Chicago Tribune: The Chiefs are a bunch of fatties

By Nadia Pflaum in Sports

Mon., Jun. 22 2009 @ 1:30PM

www.kcchiefs.com

Seems like it was only yesterday that we were reporting on some Kansas City Chief's players' surprisingly healthy diets. Alas, Jared Allen (a vegetarian) and Tony Gonzalez (a vegan) are off to more salad-like pastures. Now, we've got Branden Albert .

An article in the Chicago Tribune about a new weight loss regimen instituted by head coach Todd Haley specifically calls out Albert, a 24-year-old offensive tackle, for his chunkified physique. Albert apparently showed up for a March weigh-in at a thunderous 341 pounds -- over 30 pounds heavier than when he was drafted in 2008.

According to The Kansas City Star's Chiefs blog, Haley gave Albert a goal: 305 pounds by the start of the 2009 season. Albert hired a nutritionist, upped his exercising, started noshing on six small meals a day (instead of the entire side of ox he was mowing down before?!) and gave up sugary drinks and Jack Stack Barbecue. When he arrived at a three-day mini-camp this month, he tipped the scale at 309. Success! It tastes like ... celery.

Scott Pioli, general manager, wasn't above taping older, thinner pictures of Albert to the inside of the player's locker for thinspiration, the Tribune reports. Meanwhile, staying one with his troops, coach Haley lost 25 pounds of his own.

Nice to see the folks in Chicago keeping an eye on our Chiefs' waistlines. Now, here's another question: Whose fans are fatter, you think?