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Scott Pioli has an image problem.
Not the sort that involves candy wrappers, stairwells, or someone taking Pioli’s parking spot. It’s not about office policy, but how Pioli fumbled the baton from Carl Peterson with the fans. Making Todd Haley the focal point while taking a back seat flopped for Pioli.
After three seasons fans still don’t know Pioli.
Soon after hiring Romeo Crennel as Kansas City’s 12th head coach, Pioli quickly made appearances on the radio, Jack Harry’s NBC Action News show and the Chiefs’ official website with Mitch Holthus, voice of the Kansas City Chiefs. With each, Pioli defined himself and his job concerning the Chiefs.
Pioli talked about Matt Cassel, the NFL draft, timetables and the direction of the team. While Pioli breezed over trading multiple draft picks for Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor, Pioli admitted he’s fallen short in communicating to the fan.
Pioli studied the Chiefs, players and office personnel, but Clark Hunt’s orders weren’t the final test. A big, big part of the exam is the Kansas City fan.
Maybe Pioli took fans in Kansas City for granted, too much assumption in his New England reputation. True, Pioli was part of multiple Super Bowls in New England, but it’s been more than 40 years since Kansas City last won its own.
Fans stayed true to a Carl Peterson five-year-turned-20 plan, but dealings between the fan base and establishment are strained.
At the start, Carl Peterson did two things extremely right – he hired a successful coach in Marty Schottenheimer and Peterson dove straight into the fans. The 12th man was important, and Peterson recognized it would be an empty Arrowhead without them.
That chemistry with the fan isn’t there with the new regime and Pioli. The lipstick was put to Arrowhead in 2010, but beauty is skin deep. It comes back to the message and convincing the fan.
Pioli’s memo to the fan has been scrambled eggs, not like Pioli intended.
Chiefs fans aren’t your normal fans – the first tidbit Pioli should have been briefed on – because Chiefs fans want the particulars. Being mysterious in Kansas City doesn’t work.
Chiefs fans are devoted, but Pioli has to reach out because the ninja style hasn’t worked. Leaving it to others to fill the Pioli blanks isn’t something Pioli wants. It’s never been just one face in Kansas City; that’s not how the Chiefs were built. It’s a family thing and the Chiefs are family.
Scott Pioli has an image problem.
Not the sort that involves candy wrappers, stairwells, or someone taking Pioli’s parking spot. It’s not about office policy, but how Pioli fumbled the baton from Carl Peterson with the fans. Making Todd Haley the focal point while taking a back seat flopped for Pioli.
After three seasons fans still don’t know Pioli.
Soon after hiring Romeo Crennel as Kansas City’s 12th head coach, Pioli quickly made appearances on the radio, Jack Harry’s NBC Action News show and the Chiefs’ official website with Mitch Holthus, voice of the Kansas City Chiefs. With each, Pioli defined himself and his job concerning the Chiefs.
Pioli talked about Matt Cassel, the NFL draft, timetables and the direction of the team. While Pioli breezed over trading multiple draft picks for Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor, Pioli admitted he’s fallen short in communicating to the fan.
Pioli studied the Chiefs, players and office personnel, but Clark Hunt’s orders weren’t the final test. A big, big part of the exam is the Kansas City fan.
Maybe Pioli took fans in Kansas City for granted, too much assumption in his New England reputation. True, Pioli was part of multiple Super Bowls in New England, but it’s been more than 40 years since Kansas City last won its own.
Fans stayed true to a Carl Peterson five-year-turned-20 plan, but dealings between the fan base and establishment are strained.
At the start, Carl Peterson did two things extremely right – he hired a successful coach in Marty Schottenheimer and Peterson dove straight into the fans. The 12th man was important, and Peterson recognized it would be an empty Arrowhead without them.
That chemistry with the fan isn’t there with the new regime and Pioli. The lipstick was put to Arrowhead in 2010, but beauty is skin deep. It comes back to the message and convincing the fan.
Pioli’s memo to the fan has been scrambled eggs, not like Pioli intended.
Chiefs fans aren’t your normal fans – the first tidbit Pioli should have been briefed on – because Chiefs fans want the particulars. Being mysterious in Kansas City doesn’t work.
Chiefs fans are devoted, but Pioli has to reach out because the ninja style hasn’t worked. Leaving it to others to fill the Pioli blanks isn’t something Pioli wants. It’s never been just one face in Kansas City; that’s not how the Chiefs were built. It’s a family thing and the Chiefs are family.
It’s the foundation that Lamar Hunt put into place, a belief fans hope Clark Hunt continues. Nobody is against excellence, which is what Clark Hunt hired Pioli for, but superiority at the cost of alienating fans? That would be a superb way of losing fans.
I like Romeo Crennel. He did a fantastic job in a tough environment, but he is one guy. Currently Crennel is the only face fans see. He’s popular, but this time Pioli can’t let the coach handle the bandwagon alone. Driving public thought in Kansas City isn’t a one-man job.
It’s about Pioli stepping out the office, walking the parking lot and sticking his nose into how fans feel. Pioli has a vision, but it won’t get to the 12th man by osmosis. Pioli has to verbally make it happen.
Much of the negativity toward Pioli is because fans don’t know or haven’t gotten an accurate picture of him – who he is and what he plans to do. But he can change perception by talking more and hiding less.
Winning is priority, but he needs help getting there. Pioli needs the fans.
Good day, Chiefs fans!
