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Chuck: Holy Smokes Batman, Maybe We Should Protect Ourselves
“We prohibit under anathema that murderous art of crossbowmen, which is hated by God, to be employed against Christians and Catholics from now on.” So it was, that in April of 1139, at the 2nd Lateran Council, Pope Innocent the … Continue reading
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Hearne: MU Supporter Calls for Sanity in College Athletics in Wake of Penn State Scandal
Follow the money? No way…
A review of Southeastern Conference athletic departments that showed newcomer Missouri ranking in the bottom tier in both sports revenues and expenditures was hailed in yesterday’s Kansas City Star as a clarion call for MU to raise more money. That is if it intends to compete on the playing field in its new conference.
In 2011 Missouri took in and spent about $64 million on sports programs. That’s about half of what the top SEC schools raked in – $20 million less than lowly Kentucky even.
To which longtime Missouri supporter Larry Sells says: "I don’t think raising all that money means anything. If they get it, they spend it. Maybe sometime they’ll want to think of themselves as a university instead of a football stadium with a college attached."
Missouri and other schools need to get their priorities straight, Sells says.
"I don’t know that it’s so important to have a $6 million coach as opposed to a $2 million coach," he muses.
Hearne: Former Star Columnist Posnanski Still Giving ‘Silent Treatment” on Paterno
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The silence is deafening…
It’s hard to imagine being in a more awkward position than the one former Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski finds himself in today. Then again, worse things could happen. After all, Posnanski banked a reported $750,000 writing fee for his upcoming book about fallen Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.
But what began as a picture perfect Posnanski blowjob about a beloved sports icon – something Joe clearly excells at – has taken nasty turn after nasty turn since the Penn State child abuse sex scandal broke last year.
It took an even nastier turn today with the release of a scathing report nailing Paterno for particpating – and possiblly spearheading – a coverup for convicted former right hand man Jerry Sandusky.
Sounds Good: Gaslight Anthem@Bottleneck, Dan Hicks@Knuckleheads, The Sluts, Rev Gusto@Barnyard, O.A.R.@Crossroads
I know this is a music post, but I also cover soccer for those of you following along…
Last night, Sporting KC got sweet revenge, beating down Philly 2-0 after being on the receiving end of a 4-0 curb-stomp just a couple weeks back. The win puts KC into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup finals, which will be held at LIVESTRONG. Get your tickets now, because this will be one of the all-time best atmospheres in a stadium that is known for great atmospheres. And I assure you, this will be a sellout. I mean, the last seven games have been sellouts, but this will be a SUPER SELLOUT.
Scary, right?
Back to the music. A couple of picks for shows that are taking place tonight, so act quickly KCC music junkies…
Thursday, July 12th
The Gaslight Anthem at the Bottleneck in Lawrence
Donnelly: Beach House at Liberty Hall, July 10, 2012
I rolled into Liberty Hall at about 9:05, which provided the perfect amount of time to get a Free State Beer before the show started.
Beach House went on around 9:15, and Liberty Hall—although not at its 1000 person capacity- was pretty packed. And surprisingly, the audience was more versatile than I expected…not just a bunch of hipsters.
The band opened the show with Wild, the second song off their latest album, Bloom.
Although singer/pianist Victoria Legrand does have a strong, full voice, it wasn’t until the third song, Norway, from their 2010 album, Teen Dream, that the band really took command of the audience.
Hearne: Kansas City Got Shafted by Fox Sports All Star Coverage
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.
Glazer: Order Up! A Serving of Crow for Remorseful Scribe
In today’s Kansas City Star Sam Mellinger wrote what might be his best piece as a sports journalist…
The headline: GLIMPSES OF GLORY FOR SUFFERING FANS.
Like a couple of the comment folks, he made me feel kinda bad for going all negative on our All Star game. I WAS WRONG. The game and event did matter. The fans here were excited. It made us feel more important and brought smiles to a frustrated fan base that loves sports.
Mellinger was dead bang right.
Who am I to put down such a fantastic effort by our city and its people? Hey I am proud to be from Kansas City. Even nut job Harley’s comments hit home, I was being a SCROOGE.
