Chiefs Whitlock: Chiefs should thank anyone who sat through this game - Page 7

**OnTheWarpath15** · 12-13-2009, 11:27 PM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/1629259.html

By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star

The “process” has entered the pandering phase.

That’s the only explanation for Chiefs coach Todd Haley opening his postgame news conference with a disingenuous thank you to the 30,000-plus Chiefs fans who filled 80,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

“Before I get started,” Haley said in the aftermath of Kansas City’s 10th loss, a 16-10 snoozer to the Buffalo Bills, “publicly I want to thank the fans. I thought the fans were tremendous for us today.”

Yes, this is the “process” to avoiding a blackout next Sunday.

In the minutes after Kansas City’s $63 million QB launched his fourth interception of the day, misfired on two more open deep balls and was caught by CBS television cameras telling someone — maybe booing Chiefs fans or Haley barking in his headset — to shut the (expletive) up, Haley campaigned for ticket sales.

“I just publicly want to thank the fans for making a lot of noise for us today,” Haley said.

The boos were quite loud. And the silence was deafening at times. I can’t really blame the fans.

Kansas City’s off-the-street receivers — Chris Chambers, Bobby Wade and Lance Long — were as bad as quarterback Matt Cassel, who early in the game overthrew a wide-open Mark Bradley twice.

Chambers dropped a critical pass along the goal line late in the fourth quarter, got flagged for a holding penalty on the same drive and got his hands on a ball that was tipped and intercepted in the fourth quarter.

Compared with Chambers, Wade had an awesome game. His most noteworthy screwup came on the last play of the third quarter when he inexplicably failed to field a punt that eventually traveled 73 yards before being stopped at the KC 7.

As for Long, well, the Bills brutalized “Wes Welker Lite,” smacking him around on several kickoff returns and turning his two receptions into negative-yardage plays.

Oh, and the Chiefs’ defense gave up 200 rushing yards and Haley continued to play a losing game of rock-paper-scissors with fourth-and-short decisions. Do I need to mention that in a close game against the league’s worst rushing defense the Chiefs threw the ball 43 times and ran it 26?

Is it fair to criticize Haley for wanting to feed Cassel? The Sixty Million Dollar Man’s QB rating jumped 21 points from last week to an astronomical 35.4, and Jamaal Charles picked up only 143 yards in 20 carries.

We talking ’bout progress, man. Not da playoffs. We talking ’bout progress.

Progress isn’t happening. Pandering is.

When this nightmare of a game ended, someone told Haley the most important thing to do was thank the limited number of fans who enthusiastically booed when KC’s offense stunk and cheered when Charles was given the opportunity to make plays.

“I thought the fans were tremendous for us today,” Haley said. “I thought they were loud, a disruption for the Bills much of the game.”

Yes, sir, the refs flagged the Bills for three penalties on Sunday —- two holdings and one pass interference. Buffalo clearly lost its composure inside thundering Arrowhead Stadium. You might think a noise-rattled team on the road would jump offsides or blow timeouts, but you don’t understand the “process.”

Or you don’t understand Kansas City’s ticket-selling “process.” It’s founded on gassing up gullible fans with poorly timed, poorly delivered platitudes. Haley sounded like Eddie Haskell.

The most troubling aspect of it all is that it’s an indication that Haley is receiving awful advice. He’s a rookie head coach. He needs solid, mature mentoring and guidance. He’s not getting it. He’s getting just the opposite.

Whoever told him to shill for ticket sales in the moments after that performance should be removed from Haley’s inner circle.

Some of you might think I’m pouncing on something small and insignificant. You’re wrong. The cliche is true: The truth is buried in the details.

Haley is likely receiving a lot of bad advice, not just on the proper tone to set in his postgame remarks. And if he’s receiving good advice, he’s ignoring it or can’t execute it.

This would explain all of the odd fourth-down decisions throughout the year. It would explain the fake punt deep his own territory last week. It would explain his Bobby Knight coaching style early in the season. It would explain a lot.

