Sam Mellinger

The Kansas City Star

Clark Hunt is changing the Chiefs, again, and this isn’t about having the general manager AND head coach both report directly to him. This is about the job description for Clark’s GM, and it’s being lost a bit between John Dorsey calling this his dream job, what he’ll do with the No. 1 pick, and, yes, for all you lovers out there, the now prescient story of how and where he met his wife.

But this is important, still.

Four years ago, Clark essentially chopped up Carl Peterson’s thousand titles into more positions for more people. This is a slight oversimplification, but instead of the King Carl setup that existed for about 20 years, Clark hired Mark Donovan to handle all things business and Scott Pioli for all things football.

Now, he is chopping again, telling his most important football personnel man to specialize even more. Where Pioli was in charge of everything on the football side, Dorsey is effectively in charge of the roster and only the roster.

Here’s how Clark explains it:

“Scott had responsibility for the entire football operation. So he was managing the head coach, and the peripheral things associated with head coaching, like the trainer, film, equipment, etc. With Andy on board, John doesn’t have to spend time thinking about those things.”

This is a window of sorts into an evolving GM. We’ve said a million times that Scott spent far too much time worrying and working on things that had absolutely nothing to do with football, and this is an attempt by Clark to correct that. Whether by design or Scott’s will, those “peripheral things” Clark mentioned Scott managing bled way past the head coach and into things like office supplies and public relations that no NFL GM should be concerned with.

The only caveat Clark put on Dorsey’s roster focus is the salary cap, but those things are too interrelated not to be handled in concert — plus, Dorsey will rely heavily on the awesomely named Trip MacCracken for help with the cap.

It’s all good now in large part because the Chiefs are undefeated under Reid and Dorsey, but at least at the moment this looks like a much better setup. For whatever it’s worth, there is a noticeable new optimism and good vibe coming from the people who work there.

Anyway, let’s get to it. This week’s reading recommendation is non-sports but the terrific profile of a pickpocket by Adam Green. This week’s eating recommendation is the Phad Thai at Thai Place.

As always, thanks for your help.

@Droa26 Is the Chiefs GM job really Dorsey’s dream job? Why? Does anyone have info that states that he’s said that before today?

Well, of course not. C’mon. When’s the last time you heard ANYONE work for one team and say their dream was to work for that other team?

Obviously, you’re free to believe him or not. And it helps if you don’t take him literally. I don’t believe he went to bed every night for the last 20 years LITERALLY dreaming of being the Chiefs GM. But I do think his wife’s ties to the area were in his thinking, and that the Hunt family’s stature in football circles elevated the Chiefs to — as Dorsey’s good friend Andy Reid put it — a handful of jobs he always wanted.

@ClintT13 Exactly how unsurprising is it that the Chiefs coach & GM hires have already devolved into a MU-kU pissing match on twitter?

Almost exactly as unsurprising as Dorsey’s first date with his wife being for barbecue.

@acoupstick rank KC BBQ joints for Reid (and Herm)

I’ll keep it to top five, because we all have a limited number of unclogged arteries.

1. Oklahoma Joe’s. But you already knew this.

2. Arthur Bryant’s. But only the one on Brooklyn. The one at the Legends is terrible, and I assume the one at the casino is, too.

3. Jack Stack. Might actually be the best food in town, but they lose points because it’s too fancy. Tablecloth napkins are highfalutin, though I did have my rehearsal dinner there.

4. Gates. Some of you will say this is too low, and in some ways it hurts putting them here. Gates was my first Kansas City barbecue love — my GATES-way…eh? — but it’s not the same as it used to be. Inconsistent. Last summer, I had one of the best BBQ meals of my life there, burnt ends. But the next time I went it was just OK.

5. BB’s. This fifth spot is probably a bit of a revolving door for me, but right now BB’s gets the nod in no small part because of their live music. Their Tuesday band, Trampled Under Foot, is particularly good.

@BobbyCave First Reid, now Dorsey; we really are doing this right, right? There’s no monster lurking behind the door with a chainsaw, right?

Sure looks like it. Standing ovation for Clark Hunt on how he’s handled this — even the weird neutering of Pioli is now inconsequential — and the Chiefs now have accomplished men in the two most influential football jobs in the organization.

