Yearly Archives: 2011
STARBEAMS: Starbucks logo change; KC KS police; and short school weeks
Starbucks is about to change the logo on their coffee cups…again.
This is the fourth change since 1971.
The new logo is a picture of an empty wallet.
The Kansas City, KS police department is being investigated by the FBI amid allegations of misconduct. Four members of the police squad have been arrested and suspended without pay.
Officals won’t say what the misconduct was but the suspended police have already been offered a job with the KU Athletic Department.
Tony: The Fight For Facebook Gross Out Rights
There were two great victories for the Internet this week. One real and one imagined.
For starters we learned that taking a photo of a placenta won’t get you kicked out of nursing school
This is important because the right to be disgusting is part of the great freedom the Internet offers. Even better, Goldman Sachs investment in Facebook will lead to an IPO and inevitably the end of the hype involving the company that’s already being described as a ponzi scheme.
Again, this is good for the Internet. Let me, quickly, explain why:
Hearne: Westport Harnesses Strippers, Mounts Threats to Lure Chiefs
Think of it as an R-rated Chiefs rally…
The year was 1994 and Westport sparkplug Bill Nigro and his pal Stanford & Sons main man Craig Glazer were out to make a statement. The Chiefs under the watchful eye of general manager Carl Peterson just having scored a home playoff game victory at Arrowhead earlier that year on January 8, Nigro’s birthday.
Wanting a piece of the action, Nigro and Glazer plotted a rally in Westport the Friday before the season opener in September
Over Peterson’s cold, dead body.
The Chiefs’ big chief was down on the party zone because of some high profile player incidents that had gone down there. Westport had promoted that superstar Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana and other players would be on hand for the shindig. But after thinking they had the Chiefs in the bag, Nigro and Glazer heard Peterson had forbade Montana and the players from attending.
That’s when things started to get interesting.
Glazer: Looking Back at ’93 Chiefs Through Crimson Colored Glasses
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Once upon a time there was a big buzz on the Chiefs…
There sure was 18 years ago. I got bundled up, even though we had a suite at Arrowhead, I knew at times my pal actor Sonny Landham and I would be sitting outside and watching the game. So on January 8th at 11:30 AM the Joe Montana, Marcus Allen led Chiefs took the field for what would be one of only TWO ever playoff wins at our home stadium.
Yeah we won a game over Oakland in 1991, a wild card game. Marcus Allen fumbled on what may have been the winning drive for the Raiders. He was fired for that, thank God, he came to KC a season later.
Allen would go on to be the overall most valuable player in modern Chiefs history, after the Len Dawson era.
GO: Matthew Donnelly Tells You Where To, Uh, Go
Where to go and who you will see and hear while you’re there. In other words, my top music picks for the weekend of January 7-9th.
Try these:
Friday, January 7th
Dumptruck Butterlips at the Jackpot Saloon in Lawrence – Don’t let the catchy name fool you. These “bedroom bluegrass” artists are known for their live shows, and were recently invited to perform at Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival.
Take 1993: The Last Time The Chiefs Won A Playoff Game…
It has been 17 long years since the Chiefs won a playoff game. Much has changed since the season of 1993. Here are a few thoughts of what life was like here in Kansas City back then. My wife of ten years at the time was seven-months pregnant with our now almost 17-year-old son. Please add your own in the Comments section below.George Brett made $2.75 million as the Royals DH that season. We had both Brett and Joe Montana in Kansas City uniforms. Not too shabby.
Mark Gubicza, David Cone, Kevin Appier and Brian McRae were also on that Royals’ roster. Think we could use those three pitchers in this season’s starting rotation and B-Mac in center?
Lee’s Summit had one high school not three.
Car: USA Today SUV Delusional, New Explorer & Prius / Sheep Flatulence
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To say USA Today is mindful of advertisers might be an understatement…
Take its recent front page Money section story headlined, "Improved fuel efficiency leads SUVs to a comeback."
Oh sure, it’s based on the statistic that SUVs and crossover vehicles in November was the highest percetage of overall new vehicle sales in eight years. But clearly the headline and overall gist of the story was to spin what the money quote in the artical clearly stated:
Today: Secret Santa, Naked Starbucks Lady, Chiefs Giveaway & More!
