Chiefs JoPo returns - Chiefs’ Edwards gives Army a boost - Page 2

Hammock Parties · 05-11-2008, 01:36 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/614798.html

There’s an old line that goes something like this: Bankers get together to talk about art, and artists get together to talk about money. It also can go like this: When football coaches get together, they talk about war — bombs, sacrifice, shotguns, stealth bombers flying over stadiums, ground attacks, courage, defensive lines.

And when soldiers get together, they talk about football.

“There are so many similarities with what we do,” Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell told Chiefs coach Herm Edwards. “It’s remarkable. We are dealing with many of the same things.”

Caldwell is the commanding general of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth. This is the position Gen. David Petraeus had immediately before taking over as commanding general of the multinational force in Iraq. Just to give you an idea.

Sure, there are many cheap and easy jokes you can make about Herm Edwards going to Fort Leavenworth on Friday to address the United States Army School of Advance Military Studies (SAMS). But … I was there. And Edwards was amazing.

Yes, I do realize the Chiefs went 4-12 last year. I realize that the offense’s most productive player was the punter. I realize that anytime you write the words “Herm” and “Edwards” in the same column, you are guaranteed to get dozens of e-mails and phone calls from people who would like to point out his many deficiencies as a strategist and football coach. The words “clock management” will be repeated often.

I think a lot of it is unfair. Let’s face it: Edwards took over an ancient team that was trying to win with new clothes and a combover. He was saddled with a lot of dead weight and irrational expectations. The star left tackle, Willie Roaf, retired before Edwards’ first game. The starting quarterback, Trent Green, was knocked unconscious during Edwards’ first game. Last year, his singular offensive weapon, Larry Johnson, got hurt when the Chiefs had a winning record (4-3) and were beating the Green Bay Packers. The Chiefs did not win again.

Edwards’ offensive line — the heart of the Chiefs’ moderate success in the early 2000s — fell apart. His cornerbacks were old enough to catch movies at half price. His quarterback choice was between a 34-year-old lifelong backup and a strong-armed Alabaman who had thrown seven passes in his NFL career (two of them interceptions).

Now, finally, Edwards is being given a fair shot. The Chiefs had what they (and most other draft analysts) considered a spectacular draft. They got 12 players — including their dream choice Glenn Dorsey — and added another nine college free agents. They will go to River Falls, Wis., this July with perhaps the youngest team in pro football. This is exactly what Edwards wanted. He knew they would have to blow things up. The feeling at Arrowhead is that the Chiefs are on the right track, they have rebuilt their core, they have broken away from the failed policies of the last decade.

Now, not everyone is buying it. But the United States Army does. Rob McClary, an instructor at SAMS (which prepares and trains some of the Army’s best officers for command positions), embedded with the Chiefs coaches last year to study how a team prepares for a game. He has spoken many times with Edwards. He was very impressed. He asked Edwards to come and speak to the students about leadership and overcoming adversity and building a team from the ground floor.

“No, no, you don’t want me,” Edwards said. “What you guys do is for real. We’re just playing football.”

McClary, though, explained that what Edwards does as a coach — create game plans, make hard decisions, inspire and energize players, overcome losses, build teamwork, adjust when everything’s falling apart, handle overwhelming criticism, stomp out dissension, work with the media to get out the right message — is a pretty precise model of what a military leader must do in today’s new world.

So, of course Edwards came, and he spoke to the students. He had lunch with Gen. Caldwell and some elite military minds. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were blown away. Edwards is electrifying in small rooms. It’s the big reason his players play hard for him. It’s the reason that for all the criticism, Edwards has taken four teams to the playoffs. It’s the reason the Chiefs — with lots of young players running around wildly — will probably be better in 2008 than most people expect.

Edwards told them: “There’s one thing I know when I walk into the stadium on Sunday morning. I know that there will be 80,000 people there. And every one of those 80,000 people can do my job better than me. That’s the job. That’s what you signed up for.”

He said: “Every time you lose, there will be people who say, ‘This is a bad plan.’ Every time. … The big thing is: Don’t deviate. You must not allow uncertainty.”