Haley looks amateur because his front-office support system (Clark Hunt and Scott Pioli) is amateur and he blew up the one assistant coach (Chan Gailey) with the necessary experience and credibility to help him.

So at 3-10 and one home game left on the schedule and a 156-game nonblackout streak on the line, Hunt, Pioli and Haley have been reduced to begging.

Please buy tickets, pay $22 to park and fill up Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday. Even if you boo, wear bags over your head and your children get ill watching the Chiefs play, Todd Haley will thank you for your $upport.

RedThat · 12-14-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

They tried this year and failed miserably.

Cassel, Vrable, Engram, Goff, Brown, Zach Thomas, Toomer.

Those moves SCREAM "win now - asses in seats"

Our transaction list should go in the epic fail thread.

If anything, I think those moves scream "cheap."

Lets get most of the guys when they're at the end of their careers, or coming off an injury, this way the price is reduced.

Mecca · 12-14-2009, 02:04 PM

Did someone really say bandwagoner?

The economy blows, people have less money and not spending the kind of money the Chiefs charge when they are putting an awful product on the field makes you a bandwagoner?

**OnTheWarpath15** · 12-14-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedThat

If anything, I think those moves scream "cheap."

Lets get most of the guys when they're at the end of their careers, or coming off an injury, this way the price is reduced.

Yeah, Cassel was REAL cheap.

Are you that foolish to think that after all the teams that have been interested in Pioli - and he turned them all down - that he'd take a job where the owner was telling him to rebuild the team, but without spending money?

Mecca · 12-14-2009, 02:06 PM

The Chiefs blew over 100 mill on Cassel and Jackson, that's brilliant.

RedThat · 12-14-2009, 02:06 PM

Im really glad I read this article because if one reads in between the lines, it really shows where the mindset of this organization is imo.

They're all about the money. The fact that Haley is campaigning ticket sales points in that direction and is also very disturbing. This is Chiefs for you. Produce a grade F sh*tty product on the field and get the biggest bang of the buck for it by taking advantage of the passionate fans out there.

I hope the fans don't show up, and not keep showing up to send a message to ownership.

RedThat · 12-14-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yeah, Cassel was REAL cheap.

Are you that foolish to think that after all the teams that have been interested in Pioli - and he turned them all down - that he'd take a job where the owner was telling him to rebuild the team, but without spending money?

I said "most". Most of those moves are cheap.

**Mr. Flopnuts** · 12-14-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pagriep

As a season ticket holder, I have been to many games over the years. I admit, the team has a ton of issues. We've lost a ton of good players...Gonzales, Allen, etc. Our needs will not be easy to fill with the draft alone. It is sad to see a stadium that was once labeled as the loudest in the NFL now silenced. It revolves around the leadership and draft decisions.

This is a test for the fans...are we the best in the NFL? Or, just fair weather fans? Being real fans does not mean we settle for anything. It is good to communicate our concerns. But, lately our resolve has been shaken. Look at the Green Bay Packers. They have sold ou their stadium since the 60s. Yet, in the 70s, they went through lean years. But the fans did not waiver.

The only "benefit" to the current problem is that my season tickets
have dramaticaly improved. Perhaps a fair
weathered fans loss is my gain. The chiefs will improve and return to excellence. Then, the fair weathered fans will return and
pretend that they bleed gold and red.

Luzap? Is that you?

RippedmyFlesh · 12-14-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

Did someone really say bandwagoner?

The economy blows, people have less money and not spending the kind of money the Chiefs charge when they are putting an awful product on the field makes you a bandwagoner?

Agree I think the economy is more likely the reason. Even with a bad product in better times way more tickets would be sold.Ill bet their is a fairly large group of people who know they suck right now but would still go if times were better.

**Bob Dole** · 12-14-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

"Do I need to mention that in a close game against the league’s worst rushing defense the Chiefs threw the ball 43 times and ran it 26?"

I don't even know what to say about that.

Of course you do.