One small beef I’ve had with Reid’s staff is that he’s essentially transplanted everyone from Philadelphia to Kansas City, but I also appreciate the importance of knowing who you’re working with, the trust that builds up over time, and besides — the defensive coordinator and general manager are his most important new co-workers, and he didn’t work with either in Philly.

So, yeah. They’ve been killing it. All they need to do now is find a franchise quarterback, hit on the draft, and win some football games.

@BrianSchmid1 if there were a street fight between Scott Drew and Trey Hillman, who would have the worse strategy?

Well, Drew would win that fight in a rout. He’d approach it with that boy-ish smile, convince Trey that he just wanted a hug, and then before the first commercial break he’d have Trey in an arm-bar. Trey, meanwhile, would be over-thinking the whole thing, telling Drew that “I’m just not wired” to be in a fight, and going into a story about baseball in Japan.

@ClintT13 Am I dating myself if I tell you the first two words that popped in my head when I saw McLemore’s injury were “Kelly Thames”? #TT

Well, yes.

Especially since it appears he’ll only be out a few days.

@theROYALSrule #Frasier or #Seinfeld…..my money is on #Frasier. Best #ShowSitcomEver

Just a ridiculous take.

@morelandj Over/under? The seed difference between Mizzou and the team that upsets them 3 rounds too early in March: 6.5

I guess Mizzou earned that with the Norfolk State loss, just like KU earned a few years of this with Bucknell. We have a few more months before any of this becomes even vaguely important, but Mizzou looks like the kind of team that will be even more dependent than most on its bracket matchups.

They are so Phil Pressey-centric, if they play a team that can’t defend the point they’ll win by 20. And if they play someone who by either personnel or scheme finds a way to limit Pressey’s control of the game, they might lose by 20.

I like their team a lot, but I like it a lot less when Pressey’s on the bench. But they have pieces. Keion Bell is probably the best athlete on a team of good athletes, and Alex Oriakhi and Bowers provide an inside presence that last year’s team only played against. I still wish we could see what they’d be like with Dixon, but last year I was saying the same thing about Bowers and they won 30 games.

Anyway, long story short: there’s a lot to like about Mizzou.

This assumes Bowers is back, obviously.

@thillsman What’s with the nationwide love for Ray Lewis? Am I wrong for not wanting him to go to another Super Bowl?

He’s one of the best linebackers in NFL history. It’s not hard to understand. I don’t know if you’re referring to the murder 13 years ago, but a combination of time and football’s cultural focus on the field rather than off seems to have pushed that to the back of most people’s minds.

I’d like to see the Patriots win on Sunday — I’ll be there, just like I was last year, when the Ravens really should’ve won — but it’s not because of Lewis. I just think the Patriots are better, and the best possible Super Bowl would be them against the 49ers.

@BenJamminField I’m bored. Any movie suggestions? #TwitterTuesday

I don’t know if I should admit this out loud and everything, but it’s quite possible I’ve only seen three movies in the last year. They were all awesome, too: Argo, Lincoln and Django. Can’t go wrong with any of those. I wanted to see “This is 40,” too, but everybody I know who’s seen it has said it’s obnoxiously awful.

@kent_swanson When will people stop asking Bob Dutton the same dumb questions on twitter? Frenchy is in RF, and no high $ FA is signing here.

When Frenchy either hits 10 homers in April, or the Royals get Wil Myers back.

So, you know. Never. Godspeed, Bob.

@Eichelburgler now that we know how the games ended up. How would have #KSU done against #ND in the national championship?

I think they’d have won, but I also watched WAY more K-State than Notre Dame this year. And it’s crazy to think about, right? If K-State beats Baylor — to hear some say it, if Ty Zimmerman wasn’t hurt against Baylor — they’re in the national championship with a very winnable game.

No way to ever know, obviously, but I think Bill Snyder would’ve retired if that happened.

Another byproduct of that never-happened matchup: the screaming about the playoff being two years too late would’ve been unbearable.

