Larry Johnson's Back on Board
by Joel Thorman on Jul 30, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Offseason
Email
Print
"So, what [does] that make you, good? You're not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don't have that card. Me, I always tell the truth, even when I lie."
The above quote is part of Larry Johnson's introduction to a 610 Sports interview on February 3rd of this year. It comes from the movie Scarface with Al Pacino as Tony Montana. The subsequent interview with LJ is the last of any interaction with the Kansas City media.
Until he talked to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com in an item posted yesterday. Let's rewind to the 610 Sports interview before we hit his comments from yesterday.
First, he requested a change of scenery.
They can easily release me. They can easily trade me, he said.
And he was right. The Chiefs would pay LJ $8.8 million if he were traded and $8.2 million if they kept him. At $30+ million under the salary cap right now, the Chiefs certainly didn't need the money (though it's not my money to spend).
Of course, these comments were nothing new. In the season ending loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, LJ made his stance clear.
The city is tired of me, and the organization and I have run our course together. It's time to move on for me. There could be 100 changes. It's time for me to go.
He wanted out of Kansas City. At times he didn't want to leave his house. This, and other off-the-field problems, created a negative twist on Johnson's perception in the media.
He responds, That's not being a cancer. You get that information from guys who don't want me here.
Perception is still important. Sometimes you have to play the game. At the time, LJ hadn't talked to new GM Scott Pioli and said he didn't plan to. Well, that was then.
I want to be here because of Scott Pioli's commitment to winning. He has a no-nonsense approach and coach Haley's offensive system fits me. My decision to want to stay here is really based on what those guys are doing here.
That offensive scheme that doesn't fit him?
I think I fit their power running offense and I think I can be a workhorse in this system. I'm very excited about the opportunity here.
Many people have pointed to Todd Haley's affinity for the passing game in conversation about the 2009 offense. But Haley has reiterated the 'Best player will play', 'Warner over Leinart' line.
These guys are going to put the players on the field who can best help the team. They are not going to worry about four or five years down the road.
At least in Larry Johnson's estimation, the running game will be featured.
The team is committed to running the ball and I think I'll be a big part of it. I'm really happy to be part of it.
LJ has reportedly bonded with new running backs coach Maurice Carthon. It's important that he has that bond with someone because many times last season we heard reports that LJ was distant and standoff-ish with his teammates. Truthfully, we don't know if that's the case but that was the perception of him, which is sometimes just as important.
History says LJ is headed toward a quick downfall. And if that's the case we can really point to the beginning of the 2007 season as his decline. If he's on the field for 16 games, however, I'm on record (via Twitter) saying he will have a 1,000+ yard season.
Clark Hunt heard the 'LJ is excited' vibe back in March.
"It’s still my hope Larry will be a part of this team next season. We all saw the comments he made at the end of the season and repeated about a month later. Those were disappointing. Recently, I’ve heard he’s excited about being a Kansas City Chief again and expects to be in the offseason program and help us be successful."
What do you think about LJ heading into training camp?
167 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
My sig line says it
I think LJ is going to have a big year this year. He seems like the type of player who responds to a coach challenging him. Glad to hear he’s getting along with Carthon and Haley. If he really puts forth effort, blocks and catches well it will look like an entirely different player than we saw last year. He should still have a couple years in his tank, and I say run his legs off. A ball control power running offensse would be the best thing for our defense this year.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
I honestly think
It is all about his money. Once his contract get re-guaranteed I think we will see the old LJ back. He was never one to pass block in a game and doing it in OTA’s were he knows no one is going to lay a good hit on him is far different than when someone who really wants to get past him makes him pay. He is acting like a well behaved player now and can deal with the media, but how long will it last when his big contract gets re-guaranteed? I really do not think he will make it through the whole season without some sort of incident that may even get him re-suspended, or even possibly arrested. Once again I have to take the Native Missouri approach and ask LJ to “Show Me”. Show Me you are what you say you are Show me you can hit a rough spot without bitching, Show me your worth all the money, and Lastly Show Me you deserve to be a Chief.
is it me? or isn't about time the Lamar Hunt trophy belonged to His team?
Technique and Not Desire
I have watch LJ over the years and It is his technique that files up his blocking. If someone Carthon can improve his blocking technique he has the ability to be a good pass blocker. Not many great running backs were asked to block in pee wee, high school or college. Carthon should emphasize the importance of keeping Cassell healthy. That the only way LJ goes for 1500 and another pro bowl.
Jerome
+1
We’ll see if the old dog has learned some new tricks.
I’ll tell ya. Much as I love watching a good/great RB, that’s an awful lot of coin the Chiefs guaranteed LJ. Seems like 9 times outta 10, RBs have their best seasons before landing their big contracts, and I always wonder how much those fat contracts have to do with their struggling, later. A million or two can go a long way towards improving the o-line.
People will lay a good hit
in OTA’s and camp. There are a lot of guys who want to make a name for themselves and are all trying to impress and make the team, so I wouldn’t write off the fact that he wont get threatened with a big hit potentially if he blocks someone. He is on record for saying that he loves doing the hitting when running, so I’m sure that would be the case for blocking too. I really think it comes down to technique and hopefully Carthon and Haley will demand better technique.
Let it be known that I am still not sold on him. I’m not sure if his words and actions (or lack thereof) have been sincere or not, so I guess we will have to wait a couple more weeks.
-Robbie
by Chiefsfan2012 on Aug 2, 2009 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions
He has to have a "Chip" on His Shoulder
to play well it seems he was ok at Penn State but when he gets called out he explodes to a first round pick production, then sitting behind Priest in the Vermeil Doghouse he had the “chip” when he gets his oppurtunity. Once he gets his recognition it will be back to night clubs and no motivation.
I Think That He Will Still Be Gone By The Start Of The Season
Once the team realizes that Johnson has declined physically from 2006, doesn’t fit their offense and won’t be worth the guaranteed money they’ll have to pay if they keep him.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I don't understand, UC
Not a single player, coach or GM of the Kansas City Chiefs organization has had a single bad thing to say about LJ since the beginning of OTAs. Matt Cassel is quoted saying LJ has stood out the most this offseason during team practices, finishing runs like its 4th quarter game time. And clearly, the management and the coaching staff has indicated to him that the running game, and a big portion of the offense, is going through him.
I mean, there’s been nothing but positive feedback. How do you manage to put a negative spin on that? I really don’t understand.
I could get more sacks with my sack
Not that I necessarily agree...
But three months of talking nice doesn’t necessarily erase the several years prior to that when he’s been a pain.
by Joel Thorman on Jul 30, 2009 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions
There's Been Very Little Feedback
The current coaching staff doesn’t appear to air that stuff. So even if they were unhappy with Johnson you’d never hear about it until a) Johnson decided to take it to the press (like Brian Waters) or b) they cut him.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
The haven't cut him
And Johnson has instead taken to the press that he is excited to be a Chief.
Again, I don’t get it. You say he will not be a Chief, but there is absolutely no indication that he won’t be.