Is the sky still falling?
Yes, but not as badly where the economy is concerned. That according to Kansas City Federal Reserve main man Thomas Hoenig. Hoenig delivered the good news/bad news goods at downtown womens organization the Central Exchange Wednesday.
The economy will continue grow at a faster pace but unemployment will remain at 9 percent or higher this year, Hoenig says. It stands at 9.8 percent now.
Not exactly good news with the possibility of $3.50 or higher gas on the horizon this summer.
Secret Santa Update
As expected, the comments section and Facebook criticism of my Secret Santa story was brutal. Understandably. Perhaps I should have prefaced it here as I did in the abreviated version that ran this week in the Platte County Landmark. Too late to backtrack now, but for the record, here’s how the story was presented in the hinterland:
Donnelly: Sporting Kansas City Prepares for Yet Another Draft
It’s that time of year…again.
Sporting Kansas City announced recently that its first day of training will be January 25th, here in KC, before heading to the desert for a couple of stints at a training facility in the Phoenix area. While in Phoenix, SKC will play several exhibitions against other MLS teams, as they have in the past, while getting ready for their March 19th opener in LA versus Chivas USA.
With luck the roster will be finalized by the time training begins on the 25th. Still unsigned is outside defender Michael Harrington, who had a breakout season last year. The word is that the team has put the ball in Harrington’s and his agent’s court, with SKC brass simply waiting for a decision. It sounds to me like things may be getting (or have already gotten) somewhat contentious.
Glazer: Jason Whitlock Slugs it Out With 610 Sports Nick Wright
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The strangest part of 610 Sports Nick Wright’s interview with Jason Whitlock?
Near the very end of their talk – and yes,Jason hadn’t been on with Nick since his infamous TV/radio meltdown about leaving the Star – Nick asked a question that went something like this:
"Hey man, guess we aren’t really friends. I mean, you took me off your Twitter friends. I’m blocked. Why?" And Jason answered, "Well, OK, no we are not friends Nick. And that’s because you aren’t honest."
Nick then pushed it, and Whitlock confessed: "Look, you tried to be me, not as well, but you kinda did what I did to make it in the media. You copied me."
Nick denied it. There was a brief argument over the issue. Then the show was over. Or was it?
I have to take Nick Wright’s side here.
OTC: Is Haley Hated? Can Gabbert Be Replaced? Is Sheahon For Real?
“I think a lot of these (Chiefs) players still don’t like playing for Todd Haley. He’s an abrasive guy but winning is a nice salve…. I think this – if this team was losing games, I think this is the kind of locker room the way they operate that could fall apart quickly.”Todd Leabo, 810 AM
GH: A lot of successful football coaches do not have a friendly or even civil relationship with their players. Watch Lombardi’s documentary on HBO and you get the feeling his players feared him but didn’t love him while they played for him. That kind of respect comes well after the winning. Some of my favorite coaches were bastards when I played for them. Football cannot be compared to real life.
“I don’t think Todd Haley is ever going to win some kind of poll in the league that people like to play for him. But that’s not going to matter if you continue to win games.”
Danny Clinkscale, 810 AM
Danny Clinkscale, 810 AM
“This (AFC West) division next year could be amongst the best in football.”
Kevin Harlan, 810 AM
STARBEAMS: Outerspace Sex and Festering Sores
Instead, scientists recommend that female astronauts should consider having sex with me because it’s OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Recent research from the University of Kansas Medical Center indicates that conceiving in outer space is close to impossible.
Sperm counts drop and ovaries don’t work.
Jack Goes Confidential: COUNTRY STRONG Serves Up Pickin’ ‘n’ Grinnin’
It’s a soft opening weekend since the first batch of major new studio releases for 2011 doesn’t roll into theatres ’til next week.
In the meantime we’ve got COUNTRY STRONG which will make some of ya’ll wonder whether you haven’t seen it all before.
As a matter of fact, you sort of did in last year’s CRAZY HEART which also picked up midway through a country music performer’s fallen career. However, that was a much better film.
This time around, it’s Gwyneth Paltrow as self-destructive Nashville star ‘Kelly Canter’ who’s just coming off a stint in rehab following an on-stage meltdown in Dallas.
