Chiefs Hunt outlines changes the Chiefs are making to get the red back in Arrowhead - Page 10

**Tribal Warfare** · 04-13-2013, 06:47 PM

Chiefs owner outlines changes to get the red back in Arrowhead
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star
Clark Hunt is sitting at a small table in his enormous suite at Arrowhead Stadium, hands in his lap, his voice steady and professional. But really, he may as well be standing in front of you all, arms outstretched, his words as sweet as he’s capable of making them sound:

Hug?

The Chiefs owner is here, talking to you, emphasizing a philosophy shift in the franchise he holds so dear. Hunt wants you to expect something very different from the Chiefs you came to know in recent years. Some of what he is doing sounds very cool for fans, some of it will help the team make more money. Some of it will do both.

Hunt knows it won’t mean much if the team doesn’t win, but while the new football men he hired work on that part, it’s significant that the man who took so much heat last year — taunting banners flying over the stadium, nasty name-calling, stacks of angry letters — is extending a hand.

“Certainly the football side of the Chiefs the last four years was more guarded in how information was shared externally,” he says. “There’s still teams in the league that operate like that, but what I’ve seen in the last 12 months, attending ownership meetings and being on the digital committee, is an understanding that, hey, the model is shifting and we have to be more open.”

Hunt is doing everything he can to make sure the hiring of coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey is the end to a brutal four-year run marked by arrogance and detachment, bottoming out with a 2-14 thud last season that made Arrowhead quiet and fans wearing bags on their heads.

Hunt won’t blame the problems on anyone. He doesn’t bring up any names. But when Scott ***** was hired and given total football control four years ago, he brought a hyper-secretive and isolated style that — especially as the losses piled up — turned off many loyal fans.

But it was more than just losing that turned off many fans, so Hunt and club president Mark Donovan know that more than just winning is needed to bring them back. Consumers fans — have more power and more options than ever, so everyone lost with that old model. The Chiefs had empty seats, quiet or booing crowds, and fans who felt pushed away to prove it.

That’s not how the Chiefs became Kansas City’s passion. That’s not how they became a wildly profitable business.

Without a strong sense of connection, many fans drifted, and the Chiefs are now trying to woo them back with gifts and technology. The Chiefs were the first NFL team to use paperless tickets last year, and going forward, this is will be their vehicle of choice.

“Really, we want the experience with our fan base to be one where they’re an insider,” Hunt says. “Where they feel like an insider. Where they’re getting to see things, and hear things, and learn things that people generally don’t have an opportunity to do.”

The key to this is the season-ticketholder card the Chiefs created last year. Paperless tickets make it easier for fans to transfer seats or replace lost items. Now the club is adding a loyalty program that is part Foursquare, part frequent flier account and the first of its kind in the NFL.

The buzzword here is value. Part of winning back fans is to create more value in that card than mere admittance to the stadium. For instance, go to team events like next week’s draft party, and you’ll earn points. Show your card at various club sponsors and you’ll receive a discount. You get the idea.

Collect enough points and you can “buy” experiences that otherwise aren’t for sale, like pregame sideline passes or dinner with Reid.

The card is also important to the Chiefs, because they can gather data. Scanning those cards tells them all sorts of information — how early you arrive at the stadium, what you buy when you’re there, how often you attend club events during the week, etc.

You can look at this part in two ways. The Chiefs can use the information to maximize their profits (when and how to better staff the stadium, for instance) or to improve the efficiency of a fan’s game day experience. Both are true.

All NFL teams are working to bring fans into their stadiums instead of having them home on their couches. There are league-wide initiatives, like certain replays in the stadium that aren’t shown at home, and the Chiefs are working on other ways to enhance the stadium experience — cameras following players from their cars to the locker room, better cell phone reception, more fantasy football stats, etc.

This is all coming at a crucial time for the Chiefs. They still call Arrowhead “the loudest stadium in the NFL,” but that has been more of an outdated reminder of better times than an honest point of pride in recent years. They have fallen behind.

Again, the best way to change that is for the Chiefs to win. But fans have been disappointed by far more than losses in recent years. Heck, the Chiefs still haven’t won a playoff game since January 1994 so this isn’t a front-running fan base. Just one that wants to feel their love reciprocated.

The Chiefs think this is the way. They’re trying to replace the disconnect of the past four years with something closer to the party of the 1990s — and they’re doing it with the latest technology and a more open philosophy.

In other words, they want you back. And they’re changing to do it.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 04-21-2013, 04:35 PM

Seems like we've said this every year.

Quick edit, Mother****erJones.

Mother****erJones · 04-21-2013, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Seems like we've said this every year.

