Required Reading: Joe Posnanski On Chiefs GM Scott Pioli

If you were looking for someone to write a profile on Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli -- and you can pick anyone in the world -- Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated, and formerly of the Kansas City Star, would likely be on the list. He is, in my mind, one of the great writers of our generation and someone that Kansas Citians may take for granted since we had him in KC for so many years. Plus, as a Chiefs fan, you'd pick him because it's impossible for him to write a short story so there would be lots and lots of Chiefs goodness.

Well, Posnanski did do that story and it did turn into required reading and, indeed, it is long. Here's a snippet of a part I liked but you really do need to read the entire thing.

"I've been part of winners," Pioli says, "and I've been part of losers. I've seen every side of this thing." He sits behind the big desk, and tears are in his eyes, and he points at the wall with the rest of the Winesburg, Ohio quote.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in the car seat. He stayed that way for a long time and when he aroused himself and looked out of the car window the town of Winesburg had disappeared and his life there had become but a background on which to paint the dreams of his manhood.

"You know, there are a lot of ways to win," Pioli said. "But there's only one way for me to win and be proud of winning." And then Scott Pioli apologized for getting emotional, and he stood up and took the long walk around his desk and toward the coaches' offices, and went back to work.

Just go read the whole thing but carve some time out because it's long.

And, yes, the desk really is that big.

(H/T jbhj8609 and Arrowheadlines)