LNBS: Why were the Chiefs bad in the 1980s?

[Best22]

Looking at the roster they had a good secondary (Albert Lewis, Deron Cherry, Kevin Ross, Lloyd Burress) and the receiving corps seemed pretty nice (Stephon Paige, Carlos Carson, Henry Marshall).

I know they never had a great quarterback but I feel like I’m missing something. For the fans who remember, why did they suck?

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Woogieman

Fans loved Kenney

George Blowfish on line 1.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by Woogieman

When Jack Steadman was named GM in 1966, the NFL was more a car club than a multi-billion $ enterprise...guys with money getting together, show off their cars, but was more of a reason to drink a few beers and show off their status. Hunt ran the Chiefs like this his entire life, he did not have the same drive to win as Al Davis et al, and hired business buddies with little to no football background to run the org. His scouting dept. literally knew as much as you and I about college football with the info we currently have. Drafts were abysmal, there was no focus on QB (even though all the SB champs of the era had HoF QBs)...drafting so high every year, you could hardly miss out on talent, but without a comprehensive rebuild plan like Parcells brought to the moribund Giants, they just floundered year after year. Several franchises did. I think it was Bill Walsh, Parcells, and Joe Gibbs that demonstrated to the league that they will anally rape you in the SB if you don't have a top notch scouting/personell dept., a HC that is also a highly organized CEO, and get a QB capable of running an efficient offense without TOs.

In the decade of the 80s, only Thiesmann and McMahon weren't multi-SB champs, and only the Bears didn't have a multi SB HC.

I'm too young to have witnessed it, but this is the thoughts my family always left me with. The organization did not make the transition out of the good old boys cigar club era and into the more modern management era fast enough and it set them back at least a decade. So much of the league was changing and growing during that time and anyone who was slow to react got left behind.

[Shiver Me Timbers]

Originally Posted by LagunaSWana

He's been mentioned, but my very 1st thought when seeing this thread title was Todd Blackledge. Not blaming him personally, but just picking him over QBs that had great careers. That pick set the franchise back a decade.

I personally blame Blacksludge. As I mentioned previously he was/is a grifter. Look at him in the booth. The guy is greasy and sounds like he should be selling high mileage used cars. And it was a hell of a lot more than a decade.

Disclaimer-
I have an "unhealthy" hate for the guy according to my son.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Shiver Me Timbers

I personally blame Blacksludge. As I mentioned previously he was/is a grifter. Look at him in the booth. The guy is greasy and sounds like he should be selling high mileage used cars. And it was a hell of a lot more than a decade.

Disclaimer-
I have an "unhealthy" hate for the guy according to my son.

9 out of 10 times when someone fails like that it's an organization problem. Like a Bears fan could say man we took Trubisky over Mahomes, when realistically Mahomes probably isn't Mahomes if he goes there.

[KingPriest2]

Originally Posted by philfree

At this point this shit should be buried to never be spoke of a again. Much like a certain kicker. We're on the verge of a 3-peat for Christ sakes so lock this thread. Romper it! Delete it!

NA. We Actuslly started winning when we started saying LIN Elliot. Can’t forget where we came from

[Shiver Me Timbers]

Originally Posted by Mecca

9 out of 10 times when someone fails like that it's an organization problem. Like a Bears fan could say man we took Trubisky over Mahomes, when realistically Mahomes probably isn't Mahomes if he goes there.

True but-
The guy had the talent. It was not the organization. It was his motivation. He did not give a damn about playing football. You could tell it by the way he practiced and played.

[KingPriest2]

1981. You mean. 1982 we went 3-6. Strike year.

[KingPriest2]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Without reading all the posts, much of the blame goes to Hank Stram for not bringing on new talent and sticking with the older guys too long until they were done.

They had poor luck drafting Lenny Dawson's replacement. Steve Fuller and Todd Blackledge, both first round picks, were a horrible busts.

