Dorsey Has Talked With Jackson

From River Falls, Wisconsin

As last year’s first-round draft choice DE Glenn Dorsey missed the first day of training camp.

Dorsey signed the next day, missing two practices in all and there wasn’t anything that he missed that he didn’t have the opportunity to make up.

And Dorsey has been in contact with this year’s first-round selection DE Tyson Jackson. The former teammates at LSU have talked several times in the last week, as Jackson missed the start of camp on Friday.

“He wants to be here, but he’s got to take care of business,” Dorsey said Friday afternoon as he headed into the UW-River Falls cafeteria for lunch. “It was the same with me. I wanted to be here from the first day last year, but there are things you have to get done and it’s the time you do them.

“I told him the ropes, but he’s got to do what he’s got to do. I think he’ll be here pretty soon.” …Read More!

Conditioning Test Over, Football Next

From River Falls, Wisconsin

The Chiefs had their dreaded conditioning test Friday morning on the practice field here at UW-River Falls and now the focus goes from conditioning to football.

“I thought as a whole it went very well,” said head coach Todd Haley. “It was about what I expected. There were some surprises both ways, but overall about what I expected. It’s a difficult portion of the physical and a whole I felt pretty good.”

Haley would not talk at all about those players who failed the conditioning test. The coach made the session off-limits to media and fans. He did indicate that a number of players will not be passed on the team physical for a number of reasons, and thus will be unable to practice Saturday morning. …Read More!

On The Run … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

From River Falls, Wisconsin

Year-to-year, not much is different in this western Wisconsin burg.

The farm fields on the outskirts of town are green with corn and soybeans. Main Street looks like it did last year, and the year before that, and the year before … although there is a new Best Western Motel set to open downtown, right across the street from the campus of UW-River Falls.

It’s a very familiar setting for the Kansas City Chiefs, even though so many of them were seeing it for the first time. As the team arrived in River Falls late Thursday afternoon, there were 41 players, 10 assistant coaches, a GM, a head coach and an assistant GM seeing the town for the first time.

That’s why Dwayne Bowe led a bunch of rookies out to the Shop-Ko store on the edge of town so they could pick up a few items to brighten up their rooms in the South Fork Suites. Shop-Ko is a Wisconsin version of Target.

But Todd Haley wasn’t out shopping, or checking out the local watering holes, or hitting the local coffee shops. What he wants to see more than anything in River Falls comes down Friday morning.

“I want to see everybody pass the test,” Haley said. “But before that I want to see everybody make weight.” …Read More!

Chiefs Arrive In River Falls

From River Falls, Wisconsin

The parade of four buses pulled onto the campus of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls just before 5 p.m. Thursday, as the Chiefs rolled into town for their 19th and supposedly last training camp here in the northwoods.

The players quietly strolled off the buses and into the George R. Field South Fork Suites dorm, their home away from home for the next three weeks.

One guy who was thrilled to be in the land of beer and cheese was head coach Todd Haley.

“I’m really, really excited,” said Haley, who may have been the only member of the traveling party that arrived in suit. “I’m really going to have to temper myself, just knowing me, to try and stay calm, knowing we can’t get it done in a day.

“I’m just really fired up. It’s an exciting time for me in my life.” …Read More!

AFL Memories: The Texans First Game

This year, pro football is celebrating the creation of the American Football League some 50 seasons ago. Over the rest of the year, we will bring you some moments from the AFL’s history book

It was Mark Twain who once said that the coldest day he ever spent was a summer afternoon in San Francisco.

The Dallas Texans found that out on July 31, 1960 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

On a brisk 50-degree Sunday afternoon the Texans beat the Oakland Raiders 20-13 in front of a crowd estimated between 13,000 and 18,000 fans that were bundled up against the fog rolling in off the Pacific Ocean.

It was the first game in the history of Lamar Hunt’s franchise.

“There were a lot of ups and downs, but I’m just tickled to death to win,” head coach Hank Stram told reporters after the game. “I thought our guys showed a lot of poise after that terrible first quarter.”

The Texans had flown west out of their training camp in Roswell, New Mexico, where they had been practicing for several weeks. There was great excitement in their ranks as they crossed the Rocky Mountains and headed for the Bay Area; for most of the 49 players on that plane, it was their first professional football game.

The excitement certainly didn’t translate with the football fans of Oakland-San Francisco. There was no place available for the Raiders to play on the east side of San Francisco Bay, so they were forced to head to Kezar (above left), which at that time was 34 years old and already in some disrepair. The stadium was also the home of the 49ers and they had the advantage on playing dates. …Read More!

Some Advice For Haley … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Around dinner time Thursday evening, Todd Haley will step off the bus and his boots will hit the ground for his first training camp as an NFL head coach.

As he walks a few shorts steps from the parking lot to the dorm that will house the Chiefs on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus, there will be all sorts of thoughts rolling through his head. I’m betting it’s been that way since just after July 4th, back when he was still on vacation with his family.

The first couple of weeks of being away from football were probably very relaxing for Haley. The pace of the 2008 season with the Cardinals going to the Super Bowl, and then his hiring a week later as Chiefs head coach, moving his family from Arizona, hiring a coaching staff, preparing for the NFL Draft; the last 12 months have been a whirlwind. Some time away was very necessary for him.

The morning after those fireworks filled the sky, I’m sure Haley started getting itchy for football again. Over the last three weeks, he’s been thinking about what’s ahead, trying to probe his memory for past camps, past situations he was part of during a dozen years as an NFL assistant.

Coaching staffs draw up scripts for practices and head coaches make schedules for workouts, meetings, training, etc.

But the head coach spends a lot of his time during a football season working off-script. …Read More!

Position Overview: Quarterbacks

With this overview of the quarterbacks, we conclude our series on the Chiefs 2009 roster and the nine main position groups as the team begins training camp.

There is no question that when they hit the practice field on Saturday morning for the first workout of the 2009 season that the Chiefs now belong to Matt Cassel (left).

Trading a second-round pick was evidence alone, but there’s no doubt after his six-year, $63 million deal got done with the team.

Cassel is the present and future of the Chiefs offense and he can now go about the process of elevating his game and that of his teammates. Todd Haley can talk about competition for jobs, but barring injury there’s no question that Cassel will start the opener against Baltimore.

Tyler Thigpen can only continue to work and be ready. It’s a similar situation for Brodie Croyle as he tries to come back from his knee injury. If Croyle falters in any fashion because of his knee or rustiness then Ingle Martin is still around to grab an opportunity.

