Yearly Archives: 2011
Leftridge: Historic Collapse of Boston and Atlanta & Handicapping the Playoffs
And when the dust settled, the historic collapse of two storied franchises
was complete.
By now, you know what happened. You’ve seen the highlights on ESPN and read lengthy, poetic diatribes by countless other sports writers. Perhaps you stayed up late to watch it happen live, to be a part of history.
And certainly, you’ve read all of the amazing statistics. The Boston Red Sox were 77-0 this year when leading after 8 innings. They were up nine games in the wild card standings at the beginning of the month. The Atlanta Braves,
virtually an identical story. But bullpen woes, and a pronounced lack of offensive punch, cost both teams their trip to the postseason.
Glazer: Forget the Death Wish, Time to Put the Pedal to the Metal
Nobody wants to die young…
However today, so many junior senior citizens seem to want to live forever. In their 60’s and 70’s many people talk about going on and on into their 90’s or even 100’s. Don’t get me wrong; stay in shape and have fun as long as you can.
But to aim your daily life at just hanging on forever may be a huge mistake.
There’s a big difference between enjoying life as we age and just putting on the brakes so you can live long enough to make it to the old folks home- the really old folks home. Trust me living in extended care housing isn’t going to be a very fun time.
Like many of you, I’ve had a parent, grandparent or friend live in these places until they go to Hospice. And none of them were thrilled about it. Who would be?
Hearne: Who’s Gonna Play Christmas Music Now That KUDL & Star 102 Are History?
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One of KC’s most fleeting, yet wildly profitable radio formats appears to have gone homeless…
For years adult contemporary stations Star 102 and KUDL FM duked it out for the hearts and ears of lovers of 24/7 Christmas music. Star led the way under former main man Jon Zellner. Entercom followed on KUDL, resulting in year after year of Christmas music warfare between the stations.
And while the day after Thanksgiving was good enough to start, competition between the stations resulted in earlier and earlier launch dates for the holiday music format. The idea being that whoever got there first would lock in more listeners.
Four years ago on Halloween day I bade readers both Trick or Treat and Happy Thanksgiving.
New Jack City: Why High School Reunions Totally Suck (Like Mine Just Did)
They say you can’t go back home…
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what I did this past weekend. I went to my millionth high school reunion in Grand Island, Nebraska. And let me just tell you up front, this three-day affair was two days too long.
The nightmare unfolded with a Friday, ‘Let’s Get Reacquainted ‘ cocktail bash and finger food fandango. Followed by a Saturday morning walkthrough of the old high school and either an optional golf game or sipping-of-the-grapes luncheon at a nearby Nebraska winery.
See what I mean?
Then came the big event, a Saturday night sitdown dinner and dance with an obligatory oldies band. And finally – blessedly – a Sunday morning see-you-next-lifetime breakfast.
Overkill? You bet! Like I said, one night would’ve been plenty.
Now allow me to count the many ways these sort of reunion rituals suck so badly.
Today: Businessman Uses Math to Unravel Bogus Kauffman Center Crowd Count
It’s time now for KC’s top crowd counter Gary Evert to weigh in on the Kauffman Center‘s haltingly high attendence figure…
That after people no less illustrious than one of the Star‘s most respected (now laid off) entertainment writers and the tech who helped produce the event scoffed at the notion of 55,000 bouncing in and out of the PAC’s rainy Sunday afternoon public opening.
To be fair, anonymous commenters have supported the PAC guesstimate, suggesting anecdotally that a count might have been made. However that flies in the face of the reported fact that the "estimate of 55,000 was based on the assumption that the building could only accommodate 5,000 at a time. If that number ‘turned over’ 10 times, then total attendance would be 50,000."
In other words, by the PAC’s own accounting of things, it was a guesstimate not an actual count.
Donnelly: REM Walks Away Like the Wasted Guy Who Passed Out on the Living Room Floor
REM announced a few days ago that it was calling it quits after 31 years.
"A wise man once said–‘the skill in attending a party is knowing when it’s time to leave,’" wrote singer Michael Stipe in the band’s official statement. "We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we’re going to walk away from it."
I understand the sentiment, but by Stipe’s rationale, REM is the wasted guy who spilled his drink thrice, knocked over a plant, and is now drooling on himself half passed out on the living room floor.
He’s already raided your Doritos stash and taken a few chunks out of your Velveeta with his claws. You don’t really know him because a friend invited him to tag along, and you don’t want to go to bed with this half stranger in your house.
Stipe’s classy move would have been better executed after 1996’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, an album that, though not my favorite, is certainly solid. If they had just stopped there, no one would have had to listen to Around the Sun.