Why the negative spin?
I could get more sacks with my sack
Correct Me If I'm Wrong
But I don’t believe the season has started yet.
You say he will not be a Chief, but there is absolutely no indication that he won’t be.
Except for the Chiefs moving this offseason to void his contract, which Pioli explicitly stated they wouldn’t have done if they weren’t looking at releasing him. That’s a pretty good indicator.
Why the negative spin?
Because the only reason he’s playing nice now is because he wants to get paid…once his contract is reinstated in the first regular season game the Chiefs lose all leverage with which to control his behavior. The only way he gets reined in after that is with an NFL suspension. Let’s not forget that at the end of last season, when he still had his guaranteed money, he couldn’t wait to get out of KC.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
The Chiefs did NOT move forward to void his contract.
That came from NFLPA and LJs agent. Pioli did not pursue that.
UC, I am sorry but, I have gone round and round with you on this for months. When week 1 starts, you will be eating crow about this.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Jul 30, 2009 8:45 AM CDT up reply actions
You're right...
That did come from the NFLPA.
by Joel Thorman on Jul 30, 2009 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Actually
The grievance against the Chiefs’ move came from the NFLPA. The Chiefs were the ones who moved to void the money in Johnson’s contract, not the player’s union. Mainly because the players union represents the players, so they’re not going to try and void a player’s contract for any reason.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
No the season hasn't started yet
But there has been no indication that he will not be a Chief this season. Your prediction that he will not be is unfounded.
I could get more sacks with my sack
Also
And Johnson has instead taken to the press that he is excited to be a Chief.
Right…because Larry Johnson would obviously state that he hates it in KC and doesn’t like the direction the team is going when he wants KC to reinstate his contract.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I agree
He will be on the team this season unless he does something stupid, like get arrested again.
The reports out of OTA’s were that Larry looked good. Will his skills have declined? Of course. Although he does have a positive in that he hasn’t had that many carries over the last few seasons. Jamaal Lewis was supposed to be burned otu but he went on to have a couple decent seasons in Cleveland. I doubt LJ will ever rush for 1700 yards again but I think he still has it in him to run for 1200, especially if he stays on the field this year.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions
He's Extremely Unlikely To Rush For 1,200 Either
At his level of production post-2006 he’s averaged four yards per carry, so he’d have to somehow get 300 carries, which he hasn’t come close to in 2 years, on an offense that isn’t going to feature the runner in which he’s likely to be only a two-down back.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I think we know very little about this offense
It’s not going to be AZ. I honestly think we’ll change it up from week to week based on the team we’re playing and we’ll see games where LJ rushes the ball 25 times.
by Joel Thorman on Jul 30, 2009 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions
I Don't See Johnson's Status As A Two-Down Back Changing
Not with the pass-blocking he’s produced over the course of his career. And although the defense the Chiefs have might improve slightly this season (it would pretty much have to) it’s still not going to be a good defense so the Chiefs will be throwing a lot.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Sure
but if you look at his production level from last year, which was 4.5 yards a carry he doesn’t need 300 touched to break 1200.
If he averages 4.5 this year and the Chiefs are winning once in a while he sould get at least 275 carries.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 8:23 AM CDT up reply actions
You Mean Last Season In Which He Only Got 4 Yards Per Carry In Four Games Out Of 12?
That’s a sign of a running back who’s losing his legs.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
no
that’s a sign of a RB with a shotty line and new offense……and lets not forget HERM
by BIG_CHIEF18 on Jul 30, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
Then Perhaps You'd Like To Explain
How Jamaal Charles was able to be a much more productive back per carry than Johnson was last year, playing behind the same o-line.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I appreciate what you are saying
but I don’t think youc an really compare the two. Charles was a third down back coming in with fresherlegs and less carries. He also probably also got some caries in 3rd and long situations where the D was playing back a bit thus allowing him an extra yard or so.
I like Charles a lot. I wish Herm woul dhave given him MORE carries. I think if he can learn how to hold on to the ball he coul dbe a Priest Homes type back for us. He certainly won’t get caught from behind all the time like LJ.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions
Jamaal Charles Is Why I Want Larry Johnson Gone
Mainly because I want Charles to get more carries. I’m not entirely sold on the idea that he can be a feature back, but he’s got blinding speed, he doesn’t appear to be afraid to run between the tackles and he’ll pass block so you can put him out there in 3rd down situations (which Gailey often did). With Larry Johnson hanging around, the Chiefs are stuck giving him carries and I don’t think he’s good enough to be a feature back, and he’s massively overpaid to be a complementary back (especially when you consider all his other baggage).
I just think the money could be better spent elsewhere and that considering how Johnson behaved when he still had his guaranteed money that he’s just not worth the risk of keeping around if his contract gets reinstated.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Bravo
That’s the best explanation I’ve seen of why you want to dump LJ. I would actually love to see Charles beat him out for starter in camp. Then it would truly make sense to part ways with LJ and save the money for use elsewhere. There will be other backs who can play a backup role for far less.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
I like the combo
LJ is very one-dimensional; he is a power runner. He doesn’t have good hands and can’t (or won’t) block for shizzle. He also doesn’t have great speed.
Charles has tremendous speed and can block.
If Kolby Smith can step it up, we could have a great “running back by committee” situation. The days of one featured back are coming to an end, IMHO.
By the way, this is the first time I have disagreed with you. I just didn’t want to post “yeah, I agree” a bunch of times.
by LarryDoggyDog on Jul 30, 2009 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
kinda a good thing
The biggest problem I see with that setup is once week 6 hits and teams have some of our tape, they will know that every time LJ is in the backfield it will be a run play.
His inabilities to do anything other than run really give away what we are doing when he sets up…
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
If LJ plays all 16 games last year...
He gets to 1200 yards in an offense that was not designed to run the ball.
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
by GenericBrand on Jul 30, 2009 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions
LJ's negative "spin"
It’s a physics thing Arrowspread… one of Newtons Laws states “a body in motion tends to remain in motion”.
LJ has managed to generate so much negative press and has spewed so much negativity himself that it may never die down. Folks tend to remember ungrateful displays and violence against women regardless of how well a player does on the field – so… don’t be surprised if the negative spin never goes away – even if LJ takes KC to a Super Bowl win, there are going to be voices who urge caution and remind us of who this guy really is at his core.
right?
A lot of people around here do not believe in giving second chances I guess.. The man is trying to get his shit together and sounds like he is from what has been said. Your right, cassel has nothing but good things to say about him. He didn’t get a chance to do anything last year. Ten carries a game is nothing. Also, I know the girl ashley he spit on or whatever, her dumbass got shot in the leg at a club here in topeka when she was 14, went to school with her for years. She’s been a dumb liar for as long as I’ve known her anyway. Give him the ball, its not like we have anyone else that could carry the load to do it anyway..
by BALLard49 on Jul 30, 2009 2:00 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
riiiight
Also, I know the girl ashley he spit on or whatever….