Here’s how the position breaks down: …Read More!

Chiefs Ink Two Draft Picks, Another Is Close

The Chiefs have sliced their list of unsigned draft picks in half as they have reached deals with third-round DE Alex Magee and sixth-round WR Quinten Lawrence.

Still without contracts are first-round DE Tyson Jackson and fourth-round CB Donald Washington. A player must have a signed contract to participate in training camp.

Details on Magee’s deal are unknown, but Lawrence reportedly signed a three-year, $1.275 million deal with a signing bonus of $90,000.

It appears that they’ll have a deal done with Washington sometime today.

Position Review: Tight End

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

When the Chiefs traded Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons back in April, they removed from their roster 916 catches, 10,940 receiving yards and 76 touchdown catches.

As they head to training camp, they have five tight ends on the roster, with three TEs that have played in the NFL. Combined that trio – Brad Cottam (right), Tony Curtis and Sean Ryan – have 20 starts in the league, with 30 catches for 218 yards and three TDs.

Gonzalez had those numbers before the end of his first season.

No NFL team builds an offense or even a passing game around a tight end. But over the last 10 years, Gonzalez was the most reliable receiver in the Chiefs offense year-after-year and the best security blanket available for the team’s quarterbacks.

He’s gone and there’s a big hole at tight end. None of the five on the roster has the skills or background to become the next Tony Gonzalez. That doesn’t mean they can’t make contributions and catch passes for the Chiefs offense in ’09. They just have very big shoes to fill.

Here’s a look at the tight ends on the roster. …Read More!

Favre Retires. Really? … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Our long national football nightmare is over.

Brett Favre is going to stay retired, fade off into the Mississippi sunset, never to be heard from again until five years from now when he makes his speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Yeah right.

If you believe that, I’ve got some land in Florida you might be interested in. There’s a little bit of water there, but overall it’s a great piece of property … if you have boots and don’t mind snakes.

Favre told the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday that he was going to stay retired and not try to come back to play another season. For the better part of the last two months, Favre and the Vikings have been dancing together, trying to figure out if they should get hitched or move on to other partners.

In the end, Favre decided not to go home with the Vikings. This time he did the smart thing and stayed retired.

At least for now; I put the over-under at August 1; that’s when it will become public that Favre is having second thoughts about this decision. We have not heard the last of Favre. He won’t go quietly and more importantly the media types won’t let him go without a few more shouts and reports. I think ESPN may have to lay off about a dozen people if they don’t have the Favre story to cover anymore. …Read More!

Chiefs Release Connor Barth

So much for competition at the kicker position for the 2009 Chiefs.

The Chiefs announced early Tuesday evening that they have released second-year kicker Connor Barth.

Unless there’s another kicker that special teams guru Steve Hoffman has found to join the team, it looks like seventh-round draft choice Ryan Succop will be the Chiefs kicker for the ’09 season.

Barth’s release also indicates the Chiefs are ready to conclude a deal with one of their four unsigned draft choices. After this move, the Chiefs have 81 players on their roster. Another player will have to be moved off the roster to bring the total to the NFL limit of 80 players under contract for the start of training camp on Friday. Players without contracts do not count against the roster limit.

Last season, Barth kicked in 10 games after he was brought back to replace Nick Novak in late October. He was 10 of 12 on field goals and hit all 24 of his PAT kicks. Barth was signed last year as a rookie free agent out of the University of North Carolina.

During the off-season work, Succop displayed a stronger leg, but Barth appeared to be more consistent in his accuracy. Obviously the coaching staff believes that Succop can be accurate enough to provide the help the team will need in scoring points.

AFL Memories: The Day Lamar’s Baby Was Introduced

This year, pro football is celebrating the creation of the American Football League some 50 seasons ago. Over the rest of the year, we will bring you some moments from the AFL’s history book.

It was a Congressional hearing of the kind that goes on hundreds of times each year in our nation’s Capital.

There was nothing on the hearing’s agenda that day indicating anything substantial was going to happen.

But on July 28, 1959 during testimony in front of a Senate judiciary anti-trust and monopoly sub-committee the existence of what would become the American Football League became public for the first time.

The sub-committee was meeting to discuss different bills that had been introduced by Senators C. Estes Kefauver (D-TN), Kenneth B. Keating (R-NY), Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL) and Thomas C. Hennings (D-MO). The bills were designed to provide certain exemptions for professional sports teams to anti-trust laws.

Giving testimony on this Tuesday morning was NFL Commissioner Bert Bell (left). Here’s how it was reported the next day by the New York Times:

“Bert Bell, the Commissioner of the National Football League announced today the imminent formation of a new professional football League. He said the sponsors of the new league planned to field teams in six cities, probably including New York, in the 1960-61 season. He said that the owners of the new circuit intended to expand to at least eight and possibly twelve teams in subsequent years. The league, at least initially will operate independently of the existing twelve-team National Football League, but definitely not as an “outlaw” to organized football according to Bell.” …Read More!

Position Overview: Special Teams

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

With the exception of punter Dustin Colquitt (right) and coverage man Jon McGraw, the Chiefs special teams struggled during the 2008 season. Snapper, kicker, returner … they all left much to be desired in helping the Chiefs win games.

Thus, the 2-14 record thanks to one of the worst FG percentages in the league and no returns for touchdowns, something the Chiefs haven’t seen at all since the 2006 season.

For any chance to turn around the team’s record this season, Todd Haley and his coaching staff must come up with more plays out of the kicking game. They must get consistent kicking, consistent coverage and some spark in the return game.

But do they have the players to get those things done?

Here’s the breakdown of the key positions in the kicking game. …Read More!

The Next Move For Vick … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

On Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tried to split the loaf with the Michael Vick case.

He conditionally reinstated the quarterback, while keeping him suspended for what could be the first six weeks of the NFL regular season. That suspension could be much shorter.

It was a victory for Vick because it provided the former NFL icon with a timeline for his return to the game and allows him to sign with any team in the league right now. He could be in an NFL training camp tomorrow if he found a willing partner to sign him.

But it was also victory for all those who think Vick has not yet paid his debt to society for his reprehensible actions involving dog fighting and lying to cover up his actions. There’s now more that Vick must go through to earn back the privilege of playing professional football.

If everybody feels like they got something out of the deal, or did not get everything they wanted, then it’s probably a good compromise.

But it was certainly a compromise. …Read More!

It’s Camp Week … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

It’s the beginning of one of the biggest weeks on the football calendar.

