Kansas City fans hire plane to fly 'Bench Cassel' sign

Usually when fans want to vent about their team, they take to the local airwaves. One fan in Kansas City took that slightly further today, hiring a local aviation company to broadcast his frustration in the airspace above Arrowhead Stadium.

According to a column by Sam Mellinger in the Kansas City Star, the unnamed Chiefs follower quickly raised money earlier this week to pay Air Lake Aviation to fly a banner that reads "WE DESERVE BETTER! FIRE PIOLI — BENCH CASSEL" over the field this morning.

Yet it wasn't the banner that forced the Chiefs quarterback to the sidelines in Kansas City's 9-6 loss to Baltimore today. After throwing two interceptions and fumbling on the goal line, Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata knocked Cassel out of the game with a head injury in the fourth quarter. Backup Brady Quinn couldn't secure a win for the 1-4 Chiefs, but did complete all three passes he attempted on the Chiefs final drive.

Regardless of the injury, Cassel's tenure as a starter in Kansas City could be over. Pressure on coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli may force the team, who couldn't capitalize on a 140 yard rushing performance by Jamaal Charles, to make a change.

Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland was the subject of a similar stunt in the final regular season game of 2011, when a banner addressed to team owner Steve Ross reading "Mr. Ross, Save Our Dolphins, Fire Ireland." was flown over Sun-Life Stadium. The tactic didn't work, as Ireland is now in his fifth year on the job.