Sorry bud but I’m going to trust the police reports over an anonymous commenter on the internet. Especially when LJ never said it didn’t happen…
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
I don't think the guaranteed money is an issue.
Chiefs are so far under the cap that he might as well be the one using it unless they come up with a big signing, and we all know that isn’t going to happen.
There Isn't A Billionaire Out There
Who wants to pay a ton of money to a player who isn’t going to be a good fit for his team and isn’t going to produce at a high level if he doesn’t have to. If Johnson’s gone before the season starts, he won’t have to pay anything.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I disagree as well UCrawford...
Did Larry Punch you in the face or something? U just sound so bitter, and the closemindedness you show makes it hard to agree with what you say….
I mean, I agree, he is an idiot, and he probably shouldnt have been beating women in bars, and no one else will pay him but us.
But, he is not a typical 30 yr old back, he has only 3-4 years of actual wear, and if focused, is a 1300-1500 yrd runner if he gets the touches.
Chiefs FTW
I'm Just Sick Of Johnson
He’s not that good of a running back anymore, he hasn’t shown any real interest in winning games since he got his contract, and he’s a cancer to the team both in the locker room and off the field. I think the Chiefs are better served going in a different direction and I’d rather someone else got his reps.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Wrong style of coaching for LJ
LJ needs somone kicking his ass, which he didn’t have with Herm. That has now changed. I don’t think he is the back he was when he did the two 1700 yard seasons, but I do think he is still 85-90% of that back, which still places him above the vast majority of backs in the league. Even at 75%. Will that be good enough to warrant the big money? We have 4 games to find out.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
He Had Vermeil And It Didn't Change Him
The only thing that has kept Johnson under control was his contract. He signed a terrible deal as a rookie so he was having to stay in line somewhat to justify a new deal. And once he got his new deal, we all saw what happened to his attitude. I don’t think there’s a coach out there that could fix him, nor would even the best coaches think that he’s worth the time to do so at this point in his career.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Vermeil was only slightly more stern than Herm
we haven’t had a hardass coach since Marty (I don’t consider Cunningham stringing dozens of expletives together as “hardass”)
I remember a report from Vermeil’s last season that indicated that the Chiefs were the ONLY of the 32 teams that were not required to stay the night in the team hotel on Saturday night before a road game…and a lot of the time it did look like half of our defense was hungover =)
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
by PVChiefsfan on Jul 30, 2009 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Usage
But, he is not a typical 30 yr old back, he has only 3-4 years of actual wear, and if focused, is a 1300-1500 yrd runner if he gets the touches.
That doesn’t matter. What happened to Johnson is something that has happened to most running backs who’ve gotten that level of usage in a single season, regardless of how long they’ve been in the league. In fantasy football circles, it’s called The Curse of 370.
Here’s a basic synopsis of it from that article:
On 27 different occasions in NFL history, a running back has carried the ball 370 or more times in the regular season. You can sort those backs into three groups: backs that got hurt and were never the same, backs whose productivity just fell off, and Eric Dickerson.
Since that article was written, the number has now jumped to 28 with Michael Turner logging a 370+ carry season last year…and I’m suspecting we’ll see a similar decline in performance from him this year.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Even Dickerson Tailed off
But he was able to handle multiple years of 370 plus. His years with the Rams he ave 4.8/carry and had 3 years of 370+. Then with the Colts his one year of 388 was at 4.3/carry and each year declined after that.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
He Was Also The Exception
Actually, there was one other exception the article missed…LaDainian Tomlinson, who had a 372 carry season his second year in the league. He recovered just fine. Beyond that, though, everyone else plummeted in production after that much use. Terrell Davis and Jamal Anderson were the closest to Johnson’s level of usage and both of them were done as effective running backs after those seasons…Davis, in fact, had only been in the league for four years before he fell apart.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
He has that CHIP now
To prove he can do it again…be that 1500 yard/15+ TD back. Because he has that chip on his shoulder, he will produce big time this year for the Chiefs. And when he does, the Cheifs will be a GOOD ball club for it because they will have balance in their offensive attack and have enough offensive success to help out the defense.
If/when LJ goes for over 1500 yards this season, Chiefs have 8 or more wins!
For Anyone Who Predicts 1,500 Yards For LJ (Which Has Happened A Lot On This Board)
Over the last two years since he set the NFL single-season record for carries, Larry Johnson has had 351 carries and 1433 yards, for an average of slightly over 4 yards per carry. In order for him to get to that number at that rate of production, he’d have to get over 370 carries this season. In 2008, all of the rushers in Todd Haley’s offense in Arizona managed to post only 340 carries. So even if he were to stay with Kansas City, he is extremely unlikely to pull 1,500 yards simply because he won’t get the opportunity to do so (because Haley is running a different offense than Herm) and because it would require him to more than be on the field more than he’s managed to be on the field in the last two years combined.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
This isn't Haley's offense in AZ
This is a different set of guys with a different skill set. Haley has already stated that he wouldn’t mind being a 3 yards and a cloud of dust offense. They went into last year with the idea of being a power running team, and I don’t see that they’ve done anything to make us think differently for this year. With the defense not being top ten material, the best thing we can do is ball control. I think we’ll see plenty of running and lots of dink and dunk kind of passing. Very little vertical game. I don’t really see any other back on the roster who is ready to shoulder the load a power running game will need. There’s going to be a lot of passing to the backs as well. I’m calling for LJ to get 1400 yards. I’m not necessarily saying its all going to be rushing.
I understand you detest LJ and you are welcome to that opinion. But what I see is a guy who knows he won’t make another big payday elsewhere or here unless he does hammer it down hard…not just to make the roster, but all year long. I also see a guy who I believe wants to win, and has bought into what is going on here in terms of what they are building for. The same reason we were able to pick up experienced vets like Thomas, Engram, Goff, and Brown.
LJ is the kind of guy who needs an in-yer-face coach to get him motivated. He hasn’t had that the last couple of years and I think that has affected his attitude and production every bit as much as being worn down from a couple years of a heavy load. He showed in the Denver game last year that he still has something left, and now it looks like his head is turned in the right direction. If they were just going to dump his dumb ass, they would have done so right after the judgement on his bonus.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
Yeah
if they are so intent on gettin grid of him then why the heck haven’t they done it? I mean, if you think they are going to give him the boot that is fine but then who the hell do they plan on handing the ball off to?
They should be moving to try to pick up some running backs instead of going to camp with LJ eating up a roster spot.
The only thing I can think is that they are broadcasting his new attitude and waiting for someone who needs RB help to come sniffing around about a trade.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Nope...
They are not planning on trading him. Plain and simple.
Scott Pioli is NOT the one who pursued the contract hearing regarding LJ. That came down from THE NFLPA and LJs agent. From everything I have seen, the Chiefs have never once mentioned anything about trading LJ…Not once!
They might be interested in offers (if the price was right) but Scott Pioli has made it known that he will ALWAYS listen to offers no matter what the situation.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Jul 30, 2009 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions
What Are You Talking About?
