G. Newman Lowrance - Getty Images
Kent Babb of the KC Star talked with Nick Wright on 610 Sports this afternoon about Babb's Sunday morning story in the paper, "Arrowhead Anxiety."
This has been the topic of conversation in KC over the past day and a half or so and we've seen a number of questions about the story background, Babb's reaction, more details and things like that.
Babb answered a lot of those questions in his Q&A with Wright so I posted a few of his quotes below. The second one down, on the credibility of the sources, is probably one of the questions you're looking for.
On his reaction to Haley's paranoia about the working environment:
"I was astonished. I mean, blown away. This is an NFL head coach, one of 32 in the world, who believes a thing like this. So, yeah, I was absolutely taken aback.
"He was talking to somebody else in the media room in the press room where he does the press conferences and I had kinda stepped into the locker room and I was walking back to where our little holding area is and he followed me back. And that happens occasionally. They'll have something to say. or want you to know something, or want to yell at you about something.
"But this time was a little bit different. He was pretty high strung and said he wanted to talk to me. We walked over this way and over that way and into this conference room. And he said you'll get a call that will be from a number you don't know. And that's a call I haven't gotten but that's the way it goes. He was fired four days later. This was the Thursday before the Jets game."
On the sources that were just laid off being disgruntled and how many of the sources were fired and how many were current employees:
"The people who say that, that you can find people who are upset after being laid off, fired or left on their own, they're absolutely right. I have nothing to hide about that. But a considerable number of people I talked to for this story were current employees, people who worked there for a long time and people who worked there for just a little while. I talked to a broad range of people.
"I understand why people are saying, 'What else are they supposed to say if they're disgruntled and don't work there anymore?' But a lot of the people I talked to aren't disgruntled. They're aware of a different kind of working environment that some of these people just have a problem with. It's hard for me not to pay attention to that.
"When people who still work there -- and I won't say how many I talked to because I don't want to give more to their identity than I need to. I just think it's for everybody's own good that I don't. But I talked to more people and a considerable number who are currently employed there. I have no reason to doubt what they say. I took a pretty extra filter to make sure with the people who had been let go from there weren't saying wild and crazy things."
On whether others besides Todd Haley were worried about the same things:
"I don't know if I would say worried but certainly something people think about a lot of the times. And one of the things I came up with when I was reporting the story was a lot of people told me, 'I'm just not sure what to believe.' And I understand that it's a wild accusation that it sounds like Todd Haley made and I get that and I've digested that myself. And people have asked me, 'Do you believe that?' And I don't know. I mean, that's the question.
"Obviously the Chiefs have adamantly denied that and based on their body language and very determined words I think they mean it. But I believe that Todd Haley believed it. And to me that can be troublesome if the head coach of an NFL team thought things like that."
Even if it's not going on, is it a problem that people that work there believe it could be going on?
"I think that's probably the biggest question that will come out of this thing. I think it's a reasonable question. I probably won't get into that just because I don't know the answer to the question. But I think that is going to be the lingering question to come out of a story like this and learning that people who do and have worked there think these things.
"Does it have an impact there? People have told me that they believe, how could you be productive in that environment, if you're so pre-occupied with whether you're being chased by ghosts or whether your phones are being looked at, whether it's true or not, are you being as productive as you can? I just simply don't know the answer to that question. I have my opinions but I'll leave that to other people. But I think it's absolutely a legitimate question."
What was your relationship like with Scott Pioli before the story was written?
"I've always liked Scott, really. I don't know that I'd call him a friend because we had a working relationship. I talked to him before the Green Bay game and had a very plesant conversation with him. I saw him after the Denver game but he was tied up with another conversation so I didn't bother him. I feel like I've always had a good relationship with Scott. We've talked a pretty good number of times.
"I feel like I've had a good working relationship with most of the people who work for the Chiefs. The people I encounter I like an awful lot, and I still like them an awful lot. I don't know how they'll think of me after this but that's fine."
0 recs | 393 comments
Screw this guy
This guy just wanted to be on the air
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
So you’ve already made up your mind. Cool.
NotAHippie - January 16, 2012
Excuse me?
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
You heard me. You don’t want to believe anything bad about the Chiefs, so you blame Kent Babb.
NotAHippie - January 16, 2012
No you don't know what I think
I blame him for making some non-story. I bet some of this stuff is true, but who cares? It happens in corporate America
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
he didn't make it up, he simply put in writing what others told him
and if it’s true, it’s disturbing that people are working in a poisonous atmosphere like that … it’s toxic and counter-productive
Babb seems perfectly unbiased in all this … and as he noted, he talked to both former AND current employees and they all pretty much say the same thing
upamtn - January 16, 2012
not to mention a number of national media sensed it too
Fisher wanted nothing to do with KC, and Cowher
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Ha ha.
I like how there’s no reason to correlate these events.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012 via mobile
point A + Point B = an observable event
try it sometime
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
And can be distinct events with no tie whatsoever.
Logical fallacy
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
can be
but quite a bit of supporting circumstantial evidene to support my Idea of what happened
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
No
you have speculation. That’s it.
Could be, but I doubt it.
Plus, Wright was saying the reason was completely different. If he has such great inside sources, why didn’t he know about this?
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
Ha!
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
did you miss Fisher throwing the Chiefs management under the Bus?
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Link?
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
cmon Man
look it up
it was convo for nearly a week
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
It was pretty wild speculation on the part of "journalists"
based on conflicting and sketchy accounts of a “meeting.” Far from “Fisher throwing the Chiefs management under the bus.”
cheapham - January 16, 2012
Well I hold Journalism to a higher degree than most
you can believe blogs or those guys that feed info to blogs.
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
What?
The “journalists” I was scare-quoting were bloggers. There were very basic reports about a 2 hour meeting between Fisher and the Chiefs brass. The rest was BS speculation by hacks.
Unless you have a link…
cheapham - January 16, 2012
..or neither..
fishhooks - January 16, 2012
So you don't have one?
That’s what I thought.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Do you want another spoonfull of pablum too
Are you a Baby or What :)
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Cute.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Well you could do some work around here
Rather than just throwing crap at those that do
:)
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
I tried, and I failed.
I remember hearing about a USA Today story, but I couldn’t find it. But I’m no internet maestro.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
I am just bitchy today
Put down the Shit-zu and am rather unhappy at the world.
And Myself
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Sorry Tark :)
I apologize for being an ass
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
No sweat.
Ups is an ass to me all the time, so I’m used to it. ;)
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
not all the time
only on the second Tuesday of each week
upamtn - January 16, 2012
And other days ending in "y" ;)
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
That sucks.
It’s never fun to lose a pet.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
No doubt.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
hey Steve ... manly hugs and stuff like that, dude
upamtn - January 16, 2012
...
Chief-blinders-on - January 16, 2012
Sorry about your dog Steve...
and you have earned your eternal pass on AP.
RIP Steve’s dog.
Chief-blinders-on - January 16, 2012
sorry to hear that
Steve :(
fongKC - January 16, 2012
Sorry to hear about your dog, Steve.
My big boy passed away a couple of weeks ago. Stay strong. :+)
LocoLoboChico - January 16, 2012
Cowher wants nothing to do with any team, he has the cushiest job in the world
Fisher is busy assembling the lamest group of coaches in the league at a chronically terrible franchise.
How is any of that of any importance for this situation?
cheapham - January 16, 2012
if this is true its sad
all the bad stuff that’s been said about the chiefs if true its going to be hard to stay a chiefs fan don’t get me wrong but this is not the chiefs i love not the chiefs LAMAR wanted i want a class team like the one Mr hunt built not a sleazy one like Clark and Scott have turned it into altho i don’t know who i would root for i love the chiefs and couldn’t imagine cheering for anyone else
derekintn - January 16, 2012
It is a learning experience
No Belechick and Pioli was testing his wings, I doubt that Pioli did anything illegal, but he needs to learn to use his time wisely.
Maybe this helps
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
"Sleezy"?
Based on Todd Haley’s paranoid ramblings? Really?
cheapham - January 16, 2012
Yes "sleezy"!
if it was just Haley i wouldn’t be as worried have you not paid attention to all that’s went on this isn’t the first thing
derekintn - January 16, 2012
Nothing else from the story sounds even remotely "sleazy"
Care to provide an example?
cheapham - January 16, 2012
maybe that wasn't the right word
shitty asinine dirty wrong do any of those work for you here is you an example firing all the older people keeping their employees from watching the game for free in the crappy standing only section like they have always done raising prices for everything without putting more money in the team well they did spent some money last year and with Tamba this year and if you read what i said i wasn’t talking about just this story
derekintn - January 16, 2012
You do realize that while Lamar was still alive players on his active roster were literally dealing drugs in the KC area,right?
That’s pretty fucking sleazy if you ask me.
Rev. Slappy - January 16, 2012
No kidding
Well said.
cheapham - January 16, 2012
are you fucking kidding me
that was some dumb ass not Lamar nor Carl Peterson not saying king Carl wasn’t a dumb ass himself if you can’t understand my point i don’t know what else to say we are suppose to be a class organization not the mafia or the raiders i would rather them make a mistake on a drug dealing player than be a bunch of paranoid people that want to run a football program like a division of the CIA with no loyalty or respect for their employees or fans i love the chiefs as much as the next guy but come on i am not that damn blind
derekintn - January 16, 2012
are you fucking kidding me
we are suppose to be a class organization not the fucking CIA not the raiders the chiefs a team an organization that we can be proud of all teams have players and i need remind you that most of them are kids with way more money than they should have that mess up talking about a player dealing drugs and management spying and not caring about employees fans that is me and you guy’s as well that is so totally not even is the same fucking ball game hell that’s not even the same fucking sport
derekintn - January 16, 2012
i mean
if it was Lamar dealing drugs then you would have a point
derekintn - January 16, 2012
you sir are an idiot
the only person i can think of was bam morris and oh my god revrund he sold pot come on man is that all you got a pot dealer that is pretty lame
derekintn - January 16, 2012
Why are you calling yourself an idiot?
