Ah, the Kansas City Star….
For all that it should be and what it is, let’s take a quick look at a few obvious shortcomings. Starting with its partial front-page headline Firday about the Kansas City Royals season-opening loss at home; "The future looks bright."
Now contrast that with a headline buried deep inside Sports Daily: "KC has smallest payroll."
That the Royals are fielding a team of largely young unknowns (again), likely to leave if and when they reach their peak playing levels, is underscored in the underplayed report.
That New York Yankee ‘s star Alex Rodriguez makes nearly twice as much as the entire Royals payroll for its starting lineup is the point the Star should be pounding home, rather than trafficing in statistics and naive optimism.
The Royals are fortunate to have the loyal local baseball fans they somehow still have, given the actions of its stingy owners. Aided and abetted in no small part by Star headlines such as, "Everyone eagerly awaits the arrival of young talent." A headline that might have read something like, "Here we go again…"
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In "Automotive Marketplace" we are treated to a review of the once-affordable Audi A4.
It provides "more than entry level luxury," the headline tells us.
Hope so, an $43,000-plus entry level car. OK.
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Swinging back to what passes for baseball in these parts, comes yet another insincere, A-section headline attempting to put a positive spin on this year’s Royals after their season opening loss: "The future looks bright, but until then, who are these guys?"
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And hey, speaking of sports… whatever happened to the good, old days when the Star ran full and half page ads to drum excitement into its Greater Kansas City Day promotion? The naming of new co-chairs was generally somewhat of a big deal – you never knew what local would bask in the limelight. Until we learned last year that the chairmanship was a bought-and-sold distinction, rather than one accorded by merit.
The ads always included photos of local media and celebs and where they would be standing for locals to buy charity newspapers from them. Those days are gone, leaving little in the way of incentive for the local luminaries to participate in what’s left of a once-grand scale promotion.
Maybe there’s a reason the Star played this year’s Greater KC Day so close to its belt.
Because for the 8th unimaginative year running George Brett held down one of the co-chair spots. And for the second year mutual fund magnate Adam Bold anted up for the privilege of being Brett’s co-chair.
"We’re talking about my chairing it again next year and we’re talking about how to find a more efficient way to raise money," Bold told me after last year’s GKC Day. "You know, when they have hundreds of volunteers all over the city every year, I think there’s a better and more efficient way than to put people in the streets selling newspapers. I mean, sooner or later somebody’s going to get hit by a car."
The Star turned the other cheek on the diss and graciously accepted Bold (and his check) back this year.
But it still marshalled 1,500 – it claims – local rodeo clowns to stand in the street hawking papers. Sans almost anything in the way of an actual promotion of the event, the deal went down for the 24th straight year in a veritable news /excitement vacuum.
Raising the question, if they’re going to run things this low key, why not just write a check to charity and be done with it?
Sunday Bloody Sunday
This is the best you can do for a Sunday? Picking at the scab? Good God man, get it together! This drivel and a post about the local foot fairies. Well, at least you can rest well knowing that once again KCC did not postponus or interruptus any coitus again today.
WTF….SHUT UP HEARNE…WRONG AGAIN
royals took 3 out of 4 from angels….one of leagues better teams.
Went to sunday game….what a team…sortry but these young guys got some
incredible energy….havent seen team like this in years…
collins….5’7″ guy gets 3 scoreless innings pitched..
soria…brilliant…
matt: homerun to win the game….
getz….runs like a real baserunner…
gordon…on fire….
butler….huge…
could we be watching something huge right now…..I was beyond excited for this
team..
maybe the experts were wrong again…….this team has spunk…this team has
guts….
wow….maybe…just maybe this team will become something….i was totally
impressed…..
and remember…vcu/butler…….miracles do happen…………..
and this might be the kc miracle…
hope springs eternal at the k….lets get behind this team and see what happens….
3-1…..great start…will it last….if it does greatest turn around in baseball history…
young hungry team that was pumped up to win………..
crow…mu guy….great outings…
lets all get together and root this team on…….
now this city might have something to cheer for as one….the chiefs
did it….maybe moore will prove all us wrong…i hope he does!
The Kool-Aie must taste pretty sweet, dude. Lowest payroll in baseball, worst record for a generation, inept ownership. A track record of ditching its good players once they gotta pay ’em.
All of that and more…
And the team wins three games early on and the honeymoon is back on. Really?
Its always nice in April
Yes its nice to start off well. The Royals have done this several times only to finish with 90 plus loses and last place. Yet you have to start somewhere. A team with not one name player is a tough place to start. Further more not one proven hitter that can produce a plus .300 batting average except Butler. Not good. NO porven pitchers. Looks like last to me.
With apologies to Steve Goodman
When I was a kid they brought me joy
But now they only bring fatigue
From the land of the brave
The home of the free
And the doormat of the American League
Is it possible they will someday pass the 10,000+ losses of the Philadelphia Phillies?
@ Your Grammar School Teacher
Oh like you never made a mistake?
Go away you loser and find a life somewhere it appears you need one bad.
Oh and a 43k car is something I am sure you will never own so why do you care how it’s stated.
I can
GLAZER….great prediction….you’re so smart (NOT)
HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THIS STUFF.
You’re wrong 90% of the time but from this post you try to make yourself out to
be a fortune teller. It’s easy to pick the royals to lose 90….but have you been
to see this team.
Underdogs for sure…but there’s something in that dugout that i’ve not seen
in year. Young guys wanting to win …….and they could surprise you.
You’ve been hanging with too many old guys for too long…you’re like the
grumpy old man.
BY THE WAY…I’M YOUNGER THAN YOU…SAW YOUR PICTURE..
I’M MUCH YOUNGER THAN YOU…YOU’RE HEADED FOR MEDICARE
IN A FEW YEARS.
HEARNE….I DON’T DRINK KOOL AID…
i was at game and saw the energy of the team.
yea…this might just be a great start…it may be a young team
but they’ve got something to prove.
Maybe..just maybe they turn things around with this bunch of
hungry players.
If you saw them sunday, they reminded me of the great years
of the royals….hungry…fast…and energized…something thats
been missing for years.
Maybe they do well and play 500 ball…that would mean 2 million
tickets sold and a good fture.
You’ve never owned a company (this site is just your toy)
so you wouldn’t understand how developing a company goes.
maybe they won’t pay these guys the top dollar…but then they get
them for a year or two then theyre gone.
With this team they get players for extended periods which means
if they find a really good player he’s with the team.
Worked for minnesota…maybe glass knows more than we give him
credit for.
Of course he’s worth a billion dollars…not bad for a bad
businessman who according to you knows nothing.
Hearne stick wiith what you know best in your writings…
old washed up jazz singers…trying to bash the star….
trying to buy a piece of shit car…..trying to impress
people…etc.
You are old news my man. When the star cut you loose
you lost your mojo. Noone pays attention anymmore.
Sad ….sad…sad….
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That’s 2 cvleer by half and 2×2 clever 4 me. Thanks!
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