But her husband/manager Tim McGraw can’t get her back on stage fast enough, foregoing the warning signs from her caretakers.
After all he’s got to get those lucrative t-shirts selling again.
Glazer: Whitlock Muffs Michael Vick Interview on 610 Sports
As Greg Hall reported, 610 Sports host Nick Wright had Jason Whitlock on as a guest this week..
Most of the talk was about the Chiefs. And towards the end, Jason made a point of how the Chiefs hire based on FAMILY VALUES. He said he was impressed that the Chiefs front office looks for quality people on and off the field. Jason felt this was working for the Chiefs and would continue to in the future.
Near the end of the interview Whitlock got on the subject of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.
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Today: A Daily Dose of What Passes for News in Kansas City
Better late than never…
As promised, starting today KC Confidential launches a daily, observational look at news, views and things going on in or about Kansas City. It’ll be fast, lean – and when need be – a bit mean. You may learn something, you may not. No promises to keep or break.
That said, I’ll strive to make it entertaining so the boo birds and haters will have something worthy of trampling upon. How’s that?
Now let’s get on with it…
Caught KCC film and travel guru Jack Poessiger’s movie of the year for 2010 last night.
Tony: Brass Ring Might be Disappointment for Former KC Newsie Ortega
The great thing about our small, local media market is that it makes a fine starting point.
A bevy of national media figures have "made their bones" right here in the heart of the Midwest and KC always lays claim to their career fast track as a method for the town to feel better about being left behind.
Still, the face of journalism has changed in this digital era and even the Alternative press now faces challenges from independent websites and blogs.
Former Kansas City Pitch Editor Tony Ortega’s career path comes to mind when thinking of the new media landscape vs. the old school alternative press. Let’s take a look:
Hearne: The (Sometimes) Bumpy Road of KCC’s Comments Section
This is the new year, right?
A time to look backwards and ahead for all of us, including the comments section battered me. So let’s get on with it. I’ve got some explaining to do.
Let’s fly right into the heart of the storm. As you may know or suspect, we’ve had our share of issues with this important part of KC Confidential since switching from blog to Web site around Halloween. And clearly, we’ve not made correcting these issues look easy.
But I think we’ve got most of em fixed now and we could use your help on addressing that which remain.
As of yesterday, your (fake?) names appear in bold near the top of your comment. That’s important because while the identities of most of our contributors is anonymous, readers like to know that its Kellysguy or smartman or Chuck or Jojo doing the honors, rather than the far more bland "anonymous."
OTC: National & Local Media Weigh In On Chiefs’ Playoff Chances
“After watching them (Sunday), I’m concerned.”Len Dawson, on the Chiefs chances in the playoffs against Baltimore this Sunday at noon, 810 AM
“If you’re the Kansas City team you really have to be concerned because you just got mauled at home (by the Raiders). I mean mauled! They physically beat them up and that sticks with you.”
Howie Long, NFL studio analyst for Fox, Jim Rome
Howie Long, NFL studio analyst for Fox, Jim Rome
“I think the perception nationally is that the Chiefs are a cute little story.”
Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: Not even all that cute to some…more of a charity act. Read on.
Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: Not even all that cute to some…more of a charity act. Read on.
Tony: Local Fortune Cookie Guy Fail
Let me start out by being supportive…
There’s this guy in town who’s going to live one year of his life following the advice of fortune cookies.
He’s been the subject of a few TV news stories and he even has a blog entitled: My Daily Fortune.
I’ve heard of worse gimmicks and the whole thing certainly sounds more marketable than that one hooker who was going to trade sex for World Series Tickets a couple of years ago.
On the other hand, I’m not sure I get it.
Starbeams: Mountain Lion Demise and Sullenberger New Years!
A 115 pound male mountain lion was spotted and shot in Ray County last Sunday night. Officials believe the lion had wandered east looking for some female action when he was shot.His other eight lives were taken in Wyandotte County.
The Sport Show will take place at Bartle Hall in two weeks but the 2011Boat Show has been cancelled because boats aren’t selling well. There is some good news for Bartle Hall. Holiday Mart is moving from Overland Park to downtown this October.
Just for the record, Holiday Mart is a great place to wander into if you’re looking for some female action.
