Chiefs Whitlock says Motherfuckyou Pioli! - Page 7

T-post Tom · 05-02-2010, 12:55 AM

The moral of this story? Never get between Jason and a bathroom.

Repression not good for Chiefs’ players
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star

Saturday afternoon, late in the Chiefs’ second minicamp practice of the day, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis screamed at one of his rookies.

I honestly have no recollection of what Weis barked. It was typical coach-speak, nothing revealing or remotely embarrassing. The kid botched an assignment, and Weis warned him to avoid another mistake.

The exchange was so mundane and inconsequential that when a member of the Chiefs’ media-relations staff instructed me and several other reporters that Weis’ comments were off the record and not to be publicized I had trouble remembering that Weis had said anything I could overhear.

But this is the era we live in now. Paranoia rules Kansas City’s professional football franchise. You’ve read my previous complaints about the air of CIA-like secrecy that general manager Scott Pioli brought with him from New England.

The air is growing thicker. And if we take a look at the Dez Bryant-Jeff Ireland controversy engulfing the Dolphins organization, we might find it offers a bit of context as to what is transpiring here.

Ireland is the general manager of the Dolphins. He is Bill Parcells’ top lieutenant. Parcells, of course, is Pioli’s father-in-law and Todd Haley’s coaching mentor. Ireland was in the news last week because it was revealed that in a predraft interview he insulted Dez Bryant by asking the rookie receiver if his mother was a prostitute.

Bryant confided to longtime NFL reporter Michael Silver that Ireland popped the indefensible question.

This is why some NFL executives and coaches despise the media. We, the media, are flawed and make mistakes that we’re sometimes reluctant to admit, but we have proven over the course of American history to be a reliable shoulder to cry on when a human being has been abused by someone or an institution with too much power.

Football executives have too much power. In the name of winning games and maintaining power, some of these men have created work environments devoid of human decency and respect.

Should we be surprised that NFL players seem to have more trouble staying within the laws of society than baseball, basketball and hockey players?

Of all the professional sports leagues, individual NFL teams have the most repressive policies regarding media access to their players.

The rules at Arrowhead remind me of visiting a federal penitentiary. Reporters are locked in a small room and have to bang on a door and ask permission to be given access to the bathroom. Saturday, rather than open up the locker room to the media, the rookies were brought to a podium one by one and allowed to interact with reporters for six to seven minutes while supervised by the media-relations staff. You could tell the players had been prepped to say as little as possible.

The rookies are no different from the veterans. They’re scared of being fined or released for saying anything that might be construed as inappropriate by Pioli. Warden Pioli’s no-snitch policy is as strictly enforced as a gang leader’s.

What is he hiding?

A lack of genuine leadership skills. Fear, intimidation and secrecy are his top leadership tools. Those tactics should support cutting-edge vision and strategy. I don’t see the vision or strategy. And I’m not backing off my earlier columns crediting the Chiefs with a productive offseason. I like the additions of Weis, Romeo Crennell, Ryan Lilja, Thomas Jones and Eric Berry.

But the obvious insecurity bubbling from the general manager’s chair could continue to undermine whatever progress the organization makes.

Let’s take a second look at the draft. I tip my hat to Pioli for acquiring high-character prospects. Upon additional review, however, it’s appropriate to wonder did the Chiefs sacrifice talent and roster needs to get kids willing to blindly submit to Pioli and Haley’s bully-leadership tactics.

Maybe the Chiefs’ draft picks wouldn’t care if Pioli asked whether their mothers were prostitutes. Or maybe they’d have the good sense not to expose Pioli for the transgression.

I don’t care how much money these young players make, they’re still mostly immature kids. A healthy percentage of them are not emotionally equipped to deal with the mental abuse heaped on them by 40- and 50-year-old egomaniacs drunk on power.

The level of secrecy being demanded at Arrowhead Stadium makes me suspect that Pioli is the NFL’s Fidel Castro.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/01...#ixzz0mkiS1y9z

**buddha** · 05-02-2010, 04:54 PM

Who gives a damn about Pioli, Whitlock or any of the rest of them. Win games you stupid bastards.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 05-02-2010, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD10367

For those unfamiliar, Weis has the mouth of a drunken sailor, reportedly.

