SB Nation User Blog: mistamic

Random Thoughts - Deer Season Edition

mistamic — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:23:53 -0000

Before I go deer hunting this week, I want to leave you all with some random thoughts.

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*I want Toby Gerhart to win the Heisman. He leads the nation in rushing yards and touchdowns. He's the main reason why Stanford has been so good. If not him, then Suh from Nebraska. I'd love to see another defensive player win the big one.

*Getting Jake O'Connell in the draft this year is a real headscratcher. We actually traded with Miami to get him. So far he has made NO impact. None. I don't care if he's primarily a blocking tight end - I'd like to have seen a little more out of him. I don't care if he was only drafted in the 7th round - we still traded for a no-impact player. It doesn't make sense to trade with another team to get a no-impact player.

*There has been a lot of complaining about the Chiefs and the veteran free-agents they picked up in the offseason. Some say "All we got are washed-up old guys".....That may be so, but at least Pioli went out and tried to get us some pieces for the right 53. That's better than getting nothing. And as far as the free agent pool goes, the 2009 class was pretty bare. Albert Haynesworth was the only big player out there I can think of.

*Speaking of Haynesworth, I remember some AP members were really pushing for us to get him. Honestly if we had brought him here to KC I would have been more pissed off about that than us getting "washed-up, over the hill" veterans. Think about it: he seriously underperformed for most of his career. All of a sudden he started playing hard - right in time for a new contract. Then after Tennessee let him go, the Redskins gave him a HUGE contract. I would think that a football player who gets a $100M contract would be a game changer. Defensive tackles do not really really fit the description of a "game changer". Don't think that I'm knocking on Haynesworth: he's played well (not great) for Washington this season. But does playing well and not great really worth $100M? I don't think so.

*Last year my girlfriend and I went to the Chiefs-Bills game. We both got BBQ from from the Gates kiosk on the bottom level. I won't lie - it was pretty disappointing. It was warm at best, and it didn't taste very "smoky". I've heard that Gates is one of the city's biggest barbeque joint. Was my experience a fluke, or is that how it is everywhere? Oh, and by the way: Arthur Bryant's is amazing!

That's all for now. Feel free to comment and respond. Take care.

Random Thoughts - Thanksgiving Week

mistamic — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:33:06 -0000

Let's all give thanks for more random thoughts!

*The Chiefs can finish the season 7-9 or 8-8. The toughest part of the schedule is over. San Diego and Cincinnati will be the two toughest games remaining. Denver has been sliding BIG TIME. I'm optimistic that we can finish strong!

*Watching Haley smile after a win is a joy. It's a nice contrast to the yelling and scowling we usually see.

*Matt Light is in the final year of his contract. I don't see New England resigning him. If any of this is true, then I see Pioli bringing him in. (If I'm wrong about any of this please correct me)

*I can see the Chiefs drafting a quarterback next year. If they do draft one, the earliest round we will get one is in the sixth. Pioli knows the upside of drafting solid young quarterbacks in the later rounds. Cassel is in no danger of losing his starting job anytime this year (or next year), but it wouldn't hurt the Chiefs to have someone waiting in the wings in case he goes down. Brodie Croyle will be gone next year, and it would just be cheaper to draft a late-round QB. I know Cassel is our $60M man but keep this in mind: Drew Bledsoe was traded to Buffalo from New England a year after he signed his fat contract extension (it was worth over $100M). Fat contracts don't guarantee anything.

*If the Chiefs finish the season strong, then they should get at least one MNF game next year. The Raiders and the Browns both played a Monday night game this year - and they're terrible. Why not us?

Well I'm done with this post. Give me your opinions on this.Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Random Thoughts: Bowe, Bills, Charles & More

mistamic — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:38:33 -0000

It's time for some more random thoughts!

*Dwayne Bowe got the shaft. He took those PED's and still has trouble catching the ball. What a ripoff!

*The Bills are a joke. I understand that Dick Jauron had to go. But after hearing some of the potential replacements for DJ, I have to laugh. Adam Schefter said that some of the potential HC candidates next year were a couple of arena football league coaches. Seriously? That's pretty embarassing. However, those guys aren't their number one guy. Mike Shanahan seems to be their top candidate. Elway made Shanny look like a genius. After Elway retired, the Broncos playoff record is 1-4. Remember the Broncos from 06-08? Each year the team underachieved and fell short of the playoffs. Why do you think the guy was fired?

