Interesting read from the Kansas City Star. Its an article about Pioli but has an interesting story in it. KansasCity.com | 404

Tamba Hali says Crennel is the kind of man players want to please. Dexter McCluster says Crennel has a unique way of motivating millionaire athletes to give that extra effort. Le’Ron McClain said Crennel has the “overwhelming” support of the most important players, and if you take any of this to mean Crennel is a pushover, there is an instructive story you might want to hear. The setting was a team meeting a few weeks ago, after Crennel was appointed interim coach. He stood before his players as their tenuous leader, nobody quite certain how he would use the power … and he dogged Thomas Jones. In front of the entire team. Understand that as much as Todd Haley earned his reputation as a disciplinarian —fat camp, cuss words, we-only-talk-about-the-players-who-are-here —players grew to think that some guys were off-limits. This was a special status. Matt Cassel made it as the quarterback. Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali worked themselves into it. Casey Wiegmann earned it based on his long career, and so did Jones. So this group of players had never seen Jones called out by the head coach. Certainly not for everyone to see, and as they scooted up in their chairs and pushed their heads forward to get a better look, you know what happened next?

Jones took it. He nodded. Listened carefully. Maybe even smiled a bit, because deep down, he sort of liked it. Enough of his teammates did, too, and over two offseasons and 29 games as defensive coordinator and three games as interim head coach, the Chiefs saw so many of the characteristics they want to embody in Crennel.