Joe Posnanski: big SI Scott Pioli feature

[Reaper16]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...10/1/index.htm

Story broken up amongst 8 pages, so I'm not going to copy/paste the full text here.

Figured this would be of interest to us all here.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Joe Po has always been the master at writing 8,000 word fluff pieces.

I think that Pioli should be commended for separating the wheat from the chaff of the old regime, but almost all of the impact talent was already in place.

You could make a case for Flowers, DJ, Bowe, Hali, and Charles all making the pro bowl this year.

Top that off with Albert, Waters, and Carr as solid starters and Cox, Richardson, Studebaker, Williams, and even McGraw as rotational players, and the cupboard wasn't nearly as bare as many thought.

I don't care how many times people discredit it. Coming from a business background, it's extremely important.

The commitment to the "right 53" while criticized on this board has created a culture of discipline, commitment, and accountability. I look at the leaders on the Miami Heat. One guy blasts the coach because they don't let Lebron have fun. Another says the coach doesn't let them just chill. The leadership on the team is phenomenal. The players work their asses off and it shows on the field. They are overachievers--they have some talent, but they play beyond their talent.

That's important because one day, our talent is going to catch up. If we have talent AND overachieve, then look out.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by KcChiefsKing

In the offseason weren't you one of the people bitching about our lack of talent and how we so badly needed to add talent? Weren't you one of the people who said Chiefs were a bottom team in terms of talent? Now you're acting like Pioli had an abundance of talent to begin with...
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Actually, both of those assertions are untrue. This was a great team to take the position for because of the young talent that was here when Herm left. That's something I've said for a long time, and most of that comes from the 2008 draft. That said, Herm hit on all of his 1st rounders, which makes a huge difference as well.

What we didn't have was any depth, and for all intents and purposes, we still don't.

What I find disingenuous is praising the personnel skills of someone that turned a franchise around when almost all of the best players on this team are holdovers.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I don't care how many times people discredit it. Coming from a business background, it's extremely important.

The commitment to the "right 53" while criticized on this board has created a culture of discipline, commitment, and accountability. I look at the leaders on the Miami Heat. One guy blasts the coach because they don't let Lebron have fun. Another says the coach doesn't let them just chill. The leadership on the team is phenomenal. The players work their asses off and it shows on the field. They are overachievers--they have some talent, but they play beyond their talent.

That's important because one day, our talent is going to catch up. If we have talent AND overachieve, then look out.

The deodorant of winning makes a PR claim a lot easier to swallow. The right 53 has little to do with better coaching and the development of young, talented players.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Actually, both of those assertions are untrue. This was a great team to take the position for because of the young talent that was here when Herm left. That's something I've said for a long time, and most of that comes from the 2008 draft. That said, Herm hit on all of his 1st rounders, which makes a huge difference as well.

What we didn't have was any depth, and for all intents and purposes, we still don't.

What I find disingenuous is praising the personnel skills of someone that turned a franchise around when almost all of the best players on this team are holdovers.

Brilliant post.

Pioli has drafted 0 game changers to this point. Berry is a "maybe." Everyone else has a huge mountain to climb.

NO ONE Pioli has drafted even begins to compare with:

Tamba Hali
Glenn Dorsey
Jamaal Charles
Branden Albert
Dwayne Bowe

And I don't want to hear "well Pioli has only been here for 27 games." Hali, Albert and Bowe were wrecking shit as rookies. Charles was flashing big time as a rookie and turned it on his 2nd year.

Unless Dexter McCluster and Tony Moeaki turn into Percy Harvin and Dallas Clark in the last 5 games, where are Pioli's game-changing impact players? Berry, perhaps, but he was a no brainer.

Oh well, at least Jake O'Connell's arrow is pointing up.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Actually, both of those assertions are untrue. This was a great team to take the position for because of the young talent that was here when Herm left. That's something I've said for a long time, and most of that comes from the 2008 draft. That said, Herm hit on all of his 1st rounders, which makes a huge difference as well.

What we didn't have was any depth, and for all intents and purposes, we still don't.

What I find disingenuous is praising the personnel skills of someone that turned a franchise around when almost all of the best players on this team are holdovers.

there is some truh to this, but there is also tons of credit due to Pioli for the job he has done across the board since taking over. This is a list of players he either brought in, or brought in the staff that transformed a previous underachiever into a high quality player...both should be credited to the guy that made those things happen:

Haley
Belcher
DJ
Hali
Shaun Smith
Arenas
Berry
Lewis
Moeaki
Crennel
Weis
Pleasant
Lilja
Weigman
Jones
Asamoah
Dorsey
DMC
Bowe (he is borderline as he was alreay a productive when Pioli took over, but he is now a dominant player threatening a NFL record for his position)
Succop

Those guys have played a pretty big role in all of this as well.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

What I find disingenuous is praising the personnel skills of someone that turned a franchise around when almost all of the best players on this team are holdovers.

sans flowers, all those players game has elevated under his staff.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by stevieray

sans flowers, all those players game has elevated under his staff.

