evaluations.

Going on TV is a smart career move, considering that interest from NFL teams was apparently tepid. He’ll have the platform of network television every week, and if Pioli finds comfort in front of a camera then the football world might remember New England more and Kansas City less.

He’s a smart guy with a lot to offer in the right situation, and as a holding cell until something inside the league materializes, joining the NBC crew is a good move.

But to really prepare for another NFL job, Pioli needs to focus on the problems that surfaced in his four years running the Chiefs. The problems that matter have nothing to do with the media.

**DeezNutz** · 06-17-2013, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Talk about kicking a man while he is down. I mean sure, he destroyed a fantastic window of opportunity for the Chiefs, but at the end of the day he is still a man. The timing of this article is just in bad taste.

**** that. That fat piece of shit needs to be treated like the rogue sperm that matriculated down his Mom's ass crack that he is.

O.city · 06-17-2013, 09:34 PM

Once again, same with the story about Matthews and the Aids trees, you take the money they make, you put yourself in that position.

Don't act like a jackass and treat people right and this doesn't happen.

**Bugeater** · 06-17-2013, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Talk about kicking a man while he is down. I mean sure, he destroyed a fantastic window of opportunity for the Chiefs, but at the end of the day he is still a man. The timing of this article is just in bad taste.

And you're a ginormous vagina if you really think that way. If the asshole doesn't want his face rubbed in his pathetic failures he can go the **** away somewhere.

**DeezNutz** · 06-17-2013, 09:36 PM

We really should fly one more banner, demanding that **** to leave town.

O.city · 06-17-2013, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

We really should fly one more banner, demanding that **** to leave town.

Literally laughed out loud, spit out some chocolate milk there.

Hammock Parties · 06-17-2013, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

We really should fly one more banner, demanding that **** to leave town.

If he's here in October his house should be littered with candy wrappers.

Happy Halloween, you scum.

Lex Luthor · 06-17-2013, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

I'm killing the Pioli filter. Don't hate me.

The filter served its purpose. It was time to retire it since Pioli is irrelevant now.

**ShortRoundChief** · 06-17-2013, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Branden Albert's Huge Balls

If he's here in October his house should be littered with candy wrappers.

Happy Halloween, you scum.

Bags of them dropped out of a plane with a banner a flying right on to his lawn.

BigBeauford · 06-17-2013, 10:10 PM

***** will forever live on as a cheap scapegoat for some miserable seasons. Which is a shame, since I blame Cassel.

**Bugeater** · 06-17-2013, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qbsacker93

***** will forever live on as a cheap scapegoat for some miserable seasons. Which is a shame, since I blame Cassel.

Who the **** do you think brought Cassel here?

**007** · 06-17-2013, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qbsacker93

***** will forever live on as a cheap scapegoat for some miserable seasons. Which is a shame, since I blame Cassel.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 06-17-2013, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

Eh....He's history.

I have John Dorsey and Andy Reid to bitch about now.

This. Especially since they are REPEATING THE GODDAMNED FORMULA. HELLO? IS THIS THING ON? LIL' CHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEF-EY????

'Hamas' Jenkins · 06-17-2013, 10:48 PM

**** him. The NSA should do a public service and publish his cell and home phone numbers every time the asshole changes them.

**ShortRoundChief** · 06-17-2013, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

This. Especially since they are REPEATING THE GODDAMNED FORMULA. HELLO? IS THIS THING ON? LIL' CHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEF-EY????

Everytime you say Lil Chiefy, I'm going to put a hit out on one of them Sally Struthers kids that you could save with $1 a month.

Continue with the nonsense and their blood will be on your hands.

