The columnists dissect the 2003 season and take a look at what's ahead for the Chiefs in '04. Read it here in a series of columns beginning next week.
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By Bob Gretz
January 14, 2004 (morning)--Last year, Dick Vermeil showed his loyalty to Greg Robinson by retaining him on his coaching staff.
Robinson paid back that loyalty on Tuesday by resigning as the defensive coordinator of the Chiefs.
It was an extraordinary act by Robinson. He put aside ego, all pretense and he fell on his sword for Dick Vermeil. Team and Vermeil came ahead of himself. No small wonder why the head coach was so emotional when he talked about Robinson and why he felt like he let his assistant down.
In more than 25 years of covering the NFL, I’ve never witnessed anything that came close to Tuesday’s morning gathering. The raw emotion was unforgettable. It was a window into the world that Vermeil has created with his football team. It was a window into the world of coaching and all the twists and turns that make the business so exciting and so heart breaking.
First, Robinson did the right thing in offering to resign. Secondly, Vermeil did the right thing in accepting. After everything that happened with the Chiefs in 2003, the focus was entirely on Robinson and the defense. It would have been impossible for this organization to make enough changes in other areas to overcome the negativity that would have surrounded Robinson’s further employment.
There’s no question the defense was broken. Robinson and the defensive staff tried their best, but in the end it did not come together on the field. Last year, Robinson was handicapped by a defense that had few talented players. This season, the talent level was improved, but it still wasn’t enough.
What was missing was a defensive mind-set that’s absolutely imperative to success in the NFL. Yes, football today is more complicated than it was years ago. Defenses must react to offenses, they must take part in the chess game.
But they must do it with an attitude that was seldom evident around the Chiefs defense. It was never there in 2002, showed itself early in 2003, but then disappeared, returning just briefly for the Chicago game. For that, the players, Robinson, the defensive staff and Vermeil must share the blame.
Beyond scheme, beyond talent, what this Chiefs defensive unit needs is an infusion of passion. When Vermeil picks Robinson’s successor, that’s should be the most important part of his resume.
There are many people celebrating Robinson’s departure, reveling in kicking a man when he’s down, laughing at the raw emotion he was willing to share on what was probably the worst day of his professional life. If you are one of those people, like the classless folks who started a web site to promote the firing of Robinson, please seek help. You believe the success of the team is more important to you, than the people who give their blood, sweat and tears each and every day to make it work. You are deranged and can not a hold a candle to a man like Robinson.
Anybody who witnessed what happened at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday morning should now have a better understanding of what the people who coach in this business put on the line. They don’t always get it right, they don’t always produce. [Reply]
I could write a nice rebuttal for Gretz if you want to throw it up on the mainpage..
Just let me know. It would take me no longer than 5 minutes.
There should probably be something about if you are more concerned with the people and their efforts invested in running an NFL team than you are in the success of that team you should root for the Lions, not the Chiefs.
...without "classless" fans like me, there is no money to fund signing bonuses, contracts, stadiums, advertising, Media, practice facilities and football would go the way of........
Follow me closely here
No fans, no money, no demand, no team, no job for Greg in the first place.
Well, there is always HS football, and maybe some college football players would play for...aneducation. [Reply]
Originally Posted by PastorMikH: """You believe the success of the team is more important to you, than the people who give their blood, sweat and tears each and every day to make it work."""
So if I feel this way, does this make me classless and deranged?
Probably ... but you're in good with the man upstairs, so don't worry.
It's us classless and deranged godless heathens that wanted Robinson and all of his relatives to die slow, painful deaths that he's writing about.
I suggest that everyone here click on the "Sound off" link just below Gretz' article and tell him what you think about his statement that Greg Robinson, who 4 years ago was trying his best to help the Donks win a Super Bowl, cared more about the Kansas City Chiefs success than fans who have lived and died with the Chiefs for much longer than the past 3 years, and who don't get paid to care about the team. [Reply]
Originally Posted by shaneo69:
I suggest that everyone here click on the "Sound off" link just below Gretz' article and tell him what you think about his statement that Greg Robinson, who 4 years ago was trying his best to help the Donks win a Super Bowl, cared more about the Kansas City Chiefs success than fans who have lived and died with the Chiefs for much longer than the past 3 years, and who don't get paid to care about the team.
