Sam Mellinger

The Kansas City Star

Todd Haley can’t and won’t say it, but we here at DKTM can:

The Chiefs have as much chance making the playoffs as Turner Gill does of landing the Eagles job, so these final five games are entirely about evaluations and making sure they can salvage something out of a disappointing season.

To do that, they need a capable quarterback.

And that means Kyle Orton, the Chiefs’ best and only option to start at Chicago this weekend.

A big hat tip to @LeviPayton for today’s picture, and now on to the mailbag:

@evanrosell which is lower: the Chiefs’ ceiling with their current quarterbacking crew or Clark Hunt’s brow line?

Evan’s been trying out this line for a few weeks, thought we’d take it for a test drive.

@ClintT13 Twitter Tues: If Leach = Painter, who is the Haith-type hire Kansas will eventually settle for (and maybe like later).

Love this question, even though I don’t have a legitimate response other than to say, again, that Mizzou was much closer to hiring Matt Painter than most people realize.

And I know a lot of you disagree, which is fine, but the KU football job is much better than most realize, too.

The easy (lazy) response is either that Leach won’t come to KU because KU sucks, or that KU shouldn’t hire Leach because he’s suing Texas Tech and ESPN. Both are hogwash.

KU isn’t a national power, or close to it, but neither is Texas Tech and Leach did just fine there. He is a pirate, both metaphorically and in his own mind, and maybe a little bit of that is required to win football games at Kansas. His reputation would immediately generate desperately needed interest in a program that Turner Gill drove into a punchline.

Strong recruiting ties to Texas and experience recruiting to a place where traditionally top prospects don’t want to go…sounds perfect, right?

There are too many factors involved to say that KU AD Sheahon Zenger will have failed if he doesn’t land Leach, but there is enough here to say he’ll fail if he doesn’t at least try — and then try for a similarly strong hire as a safety net.

Firing a coach after just two seasons with $6 million left on a contract is a very bold move, so there’s every reason to believe Zenger has it in him.

@bsieckman One name: Who gets KU FB job?#twittertuesday

If we take Leach out of it…Larry Fedora.

@Nasty_Nix How do you run the Leach offense with no QBs on the roster? #kufball

First of all, you win this week’s award for sweetest avatar.

Secondly, ss far as I know, NCAA rules would allow him to recruit a quarterback. He’s been pretty good at that.

@clwelton am I crazy or does Jackie Battle run faster to the sideline when subbed than he does with the football?

I don’t know, but Thomas Jones is impressed.

@mitchopkins I can’t tell how old you are. Is it late teens or early 20s?

It’s not how old you are, it’s how old you feel. And I feel…hungry.

@PhilGarver Will Roy Oswalt (or another serious number one starter) be wearing a Royals uniform next year?

You mean, besides Luke Hochevar?

OK, bad joke. But honestly, no. They just aren’t going to spend for a guy like C.J. Wilson, and even Edwin Jackson might be a stretch. But look here, at the rotation candidates, in no particular order:

Hochevar, Jonathan Sanchez, Bruce Chen, Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, Aaron Crow, Mike Montgomery, and a few others.

There’s enough there, perhaps, to be competitive.

The Chen signing, by the way, had to happen. For both sides. Unless someone was going to get stupid and give Chen an enormous contract, Kansas City is the best place for him. He seems to understand that, and the Royals, too.

@PhillipGerd Would like to go behind the scenes in Big 12 to see how their mismanagement led to the conference imploding.

Dude, this is Twitter Tuesday.

@EvanUebe If you had to choose between Tebow and Cassell as your Quarterback for a set 2 year period, which one do you want?

Cassel. I just don’t believe in Tebow as an NFL quarterback. If that makes me a hater, fine, but understand I have nothing against him. It’s a great story. I just don’t believe a quarterback who throws like that in today’s NFL can win. I don’t believe that his mystical powers are the reason for the Broncos’ recent success as much as Von Miller and the defense and Chargers kicker Nick Novak missing a field goal in overtime.

So I’d take the Corolla.

@countzerokc What do you suggest to drink as a KC sports fan? By mid-season for Chiefs & Royals you look forward to the other’s season.

Well, believe it or not, there actually is a drink called the Tricycle.

@OranguTwain who is the most likely trade candidates for the Royals?

Unless the Royals decide to trade Joakim Soria (and signing Jonathan Broxton puts the Royals closer to being able to do that), Melky Cabrera was the only guy of consequence that played in Kansas City last year. So beyond him, you’re talking about a package built around prospects. Wil Myers is the best the Royals have, but there is some concern that after an underwhelming 2011 season the Royals would be selling low.

For what it’s worth, I don’t buy into that. The guy is still very athletic, good bat speed, a potential star.

@TroyCook81 Chances Haley is coaching this team in 2012? He’s been dealt a pile of crap, i hope he gets another shot in final contract year.

I don’t think that decision can or should be made right now. The last five games will tell a lot about Haley, I think, particularly whether the team continues to play hard for (?) him. If they do that, he should return. If not, then no.

But since you asked: 62 percent.

@blakestaley how do you think Mizzou men’s basketball will finish the year?

Very interesting team. Thought they had a good shot at winning the league before Laurence Bowers went down. It’s still possible, of course, but I just loved his game so much. Thought he was that rare guy who can excel without taking away opportunities from teammates.

All that said, there’s enough on that roster — plus an intangible feeling of wanting to show out for Frank Haith — that I’d put the over-under on their conference finish at 2 1/2.

@ApexToApex Are the talent levels of KU & KSU’s football teams THAT close, as you say you were informed by NFL scouts?

Yeah, I believe so. K-State’s talent is underrated because Bill Snyder is a beast, but outside of Arthur Brown, Nigel Malone and maybe a few others, there’s not a lot of just natural playmaking. Collin Klein is three levels of badass, but I also think he benefits more than anyone from Snyder’s coaching.

Here’s another way to look at it…KSU will be 10-2 if it beats Iowa State. With a normal coach? Maybe they’re 7-5 or so. KU is 2-10. With Snyder, it’s easy to see them going 6-6 or so.

@joeriddell If/When Haley is ran, do Chiefs have a shot at Cowher?

No.

Can we put this question to rest now?

@jpacubas If you call Palko a #tricycle, what would you call Stanzi? A #squarewheel?

I call him a Heely.

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