Starbeams: Chiefs Bloopers, Plaza Art Fair Mob & Where Not To Recycle Your Christmas Tree
They finally figured out where that space junk fell over the weekend. It crashed right in the middle of the Chiefs‘ playoff hopes. In fact, the only people sill cheering for the Chiefs are the people who made Marv Albert‘s blooper reel.
*******
We may have wrapped up the most successful Plaza Art Fair ever. Record crowds descended on the Plaza for "art," food, drinking and music. I was there Friday night and there were so many people, there wasn’t room for me to organize a flash mob on Facebook with my homies.
Glazer: Curse of Marty Ball Haunts Nick Wright & Chiefs ‘Suck for Luck’ Campaign
610 Sports host Nick Wright admits he thought the Chiefs could make the playoffs before the season started…
Nick also bought into his pal Todd Haley’s decision to go soft in the preseason in order to be ready for the regular season. Now Nick thinks the Chiefs should lose every game and draft number one to get college superstar Andrew Luck from Stanford.
I agree with Nick, but many don’t.
Yesterday Wright’s top-rated show was flooded with Haters. I know the feeling, Nick.
Leftridge: Making a Case for the Wizard of Hoz
“…and I’d like to thank my first major league hitting coach, Kevin Seitzer, who not only taught me about the importance of crushing a hanging curve, but also how to love.”
Alright, so I’m not sure why Eric Hosmer will be talking about Seitzer teaching him how to love in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech 25 years from now, but I know for a fact that he’ll be giving a Hall of Fame speech 25 years from now. He can’t not. This city needs him to blossom, to become the greatest thing since sliced Brett. No pressure.
But in a game that’s all about inches, it’s often prudent to move in baby steps. And the first tender footed movement can be made by Hosmer taking his rightful place as the AL’s 2011 Rookie of the Year.
If only my impassioned pleas were enough.
Glazer: Stanford’s Named Top Comedy Club, Hot New Stars on the Way
Out with the old, in with the new…
That’s been the Hollywood battle cry for ages. Comedy undergoes major changes about every 10 years. And that change is now underway. Stanford’s was just named one of the top comedy venues in the country for 2011/2012 (along with Caroline’s in New York).
Because both clubs have a great mix of current big name stars, as well as the new superstar comic up-and-comers.
Chelsea Handler is the "NEW" Johnny Carson.
That’s right, she’s way, way more important than Jay Leno and David Letterman to comics. Being on Chelsea’s show five times is better than being on those guy’s shows 20 times.
Leftridge: Despite What the Internet Told You, Big 12 is Still a Thing
On September 22nd, KU released a statement reading in part: "Tonight, nine members of the Big 12 Conference affirmed their solidarity and agreed to measures that will ensure the stability of the conference moving forward.”
So… this is official? Finally, officially official?
Because to be honest, I tuned out awhile ago. And I know that’s not something that an ‘in-touch‘ sports writer should say, but let’s be honest… this whole situation has been insufferable.
Glazer: Chiefs Coach Todd Haley Saves His Job…For now
Yes, the Chiefs are still 0-3…
Yes, they are still one of the NFL’S worst teams. Bottom three for sure – maybe the worst. They are officially rated last. However, they put on a better than expected effort against San Diego away. Both teams had a boat load of injuries. And now the Chiefs have lost Brandon Flowers. Although I’m not sure how bad it is yet.
So now they have just three weapons; Dwayne Bowe, Dexter McCluster and surprising new tight end Leonard Pope.
Together they may have saved coach Todd Haley’s job -at least for now. It’s still likely however that he will be fired before season’s end. However if Todd with his patch work defense and offense can win the next two games against the 0-3 Vikings and soon to be 0-3 Colts, Todd might make it through to the end of the season. But even with a couple of wins, the Chiefs have to fire him. The Chiefs will be in rebuild mode now for years to come.
Donnelly: Sporting Out of Sync, Jeferson Benched, In 1-1 Tie With Philly
In another game most observers dubbed "the biggest of the season," Sporting Kansas City managed to walk away with a point after battling to a 1-1 tie with the Philadelphia Union Saturday at Livestrong.
It’s true, every game is "the biggest" when the season’s winding down and the top of the Eastern Conference is jammed with five teams that have between 38 and 42 points.
Houston sits atop for the moment, with 42. Then Columbus and KC at 41, Philadelphia at 40, New York at 39, and DC 38. So you can see, the last few games of the regular season are absolutely crucial.
Car: 2012 Toyota Prius Gets Geek Chic w/ Body Kit, Sound Effects, ‘Creepy’ Commercial
Not that long ago Toyota’s Prius was a lifestyle statement for nerds…
People who didn’t care much how frumpy and/or dorky they looked when they spruced up for a night on the town. Let alone how ungainly their fuel-sipping ride looked as they lumbered about saving the earth and promoting world peace.