"Hey...they will be expecting us to exploit their poor rush defense. Let's surprise them and pass a lot instead. It will be epic!"

Haley has tricked himself out of favorable game situations more often than not, this season.

RedThat · 12-14-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yeah, Cassel was REAL cheap.

Are you that foolish to think that after all the teams that have been interested in Pioli - and he turned them all down - that he'd take a job where the owner was telling him to rebuild the team, but without spending money?

Besides Cassel, have they spent money?

**Mr. Flopnuts** · 12-14-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

There are no fair weather Chief fans. No team that hasn't won jack shit in 40 years will have fair weather fans. That notion is stupid.

I don't need them to win the big one. Obviously. I mean, since they haven't won the big one since I was FOUR YEARS OLD that really should go without saying.

I do, however, need them to be competitive. I require them to put a decent product on the field. This is supposed to be entertainment. Well, it's not. Going to a game isn't a 30 minute drive for me. It's 16 hours in a car, or several hundred dollars in air fare, time off work, etc. Why in the hell would I go to all that trouble to watch these ****ing morons stink up the field week after week?

There is a fine line between true fan and chump.

Brav-****ing-o.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:19 PM

LOL.

After the Steelers game

"This team is headed in the right direction"

"Haley,*slob*slob*"

Now

"Haley* burn*burn*"

I enjoy reading all the butt hurt posts from the people who act so surprised when we play like this. LOL @ you.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

The Chiefs blew over 100 mill on Cassel and Jackson, that's brilliant.

Dude, there are players like that on every roster.

We are MILES under the cap.
We have the dough to get any player we want.
By the time the season got here, I pretty much expected it to turn out like this.
If we don't bring in some upgrades this off-season, I will be shocked.

Mecca · 12-14-2009, 02:24 PM

Really who are they gonna get? This will be pretty amusing I'm sure.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

They tried this year and failed miserably.

Cassel, Vrable, Engram, Goff, Brown, Zach Thomas, Toomer.

Those moves SCREAM "win now - asses in seats"

Our transaction list should go in the epic fail thread.

You cannot be serious.

If your trying to win now, you go after players who make more than the vet min.

