Yearly Archives: 2011
Grogan / Donnelly: American Idol’s David Cook of Blue Springs Does the Midland
Hometown product David Cook returned to KC over the Thanksgiving weekend for his first local show in over two years at the Midland…
You do remember Cook, right?
He won American Idol in 2008 and released an album that did pretty well shortly after that. Since then he’s been kind of flying under the radar (as in fading), as evidenced by the lackluster attendance at the Midland, which was reported in the KC Star as being just around 1,100 bodies, less than half-a-house.
Ouch.
Glazer: Haley’s Last Stand Insures More Mediocrity, Poor Draft Pick
The clown show paused for a few moments to show off a great defense against a superior team.
Even though the his team lost 13-9, Chiefs coach Todd Haley made another move in the direction of NOT being fired. He did everything he could to keep the Chiefs in the game. By far it was the team’s best game of the year. They have little offense so it’s hard to compete, but Haley found a way to, so he has earned another shot.
Hearne: Money. Power, Sex Rule Bigtime College Athletics & It’s Time For a Change
The Syracuse child molestation situation is just the tip of the college athletics moeny-go-round…
When I was a little kid, all I knew about college football was that people like Fred McMurray drove to the games in really old cars with racoon tails, in really old black and white movies.
The fans yelled super silly cheers and it wasn’t about whether the teams won or lost but how they played the game.
That was then…
Today it’s every man, woman and child for his or herself and the Almighty Buck is King of Kings.
Who cares how the game is played? Just win, baby!
Hearne: Midnight @ The Oasis; Occupy @ Wal Mart & Oak Park Mall Pulls Up Short
So you hung with the fam, got hammered and did the zombie thing…
More power to ya, but now you’re feeling a bit blue cause you missed out on those 46-inch Westinghouse LCD TVs at Target and didn’t even make it to Oak Park Mall for Midnight Madness, The Thanksgiving Edition.
Dude, that’s tough. But fortunately I did your dirty work for you and am here to tell the tale.
Wine, women, song – debauchery beyond belief – none were in evidence when I embarked with 14 year-old daughters Liza and Savannah for the Target store on Metcalf near Johnson Drive. We arrived at 11:54 p.m. Thanksgiving night to see a sea of people – hundreds – flooding and snaking around Target’s massive parking lot.
Car: The Myth of Fiat’s Slow Start & Possible Sex Scandal
This just in, the sky is not falling on the new Fiat 500...
"Fiat’s U.S. chief ousted after poor Fiat 500 sales start," reads the Nov. 21 USA Today headline.
Unfortunately, as often is the case, the reporting on Fiat’s slower than hoped for re-entry into the North American market has been accompanied with precious little perspective. With more than 20,000 Fiat 500 sales in the US and Canada, there’s no arguing it will not achieve its overly-optimistic goal of selling 50,000 units this year.
Now let’s put that and the controversial ouster of Fiat ‘s North American head Laura Soave in proper perspective.
Glazer: KC Comedy Kingpin David Naster Calls it Quits
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Without a doubt, David Naster, as much as my family, started big time comedy in Kansas City…
It was David who came to me in late 1979 with idea of doing comedy upstairs in the Tree-House lounge on the weekend nights. So on a Sunday night with Grandpa Bennie and Jeff Glazer it all began.
David Naster was the star. He killed every weekend night.
In fact, because of how good the shows were Stanford’s became the focus of the then popular PM Magazine television show. David brought in his pals to co-star including Jeff Tamblin, Elliot Threat, Tom Burgeon and many more who started with Stanford’s because of David. In fact it was David who brought in Sinbad and Louie Anderson. Those two went on to huge TV and film stardom and to this day they are household names.
Last night David ended his final show on Saturday Night around midnight.
Today: T’was the Night Before Black Friday & All Through the Cowtown…
Let’s get right to the heart of the matter…
Greed is good – within reason. Face it, it’s the American Way. Without avarice – and its partner-in-crime marketing – we’d still be chiseling football scores onto cave walls. Flabby dudes would be stuck wearing loincloths at the beach instead of Speedos. And McRib would be the part of the Saber Tooth Tiger everyone threw away.
Which brings us to the Midnight Madness inflicted on KC consumers Thanksgiving night.
The mall and store openings born to a marraige of hype and tripe, greed versus need. Think about it. From a retailing standpoint, what’s the difference between dragging folks out of bed for a 6 a.m. sale the Friday after Thanksgiving and convincing them to bail on their families six hours earlier in the middle of the holiday?
For what? To do battle over a handful of cheap ass LCD television "doorbusters"?
Glazer: Scribe Readies for Rip Snorting Weekend of Pigskin Debauchery
Last week I had a nice pro day but a poor college day…
Let’s see if I can even that up this week. My numbers for the season have gone down a bit to 81% but are still very good. So let’s get on with it, shall we?