*Our backfield isn't very good. We scored our first rushing touchdown of the season against Oakland. We were the last team in the league to score a rushing touchdown. That's not a statistic to be excited about. Jamaal Charles has the potential to be a big-time impact player. But with the exception of his touchdown run this last Sunday, his fumbling problem has been his most consistent attribute. With LJ out of the way, I think he can finally shine. Let's all hope so.

*Speaking of the running game - let's run some Wildcat plays. Just 1 or 2 plays will make me happy. We don't need to rely on it like Miami does.

*Here's a Super Bowl match that would literally keep me glued to the chair: the Colts and the Saints. Both teams have awesome offenses. Their defenses aren't too shabby either, but I'm more interested in their offenses.

*Here's something I'm looking forward to in the coming offseason: the 2010 AP Mock Draft. I loved participating in that last year. I'm ready to do it again!

Okay that's all for now. Feel free to comment...

Anger Management

mistamic — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:15:28 -0000

Let's face it people: we're all pretty angry right now with our Chiefs. When your favorite team is 2-7, you shouldn't be happy. If you are happy about that 2-7 record, then you are either: A) wanting the Chiefs to get the #1 overall pick in next year's draft, or B) you are a nutcase. You could be both.

Now I'm going to diffuse the tension here on AP. I'm going to do some Anger Management! Actually I'm just going to analyze some of these issues with our team and come up with positive solutions and friendly reminders.

*I'm angry that we aren't this year's turnaround team (like the 2008 Dolphins). I saw us in the same situation as them. New GM, new head coach, new quarterback, new attitude. We were gonna be competing for the AFC West title this year.

But it hasn't turned out that way and I think I know why. Miami had a very unique situation compared to ours. Bill Parcells is a football mastermind. His hand-picked coach, Tony Sparano, worked under Parcells and their connection was very deep. And Chad Pennington was an excellent pickup. Say what you want about his arm strength: he's sharp as a tack and he's very efficient. He was the ideal triggerman for the team last year while they tried to get Chad Henne up to speed. All of that, throw in some creative playcalling, and guess what? The team took everyone by surprise. Here's something else that contributed to their quick turnaround: they were still a pretty talented squad, despite their 1-15 record. That team probably could have won another 4 or 5 games. But shitty coaching and big-time injuries did them in. So if they won a few more close games they could have been 5-11 or 6-10. A team improving from 6 wins to 11 wins isn't anything new. So their turnaround should not be a total shock.

Why I shouldn't be angry: I need to remind myself that this team is being built like a Parcells-type team. The Tuna model is a proven winner. It may not be quick, but it will pay off well in the long run.

*I'm angry about the coaching. At times I think that our coaching staff is one big fat joke. Tim Kumpie shouldn't be employed at all. And Clancy Pendergrast has shown us all why he got fired from Arizona last year. Haley's playcalling hasn't impressed me either.

Look on the bright side: there are two positives here. First, I still think that despite the quality of these coaches, they are teaching these players to never give up. Just ask Baltimore and Jacksonville. Second, I remind myself that Haley was the last head coach hired this year, and there weren't many top-tier candidates left for Haley to choose from. Kumpie, Clancy, and several others will be gone at the end of the season and Haley will have more options to assemble a better coaching staff.

*I'm angry about Pioli. He's considered to be an excellent personnel man, but what he brought us hasn't been that good. Mike Goff, Zack Thomas, Bobby Engram, Mike Brown: these veteran guys were supposed to be an upgrade, but they just look like Carl Peterson leftovers. Our first draft class hasn't been impresive either. We reached for Tyson Jackson (and almost everyone else from this class). So far, our kicker has made the biggest impact from this class. And on top of that, Matt Cassel hasn't been performing like a $60M man. Pioli is in charge of these decisions.