By this time next week, all 32 training camps in the National Football League will be up and running and football will be in the air.

The Chiefs will hit the road to Wisconsin on Thursday for the start of their 19th and likely final training camp in the north woods. If all construction goes as planned, they’ll be at Missouri Western University next year in St. Joseph.

Most of the team’s equipment has already made the trip to River Falls, including training machines, computers, pads, tape, Gatorade and a thousand other items. Picking up a football operation and moving 500 miles is not something that gets done in one afternoon.

On Monday, Todd Haley and his coaching staff will be back in the Chiefs offices and preparing for the start of practices on Saturday.

The work that must get done before the team heads north is up to Scott Pioli and his group in getting the final four draft choices signed to contracts.

Still sitting out there is No. 1 pick DE Tyson Jackson, third-rounder DE Alex Magee, fourth-round CB Donald Washington and sixth-round WR Quinten Lawrence. …Read More!

Position Overview: Defensive Line

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

Scott Pioli and Todd Haley left little doubt where they felt rebuilding needed to start with the Chiefs roster. They used their second-round choice to get a starting quarterback in Matt Cassel (trade with New England). They then used their first and third round choices to draft a pair of defensive linemen in Tyson Jackson (left) and Alex Magee.

In this decade, the Chiefs have spent a lot of draft picks and money on defensive linemen with mixed results. They start the ’09 season with six linemen who were drafted in the first three rounds; they drafted a total of 10. The most successful draft choice was DE Jared Allen, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He of course, left the team last year in a trade with Minnesota.

Some of those defensive linemen are now linebackers and only four of those 10 choices are still part of the mix along the ’09 defensive line. Pioli/Haley are counting on a big and immediate contribution from Jackson and Magee. Jackson will be part of the starting lineup at left defensive end, while Magee will likely begin the season behind Glenn Dorsey at right defensive end. But Magee will see plenty of playing time.

How the new bodies mix with the returning players is one of the puzzles the Chiefs defensive coaching staff must put together in the pre-season.

Here’s how the bodies shake out along the defensive line. …Read More!

Happy Birthday To Us

A year ago bobgretz.com came on line. I wondered at the time like the old cliché about the tree falling in the forest, whether a website that nobody knew about really was on the Internet?

We’ve survived 365 days, had a helluva time along the way and we were found by more readers than we thought possible, despite the fact that our marketing budget was only big enough to buy a cheeseburger.

Thank you for finding us, thanks for your continued readership at page view levels that have been stunning and we hope to keep you coming back for more and more. We are prepared for another year of covering the Chiefs, along with college and pro football and we hope to advance our level of coverage.

We need a little something more from you as well. Right now this is a great hobby, but at some point in year No. 2 it must become a viable business. We have pondered going to a subscription service and have not completely dismissed that idea although it’s not something anyone involved wants.

Soon we are going to step up our attempts to get advertising. If you have a business or if you are good friends or family to someone that has a business, tell them about the site and tell them they need to advertise. We need some leads and some help getting doors cracked open. …Read More!

Position Overview: Offensive Line

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

Last season the Chiefs offensive line play improved from the season before, when the Chiefs had problems running the ball and protecting the quarterback.

In 2007, the offense had the worst running season in club history at 78 yards per game and gave up 55 sacks, the second highest total in the club’s almost 50 years of play.

Last season, the numbers improved on the running game to 113.1 yards per game and the sacks were cut to 37 on the season. That came because of the mobility that Tyler Thigpen brought to the offense at the quarterback position and improved play along the line.

Branden Albert (right) was a better left tackle than Damion McIntosh, and McIntosh was a better right tackle than Chris Terry and others. At left guard Brian Waters rebounded from a poor season in ’07 to his Pro Bowl level and while Rudy Niswanger didn’t have the experience at center that Casey Wiegmann provided, his physical skills were superior making it a wash. Right guard was a problem in 2007 and 2008.

As the Chiefs head into the 2009 season, it looks like they’ve solidified the right guard spot with the signing of UFA Mike Goff, who brings the most talent to the spot since Will Shields retired after the 2006 season. The other four spots should have the same starters as last season. …Read More!

Rookie Head Coaches/Recap … Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

First-time head coaches in the NFL over this decade have won an average of 7.5 games in their rookie season.

If Todd Haley completes the 2009 season with his Chiefs winning seven games, he will considered a hero in the red and gold nation. That would be a significant improvement over the 2-14 record of last season and would surpass the six victories of the last two seasons for the Chiefs.

Over the last few days as we have broken down the 30 first-time head coaches hired in the league over the previous nine seasons, we have not found a common thread that would tie up the rookie experience in one package.

Some of those 30 proved to be very good head coaches in that first season. Some were terrible and lasted less than two seasons. Only 13 of those guys are still in the same position where they got their breakthrough as a head coach.

Our goal was to see if the past would provide any sort of road map for Haley’s future. Ultimately, the results are all over the football map and there doesn’t appear to be any trends or markers to predict success or failure.

…Read More!

Position Overview: Secondary

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

Of all the position groups on the Chiefs roster for the 2009 training camp, none is as strong as the secondary. There are six solid players in the back row and while none has shown Pro Bowl ability, the youngsters still have time to grow and produce.

Nobody on the Chiefs 2008 defense had a good season. Safeties Jarrad Page and Bernard Pollard struggled, but a lot of their problems can be traced to the holes in the front seven ahead of them. Rookie cornerbacks Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr (left) and Maurice Leggett had moments of very good play, and times when they were reminded they were wet behind the ears playing the toughest position in the defense.

With the possible additions of veteran safety Mike Brown and draft choice cornerback Donald Washington into the group, the secondary becomes a potential strength in what has been a weak defense.

Here’s how the positions break down. …Read More!

Marcus On D.T.

From NFL.com

(Editor’s note: Derrick Thomas spent nine of his 11 years in the NFL playing with and against Marcus Allen — first as division foes and later as teammates from 1993 to 1997 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003; Thomas, who died in 2000 at the age of 33, will now join him when he is enshrined on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.)

Derrick,

I would like to welcome you to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a place where the legends of the game reside in perpetuity for their exploits on the field — for being the very best of all the football players that have ever graced the gridiron.

You were an exceptional talent — one of the most explosive players that I have ever had the chance to play with as well as to play against. You struck fear in the heart of every left tackle that you ever lined up against. I am certain that every time an opponent played the Kansas City Chiefs, you were No. 1 as far as their preparation was concerned. Because if Derrick Thomas had a field day, like you normally did, then your opponent was going to lose.