Scott Pioli is NOT the one who pursued the contract hearing regarding LJ. That came down from THE NFLPA and LJs agent.
The Chiefs were the ones who pushed to void the guaranteed money in the deal, not Larry Johnson and his agent. Johnson and his agent were filing a grievance against the contract being voided…the Chiefs were very much the ones who pursued not having to pay Johnson.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
You are wrong UC.
That came down from the NFLPA.
Its okay to be wrong sometimes.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Jul 30, 2009 10:24 AM CDT up reply actions
Listen Up
The Chiefs and the NFL pushed to void the last two years of Johnson’s contract. and to force him to repay the guaranteed money he already earned…the NFLPA filed a grievance against that action. The arbitrator ruled that Johnson did not have to repay the money he’d already earned but that his breach of contract voided the rest of his contract.
Seriously, read the fucking article I took the time to hyperlink to before you start trying to mock my position. You’ll look like less of an idiot.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Yeah...
the NFLPA was defending LJ from the chiefs actions. I’m still unclear, but my understanding is that this was all filed BEFORE Pioli came to town.
If thats true then I wonder if Pioli is just playing the hand he came in with because it was already in motion, or if this is something they wanted to happen.
Honestly though we are under the cap by quite a bit and there is a CHANCE that LJ will come to play and help us win games this year. It seems Piolis style to take those chances when it is low risk, high reward…
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
Note My Comment Above
I think that may be correct that Peterson started the process…in fact I seem to recall that he did. I’m just saying that if it continued under Pioli’s tenure then it’s safe to assume that Pioli felt it was worth pursuing.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I just saw that...
And I think any GM would continue it…it leaves the GM in more control of the situation, and Pioli seems to like control.
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
Yeah Peterson did
And the NFLPA had been pushing for their side since November.
by Joel Thorman on Jul 30, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions
correct
It was the Chiefs who made that move last fall. Still not Scott Pioli though. The grievance was filed to prevent it from happening. However, if they really just wanted to dump him they wouldn’t have waited this long.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
Scott Pioli Is The GM
He has total control over all football matters with the team. If the Chiefs pushed for this move, then Pioli was pushing for this move.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
As For The Delay
However, if they really just wanted to dump him they wouldn’t have waited this long.
Valid point…I suspect they’re bringing him to camp to gauge whether or not he’ll fit what they’re planning to do and whether what he can produce is worth what they’re paying for him. When they determine it’s not, they’ll dump him. They’ve got until the regular season to make the decision so there’s no reason for them not to keep their options open until then.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
They can't move him
When he was holding out for his contract would have been the only time they could have traded him, and I wish you all could have heard how adamant I was that they move his ass out of here at that time. We could have gotten some good value for him then. There would just not be any market out there for a guy with his production, off field issues, and big money at this point in time.
If you go back and look at Haley’s press conferences during OTAs and watch his eyes light up when talking about LJ making some runs that were “pretty special”, it appears that this is the real deal, that they like what he is doing. With LJ on board and ready to roll, this offense has a much better chance of winning THIS year. I think Haley wants to win THIS year if he can.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
Absolutely...
I know Pioli always talks about the long term but, you know he would love go at least 8-8 in his first season.
BTW, I don’t know why people seem to think that will only be short term success. This team HAS been built primarily through the draft. If we win now, that is because of our draft picks over the last few years. Not saying that ZT, Vrabel, Brown, and Cassel aren’t a part of it but, am saying that it will be because of a few pretty solid drafts mixed in with some solid older vets.
by Chiefsfan1970 on Jul 30, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions
Trading Johnson
There would just not be any market out there for a guy with his production, off field issues, and big money at this point in time.
I’m not disputing that. Frankly, if the Chiefs were able to trade Johnson I think they’d get very little for him. My point is simply that he’s not worth what they’re paying him if his contract is reinstated. Nor do I think he can be trusted to keep up his good behavior over the season once he’s getting paid again. I suspect he’d go back to being the same, pouting, underachiever he was for the last two years…only getting rid of him then would require the Chiefs to pay him the guaranteed money that is clearly his priority. None of this would be in any way beneficial for the product on the field. And frankly, I think Pioli probably realizes this, which is why he went through the trouble of having the guaranteed money in the deal voided.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I don't think Pioli instigated that
Last fall they started trying to void the guaranteed money. Once the union filed grievance Pioli didn’t have much choice but to play out the hand. The only reason I don’t agree with you about LJ reverting to old self after the start of the season is I think he truly wants to WIN. This is the only place he will have a chance to do so.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
Pioli Is The GM
He has complete control over football matters. If the Chiefs pushed to void the deal, it’s because Pioli wanted it.
And I’m talking about the Chiefs move to void the guaranteed money in the contract. I’m not talking about the grievance Larry Johnson and the union filed against that move. The Chiefs would not have moved to void Johnson’s contract if they weren’t looking at getting rid of him.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I think
That the Chiefs move to void and the grievance were issues Pioli inherited, not initiated. He just had to play out the hand.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
That May Be True
Peterson may have started it. But if Pioli wasn’t in favor of it, he had the ability to withdraw the move, which he didn’t. So we can make the assumption that since the move continued under Pioli’s reign, that Pioli considered it worth pursuing.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Absolutely...got to leave all options open
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
Agreed
Again, I’m not saying Pioli has already decided to dump Johnson. I’ve obviously got no way of knowing that. All I’ve said in my predictions is that the Chiefs will dump Johnson…not just because he’s an ass, but also because he’s overpaid and just not that good anymore.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Overpaid
yeah, I’d say he is overpaide. I still thinkhe is the best running back we have and we can afford him so unless he has some major breakdown in camo I saw we keep him.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions
I Think We Can Agree To Disagree On That
I see the merit in your argument and respect where you’re coming from…I just disagree.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Desire To Win
The only reason I don’t agree with you about LJ reverting to old self after the start of the season is I think he truly wants to WIN
So do most of the players in the NFL. Just because he wants to win doesn’t mean he’s physically able to do the same things he did before he got overused in 2006. Nor does it mean he’ll perform at a high enough level to justify his contract. Johnson hasn’t had 200 carries in either season since he got abused by Herm…history shows that running backs with that level of usage in one season are almost never able to perform at that level again. And that’s not even looking at all the other baggage he brings. Johnson’s simply not the same running back he was three years ago, and he’s unlikely to ever be that guy again. And guys who perform at his current ability level are not really that tough to find for a lot less than the Chiefs would have to pay Johnson.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
And you may be correct
Which is why they play preseason games. We’ll find out a little more about how he will perform then. If he, as you point out, no longer has the skills to be a good back, then he won’t make it to the first game of the year and he won’t collect on the big contract. If Jackie Battle or Williams shows more in preseason then they probably will dump him. I can’t wait to see the real thing. But Haley doesn’t often throw compliments out there unless someone is really catching his eye, and he has thrown quite a few LJs way this off season.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
I Do Think He'll Be Around Through The Preseason
My prediction on Johnson going away wasn’t entirely premised on his off-field crap, because ultimately it’s still a business and not personal…I think he’ll be gone because the Chiefs realize he’s not the same running back anymore and that he’s not worth the contract he’s getting. They’ll probably take their time to reach that decision and they’ll run him through the preseason before they make the decision. All I’m predicting is what that decision’s going to be, I’m not saying that they’ve already decided it.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
To the Naysayers...