Take a chill pill. Pioli is the guy that ALL OF US wanted. He's a big reason why the Patriots have been the most successful team of the decade. Last year the FA market was pretty bare. Outside of Albert Haynesworth, nobody really excited me. Pioli deserves a few more years to do his thing, but if we don't substantially improve, Clark Hunt will have no problem pulling the cord on him. Trust me on that.

So, in conclusion, here is the bottom line: as fans, we have a right to be pissed off. We have a right to be mad. But don't give up hope yet. Carl Peterson had 20 years to get us to the Super Bowl. Why can't Pioli get at least 3-5 years? I think it's a little premature to call for the heads of Pioli & Company. Let's try to be positive about this. Now go out there and apply some Anger Management, Chiefs fans!

Random Thoughts - 11.11.09

mistamic — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:01:39 -0000

Time for some more of my random thoughts....

*We all have mixed feelings on Bernard Pollard (or at least I do). I love the hard hits - hated the fact that his hard hits didn't lead to solid tackles. I loved his Hard Knocks dance - hated how receivers danced all over his ass when he was in coverage. But what really gets me is this notion that he was a "locker room cancer" or he was a bad guy (I think KB reported on this). He never struck me as that kind of guy. I understand that he got into an argument with Pendergrast at one point this summer. But it seems like this just happened once. And I can understand if there's a heated argument. But ONE argument does not mean the guy is a cancer. Can someone fill me in on this? Maybe I'm missing something.

*One more thing about Pollard: he said he didn't like Haley's yelling and cursing. Isn't that the same thing that Gunther did too? (Someone made this point before on AP and I thought that was pretty intriguing).

*It sucks that Mike Goff is now on IR. But let's face it: he wasn't getting the job done. Earlier this year I gushed about having Goff on our roster. I really thought he was going to be a major upgrade for us. Boy was I wrong. He jsut didn't play well at all this year. I guess San Diego really knew what they were doing when they let him go.

*My prediction: LJ to Washington.

*I gotta hand it to Herm: he's still a big time Chiefs fan. Even though he got fired last year, he still roots for KC (maybe it's the BBQ). It seems like he is constantly picking the Chiefs to win every Sunday on ESPN. Say what you want about the guy: I gotta admire him for sticking with the Chiefs.

*If we don't win against Oakland this Sunday, then I see us winning against Cleveland next month and that's it. Yup that's right: back-to-back 2-14 seasons.

That's all for today. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions.

Droppin' Names

mistamic — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:08:27 -0000

Here we go....

*Larry Johnson: He's done. His attitude and on-field "performance" are both shitty. The gay slurs certainly don't help improve his image. He won't be cut right now (as much as I'd prefer that). As soon as the season ends, his ass is gone.

*Rush Limbaugh: He's nothing more than a crybaby. He throws a fit because the league won't let him purchase the Rams. He blames the government and says he's a victim of the media, blah blah. Look I don't have any problem with his political views (I am a conservative myself). But his big mouth is why the league doesn't want anything to do with him. Dan Rooney (Pittsburgh's owner) never said that the NFL is like the Crips and Bloods. But you know who did? Limbaugh did. So I say "fuck Rush"!

*Clancy Pendergrast: He'll be gone at the end of the season. The only reason he was chosen as our DC is because there weren't any other candidates out there that looked good. Many insiders say he is a very creative DC. That's nice to hear but creative doesn't always mean good. He won't be around for the 2010 season.

*Wade Phillips: If the Cowboys do not manage to get into the playoffs, then Wade will be gone. Which is fine with me, because I can easily see him as our new defensive coordinator. Forget his less-than-stellar head coaching resume: as a defensive coordinator, he's one of the league's very best. He is a 3-4 mastermind, and he would be a major asset to this team.

*Demorrio Williams: This guy is playing good football right now. Most of us groaned (or snickered) when we heard that he was our big free-agent player from the '08 offseason. He sucked ass last year and we all thought he wouldn't do much better this year. But he's turned in some excellent performances and he's giving DJ some much-needed competition.