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
One of those questions that really answers itself.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Touche
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Are you serious
their is no way that you could think that i would call my self an idiot even if you or this other guy i was talking to think i am that is beside the point i was replying to his comment about Lamar hunt did that make you feel better did you call your mom downstairs and both of you get a laugh i hope so if you did carry That’s all you people do on here is you bitch about where people put stuff you bitch about what people say if you don’t agree with it i understand having a discussion nut you all want to have nothing to do with anybody who doesn’t have the same opinion and then if you cant bitch about that then you feel the need to scan over every body’s comments and call them out on spelling and punctuation my god what is this high school on all the other chiefs web sites there is none of this bullshit i appreciate the writers on here but some of you people on here are just tools who must have been picked on your whole life or mommy and daddy beat you so you get on a computer and talk shit to people who can’t touch you this is suppose to be fun a place where we cam come and talk about our team not where we are afraid to write something cause we might post it in the wrong place or spell something wrong or heaven forbid forget to use proper punctuation i mean what the fuck is that what gets you off
derekintn - January 16, 2012
Rec'd!
Thanks for making my night!
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
4/5 would buy from again
TRSChief - January 16, 2012
You're spelling and punctuation is horrible!
icough - January 16, 2012
Heh.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Now I feel like a terribly strict, intimidating micro-manager who worries about unimportant things.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Before you call anybody else an idiot you might want to use some punctuation.
Rev. Slappy - January 16, 2012
is this english class
derekintn - January 16, 2012
Yes, it is.
C- so far….you’re gonna fail your midterm, too, it seems.
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
It's not an english class
But when people are trying to have a conversation with you and they literally can not comprehend what you are trying to say because your sentences go on forever and ever and there is no punctuation what so ever nd yor speling is rediculussly horibl it is really hard to carry on a conversation with someone when you can’t read what they are saying because there are no pauses and you don’t even know what some of their made up words and spellings mean if you know what I am saying do you know what I am saying probably not because this might be very hard for you to read but maybe not because your idiot brain might be able to comprehend it because it is the way all of your posts are
icough - January 16, 2012
When did KC offer Fisher the job?
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
But he left the meeting after like 10 minutes!
Clearly, Hunt and Pioli just aren’t “committed to winning.”
cheapham - January 16, 2012
Yeah.
They lack a commitment to winning 6 out of every 16+ seasons.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Tarkus never said he was offered
He wanted nothing to do with it after a meeting
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Good.
Maybe they wanted nothing to do with him after that meeting also. I wanted nothing to do with him before the meeting.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Not taking a side...
but who wanted the job…even when TH was hired? That is a short list after you take off fellow AP’ers
12t - January 16, 2012
It's pretty standard to keep secret the identity of interiewees,
for ANY job. Especially if the interviewees already have another job.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Granted,
but we are talking about the NFL, with a reporter up everyone’s AZZ. Besides, most of these guys don’t keep it secret. They are more like FA’s in that regard. Different culture than what we are used to. They can afford to loose thier jobs.
12t - January 16, 2012
Did we ever hear the names of the "over half dozen" people that Pioli said he interviewed?
Or are we assuming that Pioli lied through his teeth about that?
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
fisher wanted to be the gm himself or at least have the final say
…that’s why he didnt take the miami job
obviously pioli wants the final say in roster moves. fisher did not just hate the chiefs
superpioli - January 16, 2012
Haha did you talk to fisher and cower?
njchiefs - January 16, 2012 via Android app
A reporter is perfectly unbiased?
Not even you could possibly believe that.
GenericBrand - January 16, 2012
hard to believe but yeah, it happens all the time
journalistic integrity, maybe you’ve heard of it
upamtn - January 16, 2012
This doesn't scream journalistic integrity
And Babb doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to “unbias”.
GenericBrand - January 16, 2012
you still think Oswald did it all by himself, and you believe the "Magic Bullet" story, too ... right?
and Nixon was a great patriot who never did anything wrong
upamtn - January 16, 2012
the bullet only had to be "magic" if you ignored the facts
The shots have been replicated, based on those facts, and it got similar results. HTH
Nixon I won’t defend
Bleedingredandgold - January 16, 2012
Ups, I buy a lot of things from you, but the notion that journalistic integrity stands true all the time...
…would be like me saying all Catholic priests are innocent of crime, as they are men of the cloth.
Babb’s got an axe to grind somewhere. Pioli’s a OCD control freak. Clark Hunt runs his Chiefs like they’re a Fortune 100 company…
All of these things are true, some of the time. Maybe even most of the time.
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
You should care.
Do you want the stink of a “Spygate” type scandal surrounding the Chiefs? Do you want your organization to be looked upon unfavorably by potential employees and players because of the stigma that could surround the team if they are found guilty of illegal acts? Do you agree with age discrimination, which was also alledged but hasn’t really been talked about?
This concerns me deeply.
Falcon58 - January 16, 2012
Even if SOME of it is axe-grinding bullshit...and I suspect some of it is...
There’s enough smoke here to say that we officially have a fire of some kind.
I, too, worry about what this means in KC.
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
What kind of bullshit attack is this?
Let the man have his opinion
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
He did and Hippie has a right to his too
Cool
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
it’s passive agressive and he could have done really gotten the conversation started if it wan’t a dig. It’s a sensitive subject and we’d all be better off avoiding fights over it.
IMO, Scott Pioli has a serious tightrope to walk now. He’s done some good things and now it’s obvious that he’s done some bad things. One thing is for sure, he’s turned himself into a polarizing figure and there’s probably no going back now. Better to be pissed at Scott Pioli if you don’t like his actions rather than being pissed at a fan who doesn’t think he did anything wrong. Sorta what’s wrong with American politics these days. People are at each other’s throats for the actions of others. Wuh?!?!
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
agree
I was hoping this was part of the new GM learning.
I doubt anything can be proven but NOW Scott has to elevate to unscrutable Behavior
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Stinks
because I feel like the team is generally headed in the right direction. I think the big mistake here is that if he was going to come in and purge, it should have been done in the first year and not drug out over the course of three years. Bad execution there IMO. Now we have a first class distraction on our hands.
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
THEY do
WE only have another Topic Du Jour to blog about
upamtn - January 16, 2012
and you thought the offseason would be boring
LadyChief - January 16, 2012
OC, DC (sorta), FA, the Draft
we got as ways to go, bring it on!
Bleedingredandgold - January 16, 2012
This is such a huge distraction
I think you have to wonder if it will affect Pioli’s employment status whether it be a simple warming of the seat or a short leash. Clark Hunt sure has to be nursing a black-eye right now.
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
At least it wasn't mid season or just before the season starts
Could affect FA (but we don’t do shit in FA anyways) but it’s in the middle of the playoffs. Plenty more important things to talk about than this….. at least for now.
Chiefs447 - January 16, 2012
Sorry to hear about your dog Steve.............
that is tough I know
LadyChief - January 16, 2012
Much ado about nothing.
OJ In Nevada - January 16, 2012
Lets say your Pioli and you make over a million a year.
Are you going to risk a felony and risk never get another high paying job again?
OJ In Nevada - January 16, 2012
hahaha - i love it. very creative.
camucr - January 16, 2012
Guys do it all the time
not saying Pioli did
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
what's worse?
him actually tapping people’s phones or him making people think he’s doing that? If it’s true, who’d want to work for him? It may be real hard for him to find coaches in the future if he sticks here. I noticed we didn’t get many interviews and I’m going to guess it had something to do with soem version of this story being out there. Fisher didn’t even give us a chance.
Nicoloco - January 16, 2012
Well how do you like the Patriot Act now? (Pun fully intended)
If an organization pays for the cell phone, I’m sure they scrutinize call logs and text messages. Truth be told, it’s common. It’s highly unlikely that a cell phone was tapped because they would have to have carrier involvement. If it’s not legal, they aren’t going to do it. Now, internet usage, email and in-house phone monitoring on the other hand are absolutely simple to do with the right tools and completely legal. Again, perfectly legal to do so and also very common practices.
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
yep
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
You can actually buy the equipment to clone a cellphone and you'd never need the carriers involvement.
Falcon58 - January 16, 2012
I seen that on Burn Notice
banshee_01 - January 16, 2012
Good investigation.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Buck, I hope you're not holding up The Patriot Act as some kind of high ideal to which Pioli should aspire
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Pun should answer that
Steve_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
Absolutely not
I don’t view it as legal although the US government has the ability to exert the kind of pressure to get what they want. Wouldn’t be legal for the Chiefs to do it either, plus, I highly doubt Scott Pioli could call up Verizon and tell them to tap a phone for him. And if he had the IT department do it anyway, well then, there probably will be federal charges brought up. That said, I think that’s a non-story because I doubt they would do such a thing.
