Scott Pioli, Two Former Chiefs Honored By The Sporting News

by Joel Thorman on Sep 28, 2009 9:25 PM CDT in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Campaign

Note by Joel: I had this scheduled to run earlier today but realized I didn't, you know, actually schedule it. So here is your belated post.

A Kansas City Chiefs executive and two former players were honored today by The Sporting News. GM Scott Pioli was awarded Executive of the Decade for his work with the Patriots from 2000-2008. Former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez and kick returner Dante Hall also made the all-decade list.

Here is the complete list:

Athlete of the decade: Peyton Manning, Colts QB, over Tom Brady, Patriots QB
Coach of the decade: Bill Belichick, Patriots
Team of the decade: Patriots
Game of the decade: Super Bowl 42: Giants 17, Patriots 14
All-decade team offense: WR Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss; T Walter Jones and Jonathan Ogden; G Alan Faneca and Steve Hutchinson; C Jeff Saturday; TE Tony Gonzalez; QB Peyton Manning; FB Lorenzo Neal; RB LaDainian Tomlinson
All-decade team defense: DE Michael Strahan and Jason Taylor; DT Richard Seymour and Casey Hampton; OLB Derrick Brooks and Joey Porter; MLB Ray Lewis; CB Champ Bailey and Ronde Barber; S Brian Dawkins and Ed Reed.
All-decade team specialists: K Adam Vinatieri; P Shane Lechler; KR Dante Hall; PR Devin Hester
Executive of the decade: Scott Pioli, Patriots/Chiefs

Scott Pioli's success with the Patriots has been well documented so that's not much of a surprise. He's received various other honors as well.

Tony Gonzalez is far and away the best tight end to ever play the game so this is another non-surprise.

Dante Hall was electrifying during his time with the Chiefs in the pre-Devin Hester era. He scored in four consecutive games, an NFL record. Even more impressive, I remember each one of his touchdowns in those games was eventually the difference maker.

Congratulations to Mr. Pioli and these two former Chiefs.

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Comments

Joel, great post as usual, but please ... please ... please

can you find another picture of Pioli? every time I see that one I wonder “what the hell is he licking off his hand and how did it get there to begin with?”

kudos to Dante, TonyG and the rest (and you got it – TonyG, simply THE best ever)

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Sep 28, 2009 9:32 PM CDT reply actions

I know

There are few Pioli pictures out there so they’ve just been exhausted. We have a pool of Associated Press photo to which we’re given access…..TWO Pioli pictures.

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Sep 28, 2009 9:53 PM CDT up reply actions

TWO?!? wow, how VERY generous of them! LOL - thanks, Joel

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Sep 28, 2009 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions

This is just a very minor point, but

I have noticed the pics used from the Associated Press (the wannabe AP) keep using the same pics.

Not just this one of Pioli, but has happened with other posts too.

What about the twinkie?

"All praise Chiefus."

by DThomasReigns on Sep 28, 2009 9:33 PM CDT reply actions

Pretty sure Pioli is a hermit

by butchcassidy on Sep 28, 2009 9:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Ha!

The only known pic of Pioli left allowed in the press. :)

What about the twinkie?

"All praise Chiefus."

by DThomasReigns on Sep 28, 2009 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah

There’s just not a ton of pictures out there honestly, especially of Pioli. We use the AP photos as often as possible because people can then click the picture and cycle through other photos (if they want).

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Sep 28, 2009 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions

reminder

were in good hands..its only been three games no need to hit the panic button

by dwil2009 on Sep 28, 2009 9:34 PM CDT reply actions

We had good hands

Too bad they are in Atlanta :(

RIP Bodhi - Not tragic to die doing what you love. You want the ultimate thrill, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price.

by craig in calgary on Sep 28, 2009 9:38 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

those hands

will be retired in two or three years..ill take the second round pick

by dwil2009 on Sep 28, 2009 9:45 PM CDT reply actions

Also had

Great pass rusher(Allen)
Great center(Weigeman, sorry if misspelled)
Great FB(Richardson)
Good LB depth(Kawika, Fox, Fujita)
Good kicker(tynes)

and we STILL can’t fill these! Frustrating

by KCinIL on Sep 28, 2009 9:47 PM CDT reply actions

Tynes is nothing to write home about

the guy is mediocre

by CALIFAN1986 on Sep 28, 2009 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions

He's a pretty accurate kicker

but Succop’s got a better leg for sure. I don’t miss Lawrence much.

