Raiders of the Lost Clark

I hate to tell you this but, we’ve had it all wrong. It’s not John Dorsey’s fault that the Chiefs are 1-4. It’s not Andy Reid’s fault the offense is so dysfunctional. It’s not Bob Sutton’s fault the defense is in such disarray. It’s not Alex Smith’s fault he hasn’t lived up to his #1 overall billing… well, wait a second… yea, it is. But I digress. Every team that — plays the Chiefs in 2015 and then beats them — are officially raiders of the lost Clark Hunt enterprise known as the Kansas City Chiefs.

While all of the individuals mentioned above are responsible for their own work (or lack thereof), there is only one person who is responsible for the organization’s end result. And who’s to blame for that? Bottom line? → Clark Hunt. Why is that worth considering at this point in the season? Because the Kansas City Chiefs have clearly lost their way.

On Wednesday, Arrowhead Addict’s Ben Almquist wrote in his piece called, “Chiefs Problems Pt 1: The Offense,”

"“Somehow the Chiefs have allowed for a culture of losing and failure to permeate through the organization, and NOBODY has been untouched by it.”"

I totally get it when Almquist writes, “NOBODY.” It includes coaches, players, fans, media and owner.

Now, out of all those touched by this “culture of losing,” who would you say is the most responsible? Quite a high percentage of fans and media seem to think that would be the coaches or general manager. However, we all know who gave those people a job in the first place.

While the coaches and GM are also culpable… when you think about NFL organizations with “winning cultures”… what is their one constant? That would be their owners. Like with the Pittsburgh Steelers, their coaches may even stay for a long time but when Bill Cowher left and Mike Tomlin came on board… the franchise didn’t go into a tailspin. In fact, they won a Super Bowl three years later. The Rooney family has been the staying power and has been part of the ownership group since 1933.

So, who’s to blame for the Chiefs culture of losing?

Clark Knobel Hunt… Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs… did not fire anyone this week. Clark Hunt made no official public statement of any kind this week. As far I can tell, Clark Hunt has done nothing to thwart a 1-4 start. If you Google “Clark Hunt,” the last time he went public was on August 4th when on video he shared the new PAT rule with Cairo Santos and then Hunt kicked a 33 yard field goal.

This piece is not about questioning Clark Hunt’s character. Hunt has done many great things for the city of Kansas City, Missouri as well as the NFL:

+ In 2007, Hunt was appointed to the NFL’s Digital Media and International Committee and in 2011 was named the Chair of that committee.

+ In 2011 Hunt was named to the NFL’s Finance Committee.

+ In 2013, the Hunt family created the Arrowhead Art Collection, showcasing regional artwork combining both sports and the arts.

+ In 2014, Hunt added an educational component to the Art Collection helping more than 30,000 local students to visit and view the artwork.

+ Hunt is the Chairperson of Hunt Sports Group and FC Dallas and is also it’s founding key investor.

+ Hunt’s work with the Hunt Sports Group includes cutting edge stadium development which takes him across the U.S..

+ Hunt achieved academic honors in business during his junior and senior years at SMU during the 1980s and in 2004 was named SMU Cox School of Business Outstanding Young Alumni and the next year he was named to the Cox School of Business Board of Trustees where he serves to this day.

Part of the point in listing these achievements and activities (and there are many more) is that Clark Hunt appears too busy to pay enough attention required to run a winning NFL team.

Clark Hunt from December of 2011,

"“As I’ve said many times before, our goal is to build a team that can consistently compete for championships, and one that our fans can be proud of.”"

I recall Hunt using the exact same words when he cleaned house a year later.

Question: Has there been a time since Clark Hunt and his siblings took control in 2006 that you came to believe the Chiefs were “consistently competing for championships?”

I’ve heard some K.C. fans wondering if the Chiefs have a curse? I think the answer may be simpler than that.

Next: Are There Privileges in Part Ownership… Or Not?