If Lamar Hunt was Conway Twitty, Clark Hunt is Kanye West. OK, so maybe that’s a stretch; Kanye’s ego blows away even Carl Peterson’s and the Louis Vuitton Don likes to hear himself talk more than Herm Edwards. Clark is a speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick type fella — bigger than anyone playing in the Chiefs‘ sister stadium at the Truman Sports Complex at least.
My point is that Clark is definitely not his daddy.
48 hours ago, it looked like Clark had his father’s business acumen but not his passion for football. After all, he went to see his effin’ soccer team play instead of the Chiefs just last month. He seemed to be just going through the motions, carrying out Lamar’s plan. Two things looked certain: A.) King Carl would stick around for the last-year of his contract; B.) Harmageddon would continue to take place under the more P.R. friendly term of “youth movement.”
We couldn’t have been more wrong about Clark. Turns out that the only P.R. going on at One Arrowhead Drive was Clark’s lip service about the King and his Court Jester, Herm, doing a swell job. He does have his old man’s business sense, but he also has his passion for football. For the first time, we’ve seen that and even a bit of fire — I guess he wasn’t just bullshitting us about his competitive nature — in the past 48 hours. Good. If a team squandering it’s fifth lead in eight games doesn’t get under the owner’s skin, what would?
48 hours ago, we wondered if this guy had a pulse. Now we know that not only does he have a pulse, but he also has his finger on the pulse. The pulse of the NFL. The pulse of Kansas City. The pulse of Chiefs Nation. Yes, even the pulse of Addictdom.
We know that the way to get back to winning in the NFL is to start from scratch. The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins have shown us that. Can a few guys stick around? Sure. The Falcons held onto John Abraham, Grady Jackson, Keith Brooking, Ovie “The Drill” Mughelli and Roddy White. The Dolphins kept Joey Porter around. Basically, don’t get stupid with it.
Tony Gonzalez is still the league’s best TE. He stays. The young secondary? Let’s keep them around and see what they can do with a legit front seven. Branden Albert and Glenn Dorsey? Of course they’re coming back. Dwayne Bowe. Fo’ sho. Brian Waters. Yep. Every team needs that veteran voice of reasoning. Nobody else on the roster is totally safe. And it’s time to — GULP! — cut off of our Johnsons, Lebowski. Never thought I’d say that!
As for the coaching staff, get used to hearing those Herm sound bites, because the only job he’s going to have next year is going to be with a TV network. Chan Gailey has done an admirable job, but 2-11 doesn’t justify keeping him either. He’ll land on his feet. Gunther Cunningham? I’m just glad that us Addicts aren’t going to have to concoct a plan straight out of Valkyrie and take out the crazy German ourselves.
The biggest part of starting fresh is allowing the new football guy, the general manager, to bring in his own people. This is why Clark has seperated the business and football sides of the front office. This is why Herm Edwards and Co. are gone quicker than that new Christian Slater show that got canceled so quickly I already forgot its name.
Now, on to the big question: who should Clark Hunt bring in to turn the messiest situation in K.C. since the last time Jason Whitlock tore into a full slab of ribs?
Scott Pioli of New England Patriots fame.
I suggested it last night in the comments, and ESPN’s Bill Williamson — basically Peter King’s hipper, more slender lil’ bro — suggested it today. I definitely would want us to bring in Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel as well. He’s the architect of the No. 1 offense in NFL history and, if you ask me, the next Mike Tomlin. He’s a super young guy that will infuse this punch-drunk franchise with intensity, intelligence and ingenuity. Both of these guys want to get out from under Bill Belichick’s shadow, and the Kansas City gig — with a young, hungry owner, Arrowhead renovated and the league’s best fans rejuvenated — will be a coveted one.
As far as Matt Cassel goes, again, two good quarterbacks are better than none, and he knows that system. He will be eager to both get paid and finally have a chance to officially be the starting quarterback somewhere. With Albert, Charles (probably), D-Bowe and Tony G in the fold, he will have nearly as good of an offensive set-up as he’s had in New England this year. Having him and Tyler Thigpen would allow us to focus elsewhere in the draft. It would also allow me to kill my Michael Vick campaign, which I have no problem doing now that other solutions are finally available. (Then again, can we at least look at him as a Wildcat wonder?)
Today we thank King Carl for the 90s and spank him for the 2K travesty. Today we celebrate the start of the Clark Hunt area and appluad its first bold move. Clark Hunt has stepped into the phone booth and put on the cape. The big question is can he do the same for his team? We’ll worry about that later. For now, I’m just glad he wants to.
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Wow, Adam, you sure sound absolutely sure that Herm is gone. I hope he is, but Clark has said he doesn’t want to strip everything that has been done so far.
If Pioli is the guy, then so be it ( Ilike that he is younf and out to prove himself).
(Referring to your earlier post, Seymour was one of his good picks, but I am not terrible impressed with the others; no really!) Beside, Pioli is going to be in really high demand from all the other underperforming teams: browns, lions, etc. This is not a for sure deal.
