Yearly Archives: 2011
OTC: Athletes Take To Twitter To Express Pro & Con On Osama Killing
"What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side."Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers running back, after the breakout of celebrations across America after news broke that Osama bin Laden was killed by a team of US special ops, Twitter
GH: Athletes took to Twitter (along with everyone else) to express their opinions of the news bin Laden had been killed. Some, like Mendenhall, were not as excited to see America celebrating OBL’s demise. I am curious as to what news vacuum Mendenhall frequents in that he pretends to not know bin Laden’s “side” of terrorism. Read on.
“We just looked like the Afghan people, a decade later. That’s not what we should be doing, celebrating with beers and all that. I didn’t agree with that. That’s just me.”
Chris Douglas-Roberts, of the Milwaukee Bucks, Twitter
GH: We could always cut the heads off a few innocent people on live television to commemorate the event. I kind of think beer was invented for occasions like Osama’s death.
Caitlin: Zeke Westerman’s Catwalk for a Cause Brings Out the Beautiful & the Bored
Fashion shows in Lawrence are typically hit or miss…
So when Lawrence designer Zeke Westerman asked me if I would model for him, I’m not gonna lie…I was a bit hesitant.
But when I woke up sick as a dog to an urgent text message regarding another model-mishap, I knew there was no backing down. “One of Zeke’s models canceled, do you know any girls?” Sick or no—I was walking in this show.
Today: Looking Back (And Ahead) at Monday’s Star Layoffs
It was a rough ride but life goes on at 18th and Grand…
I was traveling yesterday and unable to weigh in on the Kansas City Star layoffs first reported here April 11th. Upwards of two dozen staffers were released into the wild, according to publisher Mark Zieman.
Here’s what I was told by insiders.
First and foremost on the hit list was movie critic Robert Butler. Not a big surprise. Butler’s been on death row for more than two years since then Johnson County Sun columnist Steve Rose fingered him in 2008 as journalistically extinct.
Face it, people who like to watch movies for free, write about them and get paid to do so are an increasingly endangered species.
Hearne: Really Bad Day at the Office for Star Movie Critic & Local Art Houses
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There’s more to the axing yesterday of Kansas City Star movie critic Robert Butler than meets the eye…
For starters, Butler is the first Star staffer of the newspaper’s layoffs era that I know of to take a double hit. Two years ago he was given the choice of bailing with six months pay and a year’s benefits or taking a 25 percent pay hit, loss of vacation and dialed back benefits.
He opted to stay at the Star.
So yesterday’s pink slip means Butler’s being fired from his parttime position.
"That means he has to wait six months before he can freelance any movie reviews for the Star," says a source.
It gets worse…
New Jack City: Robert Butler’s Ouster Another Blow for K.C. STAR Readers!
As the last subscriber to THE KANSAS CITY STAR on my entire block in Overland Park, I was surprised and saddened earlier today to receive an email from the newspaper’s movie editor advising members of Kansas City’s Film Critic’s Circle of his layoff by the Star.
I’ve known and worked with Bob on several levels for…well, let’s just say a long time.
Bob told me this afternoon that he actually began writing reviews for the Star in 1970. It was in 1977 that he became the paper’s movie editor following the departure of Giles Fowler.
And even with this week’s anticipated layoffs of 20-plus persons at the newspaper, I had the feeling that Bob was safe in his position. After all he’d already been cut to part time a couple years ago with his work week reduced from five to four days. I’m sure his
Glazer: Osama bin Laden Killing Asserts US World Dominance
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Not since Adolf Hitler has the death of one man been so well received by this nation...
Osama bin Laden is dead, and we’re all smiling as we should be at this news.
Once again the United States demonstrated, "Don’t jack with Us! We will get you in the end." And we did just that. Yes, it makes us all proud. Kinda weird, cheering for someone to get his head blown off. But Osama earned it. A real maniac that wanted all Americans, Christians, Jews and Israelis dead or destroyed.
Well, he got his and good.
Starbeams: TOP 5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE DEATH OF BIN LADEN IN KC
TOP 5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE DEATH OF BIN LADEN:
#5. Get back to the serious business of discovering where President Obama was born.
#4. Do what we always do to celebrate in Kansas City…throw a BBQ!
#3. Just go ahead and shoot anyone in your neighborhood who seems suspicious.
#2. Start your own search for the second most dangerous man in the world, Vice President, Joe Biden.