I think a lot of people would look at your seven-sack performance against the Seattle Seahawks as a moment that exemplifies your career. But I know that one game certainly doesn’t define you as a football player. …Read More!

Rookie Head Coaches/Part #3 … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley is one of six NFL head coaches who hold that top job for the first time. Over three days we are looking at the recent success rate of rookie head coaches in the league and what that evidence tells us about the kind of start-up season we may see from Haley

Over the last three seasons, NFL owners have shown a willingness to take on as the lead dog coaches that had never been in the role before.

There have been 13 rookie head coaches hired for the 2006-07-08 seasons. That’s out of 21 coaches hired in those seasons. One of them won a Super Bowl championship. Another got his team to the title game. Six others got their teams to the playoffs at least once over the last three seasons.

And four have already been fired.

Such is the life of a head coach. It always helps when you know what’s coming, and that’s something the rookies have to figure out. Sometimes the outcomes are the same: just ask Art Shell and Lane Kiffin, who were both hired to coach the Oakland Raiders. One was an NFL head coaching veteran. Shell lasted 16 games. One was a wet-behind the ears, never been a head coach before on any level. Kiffin was 5-15 before he was fired last year.

Previous head coaching experience guarantees nothing when taking over an NFL team. But it’s sure helpful in making smooth transitions and getting teams up and running and winning more quickly. There’s not on-the-job learning and that allows the coach can take his role to the next level.

We are looking at the results of first-time head coaches in the NFL over the first nine seasons of this decade. There were 29 31 in all and their stories run the spectrum from immediate disaster to appearing in a Super Bowl. Hopefully it will provide a road map to judge/predict the progress and performance of Haley in this first season. …Read More!

Position Overview: Wide Receivers

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

The size and length of his contract tells us the Chiefs think Matt Cassel is their franchise quarterback.

Now the question is: who might be Cassel’s targets when the Chiefs offense goes to the passing game? With Tony Gonzalez traded, the tight end-centric nature of the team’s pass offense will change considerably.

The passing game focus will shift to the wide receivers, and right now the Chiefs cupboard is hardly bulging with proven NFL catchers. After third-year man and former No. 1 choice Dwayne Bowe (left), the group is populated by a veteran at the end of his career (Bobby Engram) and a host of under-achievers that have never been a featured receiver in the NFL.

What happens at wide receiver will be very interesting to watch, because this is where Todd Haley made his bones as an NFL assistant coach. He paid extra attention to the wide receivers during off-season practices, especially when the passing game struggled to get connected. The head coach will have an eye on all 80 players, but he’ll give the receivers a few extra looks.

The philosophy of Pioli/Haley in looking for the right player, rather than the most talented player, indicates they may not be active participants in picking up veteran players released by other teams during the pre-season. But if there’s one position that could bring in new faces, it’s at wide receiver.

Here’s how the bodies break down at the outside positions. …Read More!

Rookie Head Coaches/Part #2 … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley is one of six NFL head coaches who hold that top job for the first time. Over three days we are looking at the recent success rate of rookie head coaches in the league and what that evidence tells us about the kind of start-up season we may see from Haley

About a dozen years ago, Marty Schottenheimer was relaxing after a practice and talking about being a head coach.

“You don’t ever get to coach anymore,” he said. “You don’t get a lot of time with the players individually or in positions. You’ve got so many different things pulling at your attention.

“You find out you aren’t really a coach. You are a problem solver. That’s what a head coach does; he solves problems. Sometimes those problems are football. Most of the time they are not.”

This was the view of an experienced NFL head coach, a guy who had been on the job for more than 10 years with the Browns and Chiefs. It’s part of the transition that Todd Haley is making this season in his first chance at being a head coach at any level of football.

“There’s a lot to consider, a lot to prepare for,” Haley said. “It’s one of the reasons I’m so happy with the staff; they’ve been a big help to help. I’ve relied on some of those guys for ideas.”

Previous head coaching experience guarantees nothing when taking over an NFL team. But it’s sure helpful in making smooth transitions and getting teams up and running and winning more quickly. There’s not on-the-job learning and that allows the coach can take his role to the next level. …Read More!

Position Overview: Running Backs

Until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80 players based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide perspective on what each position has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

Over the history of the Texans/Chiefs franchise, the guys wearing red and gold have always able to run with the football.

That was until 2007, when the offense had a record low 1,248 rushing yards. The Chiefs rebounded last season with 1,810 yards. That was still below the decade average of 1,961 yards per season posted by the offense.

The Chiefs will need to match that average or go beyond in 2009 if the offense is going to be productive. But they begin training camp with only one proven NFL runner, and Larry Johnson’s recent history makes it a dicey proposition to count on him. Johnson had a good and quiet off-season and that provides hope that his life and career is now under control. If that continues, the Chiefs chances for offensive success and winning improves considerably.

Here’s how the bodies break down in the backfield. …Read More!

Rookie Head Coaches/Part #1 … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Todd Haley is one of six NFL head coaches who hold that top job for the first time. Over the next three days, we’ll look at the recent success rate of rookie head coaches in the league and what that evidence tells us about the kind of start-up season we may see from Haley.

The Chiefs have an interesting history with rookie head coaches.

The most successful head coach in league history was Hank Stram. Before he was hired to coach the Dallas Texans for the 1960 inaugural season of the American Football League, Stram had never before been a head coach. Although he wasn’t Lamar Hunt’s first choice to lead the team – the Chiefs founder initially offered the job to Bud Wilkinson and Tom Landry but they turned him down – Stram proved wildly successful with three AFL championships and a Super Bowl victory. In that first season under him the Texans had an 8-6 record.

Stram was the exception among the other first-time head coaches the Hunts have hired over the history of the franchise: Paul Wiggin, the late Frank Gansz and Gunther Cunningham. We excuse Tom Bettis from the proceedings because he served just a half-season as interim head coach in 1977.

In two and a half seasons, Wiggin was 11-24. He started 5-9. Gansz was 8-22-1 in his two seasons as head coach, with an opening 4-11. Cunningham’s two seasons leading the team produced a 16-16 record. Only Gunther had a winning record in his first season, at 9-7. …Read More!

Position Overview: Linebacker

Over the next 10 days, until the start of training camp late next week, we will take a look at the Chiefs 2009 roster and break down the 80-player group based on the nine position groups. We’ll also provide some perspective on what each group has done in this decade of Chiefs football.

Last year, the biggest problem position on the Chiefs defense was linebacker. That was with just three spots in the scheme.