Another game of the year, already is LSU at home vs. Arkansas. No.1 against No. 3. If it were at Arkansas I would still like LSU. They have a pro set defense as they proved in Alabama. As for MU/KU….lots of points for MU but I still kinda like them over KU even with the points. Houston is the new hot dog out there – they are on the road at Tulsa – but I still like Houston.
In the pros, slim pickens. Steelers should shut down KC, with or without Kyle Schmo Dog. I agree with Brandon, all this can do is add a win or two to KC’s horrible year and take us out of the running for a franchise college quarterback. I think we still end up 4-12 or 5-11. And we all want to see Ricky at least once! Why not?
Now on to this week’s pics…
Glazer: The Fall and Rise of Westport & the Impending Demise of the P&L
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You heard it right, Westport is on baby, back on big time…
Hey, I’ve even pissed on them the last few years. NO WAY, NO HOW. But now Nigro and company are winning big time. For the following reasons.
First of all the crime is way, way down. Westport security is doing an outstanding job. KC Police have helped but with the ending of hip-hop in Westport and nationwide, its crowds are growing again.
Leftridge: Say Goodnight to the Border War
Without rivalries, football would be little more than (mostly) fit men scampering around a well-manicured lawn in tight pants chasing a ball no bigger than an obese Chihuahua. Dubious, at best.
Rivalries, however, give us conflict, lend intrigue and substantiate purpose.
Who were the Hatfield’s without the McCoy’s? Dirty hillbillies, that’s who.
The 2004 Red Sox World Series win wouldn’t have been nearly as memorable if the road to the championship hadn’t included a historic run through the New York Yankees and a bloody, sweat-soaked sock.
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat fought epic, timeless battles against Ric Flair in the days of the NWA, back when it was acceptable to have a wrestler embrace the persona of a dragon.
You get the idea.
Edelman: Giving Thanks for Kansas City Jazz
Kansas City, say thank you for jazz…
The Chiefs may suck, Royals disappoint, politicians irritate, the economy drags us down— but then there’s jazz. Seven nights a week, fifty-two weeks a year, our town boasts a fine line-up of musicians and the dedicated (and daft) club owners who keep the lights on, booze flowing and stages lit.
I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful for that.
Jazz makes our town special. It’s what KC contributed to world culture, where we left our mark, what we’ll be remembered (and celebrated) for long after the Plaza becomes an outlet mall.
Leftridge: A Thanksgiving Blessing for That Which We Do Not Deserve
It’s important to remember what we’re thankful for right?
Isn’t that what this Indian-murdering holiday is all about? Well, first I suppose I’m thankful for my forefathers who murdered all of those Indians. Without their noble efforts, who knows where we’d be (and since I’ve got a good-bit of Indian blood in me as well, I’d like to say, "Patience, brothers. Our time will come once again.
Hearne: Rapscallions of the World Unite; KCC Wishes You a Happy Thanksgiving
In a universe where few holds go unbarred, it’s hard to come up with the words to express what passes for the gratitude of the KC Confidential family to our readers…
Especially given the vast majority of you have the decency, good sense and good taste to steer clear of the hardscrabble world that is the comments section. You’re a silent majority of sorts, albeit a very important one.
Is it halfway safe to assume that the 99 percent-plus of you who never comment are ardent admirers and true believers in the words set forth by the scribe-otherwise-known-as Craig Glazer? Or that your fondest desire would be to hug it out with me while professing that I can do no wrong?
Not likely.
Leftridge: Facts About the Kyle Orton Pick-Up; Chiefs Subtract with Addition
Fact 1: The Chiefs picked Kyle Orton up on Wednesday, before more deserving teams (see: teams in actual playoff contention) could do so. If you’re the Chicago Bears, the Houston Texans, the Detroit Lions (come on—we all know it’s a matter of time before Matt Stafford separates his shoulder reaching for his soda at a Wendy’s drive-thru), the Philadelphia Eagles (Vick is more vulnerable than an emaciated pit-bull in a throat-tearing-contest… too soon? Nope) or the Dallas Cowboys (see: the Detroit Lions’ conundrum), you’ve gotta be super-pissed.
What business do the god-awful Chiefs have in making this move? Well, none, really.
Donnelly: Karrin Allyson, One of Jazz’s Finest, Returns to KC at Jardine’s
What a dream it must be… Can you imagine it?
A little girl from Great Bend, Kansas, discovers the piano at a young age. She seems a natural, plinking and pounding away. Soon she starts singing as well, and her voice carries with it a weight not possessed by many others.
She moves to Omaha and formally studies the piano. She starts gigging at small clubs in the area, then moves on to Minneapolis, then KC, all the while honing her gift of a voice. She records her first record around her 30th birthday and it receives high praise from the jazz community.
Maybe this could be my thing. Maybe this IS my thing.