I say put down the crack pipe and slowly back away. I don’t care what anybody on here says, we have no clue what is going to happen. Yes, we all make predictions and that’s what is fun about this site. However, to be so adamant about something like this is preposterous. My guarantee to anybody reading this thread is that LJ WILL BE A CHIEF for the duration of the season and he WILL PRODUCE A MINIMUM OF 1000 YARDS. He’s back with a vengeance and as long as the o line can block, he will get into the secondary.
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions
There's more evidence
That LJ will drop like a stone in production than there is that he will be great.
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
Not Saying Great...
I’m pointing out the fact that he missed 4 games last year and still damn near reached 1000 yards rushing. Barring injury and the fact that the o line improves, he will drastically increase his production. You can put stuff that in your stockings now…
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions
I still back and forth.
I don’t think we should cut him because hes the best we have at that position, but I’m really not too hopeful about next season for him.
I guess I’m just the type to be cautious and surprised later than hopeful and disappointed.
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
Understood...
may be better to take your approach, but I can’t help but feel hopeful not just for LJ, but for the Chiefs. Statistically, when LJ has 100-yard rushing games, the Chiefs typically win. The more 100-yard games, the more ticks in the win column for the Red & Gold.
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Just FYI
Larry Johnson’s 100 yard games of 2008.
Atlanta: 121 yards. Loss
Denver: 198 yards. Win
Miami: 108 yards. Loss
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Got It...
but last year was the exception to the rule. I said, and I quote, “typically” win. We only won 2 games last year and 1 of them was when LJ broke 100 yards. With a stronger D and a team that can play 4 full quarters, it’s a different story.
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Assuming He Can Still Put Up Those Kind Of Games
The Chiefs are facing five teams whose defenses were top 10 last year. His best effort last season came against the 30th ranked defense in the NFL (Denver) that probably couldn’t stop me from rushing for 100 yards…he gained nearly a quarter of his seasonal yardage in that one game.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Stats Don't Lie...
Understand what you’re saying, but the fact remains that LJ’s YPC average is greater than those dubbed the best in the biz right now. I’m taking the wait and see approach and hoping for the best out of his game and his attitude. Regarding those defenses, that was LAST year. Who knows how they’ll perform this year
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 6:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm Not Anticipating A Big Change In The O-Line
I think at this point that Larry Johnson is only as good as the offensive line lets him be and that his offensive line isn’t really any better than last year…probably worse.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Disagree
I can’t see how replacing Jones (a failed LT who we decided to stick at RG) with Goff (a guy who has been a solid RG his entire career) could possibly make our line worse.
And that doesn’t even account for Albert and Niswanger having a year of experience, and McIntosh having a whole year at a new position…
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
"Damn Near" Is Not The Same As "Did"
And Johnson took himself off the field with his behavior. He’s already demonstrated since he got the contract from Peterson that he can’t be trusted to behave as a professional, even in the face of a suspension.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
by UCrawford on Jul 30, 2009 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
For sanity purposes...
I’ll play along with you UC. Past history states that LJ will fuck up. I’m being overly optimistic right now and will say he has actually conformed and what he is saying is not smoke being blown up everyone’s asses. I believe in 2nd chances and people starting anew because I’ve been given plenty of 2nd chances. If he fucks up again, I will publicly apologize for my ignorance and false hope in a proven loser. Until that point, I’m riding this wagon ’til the wheels fall off…
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 4:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Damn near...
is exactly that, damn near. That means that he came close, but fell short. I used damn near to claim that even without 4 games under his belt and a shitty ass offensive line, he still managed to average 4.5 yards per carry and 874 yards on the season. Even being a bitch, his yards per carry were better than some of the supposed better talent around the league.
Matt Forte – 3.9 YPC
Ronnie Brown – 4.3 YPC
MJD – 4.2 YPC
Portis – 4.3 YPC
LT – 3.8 YPC
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Regarding LJ's Production
If you check out his game logs, he only averaged four yards a carry in four of the games he played in (including one stats-pumping effort versus a horrible Broncos defense which gained him almost a quarter of his season yardage). The rest of the time he played he was mediocre to awful.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
It's Actually His Third Or Fourth Chance
It wasn’t just the women in the clubs that was the problem, it was all the crap that he pulled in the locker room that the Chiefs nailed him for. And his comments after the season was over in which he was demanding to get out of KC, when he was still under contract and thought he’d still be getting his guaranteed money.
It’s not that people can’t reform…it’s just that Johnson’s behavior until his contract got pulled never gave me any reason to think he cared about reforming. And it’s been a pattern with him since he’s been here.
And no, you’re not being ignorant…you’re just hoping for the best. I can respect that. But I’m never going to pin my hopes on Larry Johnson finally figuring out that he’s been a shithead his entire Chiefs career…I’d rather pin my hopes on Jamaal Charles being a good running back once he’s given the opportunity. I believe he’s talented enough to be Johnson’s replacement.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Established Running Game...
is what we need in order to execute the passing attack. If we can get the running game wide open, we should have a top 10 offense with Cassel picking apart a scared D. I hear you on Charles and I’m all for him shouldering some of the load, I just don’t think his little ass body could handle the beating as our main back. I sincerely hope Charles has a banner year and we work in J Williams to give him some experience too. If both of those guys can step it up, we won’t need LJ next year.
Put this in your pipe and smoke it:
1. Chiefs will be at least 8-8 and vie for division champs
2. DJ will break out and finally have his year
3. LJ returns to form
4. DBowe drops will reduce
by kcchiefsfan72 on Jul 30, 2009 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions
If Steve Slaton, Maurice Jones-Drew And Warrick Dunn Can Do It
I think Charles can too. I think we often get too tied up in body type for players and don’t pay enough attention to what they produce when they’re out there. And Charles produced really well. I think he merits a shot to shoulder a lot more of the rushing attempts.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
UC, frankly I have no idea
why you continue to insist that the offense of the 2009 Chiefs is going to, in any way, resemble the offense of the 2008 Cardinals. Haley has made it clear that we have different weapons, so we will have a different offense.
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
Boldin > LJ
at this point. L.J> is too much of a risk.
However, had we given then L.J. and Tony, we may have been able to pull it off. Maybe get a later rounder from them as well.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 8:33 AM CDT up reply actions
They Wouldn't Have Traded For Johnson Even With Gonzalez
Arizona doesn’t feature their tight end and they just drafted a running back in the first round to be their guy.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I bet they'd feature the TE
if they were giving up Boldin and gaining TG. I mean seriously, out offense probably won’t feature the TE this year either but if we still had TG is sure as hell would. Philosophy be damned.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Nobody Scraps A Top 10 Offense
For a TE in his 30s.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Who said anything about scrapping the offense?
