Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune reported tonight that Jon Gruden plans to return to coaching in 2012.

Almost immediately, our old friend Jason Whitlock began lobbying on Twitter for Gruden’s Monday Night Football job.

@WhitlockJason Jason Whitlock

Who would you like to see replace Chucky on MNF: 1. Whitlock; 2. Big Sexy; 3. Jason; 4. Spearmint’s Rhino; 5. Me.

Our old friend Jason Whitlock is writing about the Chiefs again and as you might imagine, the article is not positive.

Imagine that.

Here is just a sample of the drubbing Whilock gives Pioli, Haley and Parcells in his latest column.

Pioli-Haley is a match made in football hell. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was the first media member to promote the marriage. I wrote about it in the aftermath of Arizona’s victory in the NFC Championship in 2009. At the time, I had no inkling of the size of Pioli’s ego and the irrational nature of Haley’s insecurity-driven false bravado. And I had no idea Pioli and Haley would both unveil bad Parcells impersonations.

Whitlock is harsh and seems to be ready to skewer Parcells and anyone who ever had anything to do with him. He doesn’t actually get into Santa Claus as I alluded to in the title of this post but I bet he would if he found out the jolly old man gave Parcells anything other than a lump of coal last Christmas.

In all seriousness, Whitlock’s brashness aside, he raises some interesting questions. There is obvious spin here, but it is thought-provoking spin, which is why I like reading Whitlock so much. Reading boring columns where I agree with every word the writer says neither entertains me, nor challenges me to grow.

What do you guys think? Read Whitlock’s article and let’s bring it back here for a discussion. Is Jason way off base here, just spinning the story to fit his views? Or is he on to something about the way Parcells and his disciples conduct themselves in the NFL universe.

And please, refrain from the “Fatlock” and “Whitless” comments. I’ll just delete them. This is what Whitlock does, it is his shtick. But let’s debate the merits of his argument, not his style or appearance.

In the latest episode of AA Radio, Paddy talks a bit about a couple of strange conversations between Nick Wright of 610 Sports and former Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock. Lastly, he asks what you want out of your AA Radio experience moving forward.

Four weeks after the Kansas City Chiefs played their last game, the 2010 NFL season is finally, officially over. Super Bowl XLV* has come and gone, and though it wasn’t mentioned during the broadcast, you probably, at one point or another, noticed that the Chiefs weren’t in it.

*As a friend tweeted Sunday night, “Why not just VL?”

But so what? Yesterday formally marked the first day of the 2011 campaign. Bodog.com has already set the opening odds, and the Chiefs are a 35-to-one shot to get to Super Bowl XLVI and win it all. Not quite as sure a bet as, say, the Packers (seven-to-one) or Patriots (15-to-two), but to quote the distinguished Canadian-American actor Jim Carrey as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber: “So…you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance!”

With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to see just how optimistic I could be (while testing my knowledge of Roman numerals). So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are XLVI reasons why next year could be the year…
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The exciting 2010 season already starts to fade into memory...

Yes, this past Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2010 season ended with a thud on the cold, hard, two-toned turf of Arrowhead Stadium. And just like that, a nation of Chiefs fans was cut off cold turkey.

If you’re like me—and if you’re reading (or for that matter, purposefully avoiding) this blog right now, I know that in some way you are—you’re experiencing a bit of a psychological break. We’ve all been on a weekly cycle of ebb and flow…win and sometimes lose…soar and crash…vent and recover…for the last four-plus months, and it’s not the kind of routine you just delicately step away from.

Last week, Lyle made a nice analogy between our Chiefs’ uneven progress and the art of potty-training, explaining that with any young team, fits and starts and “accidents” are all part of the process. To apply my own, much more convoluted and less appropriate bathroom-related analogy, one might say that the Kansas City Chiefs’ season rather suddenly went down the toilet on Sunday. And now that our toilet is clogged to the point of cracking because it’s full of Chiefs (Shaun Smith in particular), it sure would be nice if we could just shut off the water main and remove the pressure from the situation.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way with adrenaline. (more…)

At least that’s how I see it.

This has been a very exciting week to be part of the Arrowhead Addict family.  Our beloved site has received outside media recognition twice, and all of this in the middle of playoff week.  I first wanted to congratulate Victor Wishna for his awesome rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and the recognition it received from NPR, and Big Matt for going toe to toe with the infamous Jason Whitlock.  Great job guys.

But wait, that’s not all!  Big Matt’s regularly scheduled programming is top notch, and so is his new tattoo!  I followed up with my letter/list of demands for Coach Todd Haley, and guess what?  He never wrote me back…  To end the week Adam put together some solid work, and focused on what will truly linchpin in this Sunday’s matchup:  the line of scrimmage.  If you missed any of these posts, I seriously recommend taking the time to go back through them because the team here at AA really put together a solid week.  My hat goes off to you guys.

