Chiefs Rand: Clark is being prudent - Page 3

shaneo69 · 10-21-2008, 11:19 AM

An owner's dilemma
Oct 21, 2008, 8:38:24 AM by Jonathan Rand

With the Chiefs’ latest lopsided loss, you can expect fans to resume their exasperation with chairman Clark Hunt for saying that coach Herm Edwards and president Carl Peterson are doing a good job rebuilding the team.

Fans want to hear Hunt tell them that he shares their pain and frustration, and no doubt would welcome an angry ultimatum to his entire football operation.

But that’s not how a good owner operates, and Hunt in a recent Kansas City Star interview said that he’s staying the course. Publicly chewing out his coach and front office might briefly give an owner a “Joe the Plumber” moment of popularity, but would serve mainly to demoralize and divide the very people he’s trying to help succeed.

Firing NFL coaches during a season is relatively rare and usually futile, the 2-0 start of the Rams’ Jim Haslett notwithstanding. Once a season starts, football teams are like concrete that’s been allowed to dry, and it’s too late to tear it all up.

An offense and defense are meticulously crafted and married to the available personnel. Once the season starts, a team is on a 16-game roller coaster ride, and good luck trying to get out of your car. An owner has to keep the faith that the decisions he signed off on were sound ones unless 16 games tell him otherwise.

In baseball, you can follow through on a managerial shakeup by calling up minor-league prospects and making a major trade or two. The NFL has no minor leagues and the relatively few important trades are made before the season. If you acquire draft picks, they can’t help you now.

It would be naïve to believe that Hunt doesn’t grasp what he’s been watching for six games. Having graduated first in his class at SMU, played soccer there and having watched the Chiefs most of his life, you can bet that he’s keenly aware of all their shortcomings.

But it’s unwise to evaluate a team at its peak or valley, and the Chiefs clearly have reached bottom. Their offense and defense are among the NFL’s worst.

The Brodie Croyle era has probably ended before it really started. Former Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson, with his irresponsible behavior, seems determined to fulfill his prophecy that the Chiefs are trying to phase him out.

Hunt could be excused if all this made him scream. It’s to his credit that he hasn’t.

The New York Yankees’ George Steinbrenner was once the poster child for the populist owner who rips his managers and players, to the delight of fans. But the record shows that his tirades bred instability and underachievement, and that his Yankees enjoyed their greatest success when he finally stuck with one manager, Joe Torre, and began respecting sound personnel advice.

Giving his people the benefit of the doubt, however, often leads an owner into the “vote of confidence” trap. If he fires somebody after giving a vote of confidence, he’s considered inept, indecisive or dishonest.

But if he withholds a vote of confidence – even by uttering a simple “no comment” — he’s seen as pulling the rug out from under his people. For the owner of a losing team, this is truly a no-win situation.

As poorly as the Chiefs played Sunday in a 34-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, no reasonable NFL owner pulls the plug on a rebuilding program after only six games. For Hunt to call for a restart at this point would make a tough situation worse.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/10...wners_dilemma/

ChiefsCountry · 10-21-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

being talked down to from a mccain palin supporter priceless.....

I want Peterson and Herm gone but canning their ass now isnt the way to do it.

King_Chief_Fan · 10-21-2008, 12:29 PM

Mr. Rand,
Like you, Clark Hunt is showing what a dumb MFer he is and what little he knows about running a football franchise. Anyone who aligns with your thinking is pretty stupid as well.
KCF

Calcountry · 10-21-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikey23545

You posters are the reason it's not a good idea to have kindergartners running a sports franchise.

Insert the obligatory quote by king Carl, "Well the REAL fans can see that we are building something special" or something like that.

58-4ever · 10-21-2008, 12:56 PM

He played SOCCER? Great, now that confirms that he is a pussy.

beach tribe · 10-21-2008, 12:57 PM

But that’s not how a good owner operates, and Hunt in a recent Kansas City Star interview said that he’s staying the course. Publicly chewing out his coach and front office might briefly give an owner a “Joe the Plumber” moment of popularity, but would serve mainly to demoralize and divide the very people he’s trying to help succeed.