The Head Coach choices were pathetic, Marv Levy brought on the winged T which was an embarrassment. John Mackovic was horrible, Frank Ganz was a great special teams coach but not head coach.

Marty was such a welcome relief.

Sram? Lol He was gone way before the 80s. He was not the reason why. Wow o can see the 70s. But not the 80s

[Shiver Me Timbers]

Mecca wrote something that made me think-
Organization-
As a long (long long) time fan of the Kansas City Chiefs (now living in Donk tard land)............
Sometimes I take for granted how special Andy Reid really is.
Same goes for the Hunt family.

Living thru what has been discussed in this thread- We are blessed today.

[JohnnyV13]

Well, u don't need George. I am old enough to remember. When I was 5 years old Jim Tyrer used to live across the street, and Fred Arbanas lived one block away. Jan Stenerud was a patient of my Dad's as well as Vince Costellio, who was the MLB for the Browns during the Jim Brown Era and was the Chiefs d-coordinator in the late 70s.

My father's medical office was also in the same building as Chiefs team doctor Jon Browne in the late 80s and through the 90s.

I've been a Chiefs fan forever.

The biggest reason the Chiefs failed in the 80s can be summed up in two words: Jim Schaaf.

He was the GM after Jack Steadman and kept the job until Carl Petersrn came in 1989. Schaaf was terrible. Just look at the drafts.

Not only did they blow the Blackledge pick (over Jim Kelly and Dan Marino, Marv Levy wanted a mobile qb and Schaaf took Steve Fuller over Joe Montana (who was quite mobile when young and had just won a national title at Notre Dame). Teams passed on Montana bc he didn't have ideal size and had a mediocre arm.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by JohnnyV13

The biggest reason the Chiefs failed in the 80s can be summed up in two words: Jim Schaaf.

He was the GM after Jack Steadman and kept the job until Carl Petersrn came in 1989. Schaaf was terrible. Just look at the drafts.

Yea. I think he just drew names out of a hat. 🎩

[Bl00dyBizkitz]

Originally Posted by Mecca

9 out of 10 times when someone fails like that it's an organization problem. Like a Bears fan could say man we took Trubisky over Mahomes, when realistically Mahomes probably isn't Mahomes if he goes there.

As someone who didn't live through the 70s and 80s, these anecdotes just confirm my beliefs for why current middling franchises are where they are - ownership and management.

Being burned by a bad QB in the first round can set you back years, but purposefully avoiding a first round QB because of that one mistake is a mindset that will set you back decades. Combine that with the list of coaches we had until we got Marty, and it all starts to make sense.

[Shiver Me Timbers]

Originally Posted by Bl00dyBizkitz

As someone who didn't live through the 70s and 80s, these anecdotes just confirm my beliefs for why current middling franchises are where they are - ownership and management.

Being burned by a bad QB in the first round can set you back years, but purposefully avoiding a first round QB because of that one mistake is a mindset that will set you back decades. Combine that with the list of coaches we had until we got Marty, and it all starts to make sense.

All true but I still hate Todd B.
oh and Jerry Jones says hey

[Bl00dyBizkitz]

Originally Posted by Shiver Me Timbers

All true but I still hate Todd B.
oh and Jerry Jones says hey

I told a buddy of mine who's a Cowboys fan that franchise won't go anywhere until Jerry kicks the can.

[Woogieman]

Originally Posted by warpaint*

My father always said Kinney’s numbers were inflated with garbage yards playing catch up while the other team played the clock with a lead. He thought he was meh.

Undoubtedly regardless he never had adequate help.

They were certainly playing catch up most of the time, and he may have looked better due to the era, but in 1983 (his best season), he was #2 in passing yards (272 yds/game), 112 yards behind Lynn Dickey, but had 11 fewer INTs. He never matched those numbers again, and I don't think he ever played a full season due to injury. He had some are talent, especially the deep ball.