Dear Clark,
You’re forty-three years old. Forty-three is a difficult age in a young man’s life. Your body is growing. You’re getting hair in places you never thought you would. Your hormones are changing. You’ve probably noticed that young women are starting to look at you differently too. It’s all pretty confusing, isn’t it? It’s okay, because we’re here for you if you need to talk. But even if you don’t want to talk about it, more than anything else we just want to make sure that you’re making smart, rational decisions. You’ve got a lot of options open to you that weren’t there before, and your mother and I want to make sure you do the right thing. And just in case you’re not sure what that is, I’ll tell you: Don’t Hire Mike Shanahan.
Mike Shanahan probably looks like exactly the kind of guy you need in your life right now. He’s got all that flashy jewelry. He vacations in Aspen. He doesn’t have a job, so he has a lot of free time. But trust me when I tell you this: he’s bad news. Here are six reasons why:
Reason #1: Mike Shanahan is nothing without John Elway.
It stands to reason that any head coach separated from a Hall Of Fame quarterback with ten Pro Bowl appearances will likely field a less winning team. We’re seeing that principle in action in Green Bay this season: a 13-3 team last season with Brett Favre at the helm is a 6-10 team with Aaron Rodgers, despite the fact that Rodgers is himself a fine quarterback. The team should improve with Rodgers next year and the year after, but the degree to which they improve will depend largely on Mike McCarthy’s coaching.
So let’s compare apples to apples. Shanahan lost Elway to retirement at the end of the 1998 season. Mike Holmgren lost Brett Favre when he took over in Seattle at the end of the 1998 season. Each has ten seasons now without their Hall Of Fame, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. In that span Shanahan has 91 regular season wins. Holmgren has 86. Advantage: Shanahan, right?
Not really. Holmgren inherited a franchise that was mired in a culture of losing. Prior to his arrival their last winning season was 1990. That’s eight straight years of .500 or worse football. Denver, on the other hand, had five winning seasons in the same time frame. Moreover, to find eight seasons of .500 or worse football in Denver (counting back from 1998), one would have to go all the way back to 1975. Shanahan needed only maintain status quo. Holmgren had to change a mindset. The Seahawks came into the league in 1977. Prior to Holmgren’s arrival the franchise had only eight winning seasons. In one decade he added another seven.
Advantage: Holmgren.
Reason #2: Mike Shanahan is nothing without John Elway, especially in the playoffs.
In the past ten years Shanahan’s Broncos have posted six winning seasons and made four playoff appearances. Particularly after this past season, most Chiefs fans would mortgage their souls for six winning seasons and four playoff appearances in the course of a decade. That makes Shanahan a good fit, right?
Wrong. With Elway, Shanahan is 7-1 in postseason action. Without him he’s 1-4. If the Chiefs are content with one playoff win per decade, they’re better off sticking with Herm Edwards–in five years with the Jets his playoff record was 2-3.
Reason #3: Without John Elway, Mike Shanahan probably won’t even get you to the playoffs.
With Elway, Shanahan’s mean average season record was 12-4. Sans Elway it’s 9-7. I’d rather have a coach that charged full steam into the postseason rather than unceremoniously backing into it.
Reason #4: Finally winning again in Denver isn’t a logical argument.
So it’s been a little while since the Chiefs have won in Denver; nine seasons, to be exact. It was Gunther Cunningham’s 2000 team–the same one that gave that 1-15 San Diego team its only victory–that won last at Invesco High. But hey, Mike Shanahan has been winning there for 14 years (or longer, if you count his tenure as Elway’s personal assistant in the mid-’80s). He could probably help us win there again too, right?
Well yeah, probably. But the flip side of that argument is this: Shanahan has four wins at Arrowhead. Fifteen attempts. Four wins. I know four wins sounds like a lot after this season, but it’s not. If the basis of the argument is a coach’s ability to win in one stadium versus another, give me Frank Gansz. He hasn’t lost in either city in over twenty years.