Mancow: Cow Chaws on Kansas City’s All Star Game Glory
I watch baseball only when I run out of sleeping pills…
The punks that came after my boyhood hero George Brett aren’t worth anyone’s time.
As for KC getting the All Star game, Chicagoans don’t even know a far off place called Kansas City exists. Sorry but nobody here cares. And baseball is yesterday’s news like apple pie. Americans now prefer creme brûlée.
Yes baseball is yesterday’s news in America. Kinda like … Uh … freedom.
Katie: Vans Warped Tour 2012 @ Cricket Wireless Ampitheater
She came, she shot, they conquored…
Even the weather was cool at Monday’s Vans Warped Tour at Cricket Wireless Ampitheater. Eliciting this three sentence review of the event by KC Confidential lens-slinger Katie Grogan:
"soooooooooooo many shots. soooooooooooo many bands. sooooooooooo amazing. :)"
Bands pictured include (in order), Newfound Glory, Rise Against, Pierce the Veil, Memphis May Fire and Sleeping With Sirens.
Starbeams: KC Boos, Tom Cruise Divorce, Katy Perry’s Boobs & Donald Rumsfeld to Dole
Many national viewers were surprised to see Kansas City fans booing Robinson Cano at the Home Run Derby Monday. What they don’t realize is, for 20 years Kauffman Stadium has had a monopoly on booing.
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The booing continued on the red carpet on the Country Club Plaza. Unfortunately, Sacha Baron Cohen wasn’t able to attend the event.
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Billy Butler is having a blast during his first All-Star appearance. Mainly because Royal bacon blue hot dogs are free to the players.
New Jack City: Cable TV War Erupts in Kansas City
So you woke up this morning, congratulations!
You turned on the coffeemaker, went to the bathroom and then turned on the TV for your morning fix of ABC-TV’s Good Morning America or whatever.
However if you’re a Time Warner Cable customer all you got—and are still getting at the time of this writing—is some Hallmark Channel movie fluff.
So you kicked your TV, threw the remote against the wall and bitched about the heartwarming family story being shown where GMA was to be.
What the hell is going on?
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Glazer: Brett Reminds America of Way KC Was, All Star Game Disappoints
Hearne was correct and we all know it…
The 2012 All Star Game is for us. Just us. Few people came into town for the occasion and the events outside the stadium are for the most part not very well attended. The restaurants around town – with some exceptions – aren’t extra busy. And we got the city cleaned up and ready for…us. And maybe a few television cameras.
But hey, that’s OK. We did a great job. For us.
So did George Brett on ESPN last night. He stole the show.
Like many of you I’ve never thought of George as a great speaker, but last night he was just that. He made the Royals seem important. He made Kansas City seem like everyone’s home away from home and was humble in doing so.
He was the best man for the job.
Whinery: The Death of Privacy, Warrantless Mobil Phone Tracking Epidemic
The Right of the People to be Secure in their Persons, Houses, Papers and Effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon PROBABLE CAUSE by Oath
or Affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons to be seized…
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
A report released by the major mobile phone networks in the USA – a Country that still pretends to protect its citizen/subjects from unreasonable search and seizure – shows a shocking uptick in requests by law enforcement agencies for mobile phone data.
And not so surprisingly, most law enforcement agencies do not provide a proper warrant.
Leftridge: Hold Your Laughter, It’s Time for the Royals’ Midseason Awards
Even though baseball is an insignificant, dying sport patronized by fools and those without panache (according to my esteemed editor), it’s still a thing that happens for six months of the year so I figure we might as well talk about it.
And seeing as how we’re halfway through this ridiculous grind, I figured we’d do that ubiquitous “Midpoint Awards” thing that every other hack sportswriter trots out to kill inches between the fever that accompanies Spring Training, the realization that your team probably isn’t going to be in contention and the start of NFL training camps.
When you’re covering the Royals, God love ‘em, sometimes you’ve gotta dig.
But I say that half-heartedly. To write this season off as a waste is a terrible mistake. Despite some recent slippage, they’re still within (a somewhat) respectable distance of .500, something that hasn’t happened since 2003. Most of the position players we’re seeing on a daily basis are foundational blocks for the teams that are supposed to be winning championships down the line.