He said: “It’s never convenient to lead. That’s what you have to remember. … But when it’s all said and done, you will only need six people in your life. That’s all. It takes six people to put you in the dirt. And when that happens, what will they say about you? Because the biggest thing is to be able to say, ‘I made a difference.’ ”

He told them he doesn’t like free agency (“Helmet for hire,” he calls it), and he had a simple message for the players at the end of the last disastrous season (“Boys, there are going to be changes”) and that he lives his coaching life by a simple motto (“There are only two possibilities. You either coach it or you allow it to happen. That’s it.”)

Nobody wanted the day to end. Yes, there may be complaints about the offense the Chiefs ran or Edwards’ conservative history, but it’s pretty close to impossible to be around him in these moments and not be stirred. As McClary says: They are thinking about much bigger issues in the Army — for instance, how to make progress in Iraq, how to measure the progress, how to get word out that progress is being made, how to get Iraq on its own feet so Americans can come home, on and on and on. And, he said, seeing and hearing Edwards up close inspires everyone.

That’s how it is. Football coaches talk war. Soldiers talk football.

“Sir, I want to show you something.” This was Maj. Henry Groulx, who had just returned from his third tour in Iraq. Groulx had told Edwards some amazing stories about the challenges there, the triumphant feeling of installing a new generator or a sewer system, the way the heart beats through the chest when the enemy fires, the way that an American soldier must keep moving so not to give the snipers a clear shot.

Then he pulled out his notebook and turned it over.

There it said a quote his commanding officer in Iraq had used almost every day. The quote was: “You play to win the game!” That, of course, was Edwards’ famous quote to the New York media a couple of years ago.

“This is what we lived by in Iraq, sir,” Groulx said. Edwards’ eyes looked like they may have watered just a little bit.

He said: “Well, isn’t that something?”

And Groulx said. “Yes sir. Play to win. It’s the only way, isn’t it?”

**Dave Lane** · 05-11-2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

Edwards told them: “There’s one thing I know when I walk into the stadium on Sunday morning. I know that there will be 80,000 people there. And every one of those 80,000 people can do my job better than me.

Quoted for truth!

Dave

Pasta Little Brioni · 05-11-2008, 08:50 AM

for the "bashers" honestly how many more games do you think this team could have won with a "better" coach? do you really think we had the talent to do better than 4-12. heck all i see is people saying how many holes this team has.

Hoover · 05-11-2008, 08:53 AM

PRINT EM

milkman · 05-11-2008, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoover

PRINT EM

The Army's ticket home?

Hoover · 05-11-2008, 09:31 AM

Hell no. Face it the Army is never home, the US has global Army not one that sits at home and waits for shit to happen.

**alanm** · 05-11-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

Who's being critical?

Just stating the facts.

Here are some other head coaches with similar career winning percentages.

Dick Jauron
Sam Wyche
Norv Turner
Jerry Glanville
Ray Rhodes
John Mackovic
Jim Haslett
Dave Wannstedt
Mike Tice
Wayne Fontes
Buddy Ryan
Pete Carroll
Art Shell

I like Herm, but what really separates him from the other guys on this list - guys who did nothing signifcant as NFL head coaches?

Wyche took the Bengals to 2 SB's. I'll be happy if Herm could do the same.

CoMoChief · 05-11-2008, 09:41 AM

Good article, but Herm ****ing sucks as a head coach.

Great motivator, players play hard for him. Well shit they have to. If not they will be shipped out......rightfully so.

The only similarity to war and football is that as a general and a HC, you are leading a group of men and that's really about it.

StcChief · 05-11-2008, 10:00 AM

well if Herm can motivate them, Gailey/Gun/Pheiffer can coach 'em. will we be 4-12/5-11/6-10 likely, but we are rebuilding. Carl's about done.....

the future of a good Chief team is coming .... patience, it's a virtue. young grasshoppers

blueballs · 05-11-2008, 10:42 AM

A coach can only be as good as his GM lets him be -it's a team game in management also
in NY Broadway(a Peterson prodigy) was a complete joke
You do notice Herm(now) is not letting Carl run the show the same way he has for going on2 decades

**Rausch** · 05-11-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanm

Wyche took the Bengals to 2 SB's. I'll be happy if Herm could do the same.

While Marty was worried about stomping the Faiders and mauling the front-runner team of the week Herm's teams put up ho-hum regular season records and realized that you need to elevate your play when the playoffs roll around.