That's all well and good, but it's not going to sustain the franchise over the long haul.

Pioli's first draft was a D. His second draft looks like a C+. We need a B+ or better next year.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by stevieray

sans flowers, all those players game has elevated under his staff.

That's true, but that's typically what young players do. Improve.

Boss,

I think it's foolish to claim that Bowe was an underachiever before the new regime arrived. Furthermore, Hali was not an underachiever either. They have taken their games to new heights, and that deserves praise, but some of that is just a natural byproduct of putting in your time.

[-King-]

Pioli is a fraud. Brian Xanders from the Broncos is everything Pioli wishes to be right now.
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['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by KcChiefsKing

Pioli is a fraud. Brian Xanders from the Broncos is everything Pioli wishes to be right now.
Posted via Mobile Device

Nice rebuttal.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The deodorant of winning makes a PR claim a lot easier to swallow. The right 53 has little to do with better coaching and the development of young, talented players.

Total and utter BS. As a student of organizational behavior, I can assure you there are a bajillion books written on the subject of leadership and cultural fit. And almost every book will tell you you manage out the ones who don't fit and who don't respond to leaders and coaches, and you build up those who bring the best out of others. There are a ton of players who are simply uncoachable and others who are much less capable of being coached. The reason our players respond so well to coaching is that we have a culture of leaders. We have Thomas Jones showing Charles the ropes of the NFL on and off the field. You have Hali treating the gym like it's his second home. You have guys like Cassel who spent countless hours watching film. You have locker room leaders who tactfully get Dwayne Bowe to shut up and focus.

This is a team that took a blowout loss, played their asses off in that second half, and then bounced back next game as if the loss never happened. This is a team that walked into training camp without a single player out of shape. This is a team that cares deeply about winning. They are overachievers. One day talent will catch up with that.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by KcChiefsKing

Pioli is a fraud. Brian Xanders from the Broncos is everything Pioli wishes to be right now.
Posted via Mobile Device

I think I've successfully achieved the creation of the 2010 equivalent of "Egoli."

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Boss,

I think it's foolish to claim that Bowe was an underachiever before the new regime arrived. Furthermore, Hali was not an underachiever either. They have taken their games to new heights, and that deserves praise, but some of that is just a natural byproduct of putting in your time.

I didnt call Bowe an underachiever. I even put a sidenote to his addition to the list because he was productive, but he is a totally new player under Haley and hiring Haley was 100% Piolis call, so he is due the credit for taking Bowes game to the level its at right now where he has a real chance to break or at least threaten the single season record for TD receptions.

2 more TDs and Bowe has equaled his total from his first three years here combined. Credit is surely due.

Same goes for Hali, he was at a new season high at the midway point this year and was playing at a level he hadnt gotten to before. I agree that it wasnt by much as I see it as the players around him allowing him to play in beast mode like he is (though he has seemed to level off the last couple weeks, I wonder if he is hiding an injury) but he has surely stepped his game up and, again, you have to give credit to Haley and ultimately Pioli for demanding so much and making the players seemingly step it up a notch or two.

From the moment Haley got here, he set the tone with the players by not even allowing them to practice till they got into the type of shape he expected of them as professionals.

I dont think that any of these guys would be playing at the level they are playing at if the bar wasnt set almost unrealistically high, as Haley has done.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

That's all well and good, but it's not going to sustain the franchise over the long haul.

Pioli's first draft was a D. His second draft looks like a C+. We need a B+ or better next year.

Berry should improve
Moeaki is a productive receiving tight end and a hell of a blocker for our run game
Kendrick Lewis was a terrific pick for the value
Jon Asamoah will likely be a productive starter
Javier Arenas is playing very well in his nickel role and he's getting a shitload more snaps than he gets credit for
Dexter McCluster--say what you want, but he's not a bust. His upside is yet to be seen, but he at least has some impact

There's no way you can call this a C+ draft. 4 of the players are having a considerable impact their rookie season (5 if you want to include McCluster). And the 6th will likely be a starter for many years to come.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That's true, but that's typically what young players do. Improve.

that's not always true....you sound like you're giving the credit to the players while marginalizing the coaching.