If you’re into growth and development, and watching kids—yes, kids—play with energy and cock-eyed optimism, is this ever the team for you.
Hearne: Missing Local Newspaper TV Writer the Subject of Speculation
These kinds of stories are never easy to tell…
However as working members of the local media there’s little doubt that people such as Kansas City Star television and radio critic Aaron Barnhart live in glass houses. Remember KSHB weather wonk Gary Lezak‘s bout with the Big C several years back?
So it is that Barnhart’s unexplained absence since late last year has been the cause of much wonder and speculation by both readers and co-workers.
With much of the speculation centering unfortunately on Barnhart’s past history with cancer.
Donnelly: Sporting Swelters to 0-0 Tie & Share of Division Lead
It was the most boring game of the season…
Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Houston took place in sweltering heat over the weekend at LIVESTRONG.
First off, I was happy to see Jacob Peterson in the starting lineup. The scrappy winger has straight up earned it with two goals in four appearances. He brings a relentless energy that boss man Peter Vermes loves, so I’m actually a bit surprised it took Peterson this long to get some substantial minutes. But I guess when you’re trying to justify the Bobby Convey deal you’ve got to play Bobby Convey a lot.
Plus Peterson is one of the few Sporting players that is not content with taking the path of least resistance and dumping through-balls into the corners for surging fullbacks to run onto and cross into the box. Instead, Peterson likes to face up his man, maybe try and find a foot or two of space, and fire a shot from in front of goal, something that I have criticized this team for not doing enough.
Mancow: Cow Salutes Actor Ernest Borgnine, Dead @ 95
Actor Ernest Borgnine died at the ag ofe 95, great actor…
The television series MCHALE’S NAVY had an excellent cast along with Borgnine. Joe Flynn as Capt. Binghamton was great. Tim Conway as Lt Parker was very funny. I remember watching Borgnine water skiing behind a PT boat and drinking beer. He was also great as Fatso Judson in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Everybody said he was one of the nicest guys in Hollywood and he was.
I think he has Hollywood’s record for the shortest marriage…
Glazer: Jeremy Renner Atop Hollywood’s ‘A List’ Candidate for ‘King of Sting’
Average film fans don’t know actor Jeremy Renner very well yet…
Even though he was nominated for best actor in the hit movie HURT LOCKER, nobody much saw him as the next new Hollywood god. Well, somebody sure noticed because Renner followed with smash hit THE TOWN with Ben Affleck and now he’s becoming the man in Hollywood.
Just over a year ago I had lunch at Warners/Malpaso with Rob Lorenz, the director who has agreed to do KING OF STING. Just after that meeting Rob did TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE starring Clint Eastwood (out this September).
We kicked around actors names for the lead roles in KOS and Rob mentioned Renner at that time.
Hearne: It’s Just Baseball, Take It or Leave It Boys & Grrrls
You don’t have to be a die hard sports junkie to have insights or opinions on sports…
A handful of comments section naysayers ripped me last week for suggesting that some locals – notably the sports media – were over-hyping this week’s All Star baseball game in Kansas City.
"Your opinion on baseball is as relevant as mine is on quantum physics," snarled Merle Tagladucci before hammering me for supposedly not knowing that the team that won got home field advantage in the World Series.
Sorry Merle, I do know that. But that’s supposed to matter to everyday Kansas Citians again why?
Look, there’s nothing wrong with hardcore sports buffs like Merle obsessing over baseball minutia. No more than there is people who obcess about stamp or comic book collecting. It’s the human condition.
We all have our dalliences.
However people here have a habit of getting snookered into falling for broad assertions about the amazing things that will come to pass and propel the local economy if we just do this. Or get that.
Donnelly: Sporting Kansas City Dominates MLS All Star Lineup
Yesterday Major League Soccer announced its 2012 All Star Starting XI…
The All Star game is on July 25th in Philly and will pit the best in the MLS against EPL giant Chelsea.
Sporting KC is represented big time, with more players on the Starting XI than any other team.
That’s some major props to Sporting and its front office, considering KC doesn’t exactly get the national media coverage that some of the other teams do.
Kansas City has three players on the Starting XI – Jimmy Nielsen, Aurelien Collin and Graham Zusi.
My initial thoughts:
