The Dorsey Brief

A lot has already been said and guessed about why Clark Hunt fired John Dorsey. We may never know the answers but in my opinion some fans and pundits have made some off-the-wall statements so it’s my turn to chime in.

I recall four and a half years ago just before Scott Pioli was fired and writing a piece called, “What’s a Guy Gotta Do to Get Fired Around Here” because the coup de gras of all the bad moves that Mr. Pioli had displayed was a 2-12 season which led everyone — including casual skywriters — who knew anything about K.C. football to conclude… the guy had to go. That’s part of what is so bewildering about this move by Clark Hunt, Dorsey was a big reason for the team’s ascension to the top of the league in roster depth and wins over the past few season at  43-21, a .671 winning percentage.

A number of opinions have arisen about the parting of ways with GM John Dorsey so let’s take a look at a few:

Did the reason for this move have anything to do with Andy Reid and John Dorsey not being able to work well together?

It’s an interesting question but, it’s hard to see Clark Hunt suddenly siding with his head coach and consequently yanking Dorsey’s chain based on the word of his head coach. I also don’t see Reid giving Hunt any kind of ultimatum. It’s not in Reid’s background to do that.

What could have made Clark Hunt suddenly fire a man he’d praised several times and confirm he wanted to re-sign him as recently as a few months ago?

It’s been reported that Dorsey told a friend that he’d been “butting heads” with Hunt the past month of so and whatever they were butting heads about is the reason/reasons he was fired. We’ve talked a lot before about the lousy contracts Dorsey has signed players to, with Hali, Alex Smith, Justin Houston and perhaps Eric Berry being good examples.

It’s one thing to “say” your willing to spend all your cap money and then have a couple of years go by, have all your cap money spent, be left with a deadly amount of dead money, feel what it’s like to have no maneuverability because there is no cap money……… and still have not championship to show for it (I’m talking about how Clark Hunt feels here). While I have no doubt that the cap situation was a determining factor in Dorsey’s firing, I would not place it as the number one reason he was let go.

Did the releasing of Jeremy Maclin have anything to do with Dorsey being fired?

No… and yes. Letting Jeremy Maclin go was not a reason for Dorsey’s ouster but perhaps “the way” he was let go did have something to do with it. I’m sure that one thing Andy Reid and Clark Hunt were together on was that there is a right way you treat people. Texting Maclin that he was not “the” reason Dorsey is gone but it could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I’ve been on both ends of being fired. I’ve done the firing… and been fired. In the case of firing an employee… who happened to be a friend of mine… I had given them multiple warnings that if they did not do their job, they would be fired. We don’t know that John Dorsey got any such warning and that’s another reason that this was so shocking… no one saw it coming.

Was the wrong man fired and should it have been Andy Reid?

I am of the strong opinion that Andy Reid is the number one reason the Chiefs have gone 43-21 in the past four seasons. He was a horrible general manager while he was in Philadelphia and that’s part of the conclusion he came to when his time there was done. Players love playing for Andy Reid. He gets to genuinely know them… and he even attends their weddings, like he had just done for Jeremy Maclin two weeks before he was cut.

Yes, Andy Reid is a known “QB whisperer” and has helped nurture many QBs in his time in the NFL. Some will say they know better but there words are empty when you compare their words to the testimonies of every player and coach Reid has worked with. You won’t find a player who has negative things to say about Andy Reid so suggesting that he was no “QB whisperer” is based on some other issue a fan may have with the coach. I recognize Reid is not perfect… he’d have several Super Bowl victories if he was… but caring for and tutoring his own players is one of his strengths.

Was Andy Reid leveraging himself for more power and clout when it comes to player acquisitions?

Andy Reid and John Dorsey have been friends since the early 1990s when they both were on the Green Bay Packers payroll and it was that friendship and association that helped get Dorsey the job here in Kansas City four and a half years ago. While it’s hard to think that Dorsey had gotten out of control and would not listen to Reid as much as Reid would like in the process of drafting and signing players… it’s a possibility. However, I don’t think that’s something Reid would have brought forward to Hunt in a conversation but instead, something Hunt would have concluded on his own.

If Reid was wanting more power in that relationship I believe that’s something he could have had without having to seek out an end to Dorsey.

What could John Dorsey have done or said that could get him fired so suddenly?

The past few days I have been consistently reminded that the firing of John Dorsey was a sudden event. One that took everyone by surprise. So, what could he have done or said to get fired like that?

I’ve had a boss who was what we’d all call a “people person.” I’ve also had a boss who constantly reminded you that they were a “rule follower” (meaning: they are NOT a people person).

There’s an important distinction there that makes a huge difference in the way an organization is run.

Let’s look at a classroom (my home for 39 years), because believe me, student’s see their teacher’s as their boss. So, let’s look at a high school Calculus class: you have content (the Calculus) and you have those who are to be taught (students). Most teachers go to college for at least four years to get their teaching degree in a favorite subject, and then they begin teaching.

When their students show up in their seats for the first time, those students know right away whether or not their new teacher went to school to, help students learn… or simply because they love Calculus. There’s nothing wrong with loving Calculus but people who are in a “helping profession” should primarily love people first, then their subject next… and not just because they want summers off.

If you can apply that priority to Andy Reid… because that’s what I believe he is, a people person first and foremost… then you can understand the Dorsey firing better. In other words… I don’t think it’s possible for Andy Reid to have gotten Dorsey fired.

On the flip side… being a people person can also mean being an activist for having those who are in your organization being “treated justly and fairly.” Now… that’s a note that I believe could ring deep and true for Andy Reid and one in which he may have been at odds about with John Dorsey. I don’t know as much about the past of Clark Hunt… although we all know plenty his father and family… but I do know a fair amount about Andy Reid and where he was raised (he practically grew up in my own back yard)… so I can understand his being an activist for his players being dealt with in a just and kindly manner. Meaning… the way J.C was released (without as much as a counter offer) and the way Jeremy Maclin was released (via text)… as well as other situations like those… could have all gone into the reason Clark Hunt had to put his foot down and say, enough.

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