Reason #5: Mike Shanahan can’t draft.
Pop Quiz: How many players drafted by Mike Shanahan in this decade have been to a Pro Bowl?
Answer: Three. Clinton Portis, Deltha O’Neal, and Ian Gold.
Pop Quiz: How many of those players still play in Denver?
Answer: None.
Fortune Cookie Says: Catch and release good for fishing, but not good for building franchise. If the team’s goal is to build through the draft rather than free agency, bringing in a FA-oriented guy like Shanahan would be counterproductive. Shanahan is a poor evaluator of talent, and the occasional talent he finds he tends to squander (remember O’Neal at wide receiver?). He hasn’t shown any great propensity for developing young talent either. He is what he is: a decent manager of veteran players. We’re not a veteran team. Let him go to one of the league’s retirement homes…. I’ll bet he’d fit in real nice with the Jets.
Reason #6: Capitalism.
Arrowhead used to be famous for its Sea of Red. Lately it’s becoming infamous for its Seats of Red. I know the team is $30 million under the cap. That’s probably a good thing, given how much revenue is lost when those seats go empty more often than not. Consider the general disgust presently pervading the Chiefs fan base. Now consider the current condition of the economy. Now consider how many more seats might go empty if you brought aboard the most hated man in the AFC West. In the Chiefs Nation, Carl Peterson has a higher approval rating than Mike Shanahan. Hell, Scott Peterson has a higher approval rating than Mike Shanahan.
I don’t doubt that on some level you love the game, though I doubt you love it the way your dearly departed father loved it. At heart your true passion is business. Strictly as a business decision, don’t bring in the guy your customers hate the most.
So there it is: don’t hire Mike Shanahan. Denver is his Moby Dick, and I’d rather the Chiefs not be the vessel whose crew he’ll sacrifice in the name of his frenzied one-legged vengeance. Let the Rat crawl in some other hole. Maybe he can go to Detroit and feast on cheese twice a year.
Totally agree. I think he is a good coach, but I don’t want him anywhere close to KC.
Comment by Travis — January 1, 2009 @ 2:12 pm
I agree that we shouldn’t bring in Mike Shanahan, but how can you say how Clark feels, or question his passion for the Chiefs. You don’t know the guy nor did you know Lamar, so shut your foolishness up.
Comment by Chief Tom — January 1, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
YEAH IA AGREE TO NO MIKE SHANAHAN DENVER WOULD HATE THAT LET HIM GO TO THE RAIDERS OR SOME WHERE ELSE
Comment by Michael Diedrich — January 1, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
Michael D.-
Shanahan used to coach the Raiders, then Al Davis fired him. Shanahan and Al Davis don’t like each other at all.
Comment by Chief Tom — January 1, 2009 @ 8:54 pm
Shanahans 10 times better than what we have now but i agree i dont want to see him in red and gold.
Comment by chefs — January 1, 2009 @ 9:59 pm
the send him to sandeago
Comment by Michael Diedrich — January 2, 2009 @ 1:38 am
“I don’t want to see him in Red and Gold”. Then you will continue to be losers. The Chiefs suck. This would be an unbelievably bold move and a coup for KC and yet most Chiefs say they don’t want him. Enjoy losing!
Comment by JadeRose — January 2, 2009 @ 8:11 am
You all hate Shanahan because he beats you year after year. He also beats Oakland and San Diego (usually) and he couldn’t be more of an insider to beat the Bronco’s. Stick with what you got…it’s working out well for you.
Comment by JadeRose — January 2, 2009 @ 8:14 am
JadeRose – Since 1994, KC is 15-15 against Denver in regular season games. Not exactly the beat-down you were describing.
Shanahan is a guy who wants to beat Oakland and now Denver just as bad as Chiefs fans do. He’s not on my list, but I do like the fact that he now hates our rivals as much as we do. Anyway, looks like we’re going to be stuck with the Herm experiment for another year.