Now, the Chiefs will have four linebackers on the field.

Pioli/Haley believe they’ve raised the level of talent at the position with the addition of a trio of veteran linebackers: Mike Vrabel, Zach Thomas and Monty Beisel. But there’s also the switch of three defensive ends – Tamba Hali, Turk McBride and Andy Studebaker – to outside linebacker, a move that is fraught with the flavor of trying to force square pegs into round holes. And, there’s the continued wait for Derrick Johnson (above) to have a breakout-type season.

Question marks remain at linebacker.

Here’s how the bodies break down within the position. …Read More!

Tickets Are Available … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The Chiefs decision to require single-game ticket buyers to pay for two games if they want to see the Cowboys or Steelers tells us one thing:

There are plenty of tickets available for the 2009 Chiefs season.

On Monday, the Chiefs announced that seats for the 10 home games will go on sale next week. Per the team’s lease, Jackson County taxpayers get the first shot, starting on Wednesday, July 29th. The general public gets the opportunity for single game tickets starting on Friday, July 31th.

If you want to see the Dallas Cowboys on October 11th or the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 22nd, you’ll have to purchase an equal number of tickets for one of the team’s two pre-season games, on August 15th against Houston and August 29th with Seattle.

Doubling up like that is a common marketing practice for teams that know they are going to have trouble selling tickets to unattractive matchups. What could be more unattractive than paying full price for pre-season games, especially against a couple of opponents like the Texans and Seahawks? …Read More!

Steelers, Cowboys Will Cost You Double

Single game tickets for Chiefs home games will go on sale on Friday, July 31st.

And if you want to see Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys and Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium, it’s going to cost you double.

Following the lead of many other professional and college teams, the Chiefs are requiring anyone who wants to buy seats for the Cowboys and Steelers to buy seats for one of the team’s pre-season games.

Want to see Dallas on October 11? Then you’ll have to buy the same number of seats to see the Houston Texans on August 15.

Fans that want to see the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers on November 22, will have to buy tickets to see the Seattle Seahawks on August 29.

No such requirements for the other six home games against Denver, San Diego, Oakland, Cleveland, Buffalo and the New York Giants. …Read More!

A Plan For Vick … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

Today, if all goes according to plan, Michael Vick’s time in the federal legal system will end.

He will be a free man. Sort of.

Vick is never going to be free of his past. That’s life. He may be able to overcome his actions and change the perception of him. But he can’t change the facts and hideous nature of what he did that sent him to prison and has kept him off the playing fields of the NFL for the last two seasons.

Does Vick deserve a second chance in the NFL?

Well, deserve is an interesting word. Pull out Webster’s and its definition hits on other words like worthy, merit, rightfully.

The ability to play in the NFL is not a right. It is a privilege. …Read More!

Camping Time Almost Here … Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

In less than a week, the first of 32 NFL training camps will open. The Browns rookies must report next Friday, getting an extra week of work ahead of the Cleveland veterans. That makes them the kickoff team for Camp ’09.

There figures to be a lot of conversation in the next month or so about the necessity anymore for NFL teams to have training camp as we’ve come to know it over the years. The whole tenor of camps has changed considerably, moving from a place to get a roster in shape, to a place to try and mold a team together.

Players don’t show up at training camp to get into shape anymore. Those that do probably won’t be around very long. With the off-season programs and OTAs, a lot of work has already been accomplished in preparation for the regular season.

There will always be training of some kind for players before an NFL season, but camps will continue to evolve and may disappear with a new labor agreement and a longer regular season schedule.

Right now the league’s 32 teams are split evenly when it comes to whether they stay home for training or leave their facility.

The Chiefs are among the 16 teams that travel, and they have the longest trip of any of those teams going to Wisconsin. Fourteen of the clubs that leave home are on college campuses. Oakland trains out of the Napa Valley Marriott in Napa, California, while the Cowboys will go from Dallas to San Antonio to work inside the Alamodome.

Next year, the Chiefs plan to cut their travel significantly if the folks at Missouri Western can get the necessary facilities built in St. Joseph.

The rest of the traveling teams are Arizona, Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. …Read More!

A Football Grab Bag … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

OK, so the pace of news around the National Football League pretty much has come to a screeching halt.

There was the league’s Supplemental Draft held Thursday; more on that later. There’s Brett Favre saying he’ll decide by July 30 on whether he’s going to come back. Turns out the late Steve McNair did not leave a will. And, Ochocinco says he’s going to send messages on Twitter during games whether the league wants him to or not.

I don’t know about you, but I’m worn out on Favre, McNair and OchoChad.

So how about some geek stats from the league, a few items that you can digest and save for the next bar room discussion on things like going for it on fourth down, going for the two-point conversion and how often does the on-side kick actually work.

FOURTH DOWN

Last season, fewer teams tried to convert on fourth down, as attempts dropped compared to the ’07 season. …Read More!

Free Agency Update … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

It started in the last days of February and so far 126 unrestricted free agents have signed with new teams in the National Football League. That’s based on official notification to the league office of new contracts through Wednesday afternoon.

That’s 126 of 336 available UFAs. Another 88 players re-signed with their former teams. That still leaves 214 UFAs on the street. Some have retired, but others are still searching for a football home, staying in shape and hoping their careers are not over.

Some guys hit the lottery, like defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (left), who skipped out of Tennessee for Washington, collecting a seven-year, $100 million contract, with an NFL record $41 million guaranteed dollars.

Of those UFAs that left for another team, 103 were like Haynesworth, signing within the first month of free agency. Since May 1st, only seven UFAs have signed with new teams. This year re-affirmed the idea that the money comes in a stampede during the first days of free agency, but then the pipeline dries up.

For the first time since free agency began in 1993, no restricted free agents changed teams. RFAs are players who have three years of service in the league. UFAs are players with four or more years of experience who see the end of their contracts. …Read More!

A Hope For L.J.

Bob’s Note: We always welcome reader reaction and comments. Sometimes what comes through the e-mail box catches our attention because it’s written so well, or with passion and insight. When that happens, we like to pass along the work of our readers.

Thousands and thousands of jerseys in the Sea of Red … millions of dollars spent by fans across the nation … the bragging by Chiefs fans … the pride felt by Chiefs fans … the chanting, “L.J., L.J., L.J.!”

Gone in 60 seconds.

What happened to L.J.? 1,750 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2005. Pro Bowl. 1,789 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2006. Pro Bowl. Eight games started in 2007.