Bob Gretz is an assclown. He has no room to call anyone classless and deranged. GROB got exactly what any other employee would have gotten for complete failure to do his job. There sure are a hell of a lot of us classless and deranged people. [Reply]
Here is what I sent Gretz, I borrowed some comments from others here:
Mr. Gretz,
I take offense with your calling those behind www.firegregrobinson.com "classless". Fact is, Greg Robinson's defense has been a complete joke for the last two seasons. I don't doubt Robinson is a good guy, but this is a results-oriented league and the results have been terrible. His "defense" costs the Chiefs their best chance at a Superbowl in forever. Excuse us fans (or paying customers) for not smiling while our defense stunk out loud in front of the whole country. As another poster on chiefsplanet.com said, If you are so worried about class, maybe tell Carl Peterson the classy thing would do would be to refund half the money people paid for playoff tickets because Robinson's half of the team didn't show up. I love the Chiefs and probably invest as much time following them as you do. While I did not create firegregrobinson.com, I did sign the petition and would gladly do it again. It wasn't about hurting Greg Robinson, it was about our team winning the Super Bowl. If that makes me classless, then I guess I (and about 3000 other of your paying customers) are. Thank you [Reply]
To miss quote Shakespeare, I think you ladies doth protest too much.
I have no problem with what Gretz wrote nor do I have a problem with Gretz.
If you listened to him during last weeks game you would have heard him talking about how bad the defense was, in fact all year he has been saying that this defense is bad.
But he is right you’re virulence that you are spewing on GR and now Gretz who has pointed it out does border on the irrational.
Ok ladies flame away. [Reply]
If he hated the website, I'm sure he (and those he speaks for at 1 Arrowhead Drive) didn't like the Photoshop execution or napalm bombing of Greg Robinson...
let's hope they saw them and got a glimpse into what real 'class' is. [Reply]
Originally Posted by redbrian:
To miss quote Shakespeare, I think you ladies doth protest too much.
I have no problem with what Gretz wrote nor do I have a problem with Gretz.
If you listened to him during last weeks game you would have heard him talking about how bad the defense was, in fact all year he has been saying that this defense is bad.
But he is right [your] virulence that you are spewing on GR and now Gretz who has pointed it out does border on the irrational.
Ok ladies flame away.
Originally Posted by KCTitus:
I was thinking the same thing...
Irrational and possibly dangerous...
you never know when someone would do something stupid like start egging the guys car or vandalizing his house if he stayed here. As it was the hate was so personal but was limited to being verbal and digital but if he had stayed who knows where it could have lead. [Reply]
Originally Posted by redbrian:
To miss quote Shakespeare, I think you ladies doth protest too much.
I have no problem with what Gretz wrote nor do I have a problem with Gretz.
If you listened to him during last weeks game you would have heard him talking about how bad the defense was, in fact all year he has been saying that this defense is bad.
But he is right you’re virulence that you are spewing on GR and now Gretz who has pointed it out does border on the irrational.
Ok ladies flame away.
What's the difference between someone who posted on the website that three years of horrible performance warrants a change in coaching, and an "insider" like Gretz who talks about how bad the defense is? I'm failing to see the distinction, in fact isn't it worse for a fellow employee to bad mouth the team? [Reply]
Originally Posted by shaneo69:
I suggest that everyone here click on the "Sound off" link just below Gretz' article and tell him what you think about his statement that Greg Robinson, who 4 years ago was trying his best to help the Donks win a Super Bowl, cared more about the Kansas City Chiefs success than fans who have lived and died with the Chiefs for much longer than the past 3 years, and who don't get paid to care about the team.
Here's mine:
Mr. Gretz,
Please do not demean the Chiefs' fan base in your column.
While you were "covering the Pittsburgh Steelers in their glory years," we were loyal to the Chiefs. While Greg Robinson was serving the Denver Broncos and Dick Vermeil was leading the Eagles, we were loyal to the Chiefs. Through rain, snow, strikes, missed kicks, 32nd-ranked defenses, and nose tackles covering wide receivers, we have been loyal to the Chiefs.
The fan base is the ultimate dogged watchdog for the team. Without us, personal loyalties would have overridden the team's best interests, and Mr. Robinson would have returned to lead another disaster on defense. While we applaud his decorum during his resignation, that resignation was made possible only by the loyalty of the fans, and our hue and cry. I applaud the professional and polite authors of firegregrobinson.com for assisting in that process.
We were here before you, before Carl, before Dick, and before everyone but Lamar. We'll still be here when you're all long gone. You may fear us or ridicule us, but you really should respect our presence. [Reply]
