The Kansas City Chiefs went through a major transition after the 2008 season when longtime general manager Carl Peterson resigned and GM Scott Pioli was hired. The management style of Pioli, team president Mark Donovan and owner Clark Hunt was examined in this behind-the-scenes look at the organization by Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star.
Former Chiefs Coach Wondered If Team Facility Was Bugged
Babb writes that some feel the new regime of the Chiefs has created a culture of intimidation and secrecy, citing at least 24 former or current Chiefs’ employees as sources. Some said the working environment was just fine while others cited examples of an extreme attention to detail and even paranoia.
Perhaps the most jarring anecdote was one that had former coach Todd Haley thinking the team facility was bugged.
Looking up toward the ceiling, he darted into a back hallway before hesitating. Then he turned around, going back through a door and stopping again. Haley suspected that many rooms at the team facility were bugged so that team administrators could monitor employees’ conversations. Stopping finally in a conference room, Haley said he believed his personal cellphone, a line he used before being hired by the Chiefs in 2009, had been tampered with.
The Chiefs denied doing this. Donovan said Hunt’s vision was an organization based on integrity and accountability.
SB Nation’s Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride, runs monthly approval ratings and the numbers show both owner Hunt and Pioli are at their lowest approval ratings since arriving in Kansas City. This story likely won’t help their perception.
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