And on November 4, 2007, everything changed. Larry was pulled down awkwardly by Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk and limped off the field. He would not play the rest of the year. There have been moments since then, moments which defined the L.J. of 2005 and 2006, the L.J. who Chiefs fans loved and worshiped. Those moments have been scarce, but each moment brought back the excitement to each and every Chiefs fan. L.J. is back, he’s back, he’s angry and he’s pissed. Watch Out!

Unfortunately, those moments were followed by letdowns. The ghost of L.J. past disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. Chiefs fans were again left wondering, what happened to L.J.?

Was it the new contract he signed? Was it the new coach? Was it the new scheme? Did he lose his heart? Did he lose his motivation? Did he lose the hunger to win? Does he party first and play football second? We may never know.

What I do know, is that when L.J. was punishing NFL defenses, he had the largest and loudest supporting cast in all of the NFL, Arrowhead Stadium, also known as the Sea of Red. Kansas City Chiefs fans from California to Maine were wearing Chiefs apparel, specifically Larry Johnson apparel, with pride. He even had his own line of apparel. …Read More!

A Pioli-Cassel Marriage … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

They are now attached.

Scott Pioli and Matt Cassel are both married to attractive women. But when it comes to the world of football, these guys are now married, joined at the hip after Tuesday’s announcement of a six-year, $63 million contract for Cassel.

That’s right – a quarterback who has 15 career NFL starts … make that 15 starts in the last eight years of playing football on the pro and college level has agreed to a contract that will pay him on average $13.5 million over the next three seasons. Of the total money, reportedly $28 million is guaranteed.

Pioli told us that he thought highly of Cassel back in late February when he made the deal with the Patriots to get the quarterback.

Less than six months later, without having played a game, Pioli has signed Cassel to the largest contract in franchise history. Fifty seasons of Texans/Chiefs football and the biggest deal in history of the club goes to a player who hasn’t stepped on the field yet wearing the red and gold.

This is one of those deals where Pioli better be right. That’s why these two guys are now attached. If Cassel flops, this deal will drag Pioli into the deep water without a float. If Cassel leads the Chiefs to a championship, then they will both bask in the victory and the adulation.

There is no middle ground when it comes to the outcome of this contract. Cassel can be a good quarterback, but if he’s not leading this team to success in the playoffs, then Pioli has severely overpaid for his services. This will be a black or white outcome. …Read More!

Chiefs, Cassel Sign Long-Term Deal

The Chiefs announced Tuesday afternoon that they’ve reached a long-term contract with QB Matt Cassel.

ESPN.com reported that the deal is six years for $63 million, but gave no numbers for guaranteed dollars. Other sources reported the deal has $28 million in guaranteed dollars with $40.5 million paid out over the first three seasons. The pact would have Cassel under contract through the 2014 season.

The deal is the biggest contract in the 50-season history of the Chiefs, surpassing the six-year, $45.05 million deal signed by Larry Johnson in 2007, that included $19 million in guaranteed money.

“We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come,” Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement released by the team. “His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization.”

The Chiefs also had a comment from GM Scott Pioli: “We are happy to announce that the Chiefs and Matt have entered into a multi-year commitment. Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community. His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players.”

The 27-year old Cassel was scheduled to make $14.65 million on the franchise player tender that he signed back in February with the Patriots. Wednesday is the deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals around the league. However, that rule did not effect Cassel because he was traded and the team that franchised him no longer held his rights. Cassel was sent to the Chiefs along with LB Mike Vrabel for a second-round draft choice back in late February. That franchise tender followed him to Kansas City.

Cassel’s package would leave him in the second echelon of starting quarterback pay, behind guys like Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre. In 2005, Tom Brady signed a six-year, $60 million contract extension with just under $27 million in guaranteed money.

Not bad for a guy with 15 starts in the last eight years.

Goodbye Mr. Rudy … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

He was the only person in the organization that everybody called Mister.

The owner was simply Lamar. The president-general manager was Jack, or several other nicknames that won’t be repeated here. The head coach was Hank.

Only Wayne Rudy was known by Mister.

There are very few people in the history of the Chiefs who were more influential than Mr. Rudy. For 24 years, he was the team’s trainer. He started in the first days of the franchise back in 1960, leaving his job as the head trainer at SMU where he had worked for 13 years.

One of the athletes whose ankles he had taped at SMU was a seldom used wide receiver named Lamar Hunt. One of the assistant coaches during his time with the Mustangs was Hank Stram.

Mr. Rudy died over the past weekend in Katy, Texas. He was 89 years old. He returned to Texas after retirement from the Chiefs following the 1983 season. He spent those 24 seasons with hundreds of games, thousands of practices and probably a million ankles taped.

The respect that the players held for him was universal. From the team’s first training camp in Roswell, New Mexico, Mr. Rudy was doctor, nurse, masseuse, a shoulder to cry on, friendly face who players could confide in and pour out problems. White, black, big, small, stars and backups, Mr. Rudy handled them all. …Read More!

Book Review: Goodfellows

Goodfellows: The Champions of St. Ambrose. Written by Rick Gosselin. Foreward by Tony Dungy. Introduction by Jim Schwartz. August Publications.

Rick Gosselin is the pro football writer for the Dallas Morning News and you heard his voice on bobgretz.com last year when we did podcasts. He’s the best pro football reporter in the newspaper business. Goose has the remarkable distinction of being respected not only by his peers, but the people he covers in the NFL.

But he stepped away from the pro game to write this book about his grade school and high school alma mater in Detroit. St. Ambrose was a tiny Catholic school in the big city, but for a period of time it was one of the best football programs in the state of Michigan.

Anybody who has any connection or identification with Detroit will love this book. But you don’t have to know the difference between Hamtramck and Gross Pointe to enjoy the story that Rick lays out for us about this little school that could. Anyone who loves the game and its roots on the high school level will love Goodfellows.

In some ways it’s like Hoosiers, except the sport is football. St. Ambrose was a parish school, grades one through 12th that sat on the city line between Detroit and Gross Pointe Park. The high school always had 400 students or less. Graduating classes were less than 100 students and half of those were girls.

St. Ambrose did not have its own football field. It did not have a practice field. The locker room in the school’s basement was carved out between two classrooms. The coaching office for the football teams was a converted coal bin. …Read More!

Chiefs Lose A Legend

Although he was largely unknown to the average Chiefs fan, one of the most influential people in the history of the franchise was Wayne Rudy.