*Norv Turner: I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets shit-canned by the Chargers. If he does get fired, then I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was our next offensive coordinator. Same with Wade: despite his lack of success as a head coach, he's an excellent OC. I think a major reason why Haley has called plays this year is because there wasn't anyone else around to help out so he wanted to take matters into his own hands. With Turner, he will be able to find an established veteran to work with. Why am I high on Norv? When he was with the '06 Niners, he helped the offense improve immensly and he even made Alex Smith look like a good quarterback.

*Jim Zorn: He'll be gone at the end of the season in Washington. I can see him being hired on as our QB's coach.

*Scott Pioli: One thing I love about this guy: he's is ALWAYS looking for players that he can bring on board and help out the team. He's still looking out for players right now that are available, He's always looking, and he's shown that he is relentless. You gotta love that.

*Megan Fox: She was the only good thing about Transformers 2. Don't even argue with me.

HOLY SANTA CLAUS SHIT!

First Round Options

mistamic — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:10:12 -0000

It's way too early for me to be looking forward to the 2010 NFL Draft. But I can't help myself. So come along, friends, and watch me break down our potential choices for our first round pick.

I honestly believe that we will be picking in the top 10 again next year. You could even say that we will be picking in the top 5 and I wouldn't find that too far-fetched. I actually see the Chiefs picking at the #8 spot in the draft. I hope like hell I'm wrong. I hope we're picking higher. But I just have this feeling that we will be picking at 8 (or around that area).

So, here's my question: if we are at the #8 spot, what exactly do we need? Here are some viable options....

Offensive Tackle. We need more help on the line. Albert's play has been disappointing so far this year. If he doesn't improve throughout the year, I can see him being switched to guard or right tackle. But even if he does improve, then I wouldn't rule out the possibility of getting another offensive lineman.

Defensive Tackle. I'm against this choice but I can see Pioli grabbing a DT. It wouldn't surprise me if he picks Suh from Nebraska (if he's available). He never quits. He does an excellent job and stuffing the run and getting to the quarterback. He seems to be everywhere on the field. If we selected him I'd be okay with that.

Running Back. I know it sounds crazy but if he's a game changer (ex. Adrian Peterson), then we should get him. LJ is barely averaging 2 yards per carry. Our other backs aren't dazzling me either. The O-line hasn't helped the run game much, but it's clear that we could still use an upgrade. Remember: if we get a RB in the first round, I expect him to be a game changer. If he's there, go get him!

Linebacker. Any LB spot is fine with me. We could certainly use some more help up the middle. I don't see Derrick Johnson back in KC next year. And even though I like Vrabel, he's in the final year of his contract and I don't see him staying in KC. So I would not be opposed to an OLB either. Anything to help improve the depth of our LB corps will be appreciated.

Safety. I know this also sounds crazy. Safety isn't a pressing need for us right now. But there is a lot of love out there for Eric Berry (Tennessee) and Taylor Mays (USC). Mike Brown isn't scaring any QB and Page could be gone next year too. If one of those guys could be our version of Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu, I'm all for it.

I know that some of these choices don't make sense. I am also aware that its still October and a lot could change over the course of the season. But hey, anything can happen....

Poll

As of right now, what should the Chiefs pick first in next year's draft?

Off. Tackle

43 votes

Def. Tackle

2 votes

Runningback

3 votes

Linebacker

2 votes

Safety

31 votes

Other

0 votes

81 votes | Poll has closed

The Best Thing About Sunday's Loss

mistamic — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:42:28 -0000

As horrible as the game was on Sunday, there were a couple of bright spots.

1) We scored a couple touchdowns. As poorly as we played, we shouldn't have put up any points.

2) See for yourself....

HOLY SANTA CLAUS SHIT!

Don't fight it - you know that made the game a whole hell of a lot better!

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On a side note:

-As good as Branden Albert is, he's been pissing me off lately with all of those penalties. He's had several key holding penalties. I wonder what Haley thinks about those.

-As exciting as Thigpen's play was last year, I'm not upset that he's been traded. Actually I'm surprised that Miami traded for him. He was fun to watch and I loved rooting for him, but he only led us to ONE victory. I'm not putting all of that on him. Most of that was the coaching. But despite his solid play last season, he should have led the team to at least a couple more victories.

-Okay, one last time....

