In the wide world of universal truths, death more often than not is an ugly affair…
Seems like it seldom comes quickly and cleanly.
Such appears to be the case with one of Kansas City’s most vaunted annual events, the American Royal. Was a time – long ago – when local businessmen wore those cute little American Royal lapel pins with pride. When local big shots competed to buy Grand Champion steers and were haled for their civic mindedness by local media. Blue jacketed, teenage Future Farmers of America roamed the Plaza and downtown Kansas City and top notch entertainers and musicians packed Kemper Arena. The barbecue contest turned the West Bottoms into horrendous traffic jams and the entire affair was punctuated by a festive, downtown parade attended by tens of thousands. Even the boring livestock and horse shows drew reasonably large crowds. And high society types vied to get their daughters presented as “debutants” in the annual Belles of the American Royal Ball.
No kidding, the American Royal was a really big deal.
However, so were horse drawn carriages, bell bottom pants, pay phones and VCRs. Times change; people move on. You-know-what happens, and things die and go away.
And at this stage of the game the American Royal would have a hard time drawing a crowd to its horse shows if they flooded the entire city with free tickets. Because nobody much really cares anymore.
They cancelled the parade and the top billed entertainer at last year’s Royal was an all-girl Kiss tribute band – it’s come to that.
Then a handful of business bullies tried unsuccessfully to extort millions from the city to bulldoze Kemper and build a brand new mausoleum to host the Royal’s infinitesimally small crowds. Build it and they will come? Uh, no way!
And now they’ve done what once would have been the unthinkable; they’re moving the barbecue contest and parade to the Truman Sports Complex.
Seriously?
Instead of drawing people into KC’s rejuvenated downtown and urban and urbane West Bottoms, they expect people to drive to Tailgate Land outside a pair of empty sports stadiums and hang out in a giant parking lot…to watch a parade?
Even the irascible Harley wouldn’t sanction something that hair brained, would he?
It’s one thing to circle Kansas City’s interstate system to attend Royals and Chiefs games, quite another to pound around a gigantic, asphalt parking lot.
Maybe it’s me, maybe this will help usher in a new era of American Royal enthusiasm that will carry over to its livestock and horse happenings. And once again we’ll find ourselves proudly donning those cute little lapel pins. Maybe.
I for one however will be surprised – very surprised – but pleasantly surprised.
Let the games begin!
The business of agriculture has changed drastically from the time my Grandfather grabbed the seat of my britches to keep me from jumping onto Trigger as Roy and Dale circled the packed arena.
Then the livestock came from producers whose names benefited from the general public seeing their stock garner ribbons. A Grand Champion from a major show meant more money. Same with hogs.
Today the majority of livestock is produced by contractors working for the integrators such as Tyson and Smithfield. The contracts prohibit having show animals on the premises. Not cattle, yet, but the independent cattle producer is slowly being driven out of the market by the big feedlots who only buy cattle which fit their grid. Independent slaughter houses are vanishing so if you aren’t contracted there is nearly zero market for you product.
The horsey set use the myth of the family farmer to continue the AR.
The Devon Horse Show which has never pretended to be about agriculture is in deep trouble now.
Shows like the AR thrived because the government started 4-H and FFA programs to teach the next generation of farmers better farming and ranching practices which their parents would not adapt.
With the Big Time Operators dominating agriculture the day of livestock shows has outlived its purposes.
+1
Of course agriculture has changed. What hasn’t. Seriously old guys
we have new equipment and new technology to feed the world and
to manage livestock. We have hi tech scientists inventing seeds that
yield huge crop levels….that’s innovation (and that’s bad or good depending
on your take of gmos and other new concepts).
Was at American royal bar b q….its alive and kicking like never before.
What a blast!!!!!!!!!!
And its expanded and improved and it still has to figure out the
traffic situation (but what event doesn’t have traffic problems in this
town if its a major event).
Incredible time…music…food…laughter….seeing friends….meeting new
friends from all over the nation…..sure the days of the old parade
may be over…the livestock shows may be gone….the rodeo maybe
might not be so big….BUT IT WAS TIME FOR KC TO MOVE OUT OF
THIS HICK TOWN IMAGE.
We had our chance years ago and chose “prime time”…and now with
the new developments…the incredible expansion….a move to being
one of the nations largest spots for new technology and innovation…
the new companies being developed….MAYBE IT WASTIME FOR
GUYS LIKE GLAZE TO STOP DREAMING OF RIDING A PONY
IN A PARADE AND WE MOVED INTO THE BRAVE NEW WORLD
THATS TAKING SHAPE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
MAYBE ITS TIME THE OLD FADED IDEAS AND OLD WORN OUT
CONCEPTS OF GUYS LIKE HEARNE…AND GLAZE…AND CHUCKLES
THE CLOWN…AND WILSON AND PORKY AND KEROWACKY (still
listening to the 8 tracks and dreaming of the 60’s and 70’s)
and THE REST OF THE OLD WORN OUT IDEAS TALKED ABOUT
AND DISCUSSED ON KCC BY THE OLD WORN OUT OVER THE HILL
WRITERS AND COMMENTATORS…
AND THAT WE MOVED INTO A WHOLE NEW WORLD THAT SURROUNDS US. OUT GOES THE OLD…..IN IS BRINGING IN THE
NEW….AND WHAT A FANTASTIC WORLD WE CAN LOOK FORWARD
TO IF WE ONLY HAVE THE VISION AND THE GUTS TO REALIZE
THE WORLD IS CHANGING…AND EITHER WE CHANGE OR DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hearne never lets us forget about the failure of innovation and change
and development and new ideas and new thinking. Move over sir…the
world has past you and the rest of your buddies by.