So here is your turn to bring up topics about the upcoming Ravens/Chiefs game.  What do you think will be the key for either team?  We will have our playoff predictions up come Sunday, but I agree with Adam that the key will be controlling the Ravens D-line/O-line, i.e. and keeping Charles and Cassel on their feet, and Rice and Flacco off of theirs.

Have a great night everyone, and thanks for helping make this site what it is!

He's got a certain je ne sais quoi (source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

If you haven’t read Jason Whitlock’s piece on the Chiefs yet, you need to.  It’s a truly fascinating read.  I know many of you hate Whitlock.  I think a lot of the personal attacks are pretty wack, but I’m not here to argue matters of taste.  Whether or not you like Whitlock or ever agree with him, you do yourself a disservice writing him off.

Read the article.  Do it.  Read the points so we can discuss them.  Seriously, I can wait.  I’ll just eat my lentil soup and watch this episode of Transformers I have DVR’ed.  Optimus Prime is back from the dead!

OK, now I know Whitlock says some pretty inflammatory things there and he probably angered a lot of you.  But make no mistake, there is wisdom and truth in his words as well.  Again, I don’t agree with some of it.  But I definitely got more out of this one article than any 50 of the team-approved pieces you read virtually everywhere else.

Let’s examine a few of the things he actually says after the jump:

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Is that Thomas Gafford recovering a fumble? Naw, can't be. Maybe the Chiefs record is a mirage!

Our old friend Jason Whitlock is at it again. He has been trashing the Chiefs the entire season and getting a win over the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars isn’t going to change his mind.

Whitlock again is criticizing the Chiefs in his weekly NFL truths column. Whitlock claims that the 4-2 record the Chiefs are currently sporting is a mirage thanks to their soft schedule and the fact that they have played two teams that were starting backup QB’s.

The truth is, Kansas City’s 4-2 record is a mirage and Haley knows it. Kansas City is feasting on a soft schedule and good fortune. Two of their four victories came against backup quarterbacks (Cleveland and Jacksonville). The other two victories are over two of the league’s most disappointing teams (San Diego and San Francisco). Cleveland, Jacksonville, San Diego and San Francisco have a combined record of 8-20.

My thoughts after the jump.

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After 16 years of writing thought-provoking and popular columns for The Kansas City Star, Jason Whitlock is leaving the paper to pursue other interests.

Whitlock joined The Star in 1994 as a general-interest sports columnist after writing for newspapers in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Charlotte, N.C. He immediately struck a chord with local readers and ultimately developed a national audience through his column and work in other media, including radio and television.

KC Star

Source: Yardbarker.com

Yesterday I bowed down to pessimists all over Chiefs Nation and gave you what I thought was the absolute, worst case scenario for the Chiefs 2010 season. It wasn’t pretty. I ruined the day for at least 15 people, made Randy cry and now I hear KC Wolf wants to meet me behind the jungle gym after work.

Yes, it could get bad people. Then again, being the giant Chiefs homer that I am, it could get good. In fact, the more I think about it, the Chiefs could do very, very well this season.

Especially when you consider the best-case scenario.

That and a giant glass of red and gold flavored Kool-aid after the jump.

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I am still trying to find my way as a professional sports blogger. AA isn’t a newspaper. It isn’t ESPN.com. I don’t have to designate which columns are unbiased news and which are pure opinion. I always have the luxury of giving my opinion and that is what makes AA and the whole Fansided Network of sports blogs so great. Adam and Zach have a long tradition of giving it to the readers straight and not pulling any punches. That is going to continue as long as Andrew and I are running things, I assure you. However, I also hold myself accountable for what I write in my columns. For instance, when I write that I think Larry Johnson is a jerk and that I am glad he has left the Chiefs, I have a pretty nice pile of evidence in my corner that Larry isn’t that great a guy and that the Chiefs are better off without him.

I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you what I thought about any and all things Chiefs but I do have a responsibility to be fair. I owe the folks in the Chiefs organization and the NFL a fair opinion. I’m never going to write anything here if I don’t believe it, just to stir up controversy and drive up readership.

That is why I am appalled at the way some media types have portrayed Scott Pioli. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just one windbag over at the Kansas City Star but it isn’t.

It was all sunshine and daisies when Scott was hired. Everyone applauded Clark Hunt for going out and getting the best personnel man available. A guy who had won executive of the year awards and had a fist full of Super Bowl rings to boot. Everyone was excited for the changes in KC. The evil King Carl had been tarred and feathered and run out of town.

Oh, how short the honeymoon was.

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Dwayne Bowe. Someone to build on.

“But for this week’s game, I just think it’s not fair to him. I just think Damon, he got us some momentum going and hopefully we can build on that, said Herm Edwards during a September 9th press conference in 2008.