On to the Big Apple…
Hearne: Thanksgiving Breakfast Dance Back & Bad w/ Mel Waiters, Denise LaSalle
One of the Cowtown’s most sacred pop culture artifacts has risen from the grave…
The Thanksgiving Day Breakfast Dance – a 30-plus year Kansas City tradition – died an unseemly death two years ago when longtime area blues promoter Roger Naber ran out of the time and energy to keep the ship of state afloat.
Two years earlier Naber had described the event thusly:
“It’s the largest running music tradition in Kansas City to my knowledge. I’ve been going to breakfast dances for 31 years now. And we’re expecting nearly 1,000 people this year on Thanksgiving morning with the talent we have. Johnnie Taylor’s sons are opening the show for Millie Jackson.”
The event goes down on Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the National Guard Armory in KCK.
Glazer: Fire Todd Haley? No Way! The Alternatives Are Far Worse
Yep, I am reversing my position…
Chiefs coach Todd Haley should not be fired. He’s a rebel. He has the right idea. Todd is a tough sunnavabitch. Especially for a guy who once played too much golf. I think players respond to Todd.
The problem is Scot Piolli not Todd Haley.
I know I said Haley would be fired, and likely he will be mostly cause Scott hates his ass. Remember, I reported that before anyone else? Some comment folks even said I could be sued for saying that….right. Look, don’t question the scribe.
Now its common knowledge that the two boys are on opposite sides of the room. Todd is hip (or at least tries to be) Scott is withdrawn and Carl Peterson-ish. Whatever you do, don’t get on Scott’s hate list. But Todd is on it.
Maybe that’s why he and his wife quit Woodside together and the Piolli’s didn’t.
Tales from the Tweet: a Jumbo Dose of Pinkel, Big Z to KC? & Canseco’s New Gig
At this point, you’ve already decided whether Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel’s punishment was justified or horribly hypocritical. You’ve probably even seen the dash-cam video where he stumbles around, embarrassing himself and his university. If you’re a Mizzou alum, or fan, you’ve probably taken the attitude that, “Come on, who HASN’T had a drink at dinner with friends and driven home? The fact that everyone is making a big deal of it is the REAL issue.”
If you’re a KU fan, or a K-State fan, or even if your team is in the SEC (most SEC fans seem angry by their conference’s newest inclusion, in general), you’ve probably taken the attitude that, “He could have killed a school-bus of special needs children! He should be drawn and quartered like the uncivilized beast that he IS!”
And maybe there is merit to be found in all opinions, both sympathetic and dissenting.
He did lose over $300,000 in the ordeal, has been publicly humiliated and one would assume that this makes a large mark on his permanent record. On the other hand, his players have been punished in a more severe manner for similar transgressions—in terms of suspension, that is—and he DOES make a dick-load of money to begin with.
But no matter what you’ve decided, the facts surrounding his arrest speak for themselves.
@sptwri (Mike DeArmond, Mizzou writer, KC Star)
“Cops asked gp to recite alphabet starting with letter E. He said E F G H R. LATER WENT A B C D E F G H R.”
“COPS ASKED GP TO count from 73 to 62. "Gary stated he could not do that normally."
“Cop asked how big were the servings of red wine he had consumed. Cop said Pinkel said "Jumbo."
The jumbo answer is priceless. Despite the seriousness of the situation—even I don’t think drinking and driving is a laughing matter, and I’m pretty hard to offend—“jumbo” will forever provide exquisite fodder for those wanting to take a quick jab at MU.
Hearne: Karen Pletz Death Gives Appearance of Suicide
Here we go again…
With the seemingly obvious going unsaid. But the death of embattled former Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences head Karen Pletz would appear to be a suicide. The 64-year-old one-time civic leader was found dead in a Fort Lauderdale residence. Ft. Lauderdale police say no foul play was involved and that they are waiting to hear from the medical examiner.
Those full results, however, are not expected to be available for two to three months, says Broward County chief medical examiner Darin Trelka. Trelka declined to say whether Pletz left a note or address the issue of whether it appears to be a suicide.
However, one or both of the above would appear to be the case given that police say there was no apparent foul play and the medical examiner’s office is not making any efforts to expedite the examination.
Today: Shia’s Drunken Brawls, Tot Mom Assassination Attempt, Tyson Does Cain
Holiday gossip break, anyone?
There are some interesting stories in this week’s National Enquirer worth taking a gander at.
Like the "world exclusive" about – forgive me for borrowing the expression – Tot Mom Casey Anthony surviving an assassination attempt and being hastily moved to a new safe house in the middle of the night in a remote part of Florida after finding a scrawled threat taped to her front door.
Or how about director Steven Spielberg – whose long ago photo adorns a wall at Bryant’s BBQ – warning Transformers star Shia LaBeouf about getting hammered and getting into nasty barroom brawls as evidenced in photos of the 25-year-old actor getting his you-know-what handed to him in Vancouver, B.C.