However, this team could immensely use Tony Gonzalez, Jared Allen and Tony Richardson. Oh well…

by u2nspenserfan on Sep 29, 2009 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm snapping a new pic of Pioli on Sunday...

…if it kills me.

I have good memories of Dante Hall. I remember an eight game stretch where they would not kick to him. It was neat.

by GonzosDirtyTrailer on Sep 28, 2009 9:51 PM CDT reply actions

Why no DT?

Don't blame me, I voted for content of character.

by paratrooper on Sep 28, 2009 9:53 PM CDT reply actions

Wrong decade

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Sep 28, 2009 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions

hall was great

but his numbers went off a cliff when gansz jr left…coincidence? no…he knew how to put together the perfect wedge.

it should say D.Hall Feat: Gary Stills, the wedge unit, and Frank Gansz.

by SDChief on Sep 28, 2009 10:00 PM CDT reply actions

Executive of the Decade

It’s kind of pathetic that Peterson got about 18 years on the job before many people really even questioned him, but the NFL executive of the decade who inherited Carl’s mess has been here three games and some people are already ripping him for ridiculous BS like being “arrogant.”

I haven’t agreed with all his moves either, but the point is, he has an impressive track record and deserves the benefit of the doubt. If after a couple of years he hasn’t been able to clean up Peterson’s mess, then he should and will get ripped. But it’s been three games for a team that was horrible last year.

This “ego” and “arrogance” garbage being spewed by the fat man is not just stupid and unfair, but irrelevant. Pioli can be the most egotistical, arrogant jerk in the world if he delivers the same trophies to KC that he delivered to New England.

And by the way, who is actually more arrogant: the blowhard who wastes column after column trying to rip the Executive of the Decade for being mean to him and not giving him inside info and quotes; or the GM with three trophies who wants to do things his way when trying to rebuild a crappy team?

by Offense of the 70s on Sep 29, 2009 7:33 AM CDT reply actions

Well..

I won’t defend Whitlock at all, but I thought he was mostly harping on Haley, and saying that with all of the attitude coming from the front office, they better deliver a better product on the field. I happen to agree with that at least to some extent – not necessarily that we should be a playoff team this year, but that the product on the field should improve. For example:

If Haley is so much about discipline and is good at instilling it, we should have less penalties and mental errors. We have seen basically no change.

If Haley is demanding of the players’ execution, he needs to be demanding of his own execution, namely get the plays in on time. He struggled in the Raider game with it, and then again in the Eagle game. Should never, ever, ever happen.

These are the kinds of improvement people are looking for. Really, it’s not much to ask of a professional football team and coaching staff to:
a) Play like a professional team, and show some pride of workmanship. and
b) Coach like a professional coaching staff.

I do give Pioli a pass on the personnel to some extent because he came in late and the cupboard was bare to start with. What I, and a lot of other Chiefs fans, find discouraging is that the product on the field is not any better than last year AT ALL. There is no improvement. Period. We want to see something encouraging, and there just isn’t anything right now. In fact, the inability to get plays called is a new way to fail.

Does all of this mean we can’t ever be good? No… but if these issues continue into next season, the fanbase is going to really start depleting.

by u2nspenserfan on Sep 29, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions

You make sense, Dimwhitlock doesn't

You make good points, and I agree with them.

I’m particularly disappointed in the mental errors. I expected a lot better from Pioli players, but it’s got to turn around. It’s too early to judge the coach or the GM now, and will be for a while.

But Whitlock doesn’t make any points, he’s not reasonable at all, and he doesn’t care about the team at all. He’s just trying to stir up crap to get attention, and to arrogantly and egotistically try to show the new guys they’d better give him access and be nice to him or else he’ll bury them.

by Offense of the 70s on Sep 29, 2009 1:15 PM CDT reply actions