Quick edit, Mother****erJones.

I posted in the wrong thread accidentally

Rasputin · 04-21-2013, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

In all honesty, that should have been the case when you-know-who was hired.

Funny how the guy makes this huge production out of wanting to draft and develop a franchise QB, then hires guys who piss away the two most valuable R2 picks in franchise history on game managers.

That is my fLustration with Clark. I remembered him talking he wants to build the team through the draft and yet he fails to draft us a QBotf to do so. Full of bull shit talk.

Chiefaholic · 04-21-2013, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

That is my fLustration with Clark. I remembered him talking he wants to build the team through the draft and yet he fails to draft us a QBotf to do so. Full of bull shit talk.

Just curious... Let's pretend Dorsey doesn't trade the 1.1 and takes Geno with that pick. Take it another step and Geno turns out to be the next Ryan Leaf (only with less predraft hype). Will this particular crowd back Dorsey for taking a high risk on a QB who most experts think is a 2nd round prospect?

chiefzilla1501 · 04-21-2013, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefaholic

Just curious... Let's pretend Dorsey doesn't trade the 1.1 and takes Geno with that pick. Take it another step and Geno turns out to be the next Ryan Leaf (only with less predraft hype). Will this particular crowd back Dorsey for taking a high risk on a QB who most experts think is a 2nd round prospect?

If we whiff on a 1.1 QB, we're in the same boat as if we get a good LT at 1.1. A non-Super Bowl team. I think most of us know that. So yes, it's acceptable to whiff on a 1.1 QB.

Sweet Daddy Hate · 04-21-2013, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefaholic

Just curious... Let's pretend Dorsey doesn't trade the 1.1 and takes Geno with that pick. Take it another step and Geno turns out to be the next Ryan Leaf (only with less predraft hype). Will this particular crowd back Dorsey for taking a high risk on a QB who most experts think is a 2nd round prospect?

Yes. Every ****ing time, and twice on Sunday.
Posted via Mobile Device

penbrook · 04-21-2013, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Dick Willie

Yes. Every ****ing time, and twice on Sunday.
Posted via Mobile Device

I would support Dorsey because he showed he has balls and doesnt let care what anybody says.

penbrook · 04-21-2013, 08:38 PM

qbs that go #1 dont have to start right away.

Carson Palmer didnt start till about half into his rookie season and Jamarcus Russell only played the last two games of his rookie season.

Chiefaholic · 04-21-2013, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penbook

I would support Dorsey because he showed he has balls and doesnt let care what anybody says.

I guaran-damn-tee you Dorsey doesn't give a **** what the draft pundits think. If he sees Geno as the best athlete in the draft, he'll draft him. Personally, I see a great athlete with flaws that need adjusted before giving him the reins to an NFL franchise. A trade down, followed by drafting Geno would be my preference.

penbrook · 04-21-2013, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefaholic

I guaran-damn-tee you Dorsey doesn't give a **** what the draft pundits think. If he sees Geno as the best athlete in the draft, he'll draft him. Personally, I see a great athlete with flaws that need adjusted before giving him the reins to an NFL franchise. A trade down, followed by drafting Geno would be my preference.

I would trade with the Eagles. Eagles want a OT.

We trade down and draft Geno. Reid is the QB miracle worker so you never know.

penbrook · 04-21-2013, 08:46 PM

Per Daniel Jeremiah

If you enjoy a long pause during a phone call, ask any NFL executive to predict when Geno Smith is going to get drafted.*#NoClue

DTLB58 · 04-22-2013, 12:33 PM

Clark should do this:

@darrenrovell: Packers join pack by putting fans on tickets this year http://t.co/o7pSfLBRhm