Nearly a year and a month later, the Chiefs had a new coach, and Damon Huard was long gone. This time, it was Todd Haley putting on his construction hat.

HALEY: I was really proud of the guys. I think they pulled together and overcame adversity, overcame some injuries in some key spots to score a touchdown and tie the game and give us a chance to potentially win the game. I think that’s something we definitely as a team have to build on.”

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To absolutely nobody’s surprise, the nothing-if-not-opportunistic, part-time Chiefs columnist Jason Whitlock has used the Erin Andrews peephole scandal as an opportunity to dogpile on Deadspin and the sports blogosphere. That’s interesting and all, I suppose, but it’s kind of old news for Big Sexy. He’s been there, done that.

The real story here is that ridiculous image of Andrews and Whitlock. If it was a slab of ribs instead of Andrews, there would be no peeping. He’d bust down the door like Carlito trying to get to an undressing Gail. You know it. I know it. Jason knows it. We all know it.

(Adam Best is the senior editor of Arrowhead Addict. Follow him daily via RSS feed and Twitter.)

Jason Whitlock wrote his recent piece on Matt Cassel owing Randy Moss for his contract just so he could throw around Jeff George’s name a few times. I’m 100% convinced and nobody will be able to be able to talk me down. I even think Big Sexy’s passion for the Georgester trumps his love of both Gates’ ribs and The Wire (Two things that, unlike George, deserve the affection…the latter spoofed above. I give Jason “Bunk,” even though he looks more like “Prop Joe.”). We haven’t seen a man-crush like this since Stan wrote that letter to Eminem.

Screw that he laughably called Moss “arguably the greatest football player of our lifetime,” ignoring guys like Jerry Rice and Lawrence Taylor in the process. Guys who carried their original teams to championships, instead of not even being able to win one after joining a dynasty. That all gets lost in the shuffle after you see him namedrop J.G. twice. George hasn’t played a tick of the clock since 2001. The only way he’s getting into the Hall of Fame is with a ticket, and given all the bridges he burned in the NFL that might not even work. None of that matters to Jason.  He mentions George more on a monthly basis than both the mainstream media and blogosphere do combined. Hell, I’m not sure ESPN is as obsessed with a certain No. 4 as Whitlock is with the former mulleted maniac.

As far as Whitlock’s comments on Cassel, those are off base, too. He fails to mention how Brady also rode the bench in both college and the pros before he blossomed when the Pro Bowler in front of him went down with an injury. He fails to mention that guys like Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Kerry Collins, Chad Pennington and, yes, even Daunte Culpepper all had more college or pro experience (usually both) than Cassel did when they inherited Moss as their primary target. Cassel also did a much better job of finding Moss deep late in the season. Also, it’s hard to throw the long ball when you get sacked 47 effin’ times. At least Whitlock refrained from calling Cassel the next Scott Mitchell, like fellow M&M-bodied talking head Jamie Dukes has recently.

Regardless, I’m not sure how seriously Whitlock even thought over what he wrote about Cassel and Moss, or if he even cared how those sentiments went over with readers. His real objective here was to ramble about his boyhood friend turned boy toy Jeff George. Jason, you can have your man crush. That’s fine. But from here on out keep your BFF in the closet. This is turning into a PDA situation, and nobody likes that. Maybe you two should get a room? I hear the InterContinental down on the Plaza is nice.

(Adam Best is the co blogger-in-Chief of Arrowhead Addict. Follow him daily via RSS feed and Twitter.)

First, let me say that I appreciate Jason, his work and his talent. But sometimes he just gets out on a tangent and can’t let it go. I have seen it with Damian Nash at Mizzou, who he interviewed after a bitter loss, then published his displeasure with playcalling and patterns of substitution by the coaching staff. This resulted in Mr. Nash permanently landing in Coach Pinkel’s doghouse.

Another example was his most recent diatribe with Brian Waters. Through amplification, as well as conjecture he has pitted the longest-tenured veteran player and NFL Man of the Year against the new GM and head coach..

Now, Jason is upset with the cloak of secrecy at One Arrowhead Dr. He feels that he should be on the sidelines at every practice, be allowed in the locker room after every practice and be consulted by Haley and Pioli on every personnel decision.

WRONG! Haley and Pioli are not interested in developing articles for the Star and embellishing the personalities of individuals. Their job is to rid the Chiefs locker room of self-serving wannabe stars and develop team concepts without interference from the outside. I have often thought in K.C the last several years we have glorified our players with individual radio shows and spots which in many cases were not earned or justified. As Dwayne Bowe said today in an interview, “It’s kinda nice, we are coming together — it is important for me to keep a low profile with so many young and new players”

Jason wake up and smell the barbeque. It’s not about individuals anymore — its about team. I am reminded of Joe Kapp, the journeyman QB who led the Vikings to the super Bowl in the 70s, who said “Winning it’s about 40 guys for 60 minutes.” Save your critiques for the regular season. Ultimately, Haley and Pioli will be held accountable for their record. Let them do it their way without interference from the media.