Then came the 2010 model year…
Just like that the pabulumy Prius was transformed into a green machine that not only averaged 50 mpgs, actually looked halfway decent.
Hearne: All That Glitters…Jardine’s Hammers Groupon
Longtime KCC readers know I’ve been an admirer and staunch defender of Groupon from the get-go…
When some of you guys zeroed in on the discounting – saying it cheapens the seller’s products – I pointed to the marketing benefits. I quoted local restaurant and nightclub owners that had done well with Groupon and vowed to continue to party with the daily dealmaker.
People like Jardine’s owner Beena Raja (who’s on her third last name in the past year). Jardine’s, like others, turned its back on the local newspaper’s trusty-but-rusty Star Dining Card and found nirvana instead in Groupon’s mass email blasts.
"Let me tell you, Groupon has a solid clentele, they are up to 350,000 people locally now," Raja told me last March. "And these people are no Star Card people – these are people who will spend money and I’ve seen it. They’re younger, hipper, they know how to tip and they make reservations. I have nothing but positive things to say about Groupon."
That was then…
Glazer: Kansas City’s Worst Sports Era Ever, Except for Sporting KC & Next Year’s Royals
The answer is simple, YES…
I’d been thinking about it, then I heard WHB’s Kevin Kietzman say it. "This is horrible. It’s been since at least 1983 since Kansas City was this bad in sports."
Actually, I was thinking it had been worse. In 1983 the Royals were still a very good ball club nearing the 1985 World Series. Yes, the Chiefs were a clown act then too, but better than today’s team. Our area college teams were no-shows except for KU basketball, which wasn’t exactly hot either.
Today the Chiefs – as your humble scribe told you two months ago – are one of the NFL’s worst teams. The Royals finished near the bottom again. KU and K-State football is lousy. MU is decent but headed towards at best an 8-4 season with a lower level bowl game.
So yeah, it really does affect the spirit of our city.
Edelman: Broadway Hit ‘Red’ Makes Thrilling Splash at Unicorn
"Make something new," the paint-splattered abstract expressionist Mark Rothko commands his assistant Ken in the Tony Award winning play RED...
Director Cynthia Levin must have been listening, because in her fine production of John Logan‘s new work (now through October 2 at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main) she’s created a new star on the KC scene: Sam Cordes, the terrific young actor who plays Rothko’s assistant.
If the name Cordes rings a bell, it should. Sam is the off-spring of two of our town’s finest theater artists. Dad Scott Cordes is a versatile actor, as comfortable in Shakespearean threads as he is cracking wise onstage between dinner and dessert at the New Theatre Restaurant. Mom Lisa Cordes is a highly-regarded playwright and theater provocateur– her work at the Living Room and other boho spots around town is legendary.
So it should be no surprise that Sam’s got the old theater bug; but where he takes it is another thing entirely.
Glazer: Humble Scribe Releases NFL & College Football Get Rich Quick Picks
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for boys and girls, this weeks picks…
The favorites have been doing very well so far. The OVER in the NFL has been outstanding. But things may change. Sometimes when it looks too good to be true it just might be.
This week in the NFL there are four or five games that look scary easy, so beware.
The two that jump out: San Diego by just 15 over Kansas City at the Chargers and the Steelers by 101/2 over the Colts.
These smell like trap games.
So here’s what we do; take both favorites and tease DOWN the numbers for both games. Now the Chargers are favored by just 9 and the Steelers by just 4 1/2.
I like it.
Here we go for the rest of BEST BETS BY YOUR HUMBLE SCRIBE
Starbeams: Top 5 Reasons Losing Accereditation Is No Big Thang
THE TOP 5 REASONS LOSING ACCREDITATION IS NO BIG THANG:
#5. A worthless degree works just fine in a worthless economy.
#4. Nobody wants to grow up to be a teacher anymore. Everyone wants to grow up to be Detroit Schools Superintendent.
#3. None of this really matters because, if you’re like me, you eventually spend most of your time in TRAFFIC school.
#2. Who needs a degree when we’ll all be working in factories making things for the Chinese soon?
And the No. 1 reason losing accreditation is no big deal….
Leftridge: Because You Have No Life, Here’s What You Should be Watching this Weekend
There’s entirely too much for you to watch this weekend. Seriously…
And since you’ll be wildly drunk most of the time, the only decision you should be left with is whether or not to sexually harass the Domino’s driver who barely speaks any English (hint: you shouldn’t… she’s a sweet gal).
To make it easy, I’ve compiled a list of must-see sports, things you’ll wish you could be watching when you’re in a detention facility because you ignored me and showed the poor lady your who-ha.
Check it out!
