Author Archives: Hearne Christopher Jr.
Hearne: Everytime KU Men’s Basketball Loses a Big One an Angel Gets Its Wings
I have a confession… It may not come as much 0f a surprise to some, but here goes: I like it when KU loses a basketball game – the bigger the better. Here’s why. Because living in Lawrence, Kansas the past … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
10 Comments
Hearne: Will Kansas City Finds Its Way?
Is Kansas City on the right track? Think about it. In generations past the Cowtown had a lot going for it. The mighty Missouri River, the stockyards, Kansas City Board of Trade and Kansas City Southern Railroad for starters. Moving forward, Hallmark … Continue reading
Hearne: Will the Pitch Dump Sex Ads?
Whaddaya think? Kansas City’s former alternative newsweekly of record, The Pitch faces a highly uncertain future come April 1st. That’s when the once-venerable entertainment and news pub plans to go from newsprint to coated stock (magazine quality) paper and monthly publication. Kinda … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
4 Comments
Hearne: Star Sticks It To Self / KU for Sexist Behavior
Give it up for Sam Mellinger and the Kansas City Star… Don’t rub your eyes, you heard me. Because at long last somebody in the newspaper’s sports department reached down into their trousers, located something resembling an attitude and – voila – … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
20 Comments
Hearne: The Long Predicted, Pending Death of Alternative Journalism in KC As We Know It
Death spiral, anyone? Enough with the sentimental beating about the bush and kissing up to what little remains of KC’s so-called alternative newsweekly The Pitch. And as for beleaguered Pitch publisher Scott Wilson’s tap dance Monday on KCUR-FM – stating the pub’s move from … Continue reading
Hearne: More is Less at 18th & Grand
Day old news, anyone? It’s taken awhile, but I think I’ve finally figured out why daily newspapers like the Kansas City Star make readers pay for national and international news filler in an era where the exact same information – albeit … Continue reading
Hearne: ‘Phantom of the Opera’ a First Class Experience for Some, Not All
Let’s get the really big elephant out of the room… Even after 30 years, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera is as pleasing to the eye and the ear as it was at its London premier in 1986. In some … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher, Uncategorized
4 Comments
Hearne: 2017 Sucks for The Pitch
“This Week Sucks!” Talk about ominous headlines. That’s the cover blurb that graced the January 19 to 25 issue of Kansas City’s alt weekly The Pitch. Full disclosure: the accompanying cover art was a cartoon illustration of Donald Trump holding up … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
19 Comments
Hearne: Everything Old is New Again @ 18th & Grand
So proud, so predictable, so last century… In the wide world of news and journalism, few organizations are more out of it than big city daily newspapers – which of course includes our beloved Kansas City Star. That’s kind of … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
20 Comments
Hearne: Chiefs’ Drunken, Dawn Tailgate Plan Recipe for the Obvious
Talk about barbarians at the gate… Word that the Kansas City Chiefs are opening the drunken floodgates of Arrowhead Stadium’s parking lots at 6:30 am Sunday should send chills down the spines of kinder, gentler Chiefs fans. Because as anyone who’s … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
22 Comments
Hearne: Tyreek Hill Story The Star Didn’t Bother to Report, Chiefs Would Rather You Not Know
They say the devil’s in the details… That said, if you’re relying on local sports media or the NFL to report the sordid details of rookie Chiefs star Tyreek Hill’s dastardly treatment of the mother of his young son, you best … Continue reading
Hearne: Time for Star’s Sam Mellinger to Reinvent Himself
I take it back… Remember a couple years back when I wrote about how promising new Kansas City Star sports columnist Sam Mellinger was? That Sam the Man was no sham. Which at a falling Star was no small feat. Especially given that … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher, Uncategorized
14 Comments
Hearne: Saying Something Nice About The Kansas City Star
Tis the season…. What better way to harness the holiday spirit than critique my former home-away-from-home, the Kansas City Star. You may recall I let my subscription lapse last year before hopping back aboard last summer. The break allowed me to … Continue reading
Hearne: The American Royal’s Risky Run to KCK
Did I miss something? What happened to the usual hand wringing and teeth gnashing following the American Royal’s recent front page announcement in the Kansas City Star that what’s left of the once vaunted livestock and horse event is leaving Missouri … Continue reading
Hearne: Where’d You Guys Go?
Ever catch something you couldn’t quite shake? Well, that’s kinda what happened to KC Confidential a few days ago. Oh I could have dropped everything and had it sorted out in a day or so probably. However, as many of … Continue reading
Hearne: The Farce & Folly of Radio Ratings
Everyone pretends they’re real… That is until a radio station like Entercom’s The Rock 98.9 gets embarrassingly low ratings, then out come the excuses alongside the specific demographic and hourly breakdowns to explain away the bad news. Welcome to the world of radio … Continue reading
Hearne: The Rise & Fall of Johnny Dare
Think end of an era… It’s been decades since a geeky kid from Olathe rose from obscurity to become a force to be reckoned with in Kansas City radio. His stage name: Johnny Dare. Yet after more than 20 years of success … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
80 Comments
Glazer: Donald Trump’s Last Stand?
Looks like this may be Donald Trump‘s last stand… If Trump thinks he’s beaten will he justly and have fun and attack, attack, attack? Maybe. The way I see it, Trump still has a slugger’s chance to win on November 8th. … Continue reading
Hearne: So Many ‘Pussycats,’ So Few Dance Grooves
It’s not unusual for 76 year-old men to lose a step after more than 50 years… Such was the case with ’60s heartthrob Tom Jones before a sold out crowd at the Uptown last week. What was unusual was for the septuagenarian’s pipes to be … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
17 Comments
Hearne: A Tale of Two Cities — KC’s Inflated Streetcar Ridership Numbers
In a world of made-up news stories and overblown media hype, the unsubstantiated success of the Kansas City streetcar line looms large… Check out a recent front page headline in the local newspaper of record: “Transit line needs more cars; KC’s … Continue reading
