BRaG’s (Video) Banquet

The Chiefs have two secret weapons, and a glaringly obvious one. Allow me to introduce them:

Team Reid, obviously. Reid and his direct staff, with Veach as his chief advisor. Andy’s close interface with his staff blossomed in KC, and you can only ignore it, because everyone else knows it to be true. The foundation of it all.

Team Veach, less obviously. I’ve been pounding the table since his promotion, trying to get it across to y’all that while Veach was a good talent evaluator, having a solid scouting career, his real strength was in how he’d learned how to lead a team from Reid. Who listened to me, and when? *evil grin*

The Interface, cloaked by the other two. Reid and Veach working in tandem, but independently, through long mutual experience, and Andy doesn’t have time to micromanage. So.

First, why Team Veach? Because contrary to some opinions, KC’s been drafting solidly since he took over. The exceptions prove the rule. Then there’s that masterpiece contract. Veach couldn’t do either without leading a highly effective player evaluation group. That’s the key to his success, he knows how to get the best from them. The first video’s mainly for context. May contain things that will connect in with the next one, but they’re like Easter eggs. Since the NFL hates fans, this is from The Halftime Show.

Second, can Veach be an effective GM? Well, remember that contract? People lost their minds over its total, but they missed is that it gave both sides basically what they wanted, predictability, flexibility in team building, and building legacies. I’ve been beating this drum since we were still somewhere that represented pride, Patrick’s interested in making money, naturally, but he knows that this contract gives him generational wealth, so he can chase his real goal, being remembered as one of the all-time greats in sports.

Florio and Simms refuse to get the fact that Mahomes know he’s so grossly underpaid that he could walk into Hunt’s office and demand double the per-year amount, but also that it would weaken his ties to KC, and he’s established a lot of them in his short time here. There will come a time when a rework will make sense to him, but he’s extremely well-advised, both by his agent and two extremely savvy MLB players, who know how things work in sports. The fact that they don’t get it reveals that neither’s taken more than a superficial look at him in his full context. Don’t forget that the NFL hates hardcore fans.

Finally, we have Reid confirming much of this, including Veach doing the heavy lifting on Mahomes’ draft and that he lets Brett lead his own team, and tends to his. This is the place to discuss the Interface. You have to remember that Veach has spent his entire NFL career with Reid, I believe he started as an intern. The thing about Reid is that he doesn’t have time to micromanage, but will provide some guidance when needed.

That’s part of why I keep insisting that Veach isn’t Reid’s puppet. He’s too busy with his own team, but the other’s in the hands of someone who work well as his equal. Remember that both report to Hunt, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Andy wanted it that way to make clear that Veach wasn’t his lackey. Trust there was never a factor.

Nobody takes me seriously, but the system between the two of them is very much in tune with my own, and I mean that rather literally. On a lesser scale, I experienced that with several folks, most notably Chuck. As the solder tech to my technician, he was my subordinate, but I knew we’d be adding folks in our section. I treated him as more my partner than my subordinate, and I could give him a general assignment and turn my back, knowing it would get done. Our placement in the hierarchy didn’t matter, we were partners, with me as the leader, and that worked out extremely well.

Our team hummed at a good clip at 80%, but when the shit hit the fan, we were ready to kick ass, and that happened several times once I was established there. The dynamic’s so identical that I can’t unsee it, but I know through experience how effective such a relationship can be. If those aren’t secret weapons, albeit hidden in plain sight, then I don’t know what to say, other than look at the relationship’s track record, because it’s kept improving. Plus other tidbits baked in.

It’s a banquet because it’s an organized meal, meant to be consumed in its entirety. Not doing so lessens the experience. Enjoy it as you please.

This is the Kingdom’s Golden Age, trust the process.

But what say you?

BleedingRedAndGold

Chiefs fan since the ’90s. Raconteur, troublemaker and general loudmouth who makes adhering to Rule 9 a way of life. AG’s resident Fool on the Hill.

My mind can be changed, but only by proper application of facts and reason. (Hint: If you are internet-arguing, it won’t happen.)

I can be reached by adding (at)Yahoo.com to the end of my screen name. That includes if you want me to edit your fanpost, and I’ll treat it just like any other piece from the regular writers that “crosses my desk”.

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