Additionally, I would hate to see Matt Cassel as our QB. I am not impressed either. Sorry to be a downer, but I truly think that Bellichek (sp?) and Brady were the architects of those Super Bowl rings.
I am a Cower guy. I think he would be interested: great team, great fans, great owner, great opportunity, plus he has a history here with us. If he wants it all, then give it to him.
IS HERM REALLY GOING TO BE GONE:
Did disagreement with Herm contribute to Peterson’s downfall?
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A fraying in his relationship with Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards may have contributed to the demise of Kansas City GM Carl Peterson, who resigned on Monday.
The Kansas City Star reports that Peterson resisted Edwards’ efforts to blow up the Chiefs roster and rebuild with younger players. But Edwards was able to convince team owner Clark Hunt, above Peterson’s objection, that rebuilding an aging Chiefs rosters was the way to restore the franchise as a contender.
“I was always under the impression that they were friends; that’s why (Edwards) was there in the first place,” Gil Brandt, a former NFL executive and friend of Peterson, told the Star. “Then, all of a sudden, it was like (Peterson) wore out his welcome.”
Hunt said he, and not the new GM, will make the decision on whether Edwards, 15-31 in three years with the Chiefs, stays in Kansas City.
“True to his word, Herm has given the young players a chance to play, and it’s been gratifying to watch them develop,” Hunt said Monday. “He’s as disappointed as anybody that we haven’t turned more of those close games into wins, but I continue to think he’s the right person to both have led us through this process and going forward. I think he could do a good job, as well.”
Edwards said he’s confident he can turn the Chiefs, 2-12 after blowing a late lead to the Chargers on Sunday, into winners if he remains. “I think the future for this football team is bright. I think you can see that,” he said.
“This team has gotten better over the last month. It’s got a lot of young players. I think the foundation is built for this football team now. It’s a great situation to be in for a football coach.”
But he’ll have to ride out a storm of change in Kansas City. LB Derrick Johnson acknowledged he was “excited” about Peterson’s departure and franchise icon Tony Gonzalez says the hammer may not end with him.
“I would expect there to be other changes as well,” Gonzalez said.
Posted by Sean Leahy at 02:03 AM/ET, December 15, 2008 | Permalink
USATODAY
Careful annointing Cassel as the new “guy”. That means we pay a lot for one season’s worth of work. How has Derek Anderson done this year for the Browns?
BTW- Loved the Valkyrie reference…my guess is you are the one wearing the eye-patch if that goes down. You strike me as someone that would like to wear an eye-patch…just sayin.
Some people might read the statement that Clark Hunt has a pulse and say that any Tom, Dick, or Harry has a pulse. I would refine that statement, narrow the parameters, and state unequivocally that any “dick” has a pulse. The question then becomes, is Clark Hunt just another dick? If Herm stays, Clark is definitely a dick. Herm goes, maybe not so much.
I believe that what this team needs in a GM at this juncture is someone who has shown success at identifying and developing talent both on the field and off.
I believe that what this team needs in a head coach at this juncture is not somebody who’s done and seen it all but rather somebody who still has something to prove.
Now everybody break up into small groups and discuss.
Jeremy, you’re not impressed that he found an entire offensive line (with three Pro-Bowlers) outside of the first round? Wow. Tough crowd.
And, yes, I already had the patch ready. I stole it from Al Davis. That poor logo now has to watch with two eyes.
And, yes, Herm is almost 100% gone. What even halfway decent GM would want that idiot as his coach?
I don’t want Herm to stay. I want to make that clear?
I am just questionsing, how much Pioli really contributed to the Patriots winning. I doubt he had total control on draft day. (Three pro bowl offensive lineman in the later rounds is impressive)
I just hope we make the right choice. I will always love the Chiefs and would like to see us win the Superbowl once before I die. I am 37. Can it happen?
I wouldn’t doubt Pioli just because Crennel and Weiss haven’t been able to turn around the messes in Cleveland and South Bend either. It wasn’t just Belichick and Brady that won those Super Bowls. Even Pioli apprentices (Thomas Dimitroff) are turning around franchises (Falcons).
Do you think Pioli gets any help from Big Tuna
good point on thomas dimitroff
Has anyone considered that this move was made by peterson for the betterment of his own career. Who really knows if Clark had anything to do with this….
We can’t just assume that he was fired/given a choice to resign. Maybe he saw that his great win/loss average was being destroyed and wanted out himself so that his next employer would see better results.
Don’t assume there are going to be any changes around KC, for all we know, we might just get a new GM and keep the exact same system. I hope Clark had a hand in this, but don’t celebrate just yet fellow fans. I smell something fishy about all of this.
I look at this a thousand different ways, I still don’t see Herm gone. Clark likes him, we have to young of a team to “blow it up” again. Now, I think Herm is gone in 2010 if we don’t show dramatic improvement.
Adam, I don’t know where you get 100%? Only a Sith deals with absolutes!