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
I do think they keep an eye on emails, everyone does that, but so what
but the whole secrecy atmosphere that the employees talk about … the “walking on eggshells” thing … not a good ting for employee productivity
being in charge doesn’t mean dealing with every tiny detail … the deal with non-football related employees having to close their blinds if their office faces the practice field … wow, the ultimate in paranoia
upamtn - January 16, 2012
I agree
I’ve worked on numerous M&A projects and this is textbook. Pioli and crew are the conquering party and the existing employees are the concuqred. This kind of thing goes on all the time. IMO, Pioli made a huge mistake letting this kind of thing drag out for three years. 155 people is NOT a huge organization and he should have been able to see and make the changes he needed to make rather quickly. That he didn’t says that 1) He’s been given too much authority and may not be experienced enough or capable of handling it. 2) He’s a tyrant control freak. Could be one, or both. Either way, not too cool.
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
He dragged out Herm's firing too long, too.
Might just be that he’s too conservative and deliberate for his own good. God I hope we draft RG3. (football talk? anyone?)
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
yeah
I’d like to see a little more wheeling and dealing myself
Buck'O - January 16, 2012 via iPhone app
This off-season will say a lot about Pioli
coaches to hire, FA to manage, the draft, etc.
With luck, we are playoff-bound in 2012
Bleedingredandgold - January 16, 2012
I think this draft will be Pioli's toughest, too.
Past few years, there’ve been so many holes that the BPA at whichever pick probably fit a need. This year, it’s gonna be harder to hit that BPA@PON sweet spot because there aren’t as many PONs.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Gotta get good value from your picks
you can’t reach to fill needs, you can’t ignore needs and just take BPA (which is a gamble, anyway)
Bleedingredandgold - January 16, 2012
According to the story, it was his personal number he had before coming to KC. Otherwise, yes I agree with you completely Buck.
If it’s true, well…heads should roll. And if it’s not true, well…KC Star heads should roll. Either way we could have a real tough time of it, hiring a coaching staff for RAC and luring free agents of any kind.
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
I bet you could have said the same thing about the execs at Enron.
Falcon58 - January 16, 2012
Heh.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
This only confirms even more my initial reaction.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012 via mobile
All I'm saying is that other people have said this.
We report, you decide.
cheapham - January 16, 2012
also fair and balanced
niageriannit1 - January 16, 2012
I decided that I'll worry about it
when evidence is presented that there was any wrongdoing.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
so you're saying that the people who told their side to Babb are lying? all of them? every single one of those people ... both current AND former employees ... are lying?
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Lying about what? What did they really say besides "Pioli expects us to work hard and he's mean about it?"
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Can you be more specific?
Even Babb himself said he wasn’t sure what to believe.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
more specific? Tark, you were the one who asked for "proof"
the “proof” of what’s going on is what those people told Babb … unless you think they’re lying
upamtn - January 16, 2012
That Pioli is a hard guy to work for?
GASP!!
Try working at McDonalds. Cry me a river.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
been there, done that ... next off topic comment?
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Lying about what?
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
I tried that already.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
I know.
Maybe if we keep asking, we can break him down.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Good one!
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
about what they told Babb
like duh!
upamtn - January 16, 2012
What specifically?
I don’t think they were lying with their speculation, if that’s what you’re asking.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
I don't think they were lying at all.
I think they were saying how they feel. Certain people shouldn’t work for certain other people.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
I believe he wanted proof of wrong doing
Beyond what Haley said and the alleged age discrimination everything mentioned while not being ideal dfrom and employee perspective is perfectly legal.
kcfanintx - January 23, 2012
No one is saying that
Not even remotely.
Babb’s equivocating on the numbers of current/ex-employees he interviewed should cause some pause…even in the name of “journalistic integrity” and what not.
Likewise, the speculation/connections based on Haley’s paranoia both don’t actually seem to connect to what others said, and ultimately read as rather sensationalist.
cheapham - January 16, 2012
I wish Wright
had asked Babb if he had Haley’s permission to out him in the article. That would be a real interesting question that would cut right to Babb’s integrity. If he threw Haley under the bus because he had been fired, that’s pretty shady for a journalist to do. I really think Haley should address this in some form, like Peter King is calling for.
Nicoloco - January 16, 2012
He had to
If it was off the record, he could not have used Haley by name.
And Haley can’t address it now for 3+ million reasons, and a non disclosure agreement.
dablueguy - January 16, 2012
Well you realize that by immediately accepting the opinion of the employees who are complaining
that you are disregarding both CURRENT AND FORMER employees’ opinion that there was nothing wrong with the way Pioli commandeered the ship?
7chiefs7 - January 16, 2012
Ups, here is my take on the story
All of the employees from the Peterson regime were and probably should have been, on pins and needles because it is commonplace to clean house after a regime change. Pioli comes in and wants to change the culture of the entire organization to be a very strict, tight-lipped, do your job and do it well, type organization. Some people don’t handle change very well, especially if you have been doing things a certain way for a long period of time.
I think those employees who were not able to adapt to the change were let go, but they were at least given a chance to adapt. There is no way Pioli could have gone in and immediately cleaned house. Have you ever tried to hire an employee? It takes time to get one you are comfortable with. Can you imagine trying to replace over 100 people all at once? Impossible. It sounds like Pioli took a reasoned approach to the task at hand, which was getting the people in house that he is comfortable with and who will play by his (and Clark Hunt’s) rules.
I’m not trying to be a Pioli apologist, it’s just that I can relate to the difficulties he faced when he took over this organization, an organization that was lazy, bloated and happy with mediocrity. It takes time to change that type of culture and it sure ain’t easy.
ChiefWildcat - January 17, 2012
sounds to me like
Pioli needs to gather all his employees and have a nice team building exercise like Bags
fongKC - January 16, 2012
Or paintball...
Pioli get’s a 20bps double electro mounted in a turret on a dunebuggy…
Everyone else gets pumps.
Run little rabbits, run.
Falcon58 - January 16, 2012
From my favorite band, seems appropriate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-axrEZOXnk
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
This sounds like the classic phone conversation...
Where you whisper something like “Computer use will be monitored to prevent the use of pornography on company time.” When you get down the chain of people as they whisper to each other… the last words said are “Todd Haley’s office is bugged let him know so he doesn’t get in trouble”.
This is a case where employees have blown things out of proportion. Many not enjoying the new tightened ship. Well when the pants get to tight its time to get a new pair of jeans. This isn’t about the environment being toxic… this story is about the fact that the right employees aren’t worthy of the job at 1 Arrowhead Dr.
ravenhawk - January 16, 2012
What I take from this
is that Haley purposefully threw the Jets game. He had his bone to pick with Scott and allowed his spite to effect the game. By sticking with Palko he was essentially giving the middle finger to his boss. It’s like a white trash couple in midst of a divorce; you don’t empathize with either side because you know they’re equally fucked up
KansasCityShuffle - January 16, 2012
I completely agree...
ravenhawk - January 16, 2012
I dont know if I'd say he purposely threw the Jets game.
But he was pretty adamant that Stanzi needed more time.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
But Palko was good to go?
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
No, but of the two, he'd been in the league longer and I'm assuming got more reps in camp.
Again, I’m not defending Haley or anything, I’m just saying I’d have a hard time saying a head coach in the NFL would threw a football game just to piss off his boss, even one as stubborn as Haley.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
I agree
I think he knew he was going to be fired and was saying screw you to Pioli by sticking with Palko
banshee_01 - January 16, 2012
Which would be exactly the same as
saying screw you to the entire organization, the rest of the coaching staff, all the players, all the fans, and the NFL itself.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Indeed
And if there’s any credence to this admittedly crazy idea…he’ll fit right in with that Jets franchise.
cheapham - January 16, 2012
As crazy as it is
This whole “sticking with Palko to stick it to Pioli” thing kinda feels right. Seems like Todd got real pissy about his relationship with Pioli, and decided to flip him the Palko. He must have known he was out anyway, so he figured he’d go out “in style.”
cheapham - January 16, 2012
... in which case Pioli should be fired as well
… and, as in Green Bay, the fans should get custody of the children
upamtn - January 16, 2012
so knowing he was going to get fired
he purposely screwed up his “resume” by throwing games?
I don’t buy it myself
.
fongKC - January 16, 2012
hey Shuffle ... regarding the "Haley threw the Jets game" thing ...
proof? huh? come on … what’s good for the goose and all that
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Woot. What Shuffle said.
And as a former (and current) Haley guy, I approve this message.
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
I wonder what clark hunt thinks about this
niageriannit1 - January 16, 2012
My first thought was "who cares?"
My second was… he’s probably okay with it. But doesn’t know anything about it. Deniability.
Falcon58 - January 16, 2012
Russel Crow plays Todd Haley in, "A Beautiful Mind Two: Arrowhead Paranoia"
jmcgoblue - January 16, 2012
Looking forward to that movie
The trailer will be Haley searching the rooms and his phone saying “Come with me…we aren’t safe here..”
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
Wouldn't Joel Thorman work better...?
Chief-blinders-on - January 16, 2012
Did Nick Ask him
why he went with the story at this point in time? Did they at all discuss the effects of this on hiring coaches?
Spiderwomn69 - January 16, 2012
Seriously screw this story
None of the players deal with this obviously or they are not talking about it. That’s all that matters.
I am ready to go forward not backwards. This story is taking a franchise on the rise with a new HC and trying to tarnish it!
Pioli can and will run this organization how he sees fit…end of story!
This is like Larry Johnson poison….nothing but negativity and a loser mentality. Pointing fingers and placing blame! Losers do that and that isn’t us!!
Matt_Grbac - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Well, if the players arent talking about it yet, at least among each other
Their phones will be ringing with interview requests, etc very soon, if they haven’t been contacted yet by Chiefs PR to say nothing.