He'll fit right in with the HC.

keg in kc · 05-02-2010, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

He'll fit right in with the HC.

I knew I was in the wrong line I work. I definitely have the mouth to be a coach.

**Anyong Bluth** · 05-02-2010, 05:36 PM

who cares... ? It's their organization, & companies can set their rules regarding how open they want to be with the media. It's a 2 way street & if they don't work with the media then they shouldn't be shocked if they don't get good publicity in return, so I think they'd be smart enough to not shun reporters who do stories on their team- which are read by fans who fill seats & spend $$. While the team's not winning it may look bad & is not good PR, if they do start winning & have a SB or 2 to show for, no one will give 2 shits & Arrowhead will still sell out regardless of how secretive Pioli or anyone is. Scott could take a steamy dump on JW's Gate's platter & most fans would little care if he makes them a winner, & drafts well. The Pats are secretive & everyone blows them left & right bc they've been successful & won hardware. Now maybe it's not the best thing to do in KC, but really putting a winner on the field is what matters way more.

crazycoffey · 05-02-2010, 05:44 PM

Whitless as usual,

Yes jason, because the NFL has the most "repressive policies regarding media access to their players" those players can no longer remain within the social norms and public laws. The NFL exects "drunk with power" have caused chaos among the rest of mortal society.

Thank god that Jason in his flowing cape, majestic pen with the outerworldly power of omnipotence, and the sewn on capital "M" on his chest is here just in the nick of time to save the NFL players from it's seedy, greedy, overlords like Dr Piolivel.

KCwolf · 05-02-2010, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beer bacon

Maybe Haley is just a great actor, but he seems like a big ol asshole to me. I don't think he is faking anything.

and ur problem is what?

rad · 05-02-2010, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

His premise is off, IMO.

Pioli didn't bring over this operation because he's a dictator with insecurity issues, he brought it over because he bought into the Patriot propaganda model so deeply that he has no critical thinking ability wrt: its strengths and weaknesses.

That's why this is such a paint-by-numbers approach.

I would lean more toward the fact that all the media is to players is a distraction. Drum up some some shit or get a player to say something inflammatory to sell papers or feed a column.

**** that. Concentrate on doing your job that you get paid millions to do and learn how to win football games.

Silock · 05-02-2010, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

His premise is off, IMO.

Pioli didn't bring over this operation because he's a dictator with insecurity issues, he brought it over because he bought into the Patriot propaganda model so deeply that he has no critical thinking ability wrt: its strengths and weaknesses.

That's why this is such a paint-by-numbers approach.

If we can paint-by-numbers our way to some championships, I'm okay with that.

I have to say that I'm not seeing a ton of evidence of it being successful, though. We'll see.

Chiefaholic · 05-02-2010, 09:02 PM

I read about half of Twitlock's article and skimmed through the remainder. Nothing even remotely interesting to be gained from reading that.

Consistent1 · 05-02-2010, 09:46 PM

No one here has really made much out of the reporters getting locked in a room.That is pretty bad to not even have access to restrooms.I assume that must be true.They can't control their own facilites well enough to not do that?What if people need to step out to take a call from bosses,family,etc?Whitlock may have blown that out of proprtion.I don't know. Coupled with apparently playing media favorites,this stuff does make a team with a terrible recent record look stupid.It is a personal beef type article but makes some interesting points.Like many have said in this thread,they need a serious improvement on the field this year.People wouldn't even bother to read that article if the team was a winner.Pioli and Haley step up the product this year and the heat will go away.It will be fun to see how the rest of the year goes.
Posted via Mobile Device

Chiefnj2 · 05-03-2010, 08:03 AM

I only skimmed through the article, so the only thing I have to say is that if you are a small market team that has 10 wins over its last 3 years, you should be going out of your way to be fan and media friendly.

Telling the media what they can, and can't say, is a huge mistake.

**gblowfish** · 05-03-2010, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Pioli = Castro

Not true!
In Cuba, you can afford season tickets!

BTW: Fatlock is now writing on the KC Star's Op Ed Page. I'm sure he'll blame this whole access thing on THE MAN keeping him down.

Or blame it on Kevin Keitzman.