Banny, when it comes to Herman Edwards, I am Darth Sidious. (Plus, I said “almost.”)
sigh ………..Carl retires.
I dont smell anything “fishy” about this whatsoever…I am very certain Clark had a hand in this and every national commentator I have heard talk about it thinks it was done in perfect timing. Far enough away from the end of the season that they can get everything organized in time to begin the hunt immediately (hopefully the Pats will miss the playoffs and Pioli will be here by mid January)
Part of me thinks that Herm is almost certainly gone next year just because they are going externally and want a new system it seems like. The other part goes back to comments Clark has made and thinks that he will try to convince whatever GM comes in here to keep him one more year…
I also want to address what some other people on other blogs have been saying…That Carl is going to be having input on his successor. Let us dispel this rumor together, shall we? The context of the remark is that Clark said that when Carl signed his extension they INTENDED to get together a succession plan for who would be the next GM. The context of that is that Carl was being at least mildly successful and it was assumed that would continue and that would be the situation when Carl’s contract was up. In that case they would have consulted Carl regarding his successor.
THIS situation is completely different, Carl is leaving with his tail between his legs. The team has fallen to new lows and Carl’s credibility has crumbled away. There is no way that Clark intends to consult Carl in this situation. He doesn’t want a “Carl guy” he has said himself he wants fresh ideas and fresh, outside the organization, eyes on the team. So, let’s stop with this nonsense about “Carl will be involved with picking his successor.”….Yes, that was once discussed. But it is not happening…
not gonna happen right
There is no way that Clark will demand that Herm remains on board. No good GM is going to accept this position if he is immediately told who his head coach is going to be. Read Clark’s interview carefully. It is obvious that he is a smart guy, and that he has put alot of thought into this. He is going to find the best GM available. When the discussions about head coach follow, the likelyhood of Herm being the guy is slim to none. Clark is keeping the door open, and that is just smart buisness.
I love Pioli. I am not sold on Cassel, but there is a reason I get paid to fix things, not evaluate football talent.
By the way, Thigpen would also look pretty good in that NE system. They use a lot of spread. I just think Cassel-Thiggy would give us two good options. Croyle is likely toast.
From PFT…
“There’s a strong rumor making the rounds in league circles that former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil could return as team president following the departure of long-time G.M., president, and CEO Carl Peterson.
It was Peterson who lured Vermeil out of retirement to coach the Chiefs in 2001, only one season after Vermeil went bawling into the sunset after taking the Rams to a Super Bowl title.
Though it’s possible that Vermeil will serve as G.M. as well, we’re guessing that the Chiefs will be setting up a Parcells-style structure in Kansas City, with a G.M. and a head coach reporting directly to Vermeil.
If Vermeil gets the top job, the chances of Herm Edwards sticking around increases significantly, since Edwards played for Vermeil in Philadelphia.”
Thoughts????
I find it unlikely…Clark wants fresh perspective…
Vermiel? As long as he isn’t allowed to even sniff the draft board. I still shudder when I think about the drafts during the Vermiel era.
Adam, my biggest problem with Cassel is I think he is going to be terribly overpaid. I think spending that money on a pass rusher and/or a linebacker would be a much better investment.
I’ve got a better job for Vermeil. Let’s hope they hire him as the Turk. That way players that were fired would at least feel that they were loved.
What I want in a GM:
It’s real easy to get frustrated and want to see someone pay for your pain. If there is a Chiefs fan that hasn’t shouted “FIRE HIS ASS” about someone on this staff this year, they haven’t been watching the games. Be that as it may, what we all really want is to see KC win.
We don’t need Herm fired. We need him to re-interview, along with everyone else connected with this debacle from the grounds keeper to towel boy. A new GM needs to bring a new set of eyes to the organization that isn’t blinded by loyalty or blind rage and see what is working and what is not. If there is someone better, hire him. If you have the better person in place, keep him. Above all we need a GM that will listen to and trust the people he hires. If the head coach wants a certain defensive coordinator, that should be the heaviest factor in making the decision. If the towel boy feels that the big fluffy’s over at Costco do a better job at soaking up sweat, buy them.
So I ask you (and for the love of god don’t call me a Herm apologist or I may have to go hug Turk Vermeil), if the new GM thinks that Herm is the guy, would you support that?
I dont know Vermiel was in Spfld Mo couple of months ago and made it clear he was through with football. Of course $$$ and fame can lure the best.
Cassel would be a mistake.
He is an average quarterback who has grown over the year and shown promise.
Guess what we already have a QB like that and his name is Tyler Thigpen.
I’m not saying Cassel won’t be a good quarterback or who knows even a star, however what he has done so far doesn’t justify a big contract in my opinion and we don’t have room to go making moves like that. I know we have a lot of cap room but lets spend it elsewhere. We definately need to FA sign a QB or get one in the draft, but unless we get Sam Bradford i’m alright with signing a decent FA or drafting lower and seeing how he competes with Thigpen and Croyle