12-13-2009, 11:27 PM
OnTheWarpath15 MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2021115	Whitlock: Chiefs should thank anyone who sat through this game http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/1629259.html By JASON WHITLOCK The Kansas City Star The “process” has entered the pandering phase. That’s the only explanation for Chiefs coach Todd Haley opening his postgame news conference with a disingenuous thank you to the 30,000-plus Chiefs fans who filled 80,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. “Before I get started,” Haley said in the aftermath of Kansas City’s 10th loss, a 16-10 snoozer to the Buffalo Bills, “publicly I want to thank the fans. I thought the fans were tremendous for us today.” Yes, this is the “process” to avoiding a blackout next Sunday. In the minutes after Kansas City’s $63 million QB launched his fourth interception of the day, misfired on two more open deep balls and was caught by CBS television cameras telling someone — maybe booing Chiefs fans or Haley barking in his headset — to shut the (expletive) up, Haley campaigned for ticket sales. “I just publicly want to thank the fans for making a lot of noise for us today,” Haley said. The boos were quite loud. And the silence was deafening at times. I can’t really blame the fans. Kansas City’s off-the-street receivers — Chris Chambers, Bobby Wade and Lance Long — were as bad as quarterback Matt Cassel, who early in the game overthrew a wide-open Mark Bradley twice. Chambers dropped a critical pass along the goal line late in the fourth quarter, got flagged for a holding penalty on the same drive and got his hands on a ball that was tipped and intercepted in the fourth quarter. Compared with Chambers, Wade had an awesome game. His most noteworthy screwup came on the last play of the third quarter when he inexplicably failed to field a punt that eventually traveled 73 yards before being stopped at the KC 7. As for Long, well, the Bills brutalized “Wes Welker Lite,” smacking him around on several kickoff returns and turning his two receptions into negative-yardage plays. Oh, and the Chiefs’ defense gave up 200 rushing yards and Haley continued to play a losing game of rock-paper-scissors with fourth-and-short decisions. Do I need to mention that in a close game against the league’s worst rushing defense the Chiefs threw the ball 43 times and ran it 26? Is it fair to criticize Haley for wanting to feed Cassel? The Sixty Million Dollar Man’s QB rating jumped 21 points from last week to an astronomical 35.4, and Jamaal Charles picked up only 143 yards in 20 carries. We talking ’bout progress, man. Not da playoffs. We talking ’bout progress. Progress isn’t happening. Pandering is. When this nightmare of a game ended, someone told Haley the most important thing to do was thank the limited number of fans who enthusiastically booed when KC’s offense stunk and cheered when Charles was given the opportunity to make plays. “I thought the fans were tremendous for us today,” Haley said. “I thought they were loud, a disruption for the Bills much of the game.” Yes, sir, the refs flagged the Bills for three penalties on Sunday —- two holdings and one pass interference. Buffalo clearly lost its composure inside thundering Arrowhead Stadium. You might think a noise-rattled team on the road would jump offsides or blow timeouts, but you don’t understand the “process.” Or you don’t understand Kansas City’s ticket-selling “process.” It’s founded on gassing up gullible fans with poorly timed, poorly delivered platitudes. Haley sounded like Eddie Haskell. The most troubling aspect of it all is that it’s an indication that Haley is receiving awful advice. He’s a rookie head coach. He needs solid, mature mentoring and guidance. He’s not getting it. He’s getting just the opposite. Whoever told him to shill for ticket sales in the moments after that performance should be removed from Haley’s inner circle. Some of you might think I’m pouncing on something small and insignificant. You’re wrong. The cliche is true: The truth is buried in the details. Haley is likely receiving a lot of bad advice, not just on the proper tone to set in his postgame remarks. And if he’s receiving good advice, he’s ignoring it or can’t execute it. This would explain all of the odd fourth-down decisions throughout the year. It would explain the fake punt deep his own territory last week. It would explain his Bobby Knight coaching style early in the season. It would explain a lot. Haley looks amateur because his front-office support system (Clark Hunt and Scott Pioli) is amateur and he blew up the one assistant coach (Chan Gailey) with the necessary experience and credibility to help him. So at 3-10 and one home game left on the schedule and a 156-game nonblackout streak on the line, Hunt, Pioli and Haley have been reduced to begging. Please buy tickets, pay $22 to park and fill up Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday. Even if you boo, wear bags over your head and your children get ill watching the Chiefs play, Todd Haley will thank you for your $upport.
Posts: 60,758

12-14-2009, 02:04 PM	#92
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-782950	Did someone really say bandwagoner? The economy blows, people have less money and not spending the kind of money the Chiefs charge when they are putting an awful product on the field makes you a bandwagoner?
Posts: 115,406

12-14-2009, 02:06 PM	#94
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-782950	The Chiefs blew over 100 mill on Cassel and Jackson, that's brilliant.
Posts: 115,406

12-14-2009, 02:06 PM	#95
RedThat Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Earth Casino cash: $10004900	Im really glad I read this article because if one reads in between the lines, it really shows where the mindset of this organization is imo. They're all about the money. The fact that Haley is campaigning ticket sales points in that direction and is also very disturbing. This is Chiefs for you. Produce a grade F sh*tty product on the field and get the biggest bang of the buck for it by taking advantage of the passionate fans out there. I hope the fans don't show up, and not keep showing up to send a message to ownership.
Posts: 6,666

12-14-2009, 02:19 PM	#102
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $3878036	LOL. After the Steelers game "This team is headed in the right direction" "Haley,slobslob" Now "Haley burnburn" I enjoy reading all the butt hurt posts from the people who act so surprised when we play like this. LOL @ you.
Posts: 21,429

12-14-2009, 02:24 PM	#104
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-782950	Really who are they gonna get? This will be pretty amusing I'm sure.
Posts: 115,406