The Men Under Haley

mistamic — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:02:57 -0000

Coach Haley has a lot on his plate right now. He's the head coach of a bad team, but jsut last month he took over play-calling duties and is now the team's QB coach. That's a lot to handle for a first-time coach. I'm not saying that Haley will buckle under all of his added responsibilities. But it wouldn't surprise me if he hands over the play calling duties to someone else on his staff. When he joined the Cardinals in '07, he didn't start out calling plays. His boss, Ken Whisenhunt, handed the playcalling duties over to him during the mddle of the season. This made me this: do we have a play-caller waiting in the wings?

Bill Muir (O-Line): He's a well-respected line coach. He's called plays before. However his track record at OC in Tampa isn't impressive.

Maurice Carthon (Asst HC): Has called plays before bur his track record isn't that good. Same could be said about his job as RBs coach. Not exactly sure why we hired him - maybe to help fill out a coaching spot.

Dedric Ward (WR): I don't know much about his guy. I've read that he played under Haley while in New York and Dallas. He's young but maybe he has potential. Remember - Haley started out as a WR coach.

Bob Bicknell (TE): I don't know much about this guy either. All I know is that "tutored" Tony Gonzalez (according to the Chiefs website). He didn't really need a lot of tutoring but after the end of the 2008 season, TG had nothing but good things to say about Bicknell.

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I know that some people out there think Haley won't need any help, he can do it all by himself just fine, anyone who thinks otherwise is stupid, etc. Just keep in mind: this list is hypothetical. I'm not saying that Haley will fail as a playcaller. I'm just coming up with some potential candidates to help out. A little help goes a long way.

What do you guys think?

Mistamic Breaks Down Yesterday

mistamic — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:22:55 -0000

I'll be honest: I actually enjoy reading Jason Whitlock's columns in the Star. I usually find them entertaining - or I can at least see the reasoning for his arguments, even if I don't agree. It seems like the majority of AP members think Whitlock is a tool. I totally agree with you guys after reading today's lame ass article.

As Jim Rome says, here's what I'm burning on:

*Stop calling Scott Pioli that stupid nickname, Ego-li. When I first saw your nickname for Scott, I was dumbfounded. It aIso made me hungry for some Eggo waffles and ravioli. But mainly I didn't see the conection. Seriously - has Jason ever heard Pioli talk? When he came here, he never said "I know it all" or "I am so smart" blah blah blah. He wasn't praising himself during interviews. Bill Belichick did enough of that. Pioli is a low-key guy who worked behind the curtains and never took the credit. The guy is a class act.

*Haley put the blame on himself. Jason said that Haley bitched at all of the players for their errors but he failed to see his own mistakes. Bullshit. At the end of the game, Haley took the blame and even said that he didn't coach well, especially at the end of the game. He didn't throw any players under the bus. He did say that WE all need to get better. That includes the coaches. This isn't the first time that Haley admitted he was wrong and I doubt it wil be his last. But he took the blame. Herm did a lot of things that drove me nuts, but I really hated it when he wouldn't man up and admit that he made mistakes. He always found a way to escape the blame. Sorry Jason, you got the wrong coach on this one.

*Quit saying Haley's arrogance is toxic. Actually, establishing a football culture where the coach says "it's okay we lost, we'll get better later" is more toxic. Losing is toxic. Oh, and don't bitch about Haley's "brutal" offseason workouts and training camps. Better conditining means fewer injuries and fewer chances of the players breakig down.

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I'm not entirely defending the Chiefs. Here's what did bother me.

*Cassel's pass play to Savage right before the end of the first half was piss poor. He should have known better than that.

*When the Raiders scored with less than 2 minutes to go in the game, I wanted to punch Clancy Pendergrast in the face. How did the receivers get so damn open?

*Cassel's first interception was flat out poor.

*The second one wasn't his fault. The reciever let it slip out of his hands.

*If Flowers got his hands on the ball, then it would have been pick 6.

*Yesterday was my birthday. The red-zone errors were a shitty present.

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Even though there were still a lot of empty seats yesterday, Arrowhead Stadium was still pretty loud. It was a good sound to hear. To the 70,000(?) people in the stands, thank you for keeping Arrowhead rockin on my birthday!