If they really wanted to move Boldin then they would have to use Tony. In fact they would be foolish NOT to. I don’t know if they could keep a top 10 offense if they got rid of Boldin and didn’t have someone to throw to.
I am sure they could find a way to throw to the tight end if they wanted to and still play their style of offense.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Scrapping not required...
let’s see how often Matt Ryan throws to Gonzalez this season…something tells me the TE is going to figure into their passing game a little more than in recent years.
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
Yeah
I think they will somehow find a way to throw to the TE. Somehow I dont think they will suffer an offensive decline.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 9:09 AM CDT up reply actions
That Would Probably Be
Because Mike Mularkey has been a tight ends coach at multiple stops and has shown he’ll use the TE in the passing game when he’s offensive coordinator. He’s just never had a good TE.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
And Haley probably would have used the RB more in Arizona
if he had possessed a good RB and a line that was solid at run-blocking…
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
by PVChiefsfan on Jul 30, 2009 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions
Doubtful
I agree with your assessment of the line and RB corps, but that defense wasn’t all that great so I think they would have been a passing team regardless. The Cards’ passing game last year both compensated for a major weakness and played to obvious strengths.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
LJ = Something The Cards Don't Need Now That They Have Beanie Wells
They’re not giving up anything for him.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
That's A Deal I'd Take
The Cardinals won’t though, considering they don’t focus on the run and considering they just spent a first rounder on Beanie Wells. Why would they want to trade for Johnson and his baggage?
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Question for you UC ...
Why would a man who appears to rarely give out compliments to individual players state early that LJ did some things that make your jaw drop? Not saying you are wrong and I love how passionate you are with your opinions. I simply ask why? What was Haleys angle?
"even though I was born in Toronto Canada and I love the BlueJays and the Raptors and the Leafs .. I cut my finger this morning and I was BLEEDING CHIEFS RED BABY!!!"
by T-DotChiefFanSince93 on Jul 30, 2009 9:23 AM CDT up reply actions
No Clue
I’m not a mindreader and I won’t pretend that I am. I’m just going off the fact that the Chiefs pushed to void the guaranteed money in the last two years of Johnson’s contract. They wouldn’t have done it if they weren’t looking at getting rid of him.
Unless I’m incorrect about the guaranteed money being reinstated if Johnson makes the regular season roster, I’m sticking to my position. Not just because I think the guy’s a washed-up RB who’s also a piece of crap off the field, but because the actions of the Chiefs in regards to Johnson indicates that’s the likelihood. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, but that’s my prediction.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Fair enough ...
and as I said .. LOVE the fact that you stick to your guns. I hope you are wrong and LJ ends up helping us out. Not going to lie though .. another part of me would love to see that you were right. A few comments ago a dude said that if you are wrong you will have to eat crow. I on the other hand think you should hold your head high because you stuck to your guns. If I need a lawyer to defend me … I now know where to find one!!
"even though I was born in Toronto Canada and I love the BlueJays and the Raptors and the Leafs .. I cut my finger this morning and I was BLEEDING CHIEFS RED BABY!!!"
by T-DotChiefFanSince93 on Jul 30, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Cheers For That
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Im new to this blog
But not new to being a Chiefs fan or a critic of LJ, but i think he has lost his marbles now, or he is at least bipolar.
Im sure LJ wants his money, and the notoriety, but the man also wants to PLAY
Look, you dont get to this level just by being money hungry, you dont. Everyone that plays has a will and need to start, play, do great things. LJ does too, he may have got lost somewhere, and im not saying the cat is a saint, but, if focused, he is a top ten back in the nfl. We have an Oline geared more toward run blocking than pass blocking anyway. LJ is going to get close to 300 carries this year if healthy, with charles getting touches when resting him or on 3rd down. U can list that in the signature line. And to say hes not doing anything, or they are cutting him, thats just silly. And yeah, no chance of a trade, so enjoy watch Larry run this year….
Chiefs FTW
So Does Jeff George
Whether Johnson wants to play isn’t the issue. The issue is whether Johnson is good enough to play and be worth the contract they’d be paying him. And he isn’t.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Do you just pick random stuff out of the air?
How in the world can you tell if a player is good enough or not? And lots of players are overpaid, man. I thought this was a place for opinions, not someone shouting random things from his computer…Im not sure whats worse, a raiders fan or a negative chiefs fan with little knowledge of the actual situation. And several people have confirmed that LJ grievance that happened was because of the league and the OLD regime, not Pioli…. Wake up man.
Chiefs FTW
Go Surfing Through Our Archives
One of our regulars put out a two part post explaining exactly how you can tell Johnson isn’t good enough anymore…based on objective data, not wishful thinking.
I thought this was a place for opinions, not someone shouting random things from his computer…Im not sure whats worse, a raiders fan or a negative chiefs fan with little knowledge of the actual situation.
Sorry you’re disappointed…of course if you find this discourse unpleasant you’re entirely free to hit the road and not come back.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Objective data
Several months ago, Wendler over at WPI put together a very good article in which he closely examined and analyzed LJ’s pass blocking in a few games (from, I think, the 2007 season)
Amazingly, according to the objective data, he’s not too bad at pass blocking, and he definitely tried on every play, but made the wrong read on a blitz several times.
But those objective data have not succeeded in silencing the “LJ doesn’t even try to pass block” canards that occur here and elsewhere…
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
Valid Argument
And I’m willing to consider that I’m wrong on his effort in pass-blocking. But then whether it’s a matter of Johnson not trying to pass block or not being able to pick up the reads, the end result is still the same. And I don’t think it was a fluke that Charles was the back they went to on passing downs last year.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Finding the love
My take is this…there is nobody better at his position who is/was available than LJ, so why not stick it out with him and see what he can do? There are too many other holes for Pioli and Haley to fill. It’s a potential risk vs. potential benefit scenario. Yes, Larry could be a bust this year. But he could also flourish. The truth is that nobody knows for sure. However, Pioli seems to have a knack for successfully evaluating these kinds of scenarios and placing troubled players in an environment in which they can shine. Remember when Randy Moss was a bad attitude who had lost more than a step? Compared to what he had done as a Viking, he was a joke as a Raider (thankfully!!). Is anyone laughing at him now? I’m not saying he’s going to have the level of success that Moss has had since joining the Pats, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think he’s got enough left in the tank for a Pro Bowl or two. He’s a passionate guy who has let his passion get the better of him from time to time (sometimes in truly deplorable ways). In my opinion, the trick with such players is to help them harness that passion in a constructive way. What I’ve seen is a team that is showing Larry some love, which can be the most powerful passion of all. Maybe…if the Chiefs can get Larry to love them back, he’ll start playing for his team (and for love) rather than playing for just Larry. I don’t think he’s had that yet. And yeah…having a little chip on the shoulder doesn’t hurt either.