As for you, I suggest you go to the nearest Gates and drown your displeasure with an order of long ends.

Every Monday, Arrowhead Addict editor/lead writer Adam Best will kick off the week with his AA Greeting — his one-of-a-kind POV on all things Chiefs.

Since the Oscars just recently went down, I thought we’d honor the biggest haters from free agency’s opening weekend. Drumroll, please…

Slumblog Millionaire – Merlin

“Caveat Emptor” came off as sour grapes. He wanted Jon Kitna and Tyler Thigpen, while yours truly and a whole lot of others wanted Matt Cassel or a comparable young quarterback. He didn’t get his way, so he tried to paint the move as a mistake. He even went Scott Mitchell on us, which I would have given him points for if he had of actually come up with the zinger on his own. Daddy Defense, like Slumdog Millionaire, your views typically represent all the “little people,” and are presented with a lot of heart. Not this time. “Caveat Emptor” was completely out of touch. Wack.

In Borges – Ron Borges

Who? Who? Never heard of the guy. His whole column just sounds like some serious homespun hatin’ to me. There are “far more personnel men” who think Cassel’s a flop than a franchise quarterback? Really? Who have you been listening to and reading? I’ve heard just the opposite. But screw hearsay; Cassel made a believer out of me late last season, when he went 4-0 down the stretch and posted ridiculous numbers. I understand, Borges — you’re a Bill Belichick apologist. He’s obviously got your balls in his Darth Vader-like vice grip. Even Colin Farrell’s performance in In Bruges didn’t make me laugh as much as your column. You’re a funny guy, Borges.

The Readerless – Jay Mariotti

I’d listen to just about anybody before the guy who gets clowned live and in living color by Woody Paige on almost a daily basis. Conspiracy theory? Not when your fellow haters are calling Cassel and Mike Vrabel a bench-riding phony and a washed-up snitch, respectively. If last year’s Pau Gasol trade in the NBA didn’t get overturned, there is no way this is even going to get investigated. What a desperate attempt to regain some readership after getting canned from the Chicago Sun-Times. Just how I don’t understand The Reader getting the props it did on the awards circuit, I don’t understand how Mariotti has managed to stay relevant for so long.

The Dark Write – Jason Whitlock

Boy, did Jason do some serious damage this past weekend. Way to cast a dark shadow over one of the few happy moments Chiefs fans have experienced during the past few years, Big Sexy.

First off, since he enjoys mafia references, he played the role of Luca Brasi for the Godfather of the Chiefs locker room, Brian Waters. Considering they are dealing with The Pioli Trinity and not King Carl and his consigliere Herm Edwards, I wouldn’t be surprised if B-Dub and Big Sexy were sleeping with the fishes soon. Can’t you just see the Trinity wacking them out as the No. 3 pick gets baptized, er, selected?

But seriously, nobody else even talked about Waters last weekend. After considering that, doesn’t it seem like Big Sexy was simply trying to stir the pot? His rivalry with Carl Peterson was his bread and butter, so it doesn’t surprise me that he wasted no time kicking off his feud with the new regime. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Waters and Whitlock are cool, and I’m sure this was partially done as a favor to Waters. But the big fella definitely had his own agenda.

Then there was his column on the Cassel-Vrabel trade. You know, the one where he belittled Scott Pioli and Tood Haley by calling them Scott Belichick and Todd Parcells. You know Jason, I could do that to you. You have a mentor, too — the late, great Ralph Wiley. I could call you Ralph Whitlock. Real funny, huh? Ha, ha. They went out and did what you, myself and everybody else who covers the Chiefs had been begging them to do for, well, freakin’ forever  — get a franchise quarterback! — and you respond by blasting them for it? Not only that, you went on to compare Haley to Dick Vermeil and Pioli to “King Carl on steroids” not long after you openly campaigned for both men. Worst of all, you welcomed three-time Super Bowl champion and 2007 Pro Bowler Vrabel to Kansas City by calling him a “snitch.” You, my friend, have watched one episode too many of The Wire.

Jason, Jason, Jason. Sometimes there’s no columnist I like better. I have no problem admitting it; for years now I’ve been both one of your biggest fans and your biggest critics. Why? Because when you’re on, you’re as good as anybody. Like the piece you did on the drug war and incarceration for Playboy last year. I always enjoy your FOX Sports columns as well (except when you called Chad Johnson a bojangler, that is). But sometimes you play the contrarian just so you can take the slant that nobody else is taking. Just admit it. I even see why you do it. It makes you look like an independent, outside-the-box thinker with brass balls, plus it stirs up conversation.