Or both.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 05-03-2010, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

I only skimmed through the article, so the only thing I have to say is that if you are a small market team that has 10 wins over its last 3 years, you should be going out of your way to be fan and media friendly.

Telling the media what they can, and can't say, is a huge mistake.

A bit puzzling, to say the least.

Speaking of fan friendly, it took over 3 days for someone at Arrowhead to call Nzoner back about group tickets for the Bash.

3 days.

For a team that needs to sell 40k tickets a game to fill a new stadium.

Unreal.

Reerun_KC · 05-03-2010, 08:50 AM

at Whitlock... What a jilted lover...

I am thankful that the Chiefs wont give him access.... Thank you Pioli!

KCUnited · 05-03-2010, 08:59 AM

A lot of people don't care until we're sitting at 3-6 and Pioli gives an interview and we have a 15 page thread on why the interviewer is lofting softballs for him to crush out of the park.

05-02-2010, 12:55 AM
T-post Tom Busy in a Kohl's restroom Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Milk/Honey/Gazland Casino cash: $1747293	Whitlock says Motherfuckyou Pioli! The moral of this story? Never get between Jason and a bathroom. Repression not good for Chiefs’ players By JASON WHITLOCK The Kansas City Star Saturday afternoon, late in the Chiefs’ second minicamp practice of the day, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis screamed at one of his rookies. I honestly have no recollection of what Weis barked. It was typical coach-speak, nothing revealing or remotely embarrassing. The kid botched an assignment, and Weis warned him to avoid another mistake. The exchange was so mundane and inconsequential that when a member of the Chiefs’ media-relations staff instructed me and several other reporters that Weis’ comments were off the record and not to be publicized I had trouble remembering that Weis had said anything I could overhear. But this is the era we live in now. Paranoia rules Kansas City’s professional football franchise. You’ve read my previous complaints about the air of CIA-like secrecy that general manager Scott Pioli brought with him from New England. The air is growing thicker. And if we take a look at the Dez Bryant-Jeff Ireland controversy engulfing the Dolphins organization, we might find it offers a bit of context as to what is transpiring here. Ireland is the general manager of the Dolphins. He is Bill Parcells’ top lieutenant. Parcells, of course, is Pioli’s father-in-law and Todd Haley’s coaching mentor. Ireland was in the news last week because it was revealed that in a predraft interview he insulted Dez Bryant by asking the rookie receiver if his mother was a prostitute. Bryant confided to longtime NFL reporter Michael Silver that Ireland popped the indefensible question. This is why some NFL executives and coaches despise the media. We, the media, are flawed and make mistakes that we’re sometimes reluctant to admit, but we have proven over the course of American history to be a reliable shoulder to cry on when a human being has been abused by someone or an institution with too much power. Football executives have too much power. In the name of winning games and maintaining power, some of these men have created work environments devoid of human decency and respect. Should we be surprised that NFL players seem to have more trouble staying within the laws of society than baseball, basketball and hockey players? Of all the professional sports leagues, individual NFL teams have the most repressive policies regarding media access to their players. The rules at Arrowhead remind me of visiting a federal penitentiary. Reporters are locked in a small room and have to bang on a door and ask permission to be given access to the bathroom. Saturday, rather than open up the locker room to the media, the rookies were brought to a podium one by one and allowed to interact with reporters for six to seven minutes while supervised by the media-relations staff. You could tell the players had been prepped to say as little as possible. The rookies are no different from the veterans. They’re scared of being fined or released for saying anything that might be construed as inappropriate by Pioli. Warden Pioli’s no-snitch policy is as strictly enforced as a gang leader’s. What is he hiding? A lack of genuine leadership skills. Fear, intimidation and secrecy are his top leadership tools. Those tactics should support cutting-edge vision and strategy. I don’t see the vision or strategy. And I’m not backing off my earlier columns crediting the Chiefs with a productive offseason. I like the additions of Weis, Romeo Crennell, Ryan Lilja, Thomas Jones and Eric Berry. But the obvious insecurity bubbling from the general manager’s chair could continue to undermine whatever progress the organization makes. Let’s take a second look at the draft. I tip my hat to Pioli for acquiring high-character prospects. Upon additional review, however, it’s appropriate to wonder did the Chiefs sacrifice talent and roster needs to get kids willing to blindly submit to Pioli and Haley’s bully-leadership tactics. Maybe the Chiefs’ draft picks wouldn’t care if Pioli asked whether their mothers were prostitutes. Or maybe they’d have the good sense not to expose Pioli for the transgression. I don’t care how much money these young players make, they’re still mostly immature kids. A healthy percentage of them are not emotionally equipped to deal with the mental abuse heaped on them by 40- and 50-year-old egomaniacs drunk on power. The level of secrecy being demanded at Arrowhead Stadium makes me suspect that Pioli is the NFL’s Fidel Castro. Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/01...#ixzz0mkiS1y9z
Posts: 22,376