04-13-2013, 06:47 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $942813	Hunt outlines changes the Chiefs are making to get the red back in Arrowhead Chiefs owner outlines changes to get the red back in Arrowhead By SAM MELLINGER The Kansas City Star Clark Hunt is sitting at a small table in his enormous suite at Arrowhead Stadium, hands in his lap, his voice steady and professional. But really, he may as well be standing in front of you all, arms outstretched, his words as sweet as he’s capable of making them sound: Hug? The Chiefs owner is here, talking to you, emphasizing a philosophy shift in the franchise he holds so dear. Hunt wants you to expect something very different from the Chiefs you came to know in recent years. Some of what he is doing sounds very cool for fans, some of it will help the team make more money. Some of it will do both. Hunt knows it won’t mean much if the team doesn’t win, but while the new football men he hired work on that part, it’s significant that the man who took so much heat last year — taunting banners flying over the stadium, nasty name-calling, stacks of angry letters — is extending a hand. “Certainly the football side of the Chiefs the last four years was more guarded in how information was shared externally,” he says. “There’s still teams in the league that operate like that, but what I’ve seen in the last 12 months, attending ownership meetings and being on the digital committee, is an understanding that, hey, the model is shifting and we have to be more open.” Hunt is doing everything he can to make sure the hiring of coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey is the end to a brutal four-year run marked by arrogance and detachment, bottoming out with a 2-14 thud last season that made Arrowhead quiet and fans wearing bags on their heads. Hunt won’t blame the problems on anyone. He doesn’t bring up any names. But when Scott ***** was hired and given total football control four years ago, he brought a hyper-secretive and isolated style that — especially as the losses piled up — turned off many loyal fans. But it was more than just losing that turned off many fans, so Hunt and club president Mark Donovan know that more than just winning is needed to bring them back. Consumers fans — have more power and more options than ever, so everyone lost with that old model. The Chiefs had empty seats, quiet or booing crowds, and fans who felt pushed away to prove it. That’s not how the Chiefs became Kansas City’s passion. That’s not how they became a wildly profitable business. Without a strong sense of connection, many fans drifted, and the Chiefs are now trying to woo them back with gifts and technology. The Chiefs were the first NFL team to use paperless tickets last year, and going forward, this is will be their vehicle of choice. “Really, we want the experience with our fan base to be one where they’re an insider,” Hunt says. “Where they feel like an insider. Where they’re getting to see things, and hear things, and learn things that people generally don’t have an opportunity to do.” The key to this is the season-ticketholder card the Chiefs created last year. Paperless tickets make it easier for fans to transfer seats or replace lost items. Now the club is adding a loyalty program that is part Foursquare, part frequent flier account and the first of its kind in the NFL. The buzzword here is value. Part of winning back fans is to create more value in that card than mere admittance to the stadium. For instance, go to team events like next week’s draft party, and you’ll earn points. Show your card at various club sponsors and you’ll receive a discount. You get the idea. Collect enough points and you can “buy” experiences that otherwise aren’t for sale, like pregame sideline passes or dinner with Reid. The card is also important to the Chiefs, because they can gather data. Scanning those cards tells them all sorts of information — how early you arrive at the stadium, what you buy when you’re there, how often you attend club events during the week, etc. You can look at this part in two ways. The Chiefs can use the information to maximize their profits (when and how to better staff the stadium, for instance) or to improve the efficiency of a fan’s game day experience. Both are true. All NFL teams are working to bring fans into their stadiums instead of having them home on their couches. There are league-wide initiatives, like certain replays in the stadium that aren’t shown at home, and the Chiefs are working on other ways to enhance the stadium experience — cameras following players from their cars to the locker room, better cell phone reception, more fantasy football stats, etc. This is all coming at a crucial time for the Chiefs. They still call Arrowhead “the loudest stadium in the NFL,” but that has been more of an outdated reminder of better times than an honest point of pride in recent years. They have fallen behind. Again, the best way to change that is for the Chiefs to win. But fans have been disappointed by far more than losses in recent years. Heck, the Chiefs still haven’t won a playoff game since January 1994 so this isn’t a front-running fan base. Just one that wants to feel their love reciprocated. The Chiefs think this is the way. They’re trying to replace the disconnect of the past four years with something closer to the party of the 1990s — and they’re doing it with the latest technology and a more open philosophy. In other words, they want you back. And they’re changing to do it.
Posts: 42,034

04-21-2013, 04:35 PM	#136
OnTheWarpath15 MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $4931115	Seems like we've said this every year. Quick edit, Mother****erJones.
Posts: 60,167

04-21-2013, 08:38 PM	#143
penbrook LEGEND! Join Date: Feb 2013 Casino cash: $10033840	qbs that go #1 dont have to start right away. Carson Palmer didnt start till about half into his rookie season and Jamarcus Russell only played the last two games of his rookie season.
Posts: 16,409

04-21-2013, 08:46 PM	#146
penbrook LEGEND! Join Date: Feb 2013 Casino cash: $10033840	Per Daniel Jeremiah If you enjoy a long pause during a phone call, ask any NFL executive to predict when Geno Smith is going to get drafted.*#NoClue
Posts: 16,409

04-22-2013, 12:33 PM	#147
DTLB58 DT CARD COLLECTOR Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: ManCave Casino cash: $10005837	Clark should do this: @darrenrovell: Packers join pack by putting fans on tickets this year http://t.co/o7pSfLBRhm __________________ 667 Different DT cards and counting
Posts: 7,574