Amidst All the New, There Just Had to Be Some Old

I like to think of my self as a renaissance guy. I'm nostalgic. I like bringin' up old shit from time to time. But in this new-forming identity of the Kansas City Chiefs, I was afraid that there would eventually be one move of which I was not a fan, and that move happened today when the Chiefs announced that former Arizona Cardinals Defensive Coordinator would become the DC for the Chiefs. I've got some thoughts on the decision, and we'll get into those just as soon as you click into the land of jump.

For starters, this past NFL post-season was maybe the first stretch of playoffs in which I was able to catch (at least significant portions) of every game, and I became a huge bandwagon fan of the Buzzsaw on Wildcard Weekend. I thought it an impressive move to surprise the Atlanta Falcons with a heavy dose of Edgerrin James in order to setup pass plays to Larry Fitzgerald. I also thought that their defense was pretty impressive, especially against offenses that spent most of the season successfully scoring points. In that defensive regard, I felt that Pendergast was perhaps a largely underrated coordinator. To be the guy responsible for scheming against Michael Turner, DeAngelo Stewart, Brian Westbrook and each of their respective quarterback-and-receiver teammates is no small task, but getting to a Super Bowl never has been.

The Cardinals, of course, had a disappointing result in the championship game, but to their credit and the credit of the Arizona coaching staff, they stayed in the thing to the very end, and it was a pretty darn good game. What wasn't good was a significant portion of the Arizona regular season, and with a relatively all-star cast on the offensive side of the ball, the defense takes the bulk of that blame in my opinion. They were in position to win a lot more games than they did, and they just fell flat at opportunity's door, especially when you consider that they gave up a combined 132 points to the Patriots, Giants, and Eagles in late November and December.

When the Chiefs first announced that they'd hired Pendergast, Chris at Arrowhead Pride had this to say:

"Since Pendergast is now a Chief, I'm looking for a way to spin his Arizona tenure in a good way. And I can't do it. You can't defend numbers like that. You just can't."

Frankly, I agree. His squads gave up way too many points, and were overall inconsistent. A commenter over at the Red Zone had this (Editor's Note: Put (sic) in huge letters across the whole thing.) to say when today's hiring was announced:

""Clancy "Pink Panties" Pendergast???"
I won't go in to how I know his "locker-room nickname" but let's just say it's from a "Relaible Source" Inside.(not his panties). He's known by the players as a hands-off coach who can't discipline them, which makes me wonder why Haley wanted him as Defensive Coordinator in the first place. The other guy's hip must not be healing well.

On a personal/silly note, I have a pretty big issue with the guy's name, too. Clancy. There just isn't a manly way of saying it, and believe me when I say that you need a manly man running your defensive unit. Then there's the last name: Pendergast. The only thing I can think of when I see or hear that word is Robert Duvall's character from "Falling Down." For those of you who haven't seen this film, do so immediately. It's a classic. For those who have, you might recall that Robert Duvall plays detective Martin Prendergast, a cop who's about to retire, but must first deal with the insanity that is Michael Douglas' character William Foster. I may not be the first to think or say it, but Martin Prendergast is about the biggest fucking pussy I have ever seen in any piece of cinema ever. That character forever ruined any movie I've ever seen with Robert Duvall in it, which makes me feel that Clancy



will also be



a giant jar of puss.

Finally, to get a feel what folks are thinking about this announcement, head over to Arrowhead Pride's post, vote in their poll, and peep the results. Obviously, I'm hoping that I'm wrong about Coach Pendergast, but I don't have a lot of faith in those hopes right now.

Lastly, the excitement I've felt about the new Chiefs regime has been largely tied to the notion of getting away from the good-ol-boys tendencies of the past. I was okay with Pioli hiring Haley, and I was okay with them bringing in Matt Cassel. Haley bringing in Pendergast however, is the proverbial straw that breaks the One Arrowhead Drive camel's hump. The guy was fired for a reason, and that in and of itself is reason enough to avoid giving him a job, especially when that job puts him again in charge of the D.