It is 100% useless to even argue with Ucrawford
The man obviously despises LJ and is still hurt over LJ’s comments about the chiefs and kansas city last season…EVERYTHING that has come out of KC this offseason would indicate Larry is going to be playing for the chiefs..EVERYTHING
I don’t want to argue..I’m really looking forward to the first running play of the chiefs nfl season where larry atleast gets a yard and proves that Ucrawords signage is completely misguided..
by CALIFAN1986 on Jul 30, 2009 11:25 AM CDT reply actions
If You've Got A Problem With My Positions
Then argue against those positions. If all you’ve got is ad hominem attacks, then you’ve got nothing worth saying and your comments are not welcome here.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
There are plenty of people that are thinking the same thing. You never have anything positive to say about the Chiefs. I’m not asking for blindly following, but it gets old seeing a hundred posts of you trying to argue against everything the organization does.
A False Argument
You never have anything positive to say about the Chiefs.
I was in favor of the Cassel trade (and said so), I was in favor of the Thomas signing (and said so), and I was in favor of the Gonzalez trade (and said so).
If you want to criticize my positions, maybe you ought to figure out what those positions are first.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I’m not arguing with you. It’s pointless. You always have to have the last word and I’ve made my point.
It's A Free Country Last I Checked
So no one’s forcing you to read what I write and they’re damn sure not forcing you to respond to it. So take off the diapers.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Haven’t heard that line since 3rd grade.
I’ve enjoined coming to AP for awhile now and I’m not just going to watch you ruin it by making every discussion both negative and hostile.
We're Done With This Little Back And Forth
You may consider this a warning…if you disagree with something I write, argue against it on the merits. If you want to resort to personal attacks because you can’t be bothered to make an objective argument, you won’t be posting here.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
speaking of ad hominem argumentum...
then you’ve got nothing worth saying
you can’t be bothered to make an objective argument
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
Read The Entire Remark
If all you’ve got is ad hominem attacks, then you’ve got nothing worth saying
If you want to resort to personal attacks because you can’t be bothered to make an objective argument, you won’t be posting here.
Those were direct comments on the tactic he was using, and as a moderator it’s my job to point that out. Don’t cherrypick my comments by taking excerpts out of context.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Cherrypicking not required
The sentence “If all you’ve got is ad hominem attacks, then you’ve got nothing worth saying” is in itself an ad hominem attack – and while it is a funny and ironic meta-joke, I don’t think it does anything to ensure that the level of discourse stays at or above ‘respectable’.
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
Fair Point
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
I realized that it may have come off
that I was nagging you – that was not my intent.
My point was that responding to trollish behavior should be done in a way that encourages the trollish behavior to stop.
Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
Marley will be walking soon...she could probably play Linebacker better than some of the guys we had.
It's Okay, I Understood
And that was the way to address a problem you have with the way someone else presents an argument. I’ll admit my response wasn’t ideal, but then I did try to shut the debate off-thread and JComp wasn’t having it so he got the boot. Doesn’t make him a troll per se…but there’s still a line and I felt he crossed it. Doesn’t mean he can’t ever come back.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
By the way, a personal attack would be “You’re a moron” (which I don’t think you are) or something of that nature. I have said nothing of the sort, simply stated my annoyance with what you posted. I completely understand you getting all powerful on someone that has broken the user agreement, so if you can show me where I will apologize.
Fair Enough
I’ve enjoined coming to AP for awhile now and I’m not just going to watch you ruin it by making every discussion both negative and hostile.
There are plenty of people that are thinking the same thing. You never have anything positive to say about the Chiefs. I’m not asking for blindly following, but it gets old seeing a hundred posts of you trying to argue against everything the organization does.
I’m not arguing with you. It’s pointless. You always have to have the last word and I’ve made my point.
Not one of those comments had anything to do with Chiefs football…they were complaints directed against another commenter personally because you don’t like his “negative” attitude. Disagreement with the franchise is fine on this site. Anger at the franchise is fine on this site. Frustration with team moves is fine on this site. Making a lot of those comments is fine on this site. They’re all part of the football discussion, whether the tack you take is positive or negative. Attacking other commenters as opposed to their arguments because you don’t like their “tone” or their approach is not fine on this site.
Just an FYI.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
Its always good to argue your position
Because that way you can tell if you really have a position you can defend. Unless you are questioned and can provide answers, reasons, and evidence, do you have anything more than hopes and dreams? The argument causes you to investigate and grow…and learn. Sometimes it does get carried a bit far though :-)
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
It Does
Everyone gets heated sometimes. You and I disagree on quite a few points, but we’re able to do so with a general level of respect and that’s really the point. Like you said, having these discussions is what allows us to develop our own positions.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
What a dicktease
90+ comments and an interesting read about LJ? No it just more UCrawford vs. the world
by KansasCityShuffle on Jul 30, 2009 11:30 AM CDT reply actions
+1
"Success is never ending, failure is never final."
by GenericBrand on Jul 30, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions
If You're Disappointed By The Quality Of Discussion
Feel free to add useful comments or FanPosts of your own rather than bitching about what others write.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
If it helps,
after reading your arguments I agree with everything you’re saying about LJ, except that he will be cut before the season.
The 370 curse will strike again and his carries are going to be divided up. He’ll probably even get injured.
"...Said he couldn't go on the American way"
And I Admit That It's Possible LJ Will Be Around
And if he is, I think your prediction is probably correct. I don’t know if he’ll get injured or not, but I think he won’t be a particularly productive back.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
It's all good
Why are people trying to make every story in the offseason a negative, even though nothing bad has happend? Can everybody just be happy that things are going so far so good! GO CHIEFS!
I despise LJ for his comments about the team, the City
and his actions toward women. But if Haley says he can still play and can help this team, I say run his legs off.
Herm is gone things are better with that one move!!
by bringbacktheglory on Jul 30, 2009 12:09 PM CDT reply actions
In all fairness
OK, you are right that his comments toward the city are reprehensible, and I am very good at playing devil’s reject, but look at it from LJ’s side. OK what he did was stupid, it was wrong, it was crap, but he served his suspension, imposed both by the NFL and by the team, and did it without whining too much (well, until after the season, anyway)… then he can’t leave his house or go to the Sprint center without being lambasted by people who we all know were quick to cheer him on when he was being run into the ground…. seriously that should be the very definition of “fair weather fan”… as far as everyone in KC assumes, LJ walked into a club, ordered a cosmopolitan, maybe did the macarena for a minute, then without provocation ran up and sprayed his drink all over a hapless clubber. I’m sorry but if I was LJ I would act much the same way. We as fans could have handled this situation better…. just my $0.02
I think Haley yelled so lous he scared LJ straight, and if that’s the case, I’m all for it. LJ = 1200 yards, go Chiefs!
