Clark Hunt's Impact on Chiefs?

by dorsey on Jul 27, 2008 10:58 AM CDT

It seems to me that Clark Hunt is taking a very active role in making sure his Kansas City Chiefs improve. Great draft, picks signed and in camp, letting us know that Carl's job isn't secure for life, talking to players, at River Falls, etc. etc. How much does he overshadow the decisions Carl and Herm make? What has been Clark Hunt's impact on the Chiefs since the lost of the legend Lamar?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.

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He appears to want to be somewhat

of a hands on owner, and at this point it looks like it is a good thing not leaving everything in Carl’s hands. He has to have been having some influence, when was the last time the Chiefs had this many picks in camp on time?

by Eric Allen on Jul 27, 2008 11:05 AM CDT reply actions

Without a bunch of b.s.?

by Eric Allen on Jul 27, 2008 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions

Clark

I still haven’t made up my mind on Clark.

Yes, he has come out and said he wants the Chiefs to develop their own franchise QB. Yes, he has come out and said he wants to build through the draft. But is he saying those things because those are his true intentions or is he putting out the “company line” because that is what Herm, who is the current head coach, is wanting to do? You can also be sure that some statments are calculated to calm the fanbase. Clark knows as well as anyone how upopular Carl is and he knows Chiefs fans don’t want to pay to watch a losing team so he says he expects the team to still be competitive while rebuilding.

So, its tough to tell. It could be that all of the above are his true feelings and that he has had a part in setting them in motion. It could be that Clark, who has been taking over more responsibility even before Lamar died, had a big part in hiring Herm because of Herms philosophy matching up with his. OR it could be the organization has its current plan and as the owner, he wants it to be succesful for the profitability of the business and so he is going along with it.

Difficult to tell. My personal hope is that Clark IS interested in the team and has more of a personal interest in seeing the Chiefs succeed than Lamar did. Lamar was all about the NFL first and foremost and I think the Chiefs suffered a bit of neglect because of that.

by ChiefDJ on Jul 27, 2008 12:09 PM CDT reply actions

I believe Clark showing up at camp is one sign he cares about the well-being of the Chiefs. It isn’t something he has to do. I wouldn’t think of him any less if he wasn’t there. Not to mention, River Falls isn’t exactly a superb city. He is showing the Chiefs players, not only the fans, that he is interested in the team.

by dorsey on Jul 27, 2008 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep, positive, interested ownership goes a long ways toward the intangibles with players.
Showing you care. Know your role. Figurehead. Cheerleader. Keeper of the team values.
Disciplinarian when necessary.

I don’t really want an owner who is in the war room on draft day. Or on the sidelines while the game is in progress. Clark’s been groomed for this, intentionally or not. So far so good.

by sunny D on Jul 27, 2008 7:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Clark Hunt's impact

i agree with the grist of what E.A stated, owner involvement very critical to the sucesses of any team effort.

by wiggwag on Jul 27, 2008 12:38 PM CDT reply actions

Clark will bring (keep) integrity

The biggest thing an owner can bring to the table is integrity, imo.
He, like Lamar, will watch out for the greater good.
I’m not counting on him for anything close to X’s and O’s or even drafting strategy.

by sunny D on Jul 27, 2008 2:17 PM CDT reply actions

He Comes Off To Me...

as someone who’ll take an active interest in the team and hold his employees accountable for their results but who won’t micromanage and undermine his people (ala Al Davis). Of course, we’ll need a bit more time watching him to know for sure, but so far I get a good feeling about Clark Hunt.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Jul 27, 2008 5:52 PM CDT reply actions

And It Wouldn't Bother Me

if Clark Hunt kind of let the NFL handle its own business and focused his energy on the Chiefs instead. I second DJ’s comment that it seemed like sometimes Lamar Hunt got so caught up in the workings of the NFL that he let things slide with his team. And while Lamar did a lot of good things for the NFL and he seemed like a class act and all-around great human being, I didn’t think he was all that great of a team owner outside of a willingness to spend cash. Aside from the Super Bowl teams of the ‘60s and the first five or six years of Peterson’s tenure, the Chiefs have not been a very impressive organization…they were horrible from the mid-70s to when Peterson and Schottenheimer got hired and they’ve been very mediocre ever since Schottenheimer left. All of that happened under Lamar Hunt’s watch and I think that DJ’s assessment of neglect was accurate.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Jul 27, 2008 6:02 PM CDT up reply actions

I’m jealous of the Cowboys for having an owner like Jerry Jones. He is exactly the kind of owner I want for an NFL team.

Clark does have some positive quotes:

“The Chiefs are going to receive the majority of my time,” Hunt said. “That’s been a big shift over the last 18 months. It’s been an outgrowth of my father’s passing away and me getting very involved with the Arrowhead Stadium renovation.

“Now I’m tuned into it closely,” he said. “The Chiefs are by far my No. 1 priority.”

by dorsey on Jul 27, 2008 9:18 PM CDT reply actions

“But I am keenly interested in the strategy that we’re using to build the football team over a three- and five-year period. I feel a responsibility to help us win the trophy that has my dad’s name on it and get us to the Super Bowl.”

by dorsey on Jul 27, 2008 9:30 PM CDT up reply actions

I wouldn't want an owner like Jones for anything in the world

He is far too involved and meddlesome. I think its great when the owner is involved and is willing to step in and get stuff done quickly, but Jones interferes far too much with his coaches and I don’t like the types of players he brings in sometimes.

I find it interesting that people can be critical of Peterson for his playoff record, but the Cowboys are not much better. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1996.

by ChiefDJ on Jul 27, 2008 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions

However

They do have one of the best dynasties ever in Jones’ tenure as well.

Plain and simple, he does anything and everything for his team to win. I, for one, would love to have him as an owner. There’s a reason fellow NFL owners ranked him in the top 3 of most categories in a recent ESPN poll.

by Joel Thorman on Jul 27, 2008 10:25 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree. Jones is the type of owner I (as a fan) would be. His hands-on approach is more of what I expect and want from owners. Too many owners treat their teams like investment firms.

by dorsey on Jul 27, 2008 10:36 PM CDT up reply actions