When the Kansas City Chiefs decided to part ways with Todd Haley a few weeks ago it opened the door for the Pittsburgh Steelers to add the former head coach to their staff as offensive coordinator. While many Chiefs fans would say they're tired of talking about Todd Haley joining the Steelers because he's not with the Chiefs anymore and it's just time to move on. But there's still the matter of hindsight, and how your opinion today may change in the future depending upon the success, or failure that Haley has with the Steelers.
The dichotomy of fans that were choosing between Todd Haley and Scott Pioli and their tumultous relationship (alledgedly) will have an opportunity to revisit their views a year from now and see if they still hold the same opinion. If you believe today that Scott Pioli made the right decision in letting Haley leave will you hold that same opinion if Haley helps the Steelers win the Super Bowl next year? Obviously there are many factors in a team winning the Super Bowl but will the emotion get to you if you see Haley holding the Lombardi trophy in Pittsburgh? I believe that if you feel as if Scott Pioli made the right decision at the time to let Haley go then you can't go back on that decision, despite any success Haley has with the Steelers.
The same would also be true if the opposite were to happen as well. If you think that Haley got a raw deal in Kansas City and he goes on to have public feuds with Big Ben, Tomlin, the Rooney's and is caught with bottles of Hunt's ketchup (weird...i know) instead of Heinz, all the while losing in Pittsburgh will you then give Pioli a little credit? I don't think it works that way either and it's because fans have the luxory of looking back and second-guessing every little decision. Owners, GM's, coaches and players have to make the best decisions they can at the time and live with the consequences.
When the Chiefs originally traded with the New England Patriots to bring over Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel a few years ago, I thought it was the best move they could have made to solidify the most important position on a football field at the time. A few years later I still think it was the right move even though I think bringing in Peyton Manning or Kyle Orton is the best move right now. I won't go back and criticize why they didn't bring in this guy, or that guy, because at the time I personally thought it was the right move.
I thought letting Haley go was the right move at the time. Even if he goes on to win multiple Super Bowls with the Steelers I won't go back on my opinion at the time because, well it was my opinion at the time. Time has a funny way of changing some people's perceptions on their opinions once their hindsight juices start flowing.
Fans can't use Haley's success or failure in Pittsburgh as a defense, or even ammo against Scott Pioli if the move doesn't fit with their current opinion once the season has played out. I think the next eight weeks or so will tell the story of Scott Pioli's career with the Kansas City Chiefs, not the decision to let Haley go. He's going through his first coaching change and has two key free agents that everyone and their brother agrees shouldn't wear any other uniform. At least those in Kansas City believe this to be true. They've got plenty of money and some holes to fill.
The tenure of Scott Pioli with the Kansas City Chiefs is not tied in any way to the success or failure that Haley has or doesn't have with the Pittsburgh Steelers and let's remember that in a year.