Chiefs Whitlock: Chiefs should thank anyone who sat through this game - Page 8

**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.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 12-14-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

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

I'm glad someone is getting enjoyment out this pile of shit.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

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

How about Vince Wilfork?

**OnTheWarpath15** · 12-14-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

We are MILES under the cap.
We have the dough to get any player we want.

Was this not the case in the offseason, or is this a new development?

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

I'm glad someone is getting enjoyment out this pile of shit.

I knew it was a pile of shit before the season started.

Mecca · 12-14-2009, 02:26 PM

How is this different from last offseason and are you aware that if they go into an uncapped year guys like Vince Wilfork are not FA's?

Hammock Parties · 12-14-2009, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I knew it was a pile of shit before the season started.

You can thank Pioli for making the pile of shit even bigger.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 12-14-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I knew it was a pile of shit before the season started.

Aye, but here's the rub; it hasn't gotten better.

Improvement: 0

Regression FTW!

12-14-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack

Reckon this could indicate the number of bandwagoners in Chiefdom. . .

Maybe

Or maybe it's indicative of the economy and the price to get in the door.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Was this not the case in the offseason, or is this a new development?

I think they wanted to find out who would fit into THEIR schemes by playing them in it.
Who they could keep for the 3-4, and who they could keep period. How else would they know these things without a season to evaluate the roster?

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

You can thank Pioli for making the pile of shit even bigger.

I don't think it's bigger.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 12-14-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

You cannot be serious.

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

Cassel - $14m/year

Vrabel - $3.2M/year

Goff - $1.75M/year

Brown - $900K/year

Thomas - $1M/year

Engram - Unknown

Toomer - Veteran minimum

Unless the vet minimum was raised significantly...

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:33 PM

You guys are too emotionally scarred to evaluate anything.

Hammock Parties · 12-14-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

You guys are too emotionally scarred to evaluate anything.

People were upset with these moves even before the Chiefs sucked this year.

Those evaluations were made objectively without emotion, and certainly without the emotion of a wasted season clouding their thought process.

The wasted season just reinforces the complains many had months and months ago.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Cassel - $14m/year

Vrabel - $3.2M/year

Goff - $1.75M/year

Brown - $900K/year

Thomas - $1M/year

Engram - Unknown

Toomer - Veteran minimum

Unless the vet minimum was raised significantly...

Cassel, and Vrabel are the only ones making any money that count for shit, and Vrabel won't even be here when it matters.

Hammock Parties · 12-14-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I don't think it's bigger.

You're right. I guess a 53-man pile of shit is a 53-man pile of shit no matter how you excrete it.

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, 02:26 PM	#110
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-782950	How is this different from last offseason and are you aware that if they go into an uncapped year guys like Vince Wilfork are not FA's?
Posts: 115,406

12-14-2009, 02:33 PM	#117
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $3878036	You guys are too emotionally scarred to evaluate anything.
Posts: 21,429