Yearly Archives: 2011
Car: Case of the Missing Fiat 500 Prima Edizione Cars Continues
One of these days, Kansas Citians will be able to walk into Fiat of Olathe, sign on the dotted line and skip away in a critically-acclaimed, eco-friendly Fiat 500…
But don’t even think about that fantasy for at least another month. Not where the ongoing launch of the 500 is concerned.
Clearly Fiat fucked up.
First the company didn’t name dealers until mid-late November right before the holidays. No way those dealers could complete the paperwork, build studios to Fiat specs and be open by January, as Fiat suggested.
Kansas City’s dealer, for example, remains at the mercy of its Shreveport sister to deliver 10 Prima Ediziones to buyers.
"Very frustrating!" says Vladimir Liska of Omaha. "I was reading on Facebook some guy just hit 1,000 miles on his Prima… (Mine) better show up at the dealer on Tuesday!"
Donnelly: Sporting KC Salvages A Draw From Wild Finish In Canada
On Saturday in Vancouver, Sporting Kansas City did the near impossible.
Despite leading the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 going into the last twenty minutes of the game, by the final whistle the scoreboard read 3-3. Vancouver took advantage of what looked like a tired Sporting side and never gave up, equalizing the game with three goals in the last twenty minutes- including two goals in stoppage time- to rip two extremely important points away from SKC.
There were, however, some real positives for SKC, prior to its meltdown…
Star Search: Misleading Headlines & The Case of the Missing Royals Promotion
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 trafficking in statistics and naive optimism.
Today: Panhandler Jerry Mazer Alive & Kicking in Tony Bennett Land?
.jpg)
The search for the cold, dead body of illustrious kc panhandler Jerry Mazer just got a lot more complicated.
Yes, it’s April Fool’s Day, but no, this isn’t a spoof.
Reports from multiple sources that Mazer – infamous for his Plaza presence outside Barnes & Noble and "Can I get a down payment on a cheeseburger?" parlance – died last year have to date proved unconfirmable.
With all that’s truly known being that Mazer – who forced the city and the Plaza to their knees by getting a no panhandling ordinance tossed – disappeared from the local scene last fall. Followed by a flurry of rumors he had died. But a check with Kansas City’s Department of Records found no evidence of a death certificate.
Hearne: No Fooling, Ex Pitch/Pennylane Owner Hal Brody Steps to the Plate, Part 1 of 3
It’s been a rocking 11 years for the man who brought Kansas City Pennylane Records & The Pitch…
After cashing in big time on the Pitch in 1999, Hal Brody moved to California and until recently ran Oakland’s East Bay Express alternative news weekly. He’s been through lawsuits, business turnarounds and temperatures the likes of which have convinced him never to move back to the lowly Cowtown.
But Brody still owns the building that until January housed Pennylane successor Streetside Records.
Let’s start with a deal that fell through to lease or sell the building to Vinyl Renaissance, the Shawnee wax works and audiophile electronics seller. Earlier this year staffers at both Streetside and VR confirmed Vinyl Renaissance’s hope to pick up where Streetside left off in Westport with a second prime location there.
OTC: Alex Gordon Continues To Write Next Great Greek Tragedy
“Slicing, slicing, slicing… Foul!”Denny Matthews, on Alex Gordon’s ninth-inning walk-off three-run home run attempt landing just foul down the left-field line, Royals Radio
GH: I missed my first Royals’ opening day in six years yesterday. I followed the game from my desk on the radio via Denny Matthews and Bob Davis. A frustrating first half of the game had turned to hope in the ninth during my drive home. As Gordon came to the plate I recalled his first at bat in the bigs on Opening Day 2007 when he battled Curt Schilling with the bases loaded. You too?
“Gordon came this close to being the baseball hero. Instead, bupkis. A few feet the other way, and the tome of this column and the spirit of baseball fans all over town would have been filled with the kind of hope that Kansas City usually sees only from a distance.”
Sam Mellinger, Kansas City Star
GH: How cruel of the baseball gods to once again taunt us with dreams that quickly sour into nightmares.
Sam Mellinger, Kansas City Star
GH: How cruel of the baseball gods to once again taunt us with dreams that quickly sour into nightmares.