This concocted contrarian act is getting a little stale. We’ve seen it more times than Brandon Marshall’s been arrested at this point. Hey, all of us writers do things to elevate our own status and boost our readership. I can admit that I do it, too. But acting like Waters’ pushy divorce lawyer and throwing the new regime and their first two high-profile acquisitions under the bus in the same weekend was completely uncalled for. Especially considering that we are still in the honeymoon period. Besides, can’t you just let us enjoy possibly the biggest trade acquisition in the history of the franchise for a little while? Would that kill you?

Like The Dark Knight, you were the outcast on this one. Problem is, we just got rid of the Joker, we don’t want your gloom and doom right now, and we’re not down with you trying to turn Scott Pioli into Scotty Two-Face.

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Jason Whitlock went a little but further than what I’m willing to, absolutely crushing Athan via IM to Mike Florio. From PFT:

Our concerns became even more pointed upon receiving moments ago the following IM from Jason Whitlock: “LEAVE NICK ATHAN ALONE. . . total assclown. ASSCLOWN.”

(You know, Whitlock’s career would really take off if he’d quit being so damned wishy-washy about his opinions.)

“Feel free to quote me by name,” Whitlock said, “belittling you for even responding to that assclown’s e-mail. He’s the guy who sent NFL Network an e-mail saying the Chiefs’ deal for Shanahan was DONE and that Schefter was wrong. Athan is an assclown.”

Wow. Athan definitely hit the canvas on that one. Ouch. Sorry, Nick, gotta call ‘em like I see ‘em.

Now we’re once again left to wonder whether or not the Chiefs have actually fulfilled the Rooney Rule requirement after it looks like Athan’s earlier rebort might have been conjured out of thin air. Great.

Here’s his take in the KC Star on the firing resignation of “King” Carl Peterson.

The piece was surprisingly short considering Whitlock has been leading the “Fire King Carl” parade float every year for about the last decade. Jabba must have been out drinking some Courvoisier, reveling in Clark Hunt‘s latest move. I’m wondering if he is going to be able to set aside the race card (yeah right) and keep the band playing for Herm’s firing as well?

Here’s an excerpt:

Of course, Hunt stated that Sunday’s 73-second collapse and surrender of a double-digit lead had nothing to do with Carl Peterson’s “resignation.” Yeah, and my affinity for Gates barbecue has nothing to do with the belt of flab wrapped around my waist.

At least he is honest.

There’s also a funny anecdote in the column about Carl not eating Whitlock’s mother’s cooking at her annual Christmas party that is good for a laugh. Aside from that, a disappointing, short and frankly, lazy piece from J-Dub considering how much ink he has used trying to get the events of yesterday to actually happen. I expected more meat from Whitlock about Carl waving the white flag than a Gates BBQ shout out.

What do you think of Whitlock’s send up of King Carl, Addicts?

4. On Monday, Buccaneers defensive tackle Ryan Sims made his first start since the 2005 season. On Monday, Carolina running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combine to rush for 301 yards.

Coincidence?

Not if you followed Sims’ Kansas City career. After Sims’ five seasons in Kansas City, I’m not sure why any team would give him a contract as a backup. Monte Kiffin is supposed to be some sort of defensive genius. I’d love to hear him explain what makes Sims an NFL-caliber defensive tackle.

Gotta love Ryans Sims bashing!

“Chiefs are making strides under Edwards.”

Thanks to the two bumbling blobs over at The Kansas City Star, we now have this…

Jason Whitlock, stick to what earns you your paycheck — blaming Carl Peterson for global warming, the economy’s collapse, the latest season of Entourage starting off slowly and all the world’s other problems.

Jos Posnanski, stick to baseball — you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about when it comes to the gridiron.

Just because you can write well — and credit where credit is due, you both can do just that — doesn’t mean you can write well about the Chiefs.

Here’s the biggest thing; if Herm Edwards had of made some decent adjustments and not tightened up down the stretch like a nun’s holiest of holies, then the Chiefs would have never even been put in that position in the first place. Yet they were. Harm’s three consecutive three-and-outs gave the game away. For the third time in as many weeks, Harm snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Either this guy is tanking it or he is criminally mishandling leads. There’s no way he’s tanking games either, so you do the math.

Another thing I hated about Harm going for two is that he basically put Tyler Thigpen in a position where he lost the game for the Chiefs, or at least I’m pretty damn sure that’s how he felt after he threw that near pick to end the game. Why not take it into overtime, where you can give Thiggy Smalls more pressure-situation experience and a better chance at being a hero. We all know that most young quarterbacks really struggle inside the redzone, especially inside the 10-yard line. Tony Gonzalez‘s second touchdown was tipped by two Chargers, and it took every bit of Tony’s Hall of Fame skills to make that snag, so don’t give Tyler too much credit there. If we won the toss, there is no way the Chargers would have stopped our offense, as long as Herm allowed Chan Gailey to play call aggressively, which never seems to be the case late in tight contests. In that scenario, Thigpen leads us down the field, we kick a short field goal and Thiggy is the talk of the league. Now that would have been terrible for his confidence. Just terrible, I tell you!

If we lost the toss and, as a result, the game, we could have just blamed the loss on the defense being depleted by injuries. That way Thigpen’s psyche doesn’t get damaged. After all, developing a quarterback is the most crucial part of this rebuilding process. This year, it’s even more important than the final score.

I’m just sick and tired of fans and high-profile journalists alike patting Herm Edwards on the back. I expect that from “yes man” Bob Gretz, but the rest of you are better than that.

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5. The wrestling match for Bill Cowher better include the Kansas City Chiefs.

There are already rumors that the Browns have interest in the former Pittsburgh head coach who now works on CBS’s studio show.

This is the second year of Cowher’s “retirement.” I don’t see it lasting a third season. Kansas City is the ideal location for Cowher to return. The Chiefs have a general manager/president, Carl Peterson, who needs to be removed and a head coach, Herm Edwards, who foolishly jumped on Peterson’s sinking ship and decided to build a lifeboat (rebuilding) three years after taking the captain’s chair.

Cowher worked in Kansas City under Marty Schottenheimer. The Chiefs are renovating their stadium and are losing season-ticket holders as you read this. Cowher would inject some life into the franchise and fill the new stadium while the team recovers from Peterson’s incompetence.

Cowher is a perfect fit for Kansas City.

Glad to have you on board, Big Sexy, even if you did piggyback onto our idea (minus the Vick). Getting this out there in the MSM certainly can’t hurt its chances of coming into fruition.

At this rate, Whitlock will still be trying to get George an NFL quarterbacking gig when I’m 40 (a little over a decade). Give it up, “Big Sexy.” Your boy is a bust, and you were wrong (that’s the bigger issue to you anyway). Coulda, shoulda, woulda–didn’t. Let George move on with his new life, where he’s the spokesperson for the National Mullet Association.

I can’t believe I actually stuck up for you a little while ago. This is how you repay me? Thanks a lot. Now I’m going to have to enter the Whitlock Protection Program and hand over A.A. to the rest of the staff. Just great. Your George mancrush just turned me into the sportsblogging version of Henry Hill.

From the Kansas City Star (I can’t believe they let him even print this garbage):

Coach Belichick, I know the game. It’s a gift from the football gods.

I warned you that if you played Brady against the Chiefs, he might suffer an injury to his leg or knee. I told you that Matt Cassel was good enough to beat the Chiefs.

Look, I’m not writing you this follow-up letter to gloat. I like you. I’m a big fan. I’m trying to hand you the advantage I’ve tried to give to Carl Peterson and the Chiefs for years.

You need Jeff George.

Don’t laugh. Pick the newspaper back up. Keep reading. You didn’t listen to me last week, and what happened?

You need Jeff George. Yes, that Jeff George, the No. 1 pick in the 1990 draft, the guy who tongue-lashed June Jones in Atlanta, had one great season in Oakland and Minnesota before falling victim to Marty Schottenheimer’s wrath in Washington.

Yes, I know Jeff George hasn’t thrown a pass in an actual NFL game since 2001 and hasn’t been on a roster since Lovie Smith and the Bears let him go at the end of the 2005 season.

You do realize that Todd Collins went six years without starting an NFL game before leading Washington to three victories last season? You realize Todd Collins was never as good as Jeff George?

You realize even at age 40 and having lived in football exile for three years, Jeff George still has one of the five best arms in the game? Oh, he can still wing it with the best of them. He’s in great shape. He’s ready to go right now.

Bill, I’m not crazy. Yes, I’m in the tank for Jeff George. We grew up together on the east side of Indianapolis, and we take loyalty very, very seriously.

He’s not perfect. He mishandled his career and talent. But the dude is 40 now and still wants to play. He can get the ball to Randy Moss and stretch a defense.

It’s time to euthanize this fool, at least professionally. We all get attached to guys (like yours truly and Bobby Sippio), but this has become a personal salvation project. No Chiefs fan or Kansas Citian wants to read about your over-the-hill sugar pie signal caller. Then again, maybe if you do coax a team to sign him you’ll end up leaving town to cover your boy? Hmmm…

Whatever happens, you may haved dubbed Carl Peterson “King Carl,” but I’m giving you a new moniker–Jason the Jester. Hey, every royal court needs one. For you, I bet we can even get that tightwad to splurge on your new clown costume. 4XL, right?