Comment by Jeff in VA — January 2, 2009 @ 8:37 am
I’d rather have Shannahans grandmother than this dumb mother we have coaching us now. Did you notice the empty seats at Arrowhead the last couple of games. Maybe next year if Tony gets his way and we keep Herm, Tony can buy all the seats to watch him catch his nine balls a game even though the Chiefs will once again be the laughing stock of the league. Herms plan, like he really has one, is similar to Carls five year plan. In six years with losing records he’ll still be making excuses and dropping the rebuilding card. If Clark doesn’t wake up the Chiefs have gotten my last dollar at Arrowhead!
Comment by mark f. — January 3, 2009 @ 8:01 am
Jade Rose, think before you speak dumbass
Comment by Chief Tom — January 3, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
,,!,, Mike Shanahan ,,!,,
Comment by Marques — January 3, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
“Jade Rose, think before you speak dumbass”
LOL….I did. I’m not a lifelong resident of Misery so I can have a little clarity of thought. One of the worst things that I’ve encountered since coming here is being subjected to the awfulness of the Chiefs week after week. They need to blow that whole team apart. They are NOT “one or two players” from being good. They are terrible and will continue to be unless somebody (Hunt) grows a pair. I’m not hater. I’d love to see them get good. They are a long way from that.
Comment by JadeRose — January 3, 2009 @ 7:45 pm
i agree jaderose, we are a LONG way from being good and if we think that Thigpen and Herm are our saviors we are in deep trouble.
Comment by mark f. — January 4, 2009 @ 12:31 am
This article is interesting for a couple minutes or so…..
Shanahan Makes Sense For Chiefs
http://kan.scout.com/2/827395.html
Comment by Kansas City Krusher — January 5, 2009 @ 8:08 am
The chiefs aren’t going to fire Herm. They have confidence that he can still rebuild this team. They need a good draft like last year, fire cunningham, and get lucky in a few games. they have good defensive players, just not the right defensive coach.They also need a line. if the get a line larry johnson, (if he isn’t a dumba$$ and get suspended), will get back to what he did a few years back, and thigpen will have more time to throw and have a chance to be good.
Comment by Jake H. — January 6, 2009 @ 1:32 pm
My freaking comments keep getting erased off of here because I threw an insult at Jade Rose. Warpath, why are you taking up for the Bronco loving Jade Rose? My insult wasn’t even that bad, not even any cussing in it, yet you took it off twice! Is there no freedom of speech on this web-site?
Comment by Chief Tom — January 9, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
I know this will be deleted after five seconds but I want whoever that wrote this to read this loud and clear.
I want you to ask yourself. Who is the best coach in the AFC West? Herman Edwards, Norv Turner, Mike Shannahan, Lane Kiffin or the Cable guy in Oakland?
Mike Shannahan, and if you say anything different you are a complete idiot.
I’m a Jaguars fan, and I’ll tall you one hundred percent that Tony Dungy is the best coach in the AFC South. So sticking with your simopsis, Tony Dungy would be NOTHING without Peyton Manning? No. EVERYBODY knew about Tony Dungy before Wonderboy Peyton Manning.
Let me get this straight. You would RATHER have one of the worst coaches many NFL fans have ever seen in Herman Edwards coach your favorite team, rather than Mike Shannahan.
Listen. Forget about Shannahan being an enenmy for so many years. I’m a jaguars fan, and if for soem reason Del Rio got fired, I would LOVE to have Tony Dungy, a FORMER ENEMEY, AKA Mike Shannanhan, be our coach.
Ravens Browns, and Bengals fans… They would hate to have Bill Cowher come coach their team becuase he’s been an enemy for so long? This is the most ignorant post on a website i’ve ever seen.