#1. Celebrate like Bin Laden has for 10 years; sit around and get bombed!
OTC: Chiefs’ 2011 Draft Gets Mixed Reviews From National Media But Locally It’s A Hit
“I like (the Chiefs’ draft). It could blow up in their face…but the consensus is they’ve put enough quality athletes in the locker room (to overcome a few players with questionable character).”Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: What a difference a year (and 10 wins makes) for our Chiefs. After Scot Pioli went with the altar-boy draft in 2010, he came back with the biker-bad ass draft in 2011. Can he and Todd Haley mold the new bad boys into shape by exposing them to the plethora of team captains they have assembled in the Chiefs’ locker room? It will be interesting to see if the Crips or the Scouts win out at One Arrowhead Drive.
“How do you grade the chiefs on the draft? … I don’t grade teams after draft. Fruitless exercise.”
Peter King, writer for Sports Illustrated, Twitter
GH: A fruitless exercise? It is football, Peter! The whole notion and existence of the sport is pretty much meaningless when compared to the necessities of life. But as a professional who makes his living analyzing and commenting on the game, we expect you to do your job. What a pompous ass this dweeb can be.
Peter King, writer for Sports Illustrated, Twitter
GH: A fruitless exercise? It is football, Peter! The whole notion and existence of the sport is pretty much meaningless when compared to the necessities of life. But as a professional who makes his living analyzing and commenting on the game, we expect you to do your job. What a pompous ass this dweeb can be.
Today: One Hit Wonder; Will KC’s American Idol Winner David Cook’s New CD Strike Gold?
Down but not out…
It’s been three long years since American Idol winner David Cook basked in the limelight of a new major label album. Let alone enjoyed the kind of next-big-thing media darling status that lead the suburb of Blue Springs to post signs declaring itself his home.
Some have said the 2008 champ’s 15 Minutes were well past up.
Au contraire.
Tracy: Mad Hatters Abound at Royal Wedding; Catty Vivisection to Follow
Well, boys–here’s what you missed when you didn’t get up like I did, at 4:30am Friday to watch the Royal Wedding…
I know, I know – you like reading this site to live vicariously re Craig Glazer’s sexploits. But whereas Glazer excels in undressing young women, I like to think of myself as the designated commentarian on women still fully clothed.
So let’s review.
1) Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are fat.
To top it off, their hats made them look like Teletubbies
Glazer: Chiefs Draft Looks Good on Paper, Tough Year Ahead
Well, give Chiefs GM Scott Piolli and Head Coach Todd Haley credit…
They drafter players in all areas of the Chiefs most needed spots. As with any draft it will be a couple of seasons before we know if this was a good one – maybe a great one.
As we all know the Chiefs receiving group was non-existent.
Other than DBowe we have almost nobody. If The franchise, quarterback Matt Casell is to have any success he will need somebody to throw to.
Donnelly: Player Carousel Continues, Sporting KC Comes Up Short in NY
Sporting Kansas City took the field with a much different lineup on Saturday against the Eastern Conference leading New York Red
Bulls, but the result was, unfortunately, more of the same.
In the first half Sporting got absolutely hammered by crafty New York players Thierry Henry, Dwayne De Rosario, and Luke Rodgers. The Red Bulls held a huge edge in possession and created a handful of really dangerous chances.
Sporting was lucky to see the halftime score at only 1-0, thanks to Jimmy Nielsen’s several spectacular saves, which included a stop on an undeserving PK.
The score could easily have been 3 or 4-0 at half…
OTC: Chiefs Grab Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin In Shocking 1st Round Knockout
“I like the pick. I said there is no one in Kansas City more qualified to talk about (Jonathan Baldwin) than me because I’ve seen him more than any of you coming from Big East country.”Danny Parkins, a Syracuse grad and the new mid-morning host on 610 AM
GH: Parkins did a good job in laying out his knowledge of Baldwin and then getting opposing viewpoints of the former Pitt wide receiver from different Pittsburgh sources. Read on.
“Of course Bill Hillgrove is going to like the pick! He’s the voice of the Panthers, Danny! You might as well of had the school mascot on to tell you about Jon Baldwin!”
