Chiefs Whitlock: Chiefs should thank anyone who sat through this game - Page 9

**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.

12-14-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedThat

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.

Hello. The whole game is all about the money and now the players are as well. If that bothers you then you belong with me, watching Friday football.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 12-14-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

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

So first it was, "if your trying to win now, you go after players who make more than the vet min."

Now that you've been proven wrong, the goalposts are moved, and it's "money that counts for shit."

'Hamas' Jenkins · 12-14-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

You guys are too emotionally scarred to evaluate anything.

Translation: I don't have any rebuttal, so I'm going to pull some armchair psychology out of my ass to try and obscure the fact that I just said a bunch of stupid shit.

**DeezNutz** · 12-14-2009, 02:37 PM

As I've said before, I don't give a **** about the cost for Cassel; it's what the investment represents, the commitment, that makes the contract problematic.

Pioli will not admit this mistake this soon. And it was a terrible decision.

12-14-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

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

$900k doesn't count?

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

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

Pretty much.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

$900k doesn't count?

In the world of the NFL, No.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 12-14-2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

In the world of the NFL, No.

12-14-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Well, let me put it this way. The Hunt family is not about winning championships. Ever since they won one in 1969, and Lamar got put in the HOF in 1972, the Chiefs have been on cruise control. It's been nothing more than a business to make money first and foremost. As long as they turn a profit, the Hunts are happy. That's why King Carl lasted 20 years. He made piles and piles of money. This year has been about one thing: Stadium renovation. I've said this over and over, and it doesn't seem to sink in. Know what next year is about? Finishing the stadium renovation. Then the year after that it will be trying to get to .500 to keep enough fan interest to keep making money. We are the Chicago Cubs of the NFL. Despair springs eternal.

I know those seats have been with your family a long time and it's your Sunday routine but you don't actually have to do it. You could move on and probably even reduce your blood pressure. I know I'm a lot happier watching games from my recliner on the huge TV I bought with the money I saved not giving it to the Hunts.

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

So first it was, "if your trying to win now, you go after players who make more than the vet min."

Now that you've been proven wrong, the goalposts are moved, and it's "money that counts for shit."

All I was saying is that we did not go on a Win Now spending spree. we brought in a bunch of veteran bodies on the cheap.

**HemiEd** · 12-14-2009, 02:41 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?

Excellent point.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 12-14-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I prefer:

beach tribe · 12-14-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

So a one year, 1mil. contract makes 1 bit of a difference in 3 years when we actually have a roster. Is that what you're saying?

**DeezNutz** · 12-14-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

All I was saying is that we did not go on a Win Now spending spree. we brought in a bunch of veteran bodies on the cheap.

In an effort to "change the culture"? To search out "the right 53"? To engage in "the process"?

'Hamas' Jenkins · 12-14-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

So a one year, 1mil. contract makes 1 bit of a difference in 3 years when we actually have a roster. Is that what you're saying?

It does when that ****ing douchetard is taking the spot of a younger player who we could have brought in and given a shot before the carcass was picked over.

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.
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