Shannahan would be a hell of a lot better than the high and mighty Herman Edwards
Comment by Josh Elliott — January 10, 2009 @ 1:20 pm
Josh,
I agree with your post, however you have to dig deeper into where (I believe) the feelings are in that letter. Shanahan is the best coach in the AFC West, I agree with you. The problem is one of two things are happening with him. He is declining in his ability to stay up to date with today’s game and schemes (which I seriosuly doubt) or B, he is just terrible when it comes to the draft and managing his defense. Denver is statistically bad at drafting players. They have about 1 good player out of each draft, while the past 2 years have been much better then others (hence why their offense is getting a lot better) and why they again lead the AFC West
Defensively, Shanahan doesn’t know a damn thing about how stop the other team. Nuff said about that, and being a KC fan I love playing this team because we always win (at home at least) due to their defense being even worse than ours.
If Shanahan had a great upper management staff for player evaluation and a great D-Coodinator who he let run the defense (someone like Jim Johnson or Spagnuolo, Rex Ryan, etc) then I think he could be the best coach out there and if KC had these pieces in place I would not be upset about it 1 bit. Shanahan was trying to solo the show in Denver and it punched him in the face repeatedly until his best friend and team owner had no other choice but to let him go.
Comment by RednGold4LIFE — January 10, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
Hey Josh, I got 10 words of wisdom for you. Go back to the Jaguars website, you don’t know s**t.
I don’t want Herm Edwards, and I sure as HELL don’t want Shanarat as our head coach either. You are not in the AFC West and do not know it as well as we do (obviously) so shut up and concentrate on your own team THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN.
Comment by Chief Tom — January 11, 2009 @ 12:06 am
so do you delete all the comments that disagree with your ignorant posts?
Comment by Josh Elliott — January 11, 2009 @ 9:55 am
Bronco loving? LOL…hardly…..in reality, I’m a Packer fan so that pretty much precludes me from liking the Broncos. I have no problem with the Chiefs other than the fact that they suck azz. I live here now and would like to see them better. Shanahan offers a better chance of that than Herm..period. Frankly, I am astonished to see that KC wouldn’t want “Shanarat”. Well…Enjoy being losers.
Comment by JadeRose — January 11, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
well jade rose u calling us losers? even though the packers won a lot more games then us, what happened to them in the second half of the season? at least we gain something: a good draft pick.You enjoy rodgers and the choke artist packers. all im goin to say….
Comment by jake h — January 11, 2009 @ 8:21 pm
Ya know what jake? You’re right..and I apologize for the loser remark. I would love to see the Chiefs get better and think it will take a bold move to get them there. Is Shanarat the answer? Maybe not..but neither are baby steps. If they aren’t willing to do something bold then they will always get what they always got….and yes…the Packers faded, but at least they were able to tell Favre to take a hike when it came time. For that, I am proud of them.
Comment by JadeRose — January 12, 2009 @ 5:02 am
To all that have posted that Shanahan is a better coach than herm………..DUH!!! there are currently 31 head coaches in the nfl that are better coaches than herm, and probably 31 ball boys in the nfl that can coach better that herm.!!!! but the fact of the matter is, shanahan is not welcome in KC. we do not want him. we want a good young coach that can COACH!!
Comment by Dennis — January 12, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
Josh,
I have to give you a little crap. I have been a Chiefs fan for almost 30 years, thick or thin, and I have lived in Jacksonville, FL for the last 6 years. I have tried my butt off to be a jag fan but I can’t deal with the fans in this town. This town can’t support a franchise longer than the next 3 years! I wanted to like them, living here, because it’s so accessible and much cheaper than it is to be a season ticket holder in KC, (which i still hold). They give tickets away here like it’s a college basketball game in the south! You want to talk about coaches? I tried to support Jack Del Rio. He is a KU Alum and an ex-Chiefs player but he sucks as a coach and the only reason he hasn’t been let go is because the jags can’t afford it within their cap. Don’t get me started about “in the right place at the right time” Tony Dungy. You obviously have not been an NFL fan for very long. Shanahan is not the answer to The Kansas City Chiefs, nor is Edwards. The answer I believe lies in NY in Spagnuolo.
Comment by jaxchiefs — January 14, 2009 @ 12:13 am