According to Pro Football Talk, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told them via email that the NFL had no plans to investigate the recent accusations that the Kansas City Chiefs may have bugged former head coach Todd Haley’s office and/or tampered with his personal cell phone.
The allegations, of course, stem from Kent Babb’s article in the Kansas City Star that was published last weekend.
“The Chiefs have notified us that these claims are completely false and no such allegations have been made to our office,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told PFT by email on Wednesday morning.
Basically the NFL is saying that what is printed in Babb’s article doesn’t mean much so long as nobody comes to them with evidence or claims against the Chiefs. Unless Haley or one of the team’s former employees calls the league, the NFL will likely leave this alone.
Tags: featured, Popular, Scott Pioli, todd haley
Patrick is a lifelong Chiefs fan who took over Arrowhead Addict in December of 2009. Along with being a sports crazy, he holds an MFA in Acting from the New School for Drama. He lives in New York City with his fiance Mag.
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I can see them taking that stance. If the accusations are real they should be taken to the league.
Quite frankly I have a tough time swallowing them myself. I’d have to have more information to say I believed it.
@kcfanintx
Is it the truth or not, does not matter. The local media story got the NFL offices to comment. PR blunder by Chiefs. Doubt the NFL wants its beloved fans to look at owners and management as something other than wonderful people.
@tm1946@kcfanintxIt’s a PR blunder for the Chiefs if true if not it’s just bad publicity.
Of course the league wants its owners to look good. How would it benefit if they didn’t?
@kcfanintx
PR and bad publicity are usually handled by the same folks. All Pioli had to do was go public, this is what a new mangement team does, cut the drift wood, and the rest of it is sour grapes, I got to get back to hiring my coaches. No he does the “I am sitting in my tower, leave me alone – as if you think you are worthy of an comment”.
The NFL likes to project a all american boy scout view of their product. Few remember the HOF LB who was involved in a murder, do they (Raven, hint hint – Ray Lewis). Right now the NFL is at the top of the world in entertainment but there are entities just waiting to take their place. Like riding the tiger, you look great, feel great, and are great unless you fall off then…….I bet there is a department who reviews everything and anything that might offend their customers (remember Derrick Thomas’ news conference after the “melt down). They do not need to be making enemies, not when you bank billions.
@tm1946 It seems to me Pioli isn’t all that interested in making nice with the public and in a way I like that about him.
Yeah if you don’t try to be a people pleaser the people will be displeased. however when push comes to shove if the Chiefs become a winning team under his watch the fans at large will be pleased and forgive him for being a closed mouthed snob.
Converesely if he was Mr People Pleaser and the Chiefs continued having losing seasons every year no one would want to keep him on because he’s such a great guy.
Case in point Matt Cassel.
Either way the Chiefs will survive this especially if the allegations are false but realistically they will survive it even if they aren’t.
As for the league’s reaction all I can say is it was not surprising they will keep their distance (publicly) unless or until they feel it’s making them look bad. The administrative side of sports is a lot like politics if you think about it.
@kcfanintx
I agree but why do it the hard way? The Chiefs could have the public eating out of their hands with the same effort they use to alienate them. Throw the starving peon some scraps of bread and they will think you their savior.. It works in history , it would have worked here. Look at the Chicago Cubs, losers for how many years but “beloved” by the masses.
No, Pioli was/is going to do it the NE way. After three years, he cannot diliver on coaching, draft or star power players.
Cassel is the perfect mirco example. He had one good season, the fans do not like him, by all accounts he is not an elite QB, yet, for Chief’s management, Pioli and Hunt, he is good enough for this team. Why would Pioli (or whomever) decide this is the way to go? Again, why do it the hard way?
Just to prove you are better than your buds in NE ? Know more about how to do it than the entire NFL? Pioli seems a bit delusional if that is the case.
I didn’t think they would really. I mean if the allegation was that they bugged the Raiders office or something like that I could see it. Which isnt a bad idea. Why spend all this effort on spying on your own. Shouldn’t we be trying to bug the Donkey’s?
It seems to me to be the proper action for a paranoid league where every team monitors their own organization, similar to the CIA, to one degree or another.
The problem is the league offices had to comment on it. Hunt likes to fly below the radar screen. He does little to be in contact with media, fans, or anyone else who might make something public. Like Pioli, he does not “play” well with those he cannot control. Now, national media are looking at the Chiefs, not in a good way. When you get people looking at you under a microscope, that is not a good thing. Major PR problem, guess they could fire someone?
As they should.
If the allegations were proven to be true beyond reasonable doubt, I could no longer be a fan and supporter of this organization. People come first. How the hell is it going to win you more football games if your off the field staff secretly hate their jobs? How do they expect to keep talented employees when they could go work for any number of other companies and be treated with a little respect?!
Babb’s scary story got him what he wanted – lots of media attention. If there was anything behind his smoke and mirrors why wouldn’t he take his “evidence” to the NFL? Wouldn’t that be the right thing to do?
No one ever complained or made any formal charges to HR, law enforcement, or the NFL itself. The NFL pretty much has no choice but to do nothing.