Somebody done somebody wrong…
Like a lame country western song, Fox Sports hung Kansas city out to dry in its coverage of last night’s All Star Game. So says local PR guy extraordinaire Will Gregory.
"Here’s the pathetic thing," Gregory says. "Every single act Fox had at the stadium were country and western singers. And not even huge names – like B level American Idol singers. So it makes everybody across the country think we’re this hick town. It just seemed like to me that they didn’t have any interest in portraying Kansas City as anything more than barbecue and country music. Why not go to some of our James beard nominated restaurants? We have three James Beard winners here and a fourth mulitple nominee and nobody said a thing about that."
Meaning KC blew it in putting its best foot forward on the national TV stage?
"I don’t know that Kansas City blew it, this city was electric and I think we were great hosts. I just think that Fox was lazy and mailed in the the basic barbecue and country music package," Gregory says. "I think the city was ready to show off but the television coverage was a let down. The television coverage of what we have to offer was dated at best and ill informed at worst. I don’t think that Fox had any interest in getting beyond the song, ‘Goin’ to Kansas City’ and video of ribs.
"You know the movie Goodfellas? There’s a scene where a guy gets out of prison and sees Joe Pesci at a bar but hasn’t seen him since Pesci was a kid. And he talks down to him so Joe says to the guy, ‘I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I don’t shine shoes anymore.’ And that’s what I think about Kansas City – we don’t shine shoes anymore.
"We’re not just about country western music and barbecue, we’ve grown up. We’ve got cutting edge tech companies and eclectic restaurants in every category. The editor of Savor magazine was on the Today Show earlier this year and said that Kansas City was the place for food in 2012. And I don’t think he was talking about barbecue."
Gregory’s bottom line:
"Fox totally stereotyped Kansas City and I don’t think I’m alone in saying I’m tired of that. It’s like people playing the song, ‘Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City’ from the musical Oklahoma. It’s not the 1800s anymore. It’s time for people to wake up and see Kansas City for what it is today. Not for what it was in Oklahoma."
Cowtown envy
Hell they didn’t even feature Oklahoma Joe’s or Strouts. What’s wrong with these Fox nuts? They could’ve shown off the city’s nightlife hosted by the mayor’s son. Or how about bragging on our great public transportation system that doesn’t cross into JoCo.
I didn’t watch much of the game. Just the long rnough to catch the intro pieces.Then switched to TWC Channel 12’s new Hallmark Movie Channel. Made me feel like Toto still WAS in Kansas 🙂
Boohoo
cowtown shoeshiners, cry me a river. Be happy this backwater cowtown has a walmart baseball team.
Typical “dude”
Only someone named “dude” would stoop to making another weak attempt to set off someone by throwing in the proverbial “cry me a river” comment.. Thing is “dude”, you’re a moron, and everyone knows it..
Moving on to the topic at hand,… I whole-heartedly agree that they chose to make KC in a lower level light, instead of propping us up on the pedestal that we deserved. As much as Kansas City already was lambasted by New York media for something that THEY do on a daily basis to themselves, Kansas City deserves better.
But how do you not see that coming with the weak celebrity lineup in the softball game? Haley Reinhart, David Nail, Jon
Will Gregory Ever Make Sense?
Watch the games on Fox this Saturday and see if the announcers talk about the James Beard nominated restaurants in those cities. Gimme a fucking break. It’s BASEBALL, not The Food Network. With all of it’s great culinary culture when Atlanta is on the tube you see The Varsity. Seattle, Pike Place Market. We BRAG about being the BBQ Capitol of the fucking universe, that’s what they show and Mr. PR pisses and moans. If Joy Behar had a penis she’d be Will Gregory.
CUE THE COWBOYS AND INDIANS!
I was too busy watching the paint dry to turn on the TV, and when I finally got around to it, the score was 8-0 going into the bottom on the ninth, the “bad guys” with the lead. In 27 innings in Kansas City’s ballparks, the American League has now scored a grand total of four runs. Not exactly offensive fireworks there, so the broadcasters do need something else to talk about from time to time. Of course, we do have more to offer the East Coast sophisticates than just BBQ, jazz, George “Pine Tar” Brett, and some crazy little women. At Fox Sports, everything’s not exactly up to date, that’s for sure.
cow town confidential?
1. The Stockyards made us famous
2. The American Royal made us famous
3. We have roads named Santa Fe Trail
4. We are a BBQ capitol..
5. Westport has a covered wagon
6. We are at the confluence of the Missouri and the Kaw
7. One of the biggest rodeos in the country is here
8. Wyatt Earp ruled 5 hours away
9. Pony Express in St. Joe
10. How many slaughterhouses started here?
Dallas doesn’t apologize for being a cowtown.
We are who we are. Yes we are sophisticated. But I am okay with people perceiving us as country bumpkins and being surpised when they get here.
@Swammie
I have some fine cheese here for your whining bitch ass. Wah.
I also have some salve for your KC butthurtedness, is it bleeding down there?
It was fox’s show, they bought the rights so they can do whatever the hell they want with it. Get over it.
Agreed With smartman?
It’s a freaking baseball game! Fox is going to focus on the all-stars and stories surrounding them. They blow into town for a couple of days and stick to the stuff that relates to the baseball events that they’re covering, how absurd is that? Did you expect in-depth coverage of the curried chicken salad at a hidden gem like Happy Gillis or the tapas menu at la Bodega? Before posting this, did you ever care to check on how Fox covered past cities that hosted the ASG? Of course not, that would mean you actually researched a piece before spitting it out on your iPad. I’m pretty sure you got more of the same worn-out cliches regarding Phoenix, Anaheim, St.Louis, etc. It seems Fox Sports is just as lazy as you, go figure.
I find it odd that somebody who loves to trash this town, suddenly gets defensive when he feels we’ve been slighted by the evil national media.
Complaining about Fox = pointing out water is wet