Herm didn't get to use Joe Montana for his run either...

blueballs · 05-11-2008, 01:03 PM

Larry Johnson, got hurt when the Chiefs had a winning record (4-3) and were beating the Green Bay Packers.

what a co-inky dink
NFL replay at 3 pm CMT

**Dylan** · 05-11-2008, 02:30 PM

Great article -- Joe is a great sports columnist. I always appreciate how well he knows his subjects. He writes and he reports, and has great insight into human culture and emotions. Po delivers -- That's much harder to do than you think.

Joe writes a wonderful blog. Here's the link: http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/

Not to forget:

Quote:

Now, finally, Edwards is being given a fair shot. The Chiefs had what they (and most other draft analysts) considered a spectacular draft. They got 12 players — including their dream choice Glenn Dorsey — and added another nine college free agents. They will go to River Falls, Wis., this July with perhaps the youngest team in pro football. This is exactly what Edwards wanted. He knew they would have to blow things up. The feeling at Arrowhead is that the Chiefs are on the right track, they have rebuilt their core, they have broken away from the failed policies of the last decade.

05-11-2008, 01:36 AM
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $820478	JoPo returns - Chiefs’ Edwards gives Army a boost http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ry/614798.html There’s an old line that goes something like this: Bankers get together to talk about art, and artists get together to talk about money. It also can go like this: When football coaches get together, they talk about war — bombs, sacrifice, shotguns, stealth bombers flying over stadiums, ground attacks, courage, defensive lines. And when soldiers get together, they talk about football. “There are so many similarities with what we do,” Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell told Chiefs coach Herm Edwards. “It’s remarkable. We are dealing with many of the same things.” Caldwell is the commanding general of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth. This is the position Gen. David Petraeus had immediately before taking over as commanding general of the multinational force in Iraq. Just to give you an idea. Sure, there are many cheap and easy jokes you can make about Herm Edwards going to Fort Leavenworth on Friday to address the United States Army School of Advance Military Studies (SAMS). But … I was there. And Edwards was amazing. Yes, I do realize the Chiefs went 4-12 last year. I realize that the offense’s most productive player was the punter. I realize that anytime you write the words “Herm” and “Edwards” in the same column, you are guaranteed to get dozens of e-mails and phone calls from people who would like to point out his many deficiencies as a strategist and football coach. The words “clock management” will be repeated often. I think a lot of it is unfair. Let’s face it: Edwards took over an ancient team that was trying to win with new clothes and a combover. He was saddled with a lot of dead weight and irrational expectations. The star left tackle, Willie Roaf, retired before Edwards’ first game. The starting quarterback, Trent Green, was knocked unconscious during Edwards’ first game. Last year, his singular offensive weapon, Larry Johnson, got hurt when the Chiefs had a winning record (4-3) and were beating the Green Bay Packers. The Chiefs did not win again. Edwards’ offensive line — the heart of the Chiefs’ moderate success in the early 2000s — fell apart. His cornerbacks were old enough to catch movies at half price. His quarterback choice was between a 34-year-old lifelong backup and a strong-armed Alabaman who had thrown seven passes in his NFL career (two of them interceptions). Now, finally, Edwards is being given a fair shot. The Chiefs had what they (and most other draft analysts) considered a spectacular draft. They got 12 players — including their dream choice Glenn Dorsey — and added another nine college free agents. They will go to River Falls, Wis., this July with perhaps the youngest team in pro football. This is exactly what Edwards wanted. He knew they would have to blow things up. The feeling at Arrowhead is that the Chiefs are on the right track, they have rebuilt their core, they have broken away from the failed policies of the last decade. Now, not everyone is buying it. But the United States Army does. Rob McClary, an instructor at SAMS (which prepares and trains some of the Army’s best officers for command positions), embedded with the Chiefs coaches last year to study how a team prepares for a game. He has spoken many times with Edwards. He was very impressed. He asked Edwards to come and speak to the students about leadership and overcoming adversity and building a team from the ground floor. “No, no, you don’t want me,” Edwards said. “What you guys do is for real. We’re just playing football.” McClary, though, explained that what Edwards does as a coach — create game plans, make hard decisions, inspire and energize players, overcome losses, build teamwork, adjust when everything’s falling apart, handle overwhelming criticism, stomp out dissension, work with the media to get out the right message — is a pretty precise model of what a military leader must do in today’s new world. So, of course Edwards came, and he spoke to the students. He had lunch with Gen. Caldwell and some elite military minds. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were blown away. Edwards is electrifying in small rooms. It’s the big reason his players play hard for him. It’s the reason that for all the criticism, Edwards has taken four teams to the playoffs. It’s the reason the Chiefs — with lots of young players running around wildly — will probably be better in 2008 than most people expect. Edwards told them: “There’s one thing I know when I walk into the stadium on Sunday morning. I know that there will be 80,000 people there. And every one of those 80,000 people can do my job better than me. That’s the job. That’s what you signed up for.” He said: “Every time you lose, there will be people who say, ‘This is a bad plan.’ Every time. … The big thing is: Don’t deviate. You must not allow uncertainty.” He said: “It’s never convenient to lead. That’s what you have to remember. … But when it’s all said and done, you will only need six people in your life. That’s all. It takes six people to put you in the dirt. And when that happens, what will they say about you? Because the biggest thing is to be able to say, ‘I made a difference.’ ” He told them he doesn’t like free agency (“Helmet for hire,” he calls it), and he had a simple message for the players at the end of the last disastrous season (“Boys, there are going to be changes”) and that he lives his coaching life by a simple motto (“There are only two possibilities. You either coach it or you allow it to happen. That’s it.”) Nobody wanted the day to end. Yes, there may be complaints about the offense the Chiefs ran or Edwards’ conservative history, but it’s pretty close to impossible to be around him in these moments and not be stirred. As McClary says: They are thinking about much bigger issues in the Army — for instance, how to make progress in Iraq, how to measure the progress, how to get word out that progress is being made, how to get Iraq on its own feet so Americans can come home, on and on and on. And, he said, seeing and hearing Edwards up close inspires everyone. That’s how it is. Football coaches talk war. Soldiers talk football. “Sir, I want to show you something.” This was Maj. Henry Groulx, who had just returned from his third tour in Iraq. Groulx had told Edwards some amazing stories about the challenges there, the triumphant feeling of installing a new generator or a sewer system, the way the heart beats through the chest when the enemy fires, the way that an American soldier must keep moving so not to give the snipers a clear shot. Then he pulled out his notebook and turned it over. There it said a quote his commanding officer in Iraq had used almost every day. The quote was: “You play to win the game!” That, of course, was Edwards’ famous quote to the New York media a couple of years ago. “This is what we lived by in Iraq, sir,” Groulx said. Edwards’ eyes looked like they may have watered just a little bit. He said: “Well, isn’t that something?” And Groulx said. “Yes sir. Play to win. It’s the only way, isn’t it?”
Posts: 297,406