05-02-2010, 04:54 PM	#91
buddha You may think you know... Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: California Casino cash: $10006184	Who gives a damn about Pioli, Whitlock or any of the rest of them. Win games you stupid bastards.
Posts: 2,183

05-02-2010, 05:36 PM	#94
Anyong Bluth Deus ambulans inter homines Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago Casino cash: $9439340	who cares... ? It's their organization, & companies can set their rules regarding how open they want to be with the media. It's a 2 way street & if they don't work with the media then they shouldn't be shocked if they don't get good publicity in return, so I think they'd be smart enough to not shun reporters who do stories on their team- which are read by fans who fill seats & spend $$. While the team's not winning it may look bad & is not good PR, if they do start winning & have a SB or 2 to show for, no one will give 2 shits & Arrowhead will still sell out regardless of how secretive Pioli or anyone is. Scott could take a steamy dump on JW's Gate's platter & most fans would little care if he makes them a winner, & drafts well. The Pats are secretive & everyone blows them left & right bc they've been successful & won hardware. Now maybe it's not the best thing to do in KC, but really putting a winner on the field is what matters way more. __________________ Suck it, *beautiful*
Posts: 14,938

05-02-2010, 05:44 PM	#95
crazycoffey .......... Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $4147901	Whitless as usual, Yes jason, because the NFL has the most "repressive policies regarding media access to their players" those players can no longer remain within the social norms and public laws. The NFL exects "drunk with power" have caused chaos among the rest of mortal society. Thank god that Jason in his flowing cape, majestic pen with the outerworldly power of omnipotence, and the sewn on capital "M" on his chest is here just in the nick of time to save the NFL players from it's seedy, greedy, overlords like Dr Piolivel.
Posts: 28,393

05-02-2010, 09:02 PM	#99
Chiefaholic Veteran Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $470027	I read about half of Twitlock's article and skimmed through the remainder. Nothing even remotely interesting to be gained from reading that. __________________
Posts: 4,832

05-02-2010, 09:46 PM	#100
Consistent1 _____________ Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $10004900	No one here has really made much out of the reporters getting locked in a room.That is pretty bad to not even have access to restrooms.I assume that must be true.They can't control their own facilites well enough to not do that?What if people need to step out to take a call from bosses,family,etc?Whitlock may have blown that out of proprtion.I don't know. Coupled with apparently playing media favorites,this stuff does make a team with a terrible recent record look stupid.It is a personal beef type article but makes some interesting points.Like many have said in this thread,they need a serious improvement on the field this year.People wouldn't even bother to read that article if the team was a winner.Pioli and Haley step up the product this year and the heat will go away.It will be fun to see how the rest of the year goes. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 3,096

05-03-2010, 08:03 AM	#101
Chiefnj2 In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Casino cash: $6654388	I only skimmed through the article, so the only thing I have to say is that if you are a small market team that has 10 wins over its last 3 years, you should be going out of your way to be fan and media friendly. Telling the media what they can, and can't say, is a huge mistake. __________________ Mismanaging the clock.
Posts: 22,541

05-03-2010, 08:50 AM	#104
Reerun_KC Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7231160	at Whitlock... What a jilted lover... I am thankful that the Chiefs wont give him access.... Thank you Pioli!
Posts: 1,529

05-03-2010, 08:59 AM	#105
KCUnited Cheat Death Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Land of Drincoln Casino cash: $-1621756	A lot of people don't care until we're sitting at 3-6 and Pioli gives an interview and we have a 15 page thread on why the interviewer is lofting softballs for him to crush out of the park.
Posts: 36,997