I’m actually going to come out and be Jason Whitlock‘s wingman on his latest column. Was it a bit harsh? Maybe, but I think he was both being sarcastic and having fun with Chiefs fans. I’m also not completely sure that the Pats could win without Brady, because he is the Patriots.

But Whitlock is also undoubtedly a Chiefs fan. He even wrote “my Chiefs” in his piece. Unlike Adam Teicher, he actually gives two shits whether or not the Chiefs ever return to the Super Bowl. Just because a Chiefs backer doesn’t agree with you on what needs to happen for us to make it back to the Promised Land, that doesn’t make them any less of a fan. You don’t have to be a homer to be a die-hard fan, especially when you are trying like hell to be an objective writer. I am starting to understand Jason more and more everyday. Sometimes he does totally play the contrarian and just gets ridiculous, but ain’t easy writing the stuff fans don’t want to read but need to anyway.

Let’s not walk on eggshells here. The real issue is faith, or lack thereof, in Brodie Croyle and the regime that has entrusted him. The Brodie Believers have anointed him as Broadway Brodie, the 2k successor to Alabama’s last great QB Joe Namath. It’s as if he’s rocking a fur coat that he killed hunting on the sideline. Same shaggy hair– very different game. Sure he has a strong arm, but what else has he shown us? No touch, poor decision-making skills, frailty and the inability to win? A hot wife? Forgive us for being skeptical.

My old man, a life-long Chiefs fan, told me yesterday that he hopes Brodie gets hurt so all this silliness will just stop. I told him that would be the worst possible outcome. The worst thing that could happen is for Brodie Croyle to become Brodie Boller, with the regime and its supporters continuously providing a laundry list of excuses for him. We do not want the Brodie Project to emulate the Kyle Boller Project, and become a half-decade disaster that drags the team down with it. This year needs to conclude his prolonged audition. Either he makes it and moves on, or we bang the gong.

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I almost stood up and started clapping after I read this golden nugget of truth…

William Franklin and Bobby Sippio were fantastic. The Chiefs would love to see Franklin flourish. He’s a rookie draft pick, and he has the necessary skill set to shine as a slot receiver.

The Chiefs would prefer Sippio, the former Arena League star, not make the team. It’s not personal. He’s just not a Bill Kuharich draft pick. Thankfully, it appears Sippio is going to force his way onto the team and into the lineup. He’s a big, physical receiver with reliable hands. He has a swagger, too. And he can play on special teams.

The Chiefs would prefer Jeff Webb. But he’s no Bobby Sippio.

My relationship with Jabba has always been a love-hate one, but today it’s all love, big guy. It’s good to see that the whole Star staff isn’t buying into the bogus anti-Sippio propaganda. The mudslinging at Sipp in Adam Teicher’s recent blog entry was nastier than what we’ll probably see exchanged during this Presidential campaign. And it’s good to see Will Franklin get some props as well. The Helicopter definitely took off for flight last Thursday. The Jeff Webb diss was just the icing on the cake.

Keep it up, Jay. I’m sure you won’t.

The NFL could legalize the use of HGH, steroids, artificial limbs and handguns for the home team at Arrowhead Stadium this season and the Chiefs would still struggle to win four games in 2008.

Holy hyperbole run amok! Man, Jason Whitlock needs to slow his roll a little. The Chiefs do have some holes, but we also have a lot of talent. We also have an easy schedule. We will win four games no problem. Not many more, but definitely four.

Why does Whitlock write the things he does? This writer thinks he has J-Dub’s formula figured out. It’s not as simple as him having the opposite-of-the-”popular” opinion, its that he writes articles contrary to the popular (implied or otherwise) “black community” opinion. As a black man, he has Carte Blanche to write about race issues in a way a white male sports writer cannot, yet he chooses to do the opposite of what is expected of him, making him controversial by default. Whitlock’s reign of terror has garnered him attention on Oprah, ESPN and Fox Sports because his reverse takes and “black attacks” makes him such an oddity. However, at most of these past gigs, like ESPN, his formula backfires.

As Americans begin to put the black-white issue behind us with a presidential candidate of color and wars with people of a lighter shade of brown in the middle east; Whitlock the race-baiter continues to spew his contrarian nonsense; turning the Klieg lights on and pointing them at issues that were non-existent until he decided to illuminate them to “get people talking”- like someone anointed him the Official Black Voice of Sports in America. “Get people talking” in KC usually amounts to message board flame wars about race, water-cooler talk of how bad of a writer he is, and barbs at his physical weight.

What if Jason Whitlock was white? A White Whitlock, from here on out, Whitelock, if you follow the formula, would write stories about how much he dislikes Barack Obama, 80s Night, and Grad School. All things White People like according to StuffWhitePeopleLike.com. (To clarify, his articles would be the opposite of typical things white people like these days…and if you get mad about Barack Obama, just substitute “Toyota Prius” or “Coffee“). He would write negative pieces on white water rafting, organic food and having black friends. (sub: country music, standing still at concerts or wine for any of those if you disagree.)

