JACK'S SMACK: Chiefs' GM Pioli is the scapegoat for the players' poor performance

As football fans, I think most of us can identify with this outrage directed at anyone who has a vested interest in the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was about four years ago that a similar uprising by fans took place before the respirator was yanked on Carl Peterson's job at Arrowhead.

Since the Buffalo massacre, the noise has been cranked up a few decibels -- "noise" being the key word here.

That’s the term Scott Pioli likes to use when describing the media. He says he tunes out the noise.

Well, he can ignore the media all he wants, but he'd better lend an ear to the uproar created by the fans around here.

Pioli is getting lambasted from every angle. Some of the criticism is deserved; some of it is not.

The Kansas City Star has gone after Pioli with a double-barreled assault. It seems to me to be somewhat personal and misguided.

The scribes point to all the talent on this team -- which is yielding very little production -- and are blaming Pioli for it.

I pin it on the players.

It's about time these guys take a good hard look at themselves. They've been awful two weeks in a row.

Pioli can't tackle and block.

Supposedly, the players have this great affection for Romeo -- why aren't they playing for him?

It's very simple.

Romeo is too nice of a guy. The players have no fear for their jobs.

Look, I understand that many of you are unhappy with Pioli. He's the guy responsible for the biggest problem on this team -- the quarterback -- and he won't fix it.

The dismal start of the season needs to be shared by everybody at Arrowhead, and it starts at the top with Pioli.

But the GM, in this case, is the scapegoat.

Fans are never going to side with the boss or the man in charge. It's human nature to line up behind the players every time, and that’s fine.

It’s just too bad too many of the players on this football team are a bunch of pansies.

That’s Jack’s Smack.