Good owners win playoff games. Not just make millions.

**morphius** · 10-21-2008, 12:59 PM

It doesn't shock me that he would wait till after the season is over, he bought into the rebuild, and now is going to see if Herm can actually follow through with the improvement piece. Plus, he is going to have to wait till after the season is over before he can pick a HC off from another team, and steal a GM somehow as well.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 10-21-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Ah, I knew this thread would draw the village idiot out eventually....

Stop referring to yourself in the third person.

**Tribal Warfare** · 10-21-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphius

It doesn't shock me that he would wait till after the season is over, he bought into the rebuild, and now is going to see if Herm can actually follow through with the improvement piece. Plus, he is going to have to wait till after the season is over before he can pick a HC off from another team, and steal a GM somehow as well.

QFT

whoman69 · 10-21-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

I want Peterson and Herm gone but canning their ass now isnt the way to do it.

Why not. St. Louis, Oakland and San Fran all recognized the train wreck they were on and decided to get off. I don't buy the baseball analogy given. Did the Mets call up a bunch of minor leaguers after they fired Willie Randolf? No they brought in someone who would not put up with the crap being put out on the field and got it fixed. Right now Herm is sending our players out to make the same mistakes every week. He has the same lame playbook out there with absolutely no offensive capability which is killing us on both sides of the ball. Why are you going to compound these mistakes and build a culture of losing. We are not rebuilding, we're learning to lose.

**morphius** · 10-21-2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

QFT

The main thing is you have to be ready to hit the ground running as soon as the last whistle is blown so that the new GM can start interviewing coaches that are on playoff teams during their bye week. There are a lot of openings, so there will be some teams throwing some bigger money around really quick.

oaklandhater · 10-21-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

I want Peterson and Herm gone but canning their ass now isnt the way to do it.

I dont see why not its not like we are changeing a winning formula the chiefs are about as bad as it gets right now

StcChief · 10-21-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

It is true that Clark's in a bit of a dilemma on this deal. After all, not only did he inherit Carl and Herm, he signed off on the whole "rebuild via the draft" plan. The best thing he can do is set clear and reasonable performance standards for everyone and hold his coaches and GM accountable. Frankly, that's pretty easy in football. He can use wins, individual stats, team rankings, or whatever as performance benchmarks.

The problem I have with him right now is that his performance requirements seem kind of mushy. For example, what does "improvement" mean exactly? I'm still waiting for Clark to demonstrate that he knows how to manage anything - let alone an NFL franchise.

FAX

2009 beginning of off season 12/29/2008 would be soon enough to evaulate and start over with new folks at GM/Head coach.

dallaschiefsfan · 10-21-2008, 02:54 PM

Jon Rand = Hack

ChiefsCountry · 10-21-2008, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

I dont see why not its not like we are changeing a winning formula the chiefs are about as bad as it gets right now

Read all morphius's posts above. He has it right.

whoman69 · 10-21-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StcChief

2009 beginning of off season 12/29/2008 would be soon enough to evaulate and start over with new folks at GM/Head coach.

If you're going to get rid of them anyway, why not start now? Miami brought in Parcelles half way thru last season. St. Louis and San Fran have made the call to start the cure now, not wait until the patient is terminal. We gain nothing from keeping a broken system in place.