We will hear about this in training camp still.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
Very sad
We are a team trying to dig out of mediocrity. This story is nothing but a hindrance to everyone involved.
Todd Haley was a nut case! Everyone knows it and if they didn’t well here ya go! Pioli’s only fault was hiring the bi-polar lunatic.
Matt_Grbac - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Actually his fault was firing a Division winning Coach
Who totally turned around a dead franchise so quickly after winning the division because Haley didn’t want to hire his guy Josh as OC, and Pioli held a grudge.
dablueguy - January 17, 2012
Which is why Josh in working for the Pats again
Even with Haley out of the way? That’s sort of a stretch.
kcfanintx - January 23, 2012
... you're doing it right now, man
upamtn - January 16, 2012
no you are!
er wait. now i am. DAM IT
fongKC - January 16, 2012
Not really
I’m trying to look at the positive outlook as a Chiefs fan and it’s kinda hard when this malicious, evil story comes out.
It puts all blame on Pioli and makes him to look like an evil tyrant. When the case is that he is probably no different then any other hard nosed, strict, responsible boss.
Matt_Grbac - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Matt, if the story is true then Pioli doesn't just LOOK like an evil tyrant ... it means he IS an evil tyrant
there’s a difference between strict and responsible on one hand and paranoid and tyrannical on the other
that’s the point of the whole report and being a Chiefs fan does not pre-empt questioning management
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Never question Management
They will fire you.
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
Those are all subjective words, Ups.
You and I would probably hate working in each other’s ideal environments.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Those are all subjective words, Ups.
You and I would probably hate working in each other’s ideal environments.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
I can't believe we're taking about this.
What a bunch of crap.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Quite a bit different from last January, isn't it?
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
i agree with this
and pretty much everything in the other thread that somehow wasn’t understood.
Steve_in_RI - January 16, 2012
The potential for this is never ending.. So What...
Obviously Haley is a hothead headcase… Time to move on…
Other than that, the Carl Peterson refuse had to be thrown out and unfortunately some good people with them along the way…
Just the way it goes and it needed to happen. These are the New Chiefs, not the old ones. I would be very interested to be able to read some of the articles that came out in New England 10+ years ago when Belichick took over the Patriots. Probably the exact same things. Got to clean house and it is not going to be pretty…
So What, I am over it already…
Skrappy - January 16, 2012
Same here.
But I still like reading these comments just for the entertainment value alone. I’m ready for training camp.
Chiefs_40 - January 16, 2012
Agreed...
Isn’t that why most of us are here?
Skrappy - January 16, 2012
I haven't said a word yet
and it’s not like anyone asked for my opinion, but I’m giving it anyways lol
Color me in the “I don’t care” department. I read the article a few times. I listened to the interview (where Nick tossed leading question after leading question) and I am not seeing where Kent Babb is being “unbiased”. Many of his answers began with “in my opinion”. By definition those are not facts.
Why isn’t anyone clamoring over how bad of shape the organization was in, that some of these steps had to be taken? Is some of it over the top? Yes it is. But like in the other thread, I’m just surprised at all the “shocked and appalled” stuff I am seeing. I worked for a Division I men’s college basketball team and the secrecy and things of that nature are not new. The non-fraternization with different departments is not new to the workplace either.
Is it weird? Yup. Does Nick Wright stand to benefit from this since he has effectively been banned by this Chiefs administration and can take whatever angle he wants on his show? Does Kent Babb seem a little miffed that he can’t get the access he wants? You can answer those how you see fit, because I don’t know the answers but the questions are worth asking.
I anything illegal happened, then let’s see the justice system do it’s job. Let’s not hold our breath though. I’d work for the Chiefs, that’s all I have to say. Accountability, responsibility, and winning. End of story.
Steve_in_RI - January 16, 2012
Agreed that Babb's story doesn't sound biased.
People that are “shocked and appalled” by this story are purposely trying to be “shocked and appalled.”
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Nick: So Babb, when pioli beat that puppy up, were you surprised?
Babb: Yeah I was pretty surprised.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
A sensible stance.
However, the same people will be defending the organization and name calling the plaintiffs should they prevail.
electriclight - January 16, 2012
In this day and age
neither side is going to come out clean, but I agree there will be some of what you have described.
Steve_in_RI - January 16, 2012
AGREE
100%. Lets ask the ex-employees of every company what they thought about the company who fired them and post what they say on the internet. Very reliable flawlessly accurate unbiased opinion.
Pioli has a track record of doing things his way and generally speaking his way has been a winning way. Give the guy a few more years and let his PERFORMANCE speak for itself, not this hyperglamorous sensational national inquirer bullshit. I like Pioli and I also liked Haley but it is obvious they could not coexist. Bring on a front office who can.
Lucasjr5 - January 17, 2012
OT
fongKC - January 16, 2012
Can't wait for the Packers - Broncos Super Bowl in a couple weeks
Chief-blinders-on - January 16, 2012
two words
Corporate America
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
two more words
… is evil
what, we should embrace a paranoid, tyrannical, petty and vindictive dictator as GM?
upamtn - January 16, 2012
You say on your computer, produced by a corporation.
This is BS
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
Yes, because we all want to be paranoid, tyrannical, petty and vindictive dictators some day.
electriclight - January 16, 2012
If someone really is out to get me does that make me paranoid?
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
How do we know he is all that you described him to be?
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
how do we know he isn't, from what the people in Babb's report were saying?
way back in the 30’s nobody believed the stories coming out of Germany about Hitler … until, of course, it was too late
now, I am NOT comparing Pioli to Hitler so please let’s not start that, ok? what I am saying is that you have a respected journalist doing his job, talking to people both out of and in the organization, and those people are all saying similar things about Pioli … and they aren’t good
what Babb is doing is laying out what he’s been told … it’s up to the reader to decide … using logic and deduction, the fact that so many people are saying the same things lends credence to the overall assumption that it’s true: Pioli is overbearing, micromanaging, paranoid and harboring an atmosphere that is not conducive to good relations with his employees, or a good working atmosphere for those employees
upamtn - January 16, 2012
It was about 20 people
They all said the same thing, but the Chiefs have adamantly denied the accusations. “The Chiefs” are more than 1 person I would assume?
Basically, I am saying that we can’t discount the Chiefs PR and just believe what some people wanted to say all because it was a number of them. We don’t know the true story here without a firsthand view
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
would you expect the Chiefs PR people to say "oh yeah, we run a tyrannical operation here ... you got a problem with that?"
upamtn - January 16, 2012
No not at all
But I don’t see why we should just believe what those people had to say without any solid proof
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
fair enough ...
then too, I see no reason we should disbelieve it without proof to the contrary
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Lol, you can't prove a negative.
That’s why the whole innocent until proven guilty thing. You can’t prove that somebody didn’t act like a tyrant at some point in time.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Which is why they're not working for the chiefs anymore...
ChiefWarPaint - January 16, 2012
I guess you missed in Joel's post that Babb also got the same story from current employees
upamtn - January 16, 2012
And I doubt they'll be working there very long either
If Pioli can tap personal cell phones he can find out who these current disgruntled employees are.
ChiefWarPaint - January 16, 2012
Pioli bought all his employees new phones.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
can I stomp on that?
LadyChief - January 16, 2012
You might break Pioli's eardrums if you do that.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Can I give him suggestions first..............
like who he should draft and pick up in free agency?
LadyChief - January 16, 2012
As long as you don't tell him to re-sign Palko.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
I'd like to give somebody a piece of my mind....................
about what a bone headed decision that was
LadyChief - January 16, 2012
I think it was this guy.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Ha..................
and I’ll rec that!
LadyChief - January 16, 2012
Todd Haley has never looked better
RememberDelaney37 - January 17, 2012 via mobile
You've got to understand...
He came from NE.
12t - January 16, 2012
NE is the CIA?
upamtn - January 16, 2012
No,
They are more competent at espionage
12t - January 16, 2012
gotcha
I know, CIA can really screw it up royal
upamtn - January 16, 2012
Lot of this is hard to say
Chiefs have an agenda, the media have an agenda, and neither is giving us any real information. That is Corporate America.. control the message. Media companies may well have an Axe to grind, certainly, employee’s who have been let go might have an axe to grind, and there a real possibility that for good reason, and a real possibility that there were simply not meeting corporate expectations. Chiefs and in particular Pioli has his own agenda and apparently he will stop at nothing to achieve that..
Fans get to take sides.. that’s fun too..
On the bright side,
Not only do we have Haley apologist, Cassel apologist, Orton apologist, but now we have Pioli apologist.. you think Pioli has people post on this blog?
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
I always thought you were one of his bloggers.
Still do.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
yes I sing the praises of Pioli
:) better cover your ears.. I’m a bad singer.
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
A subversive would take the opposite side and then sabotage.
So I’m told.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
This cant be a good thing for free agency, as much as you wanna say that players arent involved.
When there are several other teams who dont have this problem, on top of a new head coach and probably new coordinators.
It’ll be interesting.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
I wonder if this has anything to do with this crap?
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
Berry, you went to college. Come on man....
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
You were just worrying about players' perception, and now you seem disappointed that a player doesn't seem worried.
Weird.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
I thought he was talking about Berry's grammar.
In fairness, Berry left school early. :)
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
I was, and then I double post and say something wrong.
Karma.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
Ah.
I guess I’ve actually become numb to twitter grammar. Another corner turned.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
As someone who doesnt have a Twitter machine, I'd like to think I use proper grammar.
It’s just funny when you see some of these college graduates and their tweets. Darnell Dockett, good lord, how that dude past 3rd grade, I’ll never know.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
*passed 3rd grade
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Ah, there you go.
I’ve gotta (got to) stop. Karma is smoking me today.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
I was referring to his obviously grammar error.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
I was referring to his obvious grammar error.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
I thought he was commenting on his grammar
wow was I off
NJChieffan16 - January 16, 2012
So did Shaun Smith.
I’m just sayin’…
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
The reason I don't subscribe to the "Red" Star is that
It is a liberal leftwing fishwrap. This story fits their modus operandi, Pioli the evil boss persecuting the poor little workers.
Snicklefritz - January 16, 2012
liberal and leftwing ... MY kinda rag, man
yrs truly,
the resident pinko commie hippie liberal
upamtn - January 16, 2012
face/palm
no u dih’en
Buck'O - January 16, 2012
making a million a year makes you poor?
DAMN YOU ECONOMY!
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
liberal and leftwing ... MY kinda rag, man
yrs truly,
the resident pinko commie hippie liberal
upamtn - January 16, 2012
You posted twice.
Sincerely, the never-got-a-chance-to-be-an-English teacher :)
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
you can say that no matter the "paper"
But your right, damn workers.. down with the workers, up with the corporate bosses..
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
no thanks
upamtn - January 16, 2012
If the KC Star is some liberal rag, you've obviously never left the states of Kansas or Missouri
HIV 2 Elway - January 16, 2012
There are other states?
G.L. - January 17, 2012
Yawn
KCinIL - January 16, 2012
If Pioli committed a felony, and there is proof, Babb should publish the story after substantiating the truth.
There is only hearsay, and for the Star to be relevant, they go with it to sell their pathetic paper.
Snicklefritz - January 16, 2012
Most news is opinion wrapped up to be news
While Fox is a fine example the KC Star isn’t going to be left out.
Bigcherokeechief - January 16, 2012
Excellent point.
Snicklefritz - January 16, 2012
Exactly.
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
Sounds like we've got
the makings of an all new Fox Reality Show: One Arrowhead Drive
Face Painter - January 16, 2012
You can't tap a personal cell phone without a warrant
Which would involve police giving the ok.
KCinIL - January 16, 2012
unless you declare them a terrorist which would give you an automatic warrant
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Yeah someone already mentioned that
I just find that they are actually taking that accusation seriously. It’s beyond stupid
KCinIL - January 16, 2012
Well, Todd Haley did grow that terrorist beard....
Sudden - January 16, 2012
and he caused the chiefs to blow up
…TERRORIST
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Muir was part of his sleeper cell.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
zing
Sudden - January 16, 2012
REC
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Boom!!!
nateforchiefs - January 16, 2012
Pioli must have the police on a string, tooExRoyalsFan - January 16, 2012
He's so EVALLL!!
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
Unless you just have some electronic wizard hack into it
HIV 2 Elway - January 16, 2012
Wwwwwwizard!!!!!!
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
I don't know why but I finally read the Babb Article
but I have been keeping up by reading the comments and I have to say wow!
First of all, that candy wrapper thing is so overworked, you honestly are telling me that you won’t notice it on your way in and out for a week? A WEEK! If I left that thing in my house for a week, I would go crazy so I pick it up on the spot BUT he’s a frigging GM! What did you except, that he let it go? Pick it up? THE GM??? HA! Even if I was the GM of the cleaning company, I wouldn’t pick up the damn wrapper in my own workplace because that’s not my damn job and someone is not doing their job and I would find out too!
Second of all, coach being paranoid with under billion high paced team who is competing with 31 another highly competitive teams who are constantly trying to get any information no matter how small at any cost as well as highly competitive journalists, gamblers, etc.? So, what’s new? If the building is tapped that’s their business especially after all those scandals going on in the sports! They are paying those guys pretty good money so yeah, I suppose it’s serious business.
Lastly, how many of us have ever talked about bad things to our friends, family, etc about our current/former employment? Only difference is we are not having a press conference about it. Compared to all scandal out there, I’d rather have this one but I think this is all blown out of proportion! I guess everything is…including this one…and Tebowing, too ;p
angrydeafman - January 16, 2012
Really a non story for me.
I have worked for large corps and private corps and the feeling is if they furnish phones, laptops, etc, anything done on said equipment is considered their right to view. Places with cameras everywhere but bathrooms. Makes me wish I had stayed in the Air Force.
I work in IT so i have had to remote in and monitor what an employee was doing in realtime because the owner (who was five offices down) wanted to see what he was doing during work hours.
Their basic sentiment is dont like it find another job. Unless a phone Haley bought with his own money and it was “tampered” with then there is a story, to which the authorities should have the phone now if he was so “suspicious”.
Is pioli a Felon, without evidence, i say no. Is he an A$$HOLE to work for, sure sounds like it, but who hasnt worked for an a$$hole before.
km230015 - January 16, 2012
thing is ... does he HAVE to be an asshole? or, more to the point, SHOULD he be an asshole?
he’d get a better and more productive environment from his employees by backing off, rather than being a micromanager who fosters fear in the workplace
upamtn - January 16, 2012
remember his prior workplace
he’s not used to the mid-west way
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
All bosses are assholes Ups
Thats rule number one.
ChiefWarPaint - January 16, 2012
hey I was a nice boss during my tenure at McDonalds
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Many bosses also feel the same way
Doesnt make it an actuality ;-)
ChiefWarPaint - January 16, 2012
do those bosses allow unlimited french fries access? =D
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Nice bos equals bad employee....
Unless boss also = owner.
kcfanintx - January 23, 2012
Especially Kenny Powers.
Judging by your quote, you obviously saw how he treated the dude who wasn’t paying attention when Cassel was doing his presentation.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
Maybe Pioli should do that
Cassel could use the practice hitting a target with a pass…..
Sudden - January 16, 2012
Have Hali run security, because apparently Pioli is big on that sort of thing.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
There's only one office linebacker.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Hmmm
Well. That’s a tough question to answer without knowing what Pioli’s employee’s are like. What is their work ethic? How productive are they? I’ve been a boss before. I was nice all the way up to the point where I had to be an asshole to get people not to take advantage of my good nature.
Babb’s story also said that the Chiefs’ brass had a problem with the lack of acountability. If there’s one thing that I know from managing people it’s that, without accountability there’s no productivity.
Trust me, I know a thing or two about being watched—worked for US Govt. in intel.
Face Painter - January 16, 2012
I guess my view is from the Military to civilian world
My Dad was in the army and i the air force and regardless of nice boss or assholes, the only thing that mattered was getting the job done. If you are getting results then the asshole has little ammo to come at you with.
I carry that even now my wife says i am cold and anti social but my philosophy is "i go to work to work and get my paycheck, not to make friends and be buddy buddy with everyone, i am nice but i work hard and expect the same level of excellence from my coworkers because i dont wan to do my job and someone elses.
I my boss is an asshole that is on him. I do my job. end of story. If my work phone is tapped they going to hear me talk about work, computer all work. No need to be paranoid if you are doing nothing wrong.
km230015 - January 16, 2012
That attitude nearly got me fired several months ago.
Not a team player – can’t get along with co-workers, etc. You know why? I wasn’t playing video games on the clock with my co-workers.
electriclight - January 16, 2012
You're right it doesnt work everywhere
but i see more and more these days it is becoming the norm.
km230015 - January 16, 2012
Its all about the he said/she said bullshit.
If the employees feel this way then there is definetly a morale problem in the organization. But there is no proof of wrong doing, only speculation and conjecture. If they cant prove it then I cant believe it. To risk sothe much for so little gain does not make sense.
nateforchiefs - January 16, 2012 via mobile
*so much
nateforchiefs - January 16, 2012 via mobile
flagged for quoting limp bizkit
wait…. i need to flag myself for knowing that was a limp bizkit quote…. ahhhh…. tearing a hole in space/time fabric. (flails arms wildly)
Sudden - January 16, 2012
At least that was back when they were cool
(Silently and shamefully admits they were never cool and I use to like them….)
nateforchiefs - January 16, 2012
Abra-cadabra, and boom shocka hey...
If you know where those lyrics come from, you should be just as ashamed of yourself as I am right now.
/high school hero baby
//1997 lives 4eva
go_saleaumua - January 16, 2012
ICP, Dawg! Umm ... damn ... can't remember the name of the rap?
Hmm … Anyway, are you a juggalo? If so, then slip some skin on the down low, bro. We’ll go chicken huntin sometime … lotsa chicken necks to chop around where I’m hidin out. Peace. :+)
LocoLoboChico - January 16, 2012
But I ain't ashamed of myself, though?
Why you gots to that way, Esai? Damn …
LocoLoboChico - January 16, 2012
LOL, some Juggalos just enjoy the crazy style and the music and are "in" on the whole deal.
Some Juggalos take it oh-so-seriously….
I dunno. I really enjoyed ICP when I was younger—but I listen to a lot of everything.
go_saleaumua - January 17, 2012
I just went and read the story all the way through again (3rd time)
And obviously there is a lot to take in, but it just kind of set in how awkward that must’ve been for Babb when Haley said you’ll be receiving a call from a number you don’t know.
If someone said that to me, I couldn’t help but feel paranoid and constantly looking over my shoulder.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
I once had a 1-999-999-9999 call me at 10:00 am
it was asking me why I didn’t show up for jury duty
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Are you serious?
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
yes
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Damn, that's creepy. What ended up happening?
I haven’t had the pleasure of being summoned to jury duty.