ITS A BRAVE NEW FORWARD THINKING WORLD OUTSIDE YOUR
LITTLE WORLDS….EMBRACE IT….ENHANCE AND ENJOY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“horse drawn carriages, bell bottom pants, pay phones and VCRs. Times change; people move on. You-know-what happens, and things die and go away.”
– some things never die: rabbit ears (TV’s & players upon playing fields), Levi’s which merely fade, and Kerouac who does not embrace modernity, greatest extent possible: VCR, 45 rpm singles, 33 rpm LP’s, 8-tracks as well cassettes still own, partake of.
A turntable, landline (no cell, no brain cancer), bell bottom pants (to match my Nehru jackets.) A recent horse drawn carriage ride Riverside, California – who said freeway driving is the only way get somewhere – stop, open your red, watery eyes, breathe in and, smell the… smog.
Yesterday, modern troubles seemed so far away, now we need a place to hideaway (big brother is watching), oh I believe in yesterday… is there anything man has not raped, name of progress? The Last Train to Clarksville has departed, gone forever.
an analog man in a digital world. but, rabbit ears will die, if they haven’t already, as stations switch to digital transmission only. no vhf, uhf for you!
typical old old man who drives his car looking in the rear view mirror.
kerowacky….you’re just an old man with an old mind set.
great for you…not for the fast moving….innovative Harley that’s still
got a full tank of gass.
You and glaze should get together and talk about the old days.
Record it and play it on your vcr. That sounds like fun!
Maybe call porky or Wilson (who we congratulate on losing 54 pounds)
and you all have a pity party about what a bad world we live in.
Then go by the CVS for some anti depressants….you boys really
need them
I remember my dad telling me glorious stories about the great American Royal. But as you point out, sad but true, it’s just a different world. On a whole other subject, saw where Gary Lezak’s dog Stormy died. Didn’t that dog try to bite you once Hearne?
If that’s true, I’m sure she had a good reason.
probably just sniffed out the snow in Hearne’s pockets
Even the rancher, the heart and soul of the American Royal is gone. The rancher raises calves, only to send them to a feedlot when they are about a year old. Today, rodeo is the dying art of taking weight off an animal that is paid by weight. In any event, parts of the American Royal will survive unless EPA decides to intervene in air quality.
Yesterday seemed so much more fun and exciting than facebook. Real adventures. Real cowboys. Real nightlife. On and on…I agree with K. Its like the Plaza isn’t its recent past of nightlife, dinning, shopping and beauty far better than the busy ‘Buffalo Wild Wings’ night out?
As a kid I rode in the American Royal Parades. Dressed as a gunslinger on a horse or in a wagon with Miss Virginia from Romper Room..It was on TV and I would be on for a short time….I was so proud of that in school. Long gone. So is the western and fast draw and all that…all gone. As I have said many times the best of America was the 60’s-early 90’s…rock and roll, hot girls in clubs and bars, real tv and movie stars, people really talking to each other not on a cell phone texting nonstop or on facebook looking at ads for things they will never buy….yeah I’m getting older but man it was so much better back then. Today, not so much. I do yearn for yesterday.
“When a man could still work and still would,
The best of the free life behind us now
And are the good times really over for good?
Are we rolling down hill
Like a snowball headed for Hell?
With no kind of chance
For the Flag or the Liberty Bell”
—Merle Haggaard
Glazer, and for that matter, Chuck, the good times aren’t over yet. I invite you to come down to the Brighton Barber Shop the next time you need a trim. The Barber, Jim, still plays in the local Opry’s. The haircuts are still $9, like they have been for as long as I can remember, just look at the price sign, faded from the years. Most days it will be packed with good ol’ boys. Some just there for a break from the wives, some for a cut, some to bring some farm fresh eggs to share, some for the nostalgia. Its littered with boys that grew up in the rural parts, boys that grew up in the surrounding neighborhood, known for their country living. Its a slower way of life. You won’t find all the fancy T.V.’s and scalp massages other salons have. I can’t remember ever seeing a woman in the joint, less Jim’s wife when she brings in a fresh pie. But you will find, some of the nicest, most patriotic, God-loving Americans you will ever meet.
You see, the good times aren’t really over. You just have to know where to look. It may be a breed of person that is in decline, but it is still alive and kicking. This isn’t an advertisement for the barber shop, it’s not my shop. But an advertisement for what made America great. I love technology, and find America to be the cornerstone of innovation. But we can’t lose some of the greatest parts of our culture. Our hard work, our determination, our drive. And in today’s world of immediate gratification, a taste of the slow life is a much needed retreat sometimes. It’s places like this that were the original LinkedIn and Facebook. A place where you can find a work truck, a mower, a small engine, a mechanic, a rancher, a farmer, a car saleman, and any host of proprietors, maybe even a comedy club owner and journalist.
Don’t yearn for yesteryear, seek it out and ye shall find.
I had really gotten over being bald until I read this comment.
Jealous again!
Well take solace, after Don died (a beloved barber, and iconic to Chouteau Trafficway) I had many troubles bouncing around from Fantastic Sam’s and Super Cuts. With options like those I was tempted to go bald myself.
the only sure thing in todays kcc world is that glaze can’t pick winner in
sports and he knows nothing about the things he writes about.
“As I have said many times the best of America was the 60’s-early 90’s…rock and roll, hot girls in clubs and bars, real tv and movie stars, people really talking to each other not on a cell phone texting nonstop or on facebook looking at ads for things they will never buy….yeah I’m getting older but man it was so much better back then. Today, not so much. I do yearn for yesterday.”
GET OFF GLAZER’S LAWN!!!!!
New Money in KC doesn’t relate to the American Royal. And I am glad.