10-21-2008, 11:19 AM
shaneo69 Smug Weasel Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bleachers at Busch Casino cash: $10004900	Rand: Clark is being prudent An owner's dilemma Oct 21, 2008, 8:38:24 AM by Jonathan Rand With the Chiefs’ latest lopsided loss, you can expect fans to resume their exasperation with chairman Clark Hunt for saying that coach Herm Edwards and president Carl Peterson are doing a good job rebuilding the team. Fans want to hear Hunt tell them that he shares their pain and frustration, and no doubt would welcome an angry ultimatum to his entire football operation. But that’s not how a good owner operates, and Hunt in a recent Kansas City Star interview said that he’s staying the course. Publicly chewing out his coach and front office might briefly give an owner a “Joe the Plumber” moment of popularity, but would serve mainly to demoralize and divide the very people he’s trying to help succeed. Firing NFL coaches during a season is relatively rare and usually futile, the 2-0 start of the Rams’ Jim Haslett notwithstanding. Once a season starts, football teams are like concrete that’s been allowed to dry, and it’s too late to tear it all up. An offense and defense are meticulously crafted and married to the available personnel. Once the season starts, a team is on a 16-game roller coaster ride, and good luck trying to get out of your car. An owner has to keep the faith that the decisions he signed off on were sound ones unless 16 games tell him otherwise. In baseball, you can follow through on a managerial shakeup by calling up minor-league prospects and making a major trade or two. The NFL has no minor leagues and the relatively few important trades are made before the season. If you acquire draft picks, they can’t help you now. It would be naïve to believe that Hunt doesn’t grasp what he’s been watching for six games. Having graduated first in his class at SMU, played soccer there and having watched the Chiefs most of his life, you can bet that he’s keenly aware of all their shortcomings. But it’s unwise to evaluate a team at its peak or valley, and the Chiefs clearly have reached bottom. Their offense and defense are among the NFL’s worst. The Brodie Croyle era has probably ended before it really started. Former Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson, with his irresponsible behavior, seems determined to fulfill his prophecy that the Chiefs are trying to phase him out. Hunt could be excused if all this made him scream. It’s to his credit that he hasn’t. The New York Yankees’ George Steinbrenner was once the poster child for the populist owner who rips his managers and players, to the delight of fans. But the record shows that his tirades bred instability and underachievement, and that his Yankees enjoyed their greatest success when he finally stuck with one manager, Joe Torre, and began respecting sound personnel advice. Giving his people the benefit of the doubt, however, often leads an owner into the “vote of confidence” trap. If he fires somebody after giving a vote of confidence, he’s considered inept, indecisive or dishonest. But if he withholds a vote of confidence – even by uttering a simple “no comment” — he’s seen as pulling the rug out from under his people. For the owner of a losing team, this is truly a no-win situation. As poorly as the Chiefs played Sunday in a 34-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, no reasonable NFL owner pulls the plug on a rebuilding program after only six games. For Hunt to call for a restart at this point would make a tough situation worse. http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/10...wners_dilemma/
Posts: 4,910

10-21-2008, 12:29 PM	#32
King_Chief_Fan Praise Him Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: none ya Casino cash: $4745486	Mr. Rand, Like you, Clark Hunt is showing what a dumb MFer he is and what little he knows about running a football franchise. Anyone who aligns with your thinking is pretty stupid as well. KCF __________________ No Jesus No Peace Know Jesus Know Peace Ephesians 2:8-10 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Posts: 12,362

10-21-2008, 12:56 PM	#34
58-4ever The Collective Unconscious Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The OP Casino cash: $9450422	He played SOCCER? Great, now that confirms that he is a pussy.
Posts: 10,436

10-21-2008, 12:57 PM	#35
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $3868036	But that’s not how a good owner operates, and Hunt in a recent Kansas City Star interview said that he’s staying the course. Publicly chewing out his coach and front office might briefly give an owner a “Joe the Plumber” moment of popularity, but would serve mainly to demoralize and divide the very people he’s trying to help succeed. Good owners win playoff games. Not just make millions.
Posts: 21,429

10-21-2008, 12:59 PM	#36
morphius World's finest morphius Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $5675027	It doesn't shock me that he would wait till after the season is over, he bought into the rebuild, and now is going to see if Herm can actually follow through with the improvement piece. Plus, he is going to have to wait till after the season is over before he can pick a HC off from another team, and steal a GM somehow as well.
Posts: 26,023

10-21-2008, 02:54 PM	#43
dallaschiefsfan Herm is the worst...horrible Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $3028850	Jon Rand = Hack
Posts: 2,033