Jack Goes Confidential: Jake Gyllenhaal Faces Time Reassignment in SOURCE CODE!
For those who’ve followed my reviews, you’ve probably come to realize I’m not the biggest sci-fi fan.
Not to say I can’t distinguish between a good one and a so-so sci-fi offering.
The same goes for any genre, be it a chick-flick, kids or fantasy movie, comedy or drama, it’s either good and interesting or just run-of-the-mill.
That brings me to SOURCE CODE, a new sci-fi action-thriller I find interesting, entertaining & thought provoking.
Starbeams: Huzzah! Brett Back! Google to Rescue! Costner Out of Acting & Kelly on Point!
MoDot managed to open the Blue Ridge Cutoff Bridge just in time for the Royals home opener.
Let’s just hope this isn’t the biggest victory for Royals’ fans this season.
Google has chosen Kansas City, Kansas as the first test market for high-speed cable.
That means KCK will have Internet access 100 times faster than the rest of us. Residents of Wyandotte county will now be able to file police reports in a nanosecond.
Sounds Good: Bill Cosby @ Midland, Nathaniel Rateliff @ Bottleneck & Bright Eyes @ Uptown
Friday, April 1st
Bill Cosby at the Midland in KC
Bill Cosby’s standup routine is definitely not dirty, not a curse word to be found. But it is funny. One of the Great American Storytellers, Cosby has perfected his craft of delivering conversational tales of family, children, and the seemingly mundane details of life. Yes, he is a master. I mean, who else could kill with a bit about ice cream? Or about visiting the dentist? Or driving his kids to school?
If you appreciate comedy and have never seen Bill Cosby in person, don’t wait, now’s your chance. Though the show is sold out there are tickets available at several online broker sites. His recent shows have been receiving consistently good reviews, and at 73, who knows how much longer the Cos will keep touring? Free pudding pops to the first thousand through the door!
Glazer: Does Jason Whitlock Have a Real Job? Probably Not.
.jpg)
Former Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock was a force to be reckoned with this week on the panel of HBO’s Real Sports…
In fact, he dominated it.
The irony is, everybody else on the panel besides him had their title under their name on the screen. But Whitlock’s just said "sports journalist" – it didn’t say Fox. It was odd, because everybody else was more specific. I don’t know why it didn’t say Fox.
Unless…
Glazer: Jason Whitlock Looms Large in HBO Expose of College Sports
Whitlock Shows Up Big!
Yes, yes,yes! Former Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock was one of four guests this week on HBO’s prestigous Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Great show. About how EVERYONE IN COLLEGE SPORTS (the players) are cheating and getting paid!
All good players and all big schools.
OTC: Mizzou Gets Whitewashed By Painter & Twitter
“I’ve got sources telling me they’re not 100% sure, they’re 110% sure!”Eric Blumberg, sports anchor/reporter for Columbia’s KOMU, while talking to Nick Wright about 2:15 PM Wednesday, on how positive he was that Purdue’s Matt Painter had accepted the Missouri basketball coaching job, Twitter
GH: Blumberg was one of the first respectable voices in the media to make it known via Twitter that Painter was coming to Mizzou. I was at Sporting Kansas City’s stadium tour when I saw his tweet and mentioned to the people there it looked to be a done deal. When I heard Blumberg on Nick Wright’s show make his 110% guarantee, I could not believe what happened next. Read on.
Glazer: ‘A List’ Comedy / Movie Star TJ Miller Headlines Stanford’s
Who’s the new young gun in comedy movies today?
TJ Miller that’s who. Miller has starred and co starred in NINE STRAIGHT "A" MOVIES. Well, A by today’s standards. He was co lead in CLOVER-FIELD (cameraman and talking through the entire picture), THE GOODS (with Jeremy Piven), GET HIM TO THE GREEK, YOGI BEAR( Park Ranger), GULLIVER’S TRAVELS, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, SHES OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE, UNSTOPPABLE (WITH DENZEL), and in August he’s co starring with KC’s Paul Rudd in MY IDIOT BROTHER.
There’s more…
Donnelly: Ochocinco Better With His Hands, Not Offered Pro Contract; LIVESTRONG Stadium Porn
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Sporting Kansas City announced earlier this week that Chad Ochocinco would not be receiving a contract offer. They did, however, offer Chad the title of "honorary member." 