MontpikeMike - January 16, 2012
i worked for the public defender at the time
It wouldn’t have mattered if I showed up or not, conflict of interest
Chiefshero - January 16, 2012
Over the past couple of weeks there's been enough information come out that makes it seem like Haley might be at least a little unstable.
Rev. Slappy - January 16, 2012
yeah
that’s my inclination to believe as well but I guess the question is what drove him to that level of insanity… natural disposition or something in the workplace? Haley was bizarre this year, nothing like the last two years. But then also the more I read about SpyGate, I’m starting to wonder. I really think the NFL should investigate and publish what they find just to put this thing behind the Chiefs so they can move forward. Thus kind of stink can chase away FAs, coaches, and everyone. The culture of paranoid secrecy has really come back to bite the Chiefs in the ass.
Nicoloco - January 17, 2012
Can't believe the number of idiots in this thread
Saying this is how it is done in Corporate America is absolutely ludicrous and suggesting that it’s ok to bug offices and phones because you shouldn’t be doing anything wrong is unbelievably stupid. I hope that most of the people commenting in this thread are teens or younger because it’s scary the level of ignorance on display here.
adammiller - January 16, 2012
Who's saying it's "ok to bug offices and phones"?
Really…who is saying that here or elsewhere? Even those who are defending Hunt/Pioli don’t seem to be saying that as far as I can tell…
cheapham - January 16, 2012
It's been said.
But not much.
electriclight - January 16, 2012
i said why worry about it
its the companies crap they can do what ever they want. it only crosses lines if they try to tap personal phones and things
km230015 - January 16, 2012
It is legal (assuming its a desk phone and office)
Not saying its right btw
nateforchiefs - January 16, 2012
I said it.
It’s not my office or my phone. Work is work. If I want to feel like I’m at home, I go home.
I’m far from a teen. I’ve held more than one job, never been fired (yet), and I’ve spent time seeing how many other businesses run.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
+1
Thank God for you.
NotAGoodName - January 16, 2012
If you think they dont have the right to their own equipment you are naive.
may not be right, but it is within their right. just like people have a right to chose where they work if they dont like a company.
km230015 - January 16, 2012
I didn't say that they are outside of their rights
I said that it’s ludicrous that anyone accept this behavior as ok and think that an organization can be effectively run with such policies in place. I’ve worked at many companies as a contractor and I’ve never encountered any such policies. Sure I’ve seen some micro-management but nothing to this extent. The most successful organizations I’ve worked for had management that believed the best way to get things done was to hire people smarter than you and get out of their way. If you are a Chiefs fan and think that this behavior is ok then be prepared for a lot of mediocre football for many years to come. I’m sure Clark Hunt will become even richer with a GM who is more concerned about the coffee budget than getting his two highest profile free agents signed.
adammiller - January 16, 2012
I think you're assuming that everybody is personally motivated to do a good job.
That’s not a good assumption.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Then you remove those people and find people who are
I have nothing against any firings of people who aren’t doing their jobs or you feel as a boss aren’t doing the job to the best of their ability but you find those people then leave them alone. What he’s doing is not motivating anyone to do anything except stay out of his way (if the reports are true). That isn’t building an effective organization.
adammiller - January 16, 2012
Fear is a lousy motivator, in the long run
People don’t like being scared all the time. The best people try to leave, and the remainder get inured to it, and productivity goes down.
Bleedingredandgold - January 16, 2012
You are seeing a guy who does randomly tyrannical things.
I’m seeing a guy who’s strict and is called a tyrant by people he fired for not being disciplined enough.
There’s no saying which impression is correct because none of us work for Pioli (except for the spies among us).
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Dear God
Bugging your office against your will is not legal. Bugging your personal cell phone is not legal. Quit acting like this is cool and normal. It’s obviously NOT normal and NOT cool. If it was, there wouldn’t be a story. Of course, to hear it from the Arrowhead Pride faithful, there’s no story, no facts, and this is all just a conspiracy against the Chiefs invented by Nick Wright and Kent Babb. Except it’s not because just like all the Todd Haley stuff, everyone outside of KC knows about this stuff already.
NotAGoodName - January 16, 2012
If it's actually YOUR office, then it isn't legal.
But all the offices at 1 Arrowhead belong to Clark. I seriously do not get why this is so hard to understand. What’s the difference between a boss checking your work after you do it, and checking your work while you do it?
There was only one personal cell phone mentioned, Haley’s. And even he didn’t say that he knew someone had tapped it, just that he suspected.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Thank you.
Tarkus - January 16, 2012
Again with the legal or not legal...
who cares, what you have is a psychotic man who instills extreme policies based on paranoia and creates a workplace that nobody will want to come to and an organization that players won’t want to play for.
adammiller - January 16, 2012
I did not get that from Babb's story.
I don’t think I’m crazy, because it seems like a lot of other people share my reluctance to burn Pioli at the stake.
I’d say that you are either bringing pre-conceptions into this and actively trying to view this story as corroboration for your prejudice, or you’re the type who thinks it’s wrong for the person who is paying your wages to dictate how you do your job.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
As I understand it
If you are going to record conversations you are not a part of even in the workplace:
You have to post a notice you are doing so. If you do this continued employment at that place of work = implied consent.
Or there has to be a warrant involved.
If they have offices bugged without employee knowledge and are recording conversations in which they are not one of the participants they are in violation of the law.
If they have it posted that they are recording audio they are not in violation.
kcfanintx - January 23, 2012
people arent defending it, moreso downplaying it as not a big deal, and moreso looking at it in terms of if they can do it legally...
if it in haley’s contract has certain language that suggests such on facility phones, and email etc…it wouldnt shock me….
even at a real estate office my boss checked all my email, sure it was a company account, but still, even messages to co-workers, all viewed.
SDChief - January 17, 2012
Everyone that is suggesting this is a not a story
adammiller - January 16, 2012
I thought Haley was crazy for sticking with Palko, but this is weird shit!
Seriously, I think Babb does a good job of trying to balance the story by also reporting the people who don’t support what others say. All I can say is if half of what he reports is true, then Pioli is the one who needs psychiatric help. If he is as controlling and obsessed with such trivial issues, then he is the one that may need some meds! All I can say is this isn’t what I wanted to hear with all of the changes going on with the organization, as it is. This behavior sure doesn’t support the “team is a family” bullshit Pioli preaches. It also doesn’t reflect too well on Clark Hunt. Apparently he isn’t a “chip off of the old block.” Not near the man his daddy was.
Racyman - January 16, 2012
Positive Spin
If the Chiefs, and especially Pioli are losing face from all this, true or not, may it possibly push him to make some BOLD MOVES (couldn’t help it) and spend someserious money on FAs this offseason to curry favor with the fans?
electriclight - January 16, 2012
Honestly
Scott Pioli could care freaking less about whatever Kent Babb is babbling about.
He isn’t going to change for anybody…he doesn’t need to.
Matt_Grbac - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Yeah, you're probably right.
electriclight - January 16, 2012
God I hope not.
When fans get their way, you get Tebow starting. When reporters get their way, you get Frank Gansz as head coach.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
When Pioli gets his way
you get a quarterback who wasn’t good enough to play in college… but at least we stay under the coffee budget!
adammiller - January 16, 2012
Heh, Cassel was the most sought-after QB the year that we traded for him and Vrabel.
It was such a coup that many people, maybe including you, were calling for investigation of collusion between Pioli and Hoodie.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Eh, whatever
I just want to see some good football.
I don’t think Pioli taking the same path to wherever and stepping over the same candy wrapper for a week is indicative of any type of lack of focus to football operations. The guy is not going to think football 24/7. He’s just not. And he’s just as OCD as you are about not stepping on cracks, and he most certainly puts in the due diligence when it comes to searching for talent with the same level of minutiae whateverthefukthatis.
Haley was clearly paranoid, but for all we know could have been quite casually joking about the bugging of the phone. But who cares, he got fired for making shitty on-field decisions. His paranoia really has nothing to do with that. And CLEARLY Pioli runs a tight ship, as did Haley. As with a change in coaches, either get on board, or ya probably won’t stick around long. Just how it goes. Sometimes shit changes. I would say, for the most part, they’ve been for the better.
Got a great offseason to look forward to. Pioli will survive this lil hiccup and the franchise will keep it moving.
ArrowSpread - January 16, 2012
Ever since Pioli has taken this team over the media will not stop its onslaught of the organization
This is more of the same BS they’ve been spouting off for 3 years now. They’re put off because the organization conducts its business the way they do and because their access has taken a large hit since then. Give me a damn break. This story reeks of the same media disdain that we’ve been reading since Pioli came to town. Do any of us as fans really give a fuck how things are run inside 1 Arrowhead Dr as long as they do their ultimate job which is to bring back a winning culture to the Chiefs franchise? If the employees there don’t like it then They can quit and haul all their shit to one of the other 31 facilities. All I give a rats ass about is a winning football team…
Chiefs08Matt - January 16, 2012 via mobile
When in doubt, the media is a bunch of liars and hacks
much more probable than an incompetent, insecure front office who, like the head coach they just fired, is in WAY OVER THEIR HEAD.
HIV 2 Elway - January 16, 2012
When in doubt, the media has never been sensationalistic or written untrue or rhetorically twisted things.
Especially not our dear infallible Kansas City Scar.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
The Kansas City Scar
Tossing the home team (and pretty much any major KC Employer) under the bus since….well for as long as I have been alive. Nothing new to see here folks….just a tired old rag trying to stir up a few sales any way they can. Not the first time, not going to be the last.