The Texas native passed away over the weekend. Rudy spent 24 seasons as the trainer of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs. He was at the team’s first training camp in Rosewell, New Mexico in 1960 and joined the franchise when it moved from Dallas to Kansas City before the 1963 season. He retired after the 1983 season. In that nearly quarter-century, Rudy touched and worked with every player that was ever part of the Texans/Chiefs, from Hall of Famers to unknown free agents.

Rudy was revered by the players he worked with and was one of the all-time good guys in the organization. After he retired, he returned back to his Texas roots where had been living for the last 26 years.

We will have more tomorrow on the passing of Wayne Rudy.

Supplemental Draft … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

I actually had a fan ask me the other day why the league teams would have to draft supplements. Shouldn’t they all be allowed to use the same products?

To a certain extent, I can understand the confusion. Usually with the NFL when the subjects of supplements comes up it’s generally because a player has tested positive for some banned substance. And the player always says he was unaware that the supplement he was taking had the red-flagged ingredient.

Coming up on Thursday is the NFL’s Supplemental Draft, designed for players who have lost their college eligibility and were not part of the group available for the annual NFL Draft in April. Generally players end up in this draft because of academic, team or NCAA suspensions, or family considerations that force them to make a late decision to go pro before the end of their college eligibility.

Currently there are six known names available in the draft pool. The most likely to get drafted is Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon (right). And how about this: he’s in the draft because he used a supplement that was banned on the college level.

Actually, it sounds like Jarmon did take something without realizing it was not on the NCAA’s approved list. His record as a person and a student at Kentucky was outstanding and he’s offered to take further drug tests any place, any time. His workout reportedly drew anywhere from 18 to 22 of the league’s 32 teams, which is a pretty good indication there is interest in him. …Read More!

Stram’s Keys To Winning … Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

In this season of such historical significance for the Kansas City Chiefs, every once in awhile we will look back at the team’s past and some of the influential names, games and situations that molded Lamar Hunt’s creation.

One of the biggest influences was Hank Stram. As the franchise’s first coach, he laid the foundation for the Texans and then the Chiefs. He coached for 15 seasons, longer than any other coach in club history. Stram is also the only coach to win a league championship, three of those in the American Football League and one Super Bowl.

Stram was quite a character. At any collection of his players from those 15 seasons, the conversation will always include memories of “The Mentor.” Out of the sheer size of his personality, Stram never failed to entertain. Fans did not really get to know Stram until NFL Films put a microphone on him for Super Bowl IV against Minnesota.

Players had heard Stram for a decade, but the Super Bowl highlight tape gave everybody a chance to hear the patter, the wise cracks, the belly aching at officials and the never ending commentary that Hank eventually took into the broadcasting booth after his coaching career.

But make no mistake Stram was more than a character. He was a darn good football coach, and one of the most innovative leaders in the game. Hank was old school, but he was always ready to try something different, if it was sound fundamentally.

Currently, the Chiefs are collecting items for the new Hall of Honor that is part of the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium. From Hank’s son Stu, they were loaned the head coach’s personal playbook for the 1971 season. Inside this big white binder is the Chiefs offense, along with other information that Stram felt was important for his players to read and understand.

Part of that came under the title of “HELPFUL TIPS FOR ALL CHIEFS TO BECOME CHAMPIONS.” …Read More!

Kicking Struggles … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Last year and this decade have featured big improvements in the success rate of NFL kickers. During the 2008 season, kickers set league records for accuracy in field goals and PATs.

This league-wide improvement has come without help from the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the rest of the league has become more accurate, kickers wearing the red and gold have been less accurate. Chiefs kickers had a much better field goal percentage in the 1980s and 1990s than they’ve had through the first nine seasons of this decade.

Including the ’08 season, Chiefs kickers have made 186 of 242 field goal attempts, a success rate of 76.9 percent in this decade. Among the league’s 32 teams, that ranks 29th in accuracy. They’ve been nearly 10 percent less accurate than the league leader in this decade, Baltimore. Kickers for the Ravens have been successful on 86.2 percent of their field goals.

In the 100 best seasons for FG accuracy in this decade, the Chiefs have just one season on the list: the 2002 season when they made 23 of 27 attempts, for 85.2 percent; that ranked 85th.

In the 100 best individual seasons for FG accuracy in this decade, the Chiefs have just one kicker on the list: Morten Andersen, who made 22 of 26 FG attempts for 84.6 percent; that ranked 96th in the league.

Here are the ugly numbers for Chiefs kickers this decade: …Read More!

The NFL Is Kicking … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

There’s no getting around the fact that foot is part of the sport’s name.

But never have the guys who use their feet in the game been as good as they are right now. The improvement in field goal kicking in the league has been on a remarkable rise.

In the 2008 season, NFL kickers set a new record for accuracy, making 84.5 percent of their field goals (845 out of 1,000 attempts.) It was the fifth consecutive season where league kickers set a record for field goal percentage. In 2004 it was 80.8 percent, then 81 percent, 81.4 percent and 82.8 percent in the 2007 season.

Plus, in the ’08 season the league kickers set a record for PAT percentage, making 99.5 percent of the kicks (170 out of 176.) The previous high was 99.2 percent in the 2004 season.

But here’s a nugget that will provide unquestioned evidence on how much improvement there has been among kicker.

When Nick Lowery left the Chiefs after the 1993 season, he was the most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history. At that point, Lowery had made 80 percent of his kicks (329 of 411 attempts) during 214 games over 15 seasons.

After the 2008 season, Lowery is now tied for 24th place. That’s 16 seasons and he dropped 23 places, or rather 23 kickers went flying past him with better career totals. …Read More!

More Training Camp Details

Here’s a little more information on the Chiefs schedule for what should be their last training camp at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

The team will depart Kansas City on Thursday, July 30. They will leave River Falls on August 21, before they play the Vikings in Minneapolis.

On July 31, they will have their running test in the morning and that is their only on-field work scheduled for that day. They begin practices Saturday morning, August 1st. Todd Haley has not scheduled any back-to-back two-a-day drills during the camp.

When the team has two practices, they are scheduled to start at 8:50 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. When the team has just one workout, they are scheduled to begin at 1:50 p.m. Practices will generally run two hours.

Here’s how the practices currently break down by dates:

• DAYS WITH TWO PRACTICES – August 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 17, 19.
• DAYS WITH ONE PRACTICE – August 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20.
• FAMILY FUN DAY/SCRIMMAGE – Saturday, August 8 at 2 p.m.
• NO PRACTICE DAYS – August 9, August 14, August 15, August 16 and August 21.