Andrew Filliponi, post-game host for Pitt Panther football, in an interview with Danny Parkins, commenting on an earlier interview Parkins did with Hillgrove, 610 Sports
GH: Filliponi came out of the blocks firing in his interview. He destroyed Hillgrove’s credibility with these two opening sentences. 810’s Soren Petro also had the cheerleading Hillgrove on his Friday show. I immediately thought of Bob Davis being asked to evaluate a Kansas player. Not much objectivity when it comes to talking to the “voice” of any team. Hillgrove was a poor interview choice but at least Parkins balanced his show with the sarcastic and entertaining Filliponi. Read on.
Andrew Filliponi, post-game host for Pitt Panther football, in an interview with Danny Parkins, commenting on an earlier interview Parkins did with Hillgrove, 610 Sports
GH: Filliponi came out of the blocks firing in his interview. He destroyed Hillgrove’s credibility with these two opening sentences. 810’s Soren Petro also had the cheerleading Hillgrove on his Friday show. I immediately thought of Bob Davis being asked to evaluate a Kansas player. Not much objectivity when it comes to talking to the “voice” of any team. Hillgrove was a poor interview choice but at least Parkins balanced his show with the sarcastic and entertaining Filliponi. Read on.
Sounds Good: Arthur Dodge@Replay, Jimmy Buffett@Sprint & Manchester Orchestra@Beaumont
This weekend’s best bets for live music couldn’t be more different.
Not that that’s a bad thing. Sometimes the most unlikely pairings come together in unexpected ways to make something new that you never thought of before.
Here’s how it works for this weekend’s bands:
One part dirty ash tray, one part tequila sunrise, and one part leather pants…
Today: Confessions of a Funk Fan & Look Back at The Past 4 Years at City Hall
Where to begin…
Sitting through yesterday’s final City Council meeting for outgoing KC Mayor Mark Funkhouser & council members like one-termers Cathy Jolly and Beth Gothstein unleashed a flood of bizarre recollections.
Like my former colleague at the Star, Yael Abouhalkah, I had been smitten by Funk’s off-kilter outlook four years back. And with a highly read column and an ultra-close election, like Yael, I clearly had a hand in helping elect Funk.
Unlike Yael, I thought much of the early on Funk sniping was contrived and somewhat bogus.
Glazer: Can Hell Bar Follow Johnny Dare’s Footsteps & Live to Tell Story?
I see that the old Stanford‘s and Johnny Dare’s is reopening this weekend as the Hell Bar.
I wish them luck. I really do. They’re gonna need it. Having done this with Dare seven years ago, I learned a lot about the biker bar biz.
First off, Westport’s a tough, tough nut right now.
We all know why.
OTC: Moving Gordon To First Is Another Move Backward For Royals’ Future
“I look at Alex Gordon as a delicate rose. I do not want to disturb or upset him. Maybe he’ll be just fine. I wouldn’t mess with him.”Nick Wright, after Ned Yost decided to move Gordon from left field to first base to make room for Jarrod Dyson in center field, 610 AM
“My biggest fear now is that they are going to jack with Alex Gordon. Why would you mess with Alex Gordon as well as he’s hitting?”
Kevin Kietzman, 810 AM
GH: The move to place Gordon back in the infield is more than curious. I think it is ridiculous and an attempt by the Royals to grab a few meaningless wins here in April to improve their gate at their upcoming homestand.
Kevin Kietzman, 810 AM
GH: The move to place Gordon back in the infield is more than curious. I think it is ridiculous and an attempt by the Royals to grab a few meaningless wins here in April to improve their gate at their upcoming homestand.
Glazer: Here We Go Again, Another Royals Pain In The…
Well, Royals Fans that was fast.
Nice start, some hope even, then the losing streak. Yes, I’m afraid the jury is once again marching in with the verdict: Guilty. Some improvement but not enough to go above .500 or compete really.
Man, over in April – AGAIN!
Jack Goes Confidential: Hot Cars. Hot Babes. Hot Damn!
Attention K-Mart shoppers!
FAST FIVE is not about script, storytelling – and especially – not about acting!
What we DO get is some of the best stunt driving and choreographed chase sequences ever to grace the big screen. It’s a thrill ride of immense proportions that wastes no time as Vin Diesel is rescued from a prison transport in the film’s opening sequence.
Hearne: (Almost) All Hell to Break Loose in Westport This Weekend
There’s a storm cloud hovering over Westport and it’s poised to break loose this weekend…
The bar formerly known as Stanford & Sons, more recently Johnny Dare’s, plans to reopen Friday or Saturday as the Hell Bar Rock Lounge. The new biker bar’s sign went up yesterday with a pair of trident-packing, nude, silhouetted devil hotties.