They are ‘almost’ as bad as Channel 4 “Call for Action”. That ‘reporting team’ will cherry pick 4 seconds of film from a 5 minute interview…show it completely out of context…then pat themselves on the back.
Let me give you an example of how the media works.
Report Question: What do you think about the 2007 Chiefs team.
Player: In 2007 they had the worst record in franchise history. The Chiefs team was god-awful. We have done a lot to turn things around since then…hired a new GM, acquired a new QB, improved the talent on both sides of the line. <insert 5 more minutes of the differences between this team and the one from 2007.
The story the reporter will print…
XYZ player says “The Chiefs team is god-awful”….show the 2 seconds of film of the player making the quote, leave out the real question that was asked (about the 2007 team)…everything before, and everything that came after the ‘sensational’ sound bite.
If they ever make me dictator of the world (please don’t…I don’t want the job) I will line up the ‘politicians’ and ‘media’ against the wall first and foremost… Either will tell you what they ‘think’ you want to hear, and neither would tell you the ‘truth’ even if you put a gun to their kids head if they even THINK that telling the ‘truth’ would make them lose points in the poll / viewers / subscribers.
DivineGrace - January 17, 2012
I didnt call the media liars or hacks
Simply stated that they constantly bitch about having less access than they used to and that’s an avenue for them to constantly berate the organization. Its old and stale and why I don’t read the star anymore. I don’t care how the organization is run within. I only care what they do on the team end of it and what happens out on the field as a result. The business side of It and the media access is not something I or any fan should really be concerned with.
Chiefs08Matt - January 16, 2012 via mobile
haha hiv you make me laugh
Not going to disagree or agree with your sarcasm but I think its funny that you always have an opinion that can be summed up in about 1 sentence.
Lucasjr5 - January 17, 2012
Ummm....
we aren’t winning, and in fact the AFC west is so bad that it’s an extreme embarrassment that we came out on the bottom side of it. Pioli is an arrogant man who has proved he has no idea how to build a winning football team. His blind devotion to Cassel tells us as much.
adammiller - January 16, 2012
Ummm.....
Wow, you really don’t like Pioli at all. That’s your opinion. Fair enough, but I’d like to point a few things out to you real quick. The team he inherited 3 years ago was a complete turd compared to what we have today. Carl Peterson brought in some talented pieces that are part of our current team like DJ, Hali, Bowe, JC, Albert, Dorsey, Colquitt, Flowers and Carr. But for every one of them there were 4 turds that didn’t belong to be starters on any team in the league. We got worse every year under Herm. He didn’t make the players get in proper shape and didn’t hold them accountable. Then Pioli came to town and brought in Haley and eventually Crennel and the players got in shape and learned to be real NFL players. We improved both of Pioli’s first 2 years until this past season when the lockout hit and it was revealed Haley was an out of control hothead and we lost arguably our best offensive and defensive players and our starting TE, all right out of the gate. All of this happened and we came within 1 PLAY of winning this division.
So you can claim Pioli is arrogant and doesn’t know how to build a team, but you please tell me how this team is worse off than it was 3 years ago. I don’t see it. And he deserves a fair chance at finishing the foundation he’s already built here. And until the draft atleast you can’t say he has blind devotion to Cassel. What choice has he got until March-April anyways? People should just chill and see what happens this offseason and next season. All that matters is the product on the field and not this tabloid-esque smear campaign we’re hearing from the star and talk radio all the time. Its lame
Chiefs08Matt - January 17, 2012 via mobile
All true..except Pioli gets all the credit and Haley all the blame?
We improved both of Pioli’s first 2 years until this past season when the lockout hit and it was revealed Haley was an out of control hothead and we lost arguably our best offensive and defensive players and our starting TE, all right out of the gate.
electriclight - January 17, 2012
I don't know I just get the feeling
This is more about the press’ frustration than the chiefs organization. The Star isn’t used to being out of the loop concerning the Chiefs’ actions.
kcfanintx - January 23, 2012
Kumbayah, King Carl, Kumbayah
OK. Let’s go back to the King Carl system when everybody felt better. Remember those good ol’ days, when we had so many playoff wins?
Onward, Chiefs!
HowSweetItIs - January 16, 2012
Don't if it is true or not
But something (in my opinion) happened. Haley definitely changed as a head coach from year one to three.
ONECHIEFan - January 16, 2012 via mobile
I would say accountability.
His preseason strategy didn’t work, and the use of his depth players was pretty pathetic. Seems like the stress of being a head coach caught up to him and he crumbled.
kcgiant06 - January 16, 2012
yeah, he really wilted this year...
and made bizarre decisions.
Nicoloco - January 17, 2012
Haley was learning about being a head coach. Still is.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
Worst owner in the NFL
HIV 2 Elway - January 16, 2012
Is it too late to bring back Carl?
HIV 2 Elway - January 16, 2012
Oh man, get outta here!
That’s terrible.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
This has to be the most ridiculous comment
I have ever seen posted on this site
badassz1987 - January 16, 2012
Not when you consider the source
He obviously pines for the days of King Carl and Martyball. Hang up the zubas and cut the mullet HIV…
Chiefs08Matt - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Oh great
We have a real JFK conspiracy theory here…..Guess what, just like every conspiracy nobody will care nor will it be relevant in a couple years (or months) so lets talk about the important stuff like next season, Free Agency, possible trades etc etc…We have a good thing going. Why bitch about it?
Rac_City29 - January 16, 2012
Problem is this could impact both hiring a new coach and free agency.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
Like I said
Nobody will remember this or care about it later on…Most will dismiss this as just a crazy article like the magazines you see at walmart checkouts entitled “Alien Spotted wearing fluffy hat at NFL game”
Rac_City29 - January 16, 2012
I hope so.
I’d hate to lose out on some good free agents or coordinators because Kent Babb wanted to be on the radio.
bossmanham - January 16, 2012
Why would this scare away players?
If an office drone tried telling a player about the “abuse” they take from their boss, the player would laugh him out of the stadium.
Brsrkr - January 16, 2012
exactly
the player would be like “try being an NFL player”
constant unknown of whether you’ll get to play, be traded, benched, let go.
fongKC - January 16, 2012
I really saw him. I swear.
electriclight - January 17, 2012
I can't take Kent Babb seriously with his hair cut.
ExRoyalsFan - January 16, 2012
Fact: Chiefs experienced one of the biggest administrative changes in franchise history with the passing of Lamar Hunt and King Carl leaving town.
Fact: The team hasn’t won a playoffs game in, let’s say, a million years.
Fact: Pioli was THE catch at GM at the time we got him.
Fact: Something happened to Todd Haley from year 1 to year 3.
Fact: The team has consistently been one the teams that are most under the salary cap.
Fact: All companies going through this kind of process will have some “weirdness”.
Fact: Babb himself says he doesn’t know what to believe, but has an opinion.
Fact: Babb spoke with Haley, former & current employees.
Fact: Reporters almost never “observe and report”. There’s always an angle.
Fact: Haley is incredibly
paranoidsuperstitious.What to do with all of this then? Well obviously we all freak out and take sides of conspiracy theorists and In-Pioli-We-Trust kool-aid drinkers….
Like most things in life, it’s not that clear cut. My take on this incredibly distracting story (real or imagined) is as follows: Hunt is on the cheap side. Yes we have signed some big contracts (Cassel, Hali, DJ, Flowers, etc) but we definitely trend on the lower end of the scale. And where there is a trend, there’s fire or something like that.
Pioli was brought in to make much needed changes and his methods (right or wrong) have ruffled the feathers of employees (good or bad). He needs to show us that the time is now to go get the last few pieces (you know what they are) that will give us a shot to make a solid run. Part of this is getting $$ from up top and part of it is running a tight ship that leads to an excellent on-field product.
Babb, in my purely speculative deductions, got a whiff of something stinky (just cause it’s stinky, doesn’t mean it’s bad. I’m sure you all can come up with examples) and ran with it. Haley’s wild man act kicked it off and Babb went and found the pieces that framed his story. Yes, I’m sure he talked to a lot of people. People that were pissed and worried and scared. Probably none of those people found him. He had his story and found the people to make it fit. This is not to say that there isn’t “weirdness” there. I’m just not willing to condemn anyone based on any of these events.
Or maybe we have an evil fascist running the team and it’s all falling apart around him (ooooh D.R.A.M.A.)
I had more in my head about this but as usual, I haven’t clearly and succinctly made a point.
Tell you what though, I’ll take a dictator that wins all day, every day. Now about that winning part…
Shanghai_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
at least I avoided non-stop run-on sentences and calling myself an idiot!
Shanghai_Chiefs - January 16, 2012
well analyzed; agree on all parts with the exception of the last sentence but rec'd anyway
ezoo - January 16, 2012
ok instead of dictator, how about hard ass? def want to stay within legal limits.
Shanghai_Chiefs - January 17, 2012
rec'd and greened
EricBerryYoYouScary - January 17, 2012
Cap is a meaningless measuring tool
Which is why it’s being scrapped for the 2013 season in favor of real cash spent, which we’d be middle of the pack in if you use those measurements.
ChiefWarPaint - January 17, 2012 via mobile
fair enough
yeah i can’t wait to see what we do (and the league in general does) once we HAVE to spend X amount.
Shanghai_Chiefs - January 17, 2012
Fact
According to team president Mark Donovan, when discussing whether the Chiefs bugged phones in the building to monitor employees:
"I’m not going to say that we’ve never done it, but it’s not something we do. It’s not how we operate this business."