"You can't polish a turd", old guy, Christine
"Let your anger be, like a monkey in a pinata, hiding amongst the candy, hoping the kids don't break through with their sticks!" Master Payne, King Pow
darn it
"You can't polish a turd", old guy, Christine
"Let your anger be, like a monkey in a pinata, hiding amongst the candy, hoping the kids don't break through with their sticks!" Master Payne, King Pow
devils advocate, not devil's reject
lol
"You can't polish a turd", old guy, Christine
"Let your anger be, like a monkey in a pinata, hiding amongst the candy, hoping the kids don't break through with their sticks!" Master Payne, King Pow
LOL> I liked Devil's Reject Better
I hate when people say “I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate here.”
Drives me nuts. Just present the opposite point if you want to. I think Devil’s Reject is frikin hysterical.
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions
Not A Fan Of Devil's Advocate Either
It’s a useful tool sometimes for debate, but people tend to overuse it just to take the piss out of people and start fights. I just think that it’s a tool that should be reserved only for times when you see a legitimate hole in the other side’s argument. I do think mugglemage made good use of it, though.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
If arguing the hole in someone's argument
makes you the Devil’s Advocate, then what makes you the Devil’s Reject?
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 2:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Immediately Coming Up With A Counterpoint To Defeat Your Own Devil's Advocate Position
:)
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
ha
D-Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram and Turtle. Four Chiefs WRers. 4 Pro Bowlers.
by Patrick Allen on Jul 30, 2009 7:29 PM CDT up reply actions
To be a Devil's Reject.
If you don’t like what someone says you take them out.
Very strange movie.
Herm is gone things are better with that one move!!
by bringbacktheglory on Jul 30, 2009 11:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I Never Saw It
But the people I know who did said the same thing.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
LJ has no choice. He's run himself out of options.
He can stay in KC and help what seems to be a supremely competent new regime win or he can be traded to . . . who exactly is going to want him? Who’s going to want him with his level of productivity, salary and baggage? I think the Chiefs sought to free themselves of his guaranteed money not because they wanted to cut him but because they wanted the option to cut him (and all the motivational factors that go along with it). They are basically telling him he can stay in KC, play the game right, be a good citizen or get cut and lose millions of dollars.
And where did people get the idea that LJ responds well to in your face coaching? Herm was the antithesis of in your face coaching and LJ flipped out when Vermeil made the diapers comment. Hell, LJ’s dad was frequently calling Vermeil asking why LJ wasn’t playing. The whole family seems to not take criticism well.
Toby is in HR, which technically means he works for corporate, so he's really not a part of our family. Also, he's divorced, so he's really not a part of his family.
My observation
Is after he flipped out on Vermiel about the diapers, he proceeded to have two marvelous years. After being coddled by Herm while being run to death, he got his big contract and was coddled for two more years of no great production. Now we have a coach and assistant that are pushing him. Perhaps in-yer-face is not the proper name for it, but certainly not Herm style. If we can get him to earn his money, I’ll be pleased what ever style they use.
Chiefs go 9-7. LJ makes 1400 yards. DBowe makes 1200 yards. Defense #18.
Only Problem With That
If we can get him to earn his money, I’ll be pleased what ever style they use.
Is that for all of Vermeil’s tenure, Johnson was working under a really terrible contract (for him). The carrot for Johnson was a new contract, which enabled Vermeil and Herm (in his first year) to more effectively use the stick. But once Johnson got the contract, there was no carrot so he didn’t really care how much the coach used the stick. There was very little reason for Johnson to care what the coach said about him. Now he has no guaranteed money in his contract, so there’s a carrot for him again (getting that contract reinstated). If that happens, the carrot is again no longer there so Johnson won’t have to care what Haley has to say to him…he’ll still get his guaranteed money if the Chiefs dump him.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
One last point to remember
The Chiefs were successful in the breach of contract dispute, IF (and that’s still a big if) He is able to make it to the opening day roster, And get his contract re-guaranteed The Chiefs will most likely take the same action and get their money back. I think if he somehow BS’s his way through camp and gets his money back, it is my personal feeling he will revert back to the old LJ. Thus I think he will end up with a suspension either from the team or the league if not end up arrested again. I believe it is very important to find is replacement NOW, He is not the player I would be planing on long term as far as building a team around, his track record says it all. I look for the Chiefs to challenge his contract when it happens and win the case.
I know this seems like a negative post and in a way it is, I used to be a cop, I have seen this type of problem personality many times before, a tiger doesn’t change it’s stripes comes to mind. In the real world if a man assaults a woman once (reported) it usually means he has done it before and gotten away with it, and that he is more likely to assault a woman in the future. Dungy may be a life coach, but you can not fix another person unless they themselves really want that change and are ready to fight for it. And I just don’t see that in LJ.
Sorry for the long rant.
is it me? or isn't about time the Lamar Hunt trophy belonged to His team?
That's Exactly What I've Been Saying
Every time Johnson does one of his butthead stunts, he always goes apologetic for awhile, then eventually goes back to being the same old scumbag once he thinks he can get away with it again. No matter how nice he acts during training camp, he can’t be relied on to keep it up once he gets his contract back. He’s already shown that the contract is what he cares most about, not the good opinions of his teammates or his coaches or helping the team.
Predictions for 2009
1. Todd Haley's going to struggle with managing his staff in his rookie year as head coach.
2. The Lions will draft Matt Stafford, the Rams will draft Jason Smith, and the Chiefs will draft either Aaron Curry or Eugene Monroe.
3. Maurice Carthon will be the most hated man on the Chiefs' coaching staff within two years.
4. Larry Johnson has already played his last meaningful game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He's gone before the 2009 season starts.
5. Larry Johnson will gain 0 yards rushing for the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs.
6. The Chiefs will go 7-9 in 2009, good for 2nd in the AFC West.
7. Ryan Succop will not perform better in 2009 than Connor Barth did in 2008.
alright i read the whole darn comment trail and I am ready to comment
UC,
I agree with you on all points except him not being on the opening day roster. I do think if the guy gets his guaranteed money reinstated he will at some point during this season revert to Bad LJ (or is that “normal LJ”?)
Where we disagree is that I can’t envision the Chiefs coming this far with the guy just to boot him before the final cuts. I do understand where you are coming from though, and I would not at all be UNHAPPY if your prediction turns out to be accurate. I also can see the current lovefest just trying to generate enough good publicity that some sucker team might see him as a changed man. Although I do remember a report surfacing towards the end of the year from some anonymous GM saying every team is well aware of the cancer that is LJ, so would someone change their mind? I highly doubt it.
So let me end by saying, I hope you are right UC, but i think we are stuck with him.
"I will fight you!"
"What is your weapon?"
"My bare hands!"
"That is stupid. I will use a sword and I will cut off your bare hands."
I'm not much for butting in BUT.....
UC—you got this all right. I know this is your opinion about LJ—and pretty factual. I just can’t believe after all the years of this guy being a pain in the ass, doing nothing that a true chief fan just be inspired by, that there are so many people that still want him a part of this orginization. Even when he had a few good years, how could anyone root for him? He seriously needs to be off of this team and I hope you’re right in predicting that he gets cut.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