05-11-2008, 08:50 AM	#17
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $188880	for the "bashers" honestly how many more games do you think this team could have won with a "better" coach? do you really think we had the talent to do better than 4-12. heck all i see is people saying how many holes this team has.
Posts: 73,003

05-11-2008, 08:53 AM	#18
Hoover Rufus Dawes Jr. Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $-2131821	PRINT EM
Posts: 18,023

05-11-2008, 09:31 AM	#20
Hoover Rufus Dawes Jr. Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $-2131821	Hell no. Face it the Army is never home, the US has global Army not one that sits at home and waits for shit to happen.
Posts: 18,023

05-11-2008, 09:41 AM	#22
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $7672254	Good article, but Herm ****ing sucks as a head coach. Great motivator, players play hard for him. Well shit they have to. If not they will be shipped out......rightfully so. The only similarity to war and football is that as a general and a HC, you are leading a group of men and that's really about it. __________________
Posts: 39,245

05-11-2008, 10:00 AM	#23
StcChief Playing for #1 Draft Pick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Just West of Lambs land Casino cash: $10004900	well if Herm can motivate them, Gailey/Gun/Pheiffer can coach 'em. will we be 4-12/5-11/6-10 likely, but we are rebuilding. Carl's about done..... the future of a good Chief team is coming .... patience, it's a virtue. young grasshoppers __________________ sig test for this screwy schema
Posts: 25,901

05-11-2008, 10:42 AM	#24
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	A coach can only be as good as his GM lets him be -it's a team game in management also in NY Broadway(a Peterson prodigy) was a complete joke You do notice Herm(now) is not letting Carl run the show the same way he has for going on2 decades
Posts: 14,233

05-11-2008, 01:03 PM	#26
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	Larry Johnson, got hurt when the Chiefs had a winning record (4-3) and were beating the Green Bay Packers. what a co-inky dink NFL replay at 3 pm CMT
Posts: 14,233