@ksubmac #kstate looking good in the polls right now- what’s holding them back in bracket projections? (consistently a 6-8seed) #TT

Well, as long as we keep early January bracket projections in their proper context — as important in the grand scheme as whether I go to the gym today — what you’re seeing is a reflection of schedule strength, among other factors.

Ken Pomeroy — for my money, the best numbers guy in college hoop — has K-State 45th, with the 110th schedule. CBS’ RPI has K-State 38th, with the 100th schedule.

Those polls are largely a function of straight up wins and losses, and beating Florida will hang in voters’ minds longer than computers’ algorithms. A six to eight seed seems pretty fair for K-State at this point, though obviously they have a chance to play higher than that.

@DSBerk Bill Self is the greatest coach in the Kansas City area (from Como to Lawrence) since who? Is he the best ever?

Not sure if you’re doing this on purpose, but keeping it from Como to Lawrence leaves out Bill Snyder. There’s a good argument to be made for either man, and really it’s hard to passionately argue AGAINST either, but I think I’d give a slight nod to Snyder just based on context. Self has accomplished far more, of course, but Snyder started his race years behind.

Anyway, if you’re just keeping it to KU, Mizzou and our local pro teams … yeah, Self is the best in quite some time. What Marty Schottenheimer did with the Chiefs looks better and better as the years go on, but the most recent serious challenger might be Larry Brown who, for me, is one of the very best basketball coaches of all-time.

Before that, you’d have to look at Dan Devine, Dick Howser, and, jeez, I guess Hank Stram and Phog Allen?

@JonErskine Sam- Do you consider yourself more of a KU fan or KU Homer? #twittertuesday

May your timeline be filled with KU fans telling you I hate all things Jayhawk, good sir.

@aglatt10 play GM for a day. What would you do with the #1 pick? Who would you take or trade it for?

I’d try to trade out of it, and if I couldn’t get value I’d take Geno Smith unless one of my personnel guys talked me out of it.

And then at the press conference I’d probably say, “Look guys, I gotta be honest, I’m pretty much guessing here. Only got the job because of some guy on Twitter.”

And speaking of some guy on Twitter…

@jwfergie24 #TT suggestion for the draft: get Star Lotuleilei #1, Bray 2nd round, sign Alex Smith, let Bray develop. #Chiefs

Noted.

@mmMOUF who is the starting QB for Chiefs half way into next season? #twittertuesday

Michael Vick. Because he won’t get hurt until week 10 or so.

@PhilGarver Why do we punish cheaters in baseball (no HOF inductees) but celebrate people involved in murders in football (Ray Lewis)?

Whether by dumb luck or some ahead-of-their-time vision, most of this is on the sports themselves. It seems to me — and reasonable minds could disagree — that baseball bought into the idea of star athletes being fueled by hard work and a moral compass much more than football.

Perhaps the best example of this is Hall of Fame voting. In baseball, there is a “character clause” that’s made voters twist their brains a million different ways. In football, it is much more straightforward. Just about the play. Lawrence Taylor, come on through.

I also think as time passes, our thoughts on all of this will change. I think more voters in baseball will find it hard to “punish” players for something that helped their careers, made them richer, was under-reported by media, and encouraged — implicitly or otherwise — by the baseball establishment.

I think I get a Hall of Fame vote in two years, and Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds will be on my first ballot.

@BenC1357 mls all star game, excited? Would be most difficult ticket to get in KC all year if Barcelona or Real Madrid is opponent.

Of course. And they’re holding it on baseball’s trade deadline, so it’ll be fun to watch soccer while refreshing Twitter to see if the Royals pulled off that Bubba-Starling-for-Carl-Pavano trade yet.

Kidding.

@pchpaman Please find space to write about your wife, BBQ, Boulevard, your wife, the Black Keys, your house, Bo Jackson, and your wife.

Hope you’re taking notes, you guys. THAT is how you get included in Twitter Tuesday.

@Starks710 how do you become such a BA? You’re my hero!! #TT

Actually, ahem, scratch that previous question. THIS is how you get included in Twitter Tuesday.

And to answer the question, it’s just hard work and a moral compass.

Comments

No comments have been posted. Perhaps you'd like to be the first?

Sign in with Facebook to comment.