Fritz88 · 06-17-2013, 10:52 PM

" The man who never saw much use for the media is now a member of the media"

That's a killer.
Posted via Mobile Device

06-17-2013, 05:40 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2967187	Mellinger:Joining media won’t fix Scott Pioli’s NFL reputation Joining media won’t fix Scott Pioli’s NFL reputation By SAM MELLINGER The Kansas City Star Scott Pioli’s new life will require a microphone and makeup and there are a million jokes we can make here, some of them funny, all of them missing the point. We can kid about how Pioli will begin a six-minute answer on live TV by asking to go “10,000 miles off the record,” or filibuster every segment by taking credit for the Patriots’ Super Bowls and continuing to blame his struggles with the Chiefs on Carl Peterson. But all of this misses the point. Pioli’s name is a virtual curse word for many in the place he still calls home. The man who never saw much use for the media is now a member of the media. But if we can get away from jokes about candy wrappers and vitriolic banners flying at Arrowhead Stadium on game days and the “Right 53,” we can see what is happening here. Pioli is making the predictable career move to join NBC’s Sunday night NFL studio show after being fired as Chiefs general manager in January. And he’s kidding himself if he thinks this is the fix to a diminished reputation around the NFL. “Evaluating in my old job the things I did well and the things I did not do well, I certainly believe understanding the media and what their job is was something I did not do a good job of,” Pioli told Sports Illustrated. “I thought this was a good opportunity to learn and grow, and get better in a lot of different areas.” Pioli said those words in an SI.com piece that broke the news of his new career, which also will include appearances on NBC Sports Network. He didn’t respond to a message for this column, but if his goal is to get back into an NFL front office, his evaluation needs to go beyond how he dealt with the media. Pioli is smart, driven, prepared, intellectually exhaustive and a hundred other things that could make him a productive part of a team’s front office. But he’ll remain a creation of Bill Belichick if he doesn’t understand what truly sunk him in Kansas City. It’s true that Pioli was generally awful with the media, especially in his last year with the Chiefs. Usually, he just wouldn’t talk. When he did, his answers often alternated between condescending, defensive, rambling and amazingly self-unaware. Pioli was awkward in interviews, overthinking every word. He was also obsessed with everything written or said about him, often quoting columns in the paper old enough that the links had expired. But football people can be bad with the media and good at their jobs. Pioli knows this well after spending nine years working for Belichick in New England. But Belichick is good at his job. If Pioli is honest with himself, he’ll see he could’ve sent bags of manure to every reporter in town and kept his job as the Chiefs GM if he was good at it. As much as he’d like to blame the media for his problems here — and Pioli started pushing that narrative to friends around the league months before he was finally fired — if he wants another chance, he’ll have to understand he was a rotten GM in ways that had nothing to do with media. For starters, he hired two bad head coaches, blew way too many draft picks, and did precious little to strengthen the roster other than sign guys he inherited to long-term contracts. But mostly, Pioli spent way too much time on things that had nothing to do with winning football games or bringing in better players. Pioli talked a lot about creating “a championship environment” with the Chiefs, but mostly it turned into an environment where too many people were scared for their professional lives. Insecurity is why he spent so much time bad-mouthing what he took over from Peterson, tried to run the team’s communications department, and surrounded himself with too many yes-men to get honest self-evaluations. Going on TV is a smart career move, considering that interest from NFL teams was apparently tepid. He’ll have the platform of network television every week, and if Pioli finds comfort in front of a camera then the football world might remember New England more and Kansas City less. He’s a smart guy with a lot to offer in the right situation, and as a holding cell until something inside the league materializes, joining the NBC crew is a good move. But to really prepare for another NFL job, Pioli needs to focus on the problems that surfaced in his four years running the Chiefs. The problems that matter have nothing to do with the media. Last edited by DaFace; 06-17-2013 at 07:59 PM..
Posts: 43,452

06-17-2013, 09:34 PM	#47
O.city In Search of a Life Join Date: Jul 2009 Casino cash: $-705936	Once again, same with the story about Matthews and the Aids trees, you take the money they make, you put yourself in that position. Don't act like a jackass and treat people right and this doesn't happen.
Posts: 84,223

06-17-2013, 10:10 PM	#54
BigBeauford MVP Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Lenexa, KS Casino cash: $1476717	***** will forever live on as a cheap scapegoat for some miserable seasons. Which is a shame, since I blame Cassel.
Posts: 14,411

06-17-2013, 10:48 PM	#58
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7149572	**** him. The NSA should do a public service and publish his cell and home phone numbers every time the asshole changes them. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 75,083

06-17-2013, 10:52 PM	#60
Fritz88 Custom User Title Join Date: Nov 2008 Casino cash: $8505943	" The man who never saw much use for the media is now a member of the media" That's a killer. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 12,706