Not to bash Herm, but

by DThomasReigns on Dec 2, 2007 7:47 PM CST

"Guys have to go out and make plays. It's all about making plays, it really is. It's about players being in position to make a catch, whatever it may be, or make a block on a guy. They have to do it. You put players in position to make plays and they have to do it."

We all have to admit we suck this year. If the West wasn't as bad as it is, we would have revolted Week 3.

But the above quote from kcchiefs.com regarding Herm's post-game conference after today's loss to the Chargers really has pushed me over the edge with him.

Herm has never (at least to my knowledge, feel free to prove me wrong) accepted responsibility for the terrible team fielded this year.

Usually, he credits the other team, speaks in circles, preaches about circumstances, then blames the players. He consistently, and repeatedly, has blamed the players for the outcome of our games.

He's right. It is the players' fault for running 3 draw plays in a row, with 3 timeouts, at the end of multiple halves. It is the players' fault for making personnel decisions (see QB. K, OL) that preclude us from doing ANYTHING to win games.

This season my feelings have been tepid regarding Herm. I have given him the benefit of the doubt.

He is one of the first head coaches I have heard in a very long time who has never accepted any responsibility for the failures of his team.

As a former Naval Flight Officer, who has led crews in 3 different wars, this is shameful.

To Herm...We backed into the playoffs last year, we have been progressively getting worse this season, yet you never take any blame as the Commanding Officer of this team. You are the LEADER. When things do not go well, DO NOT EVER BLAME YOUR TROOPS.

Take a look in the mirror, Herm. You are the one responsible for this team. A true Commanding Officer accepts the blame for his men's faults, and praises his men's accomplishments.

You blame the players for their failures and credit the other team's players for their accomplishments.

Try praising the men (as you make a point of calling them, yet refuse to act like one) instead of blaming them.

In my combat experience, and injury, they don't quit on you when the mission or the game is on the line.

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

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Comments

Nice analogy

People seem to forget about some of the stuff he actually says because we're all looking for the next "hermism"

by Chris Thorman on Dec 2, 2007 8:05 PM CST reply actions

Thanks, Chris.

I'll never pretend to be a head coach, but for a "sport" that constantly refers to itself as a battlefield and soldiers, this is offensive for a leader.

The leadership I wrote of above is true in business and in war.

Look at all of the the press conferences on kcchiefs.com from our losses. That quote is there in one form or another, and he never accepts responsibility.

That is unsatisfactory, especially for a leader who has been personally questioned as much as he has.

As a leader, he is a "blamer." Nothing has ever been his fault. He has never been there for his troops in the media.

That is why they fight for each other and not for him.

It is easy to get men to bleed for each other. It requires someone who bleeds for his men, to get them to bleed for him.

by DThomasReigns on Dec 2, 2007 8:24 PM CST up reply actions

RE:

http://arrowheadpride.com/story/2007/11/21/185249/17

(tick)

There's a reason the Chiefs play in MISSOURI.

by Ridiculous Matt on Dec 2, 2007 9:29 PM CST reply actions

Herm

Herm is no different than every other head coach or player in the league in that he is not supposed to air his dirty laundry publicly. He can not and will not point fingers to the media and fans because it does no good.

There are things internally with personnel (coachs and players) that has to be addressed this off season and we have known it since week 6, but theres nothing Herm, Peterson or anyone else can do about it mid-season.

The team stinks this year. It stinks from coaching decisions all the way down to execution by our star players (Tony G has had holding penalties in each of the last 3 games, Kennison dropping passes in the end zone, LJ not being able to run for 2 yards, etc).

Coaches deserve blame. There is no doubt. And Herm deserves his share. But even if they have the most ingenious game plan ever devised, if good players at key positions are missing or if the players fail to execute, how can you keep heaping blame upon blame on the head coach?

The Chiefs played well last year under Herm and lost some tough games. But that's no different than any other NFL coach not named Bill Bellichik or Tony Dungy.

This year the Chiefs are having a rough patch. But even Shottenheimer and Vermeil had 12 loss seasons.

I hate being the "Herm Defender", I really do. Because he does make dumb decisions from time to time. And the buck stops at the head coach. If other parts of the team or coaching staff are failing, he's the one that will get the flack from the fans and media.

But as we seem to keep forgetting...

This is a rebuilding year. I can remember dozens of posts on this message board and many others of fans saying they would gladly suffer through even a COUPLE of losing seasons to rebuild if it meant we would have a shot at the Super Bowl and not just losing the first game of the playoffs.

Well we're here. Rebuilding. We suck and are losing. Its painful to watch. But we would be even WORSE off starting all over again.

Sometimes you have to go through surgery to remove the cancer. The surgery is painful and causes alot of discomfort for you and your family. But without it you would slowly waste away and die.

Only by going through the temporary pain can you recover and go back to normal.

The Chiefs must suffer surgery on our team if we will ever become more than average.

by DJ @ Arrowhead Pride on Dec 3, 2007 7:43 AM CST reply actions

"I did a TERRIBLE job"

I definitely agree with your analogy, but judging from that pre-season gem I assume Herm takes responsibility for his team's performance. Honestly though, he's pretty all over the place with explaining losing. I agree with the rebuilding thought too. Well worth the price of breaking the cycle.

by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on Dec 3, 2007 8:36 AM CST reply actions

I agree

and I am willing to sit through seasons like this one in terms of wins and losses in order to get better. And hopefully Herm's genius plan will come to fruition and the result will be a Super Bowl and a whole lot of apologies from me and the rest of the "Herm-haters" (or as I like to call them, "people that hate bad coaching").

But if we had gone toe to toe with a team on the road, played tough and smart, executed but not enough due to not having personnel, I'd feel fine. Even if we'd lost by 14.

But we came out, at home, where we have a great tradition of excellence, and continued what can only be considered one of the poorest offensive showings by a team in the last 5 years. Personally I don't think having a left tackle, a corner, and a reliable second receiver would have altered the game all that much.

I'm excited for the rebuilding process. As painful as it is to watch the defense have to suffer the results of the offense, they're a joy to watch play. Kolby Smith plays like a great rookie back. And DBowe is DBowe.

It's a situation where I'm willing to take the hard road to glory, that's how it goes (unless you're the Patriots and make a deal with Satan). But it feels like we forked off onto the long road, and now Herm is driving us through the gutter, occasionally slamming us into the thorn hedges on the side and aiming for potholes.

There's a reason the Chiefs play in MISSOURI.

by Ridiculous Matt on Dec 3, 2007 9:48 AM CST reply actions

Great analogy

and thank you for serving our country it is because of you guy's that we are able to write on this site and the freedom to watch football on Sundays.God bless the USA!

by Eric @ Arrowhead Pride on Dec 3, 2007 6:50 PM CST reply actions