That’s a pretty damning statement from the team president. He as much as admitted they’ve done it.
riverr - January 17, 2012
haven't seen that
please see rules on monitoring own companies phone lines.
/haley’s phone and statements and demeanor are the wildcard in all of this.
Shanghai_Chiefs - January 17, 2012
Fact
You got your facts wrong. The thing your Donovan quote is referencing is this:
The building being bugged / monitored is not a felony. Bugging people’s personal cell phones is. If you’re going to quote, do it in context please.
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Fact
The quote references what it said it did: (when discussing whether the Chiefs bugged phones in the building to monitor employees)
riverr - January 17, 2012
The quote references exactly what I quoted above.
So for the whole thing, since you don’t want to piece it together, reads like this:
That’s not exactly damning.
Now you can argue whether or not you think they’ve actually done it. (Speculation either way). But pretending that that quote is some kind of smoking gun is just silly.
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Fact
it was paraphrased differently by two different reporters. It’s the same issue. They were discussing the issue of bugging.
Donovan answered with a non-denial denial. Quote: “I’m not going to say that we’ve never done it”
That’s a damning statement.
riverr - January 17, 2012
Paraphrased differently by two different reporters?
I quoted directly from Babb’s article. His article is the source of all this. There is no second reporter on the grassy knoll giving different quotes here.
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Point is they were discussing the issue of bugging
I guess you can split hairs all day if you want but this is what was said and it’s in context.
Donovan answered with a non-denial denial. Quote: "I’m not going to say that we’ve never done it"
That’s a damning statement.
riverr - January 17, 2012
I guess that didn't bother me because...
To me it just sounded like a “if circumstances warranted doing so then we did it – but it’s not common practice to just do it for the sake of doing it”, i.e., if we had a reason to then we did.
Which sounds like every company I’ve ever worked for – and in many places I’ve worked they DO record every conversation and it’s only if necessary that they actually go back and pull the recordings to verify some wrongdoing. The evidence is always there, it’s just a matter of if they do anything with it.
He would be dishonest if he said “we never do that, ever” – because there are probably cases where they have, and in that situation he would be lying. So he has to say “yes we’ve done it before” – thanks for the honesty.
But this doesn’t mean that they have a common practice of bugging everyone and pouring over every conversation they have every day – it’s just not feasible.
With modern phone systems it is insanely simple to have the system automatically record everything. If it’s not automatic, then it’s easy to implement in spot situations. You can even go so far as to record every button you press on your phone. I used to do this to my employees when I thought they were gaming the phone system to avoid calls – and this is how I caught people doing it.
I don’t see how this is as damning as you think.
It also sounds a lot worse when they say “bugging” – it’s not “bugging” the line if it’s a company line – it’s simply “recording”. As an employee using a corporate resource, you should expect it. You should not expect, nor do you deserve any amount of privacy when it comes to corporate resources – phone, e-mail, browsing, etc.
Ochophosphate - January 17, 2012
Nicely stated
I’m throwing in the towel personally.
People are on a witch hunt no matter what. (Either to discredit the sources, or to go after Hunt / Pioli).
They won’t be swayed by things like real life, law or common sense.
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Thanks - ultimately I think it should come down to what the players think
and how they’re impacted by all of this. Yes I understand that coaches and staff being impacted would indirectly impact players in some way – but in the end the players have to go out on the field and put up the product.
Does any of this supposed secrecy and paranoia get to the players? Are they impacted mentally by any of this? If it is interfering with the product they put on the field then it should be addressed in one way or the other. If the players are more or less oblivious to this then my level of “give a shit” goes down considerably.
Obviously this impacted Haley to a pretty significant degree – to what degree it was relayed on to the players we may never know. If this is, for the most part, back office people and people that are not critical to the game and the product we put on the field then my “g.a.s.” meter again plummets. I don’t give a dog’s dirty dick if Nina over in accounts payable got ruffled because Pioli wanted a new cover letter on her TPS reports. I don’t care if Steve in Public Relations is in a tizzy because he’s being micromanaged too much.
When I hear about an issue inside that directly and significantly impacts the players and their ability to put up on the field – then I’ll reassess my stance. Again, many of you will point to Haley and his impact and suggest that it did impact our play on the field. But we don’t know if Haley ever discussed this with the players or if he just internalized it and let it influence his plans and his personal actions. And if he let it get to the point where it impacted what he did on the field then fie on him.
In other words – I’m waiting for a player to say “yeah, shit has been a bit weird here, it really impacted our game.”
I’d much rather this be going on than all of the asshattery going on with the Jets – players calling other players out, players talking about the toxic environment, tons of insinuation and finger-pointing.
Ochophosphate - January 17, 2012
Dammit. I want this to be my absolute favorite comment about the whole topic.
But you live in TN. And I know for a fact that nobody in TN should be trusted about anything. Ever.
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Never ever ever
Our mutual distrust for each other will serve us well in the long run.
Just to solidify this – I will tell you that the sun is shining right now. Trust me.
Ochophosphate - January 17, 2012
Man holy crap wow
Tornado just passed very near here (Smyrna) just north of us. Good times here at work.
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Told ya
See – am I good or what?
glad to hear you are safe – it was all well South and East of me, I just got a buncha rain.
Ochophosphate - January 17, 2012
I think it's more likely
the seed of this story began with the age-discrimination suit and Babb went fishing for corroborators to see if there was anything to it. I’m not a huge fan of the Star (Teicher is beyond awful) but Babb is one of their better reporters and he just did his job on this story.
Nicoloco - January 17, 2012
Wouldn't it...
be nice IF we were talking about winning a damn playoff game sometime?
Jason Drue Keith - January 16, 2012
FUCK YES
Shanghai_Chiefs - January 17, 2012
I can't wait for the offseason!!!
335 comments about conspiracy is way too much. Please just show me some speculation of possible free agents or something fun!!!
Chiefsfan_in_the_MileHigh - January 16, 2012
Lamar would not be pleased so they all need to fit this be it truth or perception.
FrankPitts - January 16, 2012
I gotta be honest -- I had NO IDEA Chiefs fans would be so
angry at Kent Babb for this report. It’s just mind boggling. I always got the Jason Whitlock hate, if not the vitriol, because he said some pretty inflammatory things in pretty inflammatory ways. But this is straight up reporting.
Attacking the messenger is almost never the right thing to do.
Justin Bopp - January 17, 2012
I am reading the same comments you are
I don’t think people are mad AT Kent Babb. I think they are mad at the attention this story is getting and honestly it is getting way more attention than is warranted. If the story is true, and I personally believe every word of it, does it really matter? It isn’t like we all believe this stuff doesn’t happen in most organizations. But why is it on the front page of major news websites today ( I read it on yahoo before here)?
I agree Bopp, don’t shoot the messenger, but do we really need to hear the message at volume 100 repeated 1000 times a day this week? People don’t want improving the football team to be a backstory this off-season. Let’s get back to whats important, winning football games and forget about this non-related garbage.
Lucasjr5 - January 17, 2012
lay off babb
i dislike all the wpi rumors, and stories i hear from some in the kc media that are blown out of proportion or just not true….this one, has legs, and babb isnt making it up. we will never know to what extent this goes, and its disturbing if only because there is noted discourse among the staff
hopefully winning will fix everything.
SDChief - January 17, 2012
Good Luck Haley
in getting a job in the league.
wildcatmo - January 17, 2012
Didn't Nick Wright report
That according to “inside sources” Fisher to KC was “A done deal” before the Packers game?
fairmont - January 17, 2012
Sorry, Mark Carmen... what a bunch of hacks
Just throw shit against the wall and see if anything sticks… KC sports media is the worst.
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2011/12/19/2646406/this-past-hour-on-610-am-radio-host-mark-carmen-indicated-that
fairmont - January 17, 2012
Guess I missed that one but...
The reports I DId read before this story came out were leaning towards St Louis and Miami. Of course Miami wouldn’t let their GM go so it was St Louis. It’s his funeral.
I was hoping for Philbin myself but we have Crennel instead. I can live with it until he gives me reason to complain.
kcfanintx - January 23, 2012
Is it draft time yet?
mushin - January 17, 2012
It's it time for pre-season games yet?
TRSChief - January 17, 2012
Good luck ever getting anything out Pioli ever again.
What in the hell is this supposed to mean??? If this is a direct quote from Haley, he does sound like a crazy person.Is this the quote that Babb took to mean “My office and cellphone have been bugged”?
saskwatch - January 17, 2012
that's the problem
with trading kissass for access, the eternal dilemma for a journalist. Pioli needs to grow up and realize just being honest and tackling questions head on is better than BSing and coachspeak all the time. The way they handled the Jones-Baldwin fight was disgusting and only made the media’s reaction worse, not better. They need to learn from all this and realize their KCCHiefs media empire, while much improved from Peterson’s days, can not replace the media that’s independent of the Hunts.
Nicoloco - January 17, 2012
Geez...
isn’t anyone even open to the idea that this is bigger than Scott? Don’t guess the feds worry much about the gambling industry. Gambling has never influenced the NFl.
12t - January 17, 2012
I didn't like one thing
to paraphrase, everybody is too scared to try something new. you hire good people for a reason, they have great ideas and great opinions. If people are too scared to try something new your staff will grind to a halt with everyone looking for a way to make it look like it was the other guys decision, or just simply doing only what they were told
. And If everybody is looking for a football related issue – what if all the scouts et all are too scared to ask the higher ups about the money spent?
tenacious rdc - January 17, 2012
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