"Honorary member?" That’s kinda like Larry the Cable Guy getting an honorary degree from MIT.
So what does this mean?
A couple things.
It means Ochocinco’s soccer skills and soccer fitness are nowhere near the level required to play in the MLS, or most other pro leagues for that matter. Not even close. But we knew this, right? (No? You need to read my stuff more, it’s spot on.)…
Car: 2011 Ford Taurus Limited Delivers
I had the pleasure of driving a 2011 Ford Taurus Limited twice last week courtesy of Budget Car rental…
Then heading out on a pair of 400-plus mile trips. I’m here to report the Taurus kept me entertained, comfortable and safe.
Let’s take a closer look.
Curb appeal
The 2011 Taurus was my favorite at the Greater Kansas City Auto Show earlier this month.
Starstruck: Mellinger Shines but Sports Daily Still Lacking Teeth
New columnist Sam Mellinger is taking Sports Daily to new heights in terms of column writing. But the section remains largely toothless when it comes to coverage of local teams and sports news.
Yeah, they get the obvious stories like KU athletics director Lew Perkins fall from grace and the KU ticket ripoff. But aside from that the section sets forth a largely unquestioning approach to teams and managements not mired in obvious scandal or disarray.
For example, yesterday’s massive headline: "The Royals REINVIGORATED."
Please…
Today: Westport’s Loss is 39th Street’s Gain, Streetside to Remain Vacant…For Now
.jpg)
It’s official; the courtship is o-v-e-r…
Now that Shawnee music emporium Vinyl Renaissance has announced intentions to open a second store on 39th Street in Midtown, the chances of ressurrecting the old Pennyland/Streetside location in Westport proper is deader than Liz Taylor.
"As far as Streetside Records goes…let sleeping dogs lie," reads VR’s Facebook post annoucing the new digs yesterday. "We’re all excited about the new store and look forward to seeing everyone on Record Store Day April 16!! Thanks to everyone for their patience and support."
Not that negotiations for Streetside’s space didn’t go down before it all fell apart…
OTC: Royals Are The Yankees Of Minor Leagues
“The Royals have been a punch line for going on two decades. Now, boasting baseball’s best farm system, they intend to get the last laugh. … The Royals – dare we say it – are the Yankees of the minor leagues.”Tim Keown, writer, ESPN the Magazine
“The Kansas City Royals are baseball’s version of a garage band with potential. … Disgruntled fans of the big league club, weary of the 90-plus-loss seasons, began following the farm system instead.”
Tim Keown, writer, ESPN the Magazine
GH: The Yankees of the minor leagues. Well, at least we’ve got that going for us this season. Plan your trips to Omaha and Northwest Arkansas now!
Tim Keown, writer, ESPN the Magazine
GH: The Yankees of the minor leagues. Well, at least we’ve got that going for us this season. Plan your trips to Omaha and Northwest Arkansas now!
Take .390: Royals New Bar & Grill Is Bacon Good
The Royals continue to allow the young talent in their farm system to simmer while we begin another summer of patience at The K. So how do you market a team in waiting to a starving fan base? With food! Glorious food! Mountains and gobs of heart-tugging grub. Have you ever people watched at The K? A large number of these fans are not there solely for a crack at a foul ball. Toby Cook, the Royals VP of Public Relations, invited the media on Tuesday to view Kauffman Stadium’s new .390 Bar & Grill and some of the eclectic fare that will be served in this more upscale lounge. Here are my notes from the event.
Glazer: Conan’s Grrrl Returns to Shawnee Mission East for Award
Sandhal Bergman is Kansas City’s only female Golden Globe winner…
She’ll be here May 6th to accept a lifetime achievement award from Shawnee Mission East, her high school. Bergman won the Golden Globe for Conan The Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1982. This is the second time Shawnee Mission East has given the award.
Sandhal moved to LA from New York in the late 70’s, after a Broadway career. She was in Pippin with Ben Vereen and All That Jazz. Bergman latter co starred in the film version of All That Jazz.
And Sandhal was one of the first "A List" movie stars to appear, well, naked