Remember this: the schedule is subject to change and in the previous 18 camps that I’ve attended in River Falls, there hasn’t been a year when the head coach hasn’t altered his pre-camp schedule.

Just remember, you’ll be able to follow all the changes as we will provide live coverage from the northwoods.

Signing Season … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

Things are generally quiet around the National Football League right now. It’s probably another week or so before many of the league’s movers and shakers head back to the office. They are at the beach, hitting the links, on the lake or in the case of the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, climbing Mount Rainier.

Sometime today, Goodell, Seattle coach Jim Mora and Seahawks executive Todd Leiweke along with two guides are expected to reach the snow-covered summit of Rainier, at more than 14,000 feet. It’s all being done for a Seattle area charity.

There aren’t many NFL types doing something as physically demanding. They are just glad to be away and getting a breather before the long season. They’ll start rolling back into the office over the next few weeks and activity will pick up around the league.

That’s when the signing season will really get serious, as clubs try to get all their draft choices and a few veterans under contract before the start of training camp.

Actually, this year NFL teams have really gotten a jump on getting the 256 selections from April’s 2009 Draft with deals.

As of Tuesday evening, more than 100 deals had been announced around the league. …Read More!

Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs

The words came from an NFL player.

“I think the vast majority of players in the N.F.L. have guns. Just about every guy I played with in the N.F.L. had a gun. Almost every player I knew had one. Guns are rampant in football. You have all these players packing guns wherever they go. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

The player who made that statement was former Detroit Lions offensive tackle Lomas Brown.

He was quoted in a New York Times story in late December 2003.

“… a disaster waiting to happen.”

That disaster happened in Nashville with the death of former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. Pictured are authorities removing his body from the condo where he was shot.

But it’s happened before in the NFL. Washington safety Sean Taylor was shot and killed in his home during a robbery. Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in a drive by shooting in Denver. Jaguars tackle Richard Collier is paralyzed and had a leg amputated after being shot last year while sitting in his car in Jacksonville. Several years ago Philadelphia’s Jerome McDougle missed a season after being shot in the abdomen. Plaxico Burress’ career is on hold because he carried a handgun into a New York nightclub and accidently shot himself in the leg.

And McNair had four bullets pumped into him over the weekend. It appears that his death was the first part of a murder-suicide, killed by his 20-year old girl friend.

All those cases have different story lines. But the outcomes were the same: three men killed, three men wounded, one paralyzed. Tragedy. …Read More!

The New Arrowhead … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

Since it opened back in April, the New Yankee Stadium has been a launching pad.

Through games of July 4th, the average game at the Yankees new field has 3.38 home runs. There were four more in Sunday’s game. That’s easily the most home friendly park in baseball this season. It’s not even close. Plus, the longest home run of the 2009 season was hit in the new stadium, on May 22 by Raul Ibanez of the Phillies. It went 477-feet.

As a comparison, the hardest park in the major leagues to hit a home run this season is Turner Field in Atlanta, with an average of 1.29 homers per game. At Kauffman Stadium there has been an average of 1.64 home runs per game.

The dynamics of the New Yankee Stadium got me wondering what will happen with the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium and more specifically the swirling winds that have been part of the building since it opened in 1972.

Punters and kickers have been studying the Arrowhead winds for years and they all agree that there are three levels of wind within the stadium: …Read More!

1976 … July 4th Weekend Cup O’Chiefs

So you think the last six months have been turbulent for the Chiefs?

The departure of a 20-season president-general manager, the firing of the head coach, the trade of the Pro Bowl and future Hall of Fame tight end, the unhappiness of a Pro Bowl guard with the new regime, the off-field problems of the Pro Bowl running back, near complete upheaval in the team’s front-office and personnel department and diminished interest among the ticket buying and suite leasing fans.

Yes, 2009 would have to be one of the most volatile off-seasons in Chiefs history, and we still have training camp in the near future.

Certainly, it’s been one of the most volatile. But not the most controversial. Not even close.

Did you know that a Hall of Fame Chiefs linebacker once signed with the Oakland Raiders? Did you know a Chiefs player almost died from a drug and alcohol overdose in training camp? Did you know that one of the iconic figures in team history was traded and didn’t finish his career with the Chiefs? How about a second-round draft choice that boycotted practice so he could be traded?

All that and more happened, much more, in the months before the 1976 season with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chiefs fans, the gold medal for turbulent off-seasons goes to the bicentennial year. It’s not even close. No silver and bronze medals were awarded because there was no real competition.

Thirty-three years ago the Chiefs went through an off-season with enough turmoil to serve any team for a decade.

“That was an ugly time,” said Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Bell. “There were a lot of unhappy people.” …Read More!

Cassel vs. Thigpen … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs

Matt Cassel has the edge in the competition to be the Chiefs starting quarterback for the 2009 season opener.

But that doesn’t mean Tyler Thigpen will spend the ’09 season on the bench, with a ball cap on and a clipboard.

The chances are very good that Thigpen will play at some point during the coming season. How much will depend on how productive the offense is under Cassel. When and where a change might happen is unknown.

What we do know is this: a string of incomplete passes, a couple of interceptions, any type of losing streak … all of those factors will increase the demand of the fans for a change from Cassel to Thigpen. That’s a given at the quarterback position. Those factors also increase the possibility of Todd Haley pulling the trigger and making a change in the pursuit of victories.

What’s unusual in this situation is that there’s really a very fine line between what Cassel has gotten done as an NFL starter compared to Thigpen. This isn’t a veteran against a youngster. This isn’t a long-time back-up going against an established starter. Cassel and Thigpen have NFL resumes that are very similar. They were both seventh round draft choices – Cassel in 2005 and Thigpen in 2007. Both quarterbacks got their chance because of injuries ahead of them on the depth chart. …Read More!

Haley on Coaches/Part #2 … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

As Todd Haley scrambled to put together his coaching staff back in February, he got unexpected help.

When the Arizona Cardinals decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast (right), Haley wasted little time in getting his former counterpart in the desert on board with the Chiefs.

He eventually named Pendergast his defensive coordinator, after former Cleveland head coach Romeo Crennel decided to spend the year out of coaching; in the early off-season he was recovering from hip replacement surgery and faced a lengthy rehab. That was one of the reasons he decided to sit out this season.

Crennel would have been a big get for the Chiefs staff. But Haley likes how his defensive staff has come together through the off-season program.

On Tuesday, we covered Haley and his comments on his offensive staff. Today, here’s what the Chiefs head coach had to say about the rest of his coaching staff. …Read More!