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Can’t you hear Flava Flav blabbing on and on as the track hits? That was a Public Enemy reference, for those of you either too old or young to know Flav as anything but a full-time reality TV goon. Anyway, it’s no secret that most Kansas Citians dislike, to put it nicely, both “King” Carl Peterson and Jason “Jabba the” Whitlock. I think most K.C. sports fans, especially Chiefs fans, believe both have worn out their welcome. Also, the only thing bigger than both of their egos is Jabba’s waistline, and it’s hard to root for guys like that. The big question: if the two squared off in a WWE-style loser-leaves-town wrestling match, who would you want to lose and get the boot?

(By the way, visualizing the actual wrestling match is a trip. Can’t you see Carl wooing and strutting like Flair, then pleading his way out of a beating like a little bitch. Can’t you see Jabba doing some kind of Yokozuna/Earthquake I’m-too-fat-to-do-anything-remotely-athletic-so-I’ll-just-drop-my-fat-ass on you finisher? Pretty funny to actually play out in your head if you ask me.)

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What does this have to do with the Chiefs? Everything. At the heart of Whitlock’s piece is that lots of sports fans, especially in Middle America, still are old-fashioned, closed-minded, prejudiced and judgmental. Everyone always points out that the NBA has a race or culture problem. Why isn’t it the fans and media who have the problem? After all, NFL players have raised way more hell in the past few years than their hoopster counterparts.

I’m not calling all Midwesterners or sports fans racist here. What I’m getting at is that as a whole both Midwesterners and sports fans are definitely less open-minded and more prejudiced than your average Jane or Joe elsewhere in America and outside the sports world. Or that’s the perception out there, anyway. Personally, I’ve been thinking that a lot of progress had been made. Thanks for ruining that, Big Sexy.

Let’s look at Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes again, to tie this in locally. Priest may have been great with the media, and he may have had a pretty smile and clean-cut image, but he was a lousy teammate. In the end he showed that he was more about Priest than the Chiefs. Additionally, Priest has about half as many illegitimate kids as ODB left behind. Meanwhile, L.J. has been a perfect citizen other than one minor situation five years ago. Johnson may be kind of aloof when it comes to the media, but he’s a dedicated Chief. In reality, Johnson is at least just as much of a role model, a player and a Chief as Priest was. Also, his demeanor might rub some the wrong way, but at least it’s honest. In retrospect, didn’t Priest come off a little fake? Nonetheless, Priest was practically handed the key to the city while L.J. has damn near been ostracized by fans of the Red and Gold.

Do tattoos have something to do with that? I’m guessing yes.

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Whitlock’s got a great sense of humor. He’s not a fence sitter, always willing to give his opinions. Most of all, he’s got his own style, and an entertaining one. He’s carved a nice little niche out for himself in both Kansas City and the sportswriting world. Honestly, I’d probably get along with Jason in real life — I like The Wire and occasionally frequent Blonde and Kona Grill when I’m back in K.C.

The problem I have with Jason is that when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL, he’s wrong more often than he’s right. An even bigger problem I have with Jason: Every time he’s wrong he has the most conviction that he’s right. Well, and then there’s the part where I think Arrowhead Addict covers the Chiefs better (we actually watch the games, buddy). But that’s just my personal opinion on the matter.

I just finished reading Jason’s grades for the Chiefs over at The Kansas City Star. While he did an admirable job for the most part, we strongly disagree with some of his grades. Here’s where Jason went wrong…

(By the way, thanks for sticking up for our guy Bobby Sippio. It is definitely inexplicable why he didn’t get the rock at the end of the year. Just for that, I won’t call you Jabba anywhere in this post. I promise. And if we don’t give Sippio a real shot in the post-Parker, post-Solari era of Chiefs’ offense, I will lose it. Another story, another day.)

The Jason Whitlock Grade Check:

Boomer Grigsby (85): This is out there, even for you. Maybe you just compared him to Kris Wilson and graded with a curve? Regardless, the only high grade Boomer should get is for his off-field comedy value. His on-field play didn’t merit a “B.” Fullbacks have to do more than just make a decent initial block and then fall down. He was playing a new position at the highest level possible, though, so we’ll give him some grace. A.A.’s Grade: 75/C

Dwayne Bowe (81): This is the most glaring error of all of Jason’s grades. When you are the best rookie among all the other rookies that play your position in the entire league, yeah, that gets you an “A.” Grading him against Michael Irvin as a rookie is a little farfetched. Even for you, Big Sexy. Bowe wasn’t the best rookie reciever of all time, but he was the best Chiefs’ rookie WR of all time. That paired with being tops among rooks in the NFL earns him an “A.” A.A.’s Grade: 95/A

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