Category Archives: Sports
Leftridge: Tales from the Tweet: Eric Berry’s Bad Blood, Wright is Wrong & Kevin Kietzman- Murderer?
Twitter was abuzz recently with player and pundit reaction to the Chiefs’ first victory, the enthralling start to the MLB playoffs, and the continued non-progress of David Stern’s newest drama, “The NBA Lockout: A Billionaires’ Catfight.”
I only managed to catch some of those things—well, the Chiefs’ stuff, to be precise. But I found some other funny crap, some of which was worth sharing.
Let’s jump right in, shall we?
@BFlowers (Brandon Flowers, Chiefs CB)
“Larry Bird is unstoppable in #NBA2k12 for the #PS3! Make sure you get your copy from @2ksports, in stores October 4th”
Wow… what a complete shill. I mean, I suppose he got a free copy for doing this, but really? I hope if I’m ever a multi-millionaire, I don’t resort to Tweeting for free video games. Wait… unless it WORKS. @FIFA12 is in stores now! Make sure to pick up your copy today!
Leftridge: So long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Mizzou
So, I’m about to report the sort of thing that I’ve previously made fun of in no uncertain terms.
It appears that unless something drastic happens in the coming days or weeks, Mizzou and the Big XII are as good as Splitsville. After a four-hour curator’s meeting on Tuesday, MU chancellor Brady Deaton was given permission by the board to seek conference alignment elsewhere.
While it’s still far from certain, this feels, well, certain. Much more so than any of the previous speculation and rumors that have plagued the internet. Hey, when KC Star Mizzou beat writer Mike DeArmond (@sptwri) is throwing it out there (“My prediction: Missouri is out of the Big 12 Conference and into the SEC by next season.”) in his Tweets, it’s gots to be true, yo.
Haley, Cassel, Succop Stave Off Executioner: Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy
So I was giving some serious consideration to doing a Whitlock-esque, “Team Grades” for the Chiefs at the quarter point of the season. You know, “Defense gets a ___ because of blah blah blah, Special Teams get a _____ for the following reasons.”
And then it hit me: Truthfully, no facet of this team would get anything above a low D-. Most would be F’s. After all, one 100% on a pop quiz doesn’t negate the fact that you haven’t handed in anything else the entire year.
But I’m tired of the negativity. Really, I am. It’s no more fun to ridicule this team with spiteful words than it is to read about it.
Therefore, I’m going to devote this column to positivity. And this weekend, there was a lot to be positive about. Let’s start with the Chiefs, and the season’s first triumphant win.
Leftridge: Tales from the Tweet: Arenas Heads to Walmart, Kietz Gets Saucy & Wright Rants
In today’s modern media world, some of the greatest quotes come not from press conferences or radio interview soundbites, but directly from the horse’s mouth. And by ‘horse,’ I mean person. And by ‘mouth,’ I mean Twitter page.
Social media is a vast landscape of triumph and tragedy; ridiculousness and realism.
But who has the time for all of those Tweets? What lifeless loser has hours to spend looking up random athletes and sports media personalities, in search of gold but bogged down with a thousand unnecessary ‘lolz’ and a million punishing abuses of the English language?
I do, my friends. I do.
It is my pleasure to present to you, this installment of ‘Tales from the Tweet.’
Leftridge: Historic Collapse of Boston and Atlanta & Handicapping the Playoffs
And when the dust settled, the historic collapse of two storied franchises
was complete.
By now, you know what happened. You’ve seen the highlights on ESPN and read lengthy, poetic diatribes by countless other sports writers. Perhaps you stayed up late to watch it happen live, to be a part of history.
And certainly, you’ve read all of the amazing statistics. The Boston Red Sox were 77-0 this year when leading after 8 innings. They were up nine games in the wild card standings at the beginning of the month. The Atlanta Braves,
virtually an identical story. But bullpen woes, and a pronounced lack of offensive punch, cost both teams their trip to the postseason.
Leftridge: Making a Case for the Wizard of Hoz
“…and I’d like to thank my first major league hitting coach, Kevin Seitzer, who not only taught me about the importance of crushing a hanging curve, but also how to love.”
Alright, so I’m not sure why Eric Hosmer will be talking about Seitzer teaching him how to love in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech 25 years from now, but I know for a fact that he’ll be giving a Hall of Fame speech 25 years from now. He can’t not. This city needs him to blossom, to become the greatest thing since sliced Brett. No pressure.
But in a game that’s all about inches, it’s often prudent to move in baby steps. And the first tender footed movement can be made by Hosmer taking his rightful place as the AL’s 2011 Rookie of the Year.
If only my impassioned pleas were enough.
Leftridge: Because You Have No Life, Here’s What You Should be Watching this Weekend
There’s entirely too much for you to watch this weekend. Seriously…
And since you’ll be wildly drunk most of the time, the only decision you should be left with is whether or not to sexually harass the Domino’s driver who barely speaks any English (hint: you shouldn’t… she’s a sweet gal).
To make it easy, I’ve compiled a list of must-see sports, things you’ll wish you could be watching when you’re in a detention facility because you ignored me and showed the poor lady your who-ha.
Check it out!
Leftridge: Charles Done for Year: Fantasy Football Fans Despondent, Suicidal
With one awkward landing, a fantastic grimace and the collective gasp of hundreds of thousands of fans, Jamaal Charles effectively dashed this town’s playoff hopes against the rocks of reality.
Okay, so I’m being melodramatic.
This season was likely lost before Charles’ knee turned into a quivering mass of gelatin early in Sunday’s game. Had he not gone down, and had all of the stars that were rapidly plummeting to earth remained securely tucked in the heavens, this was still nothing better than an 8 win team. At absolute best. But truthfully, they’d been shaving wins off of the turkey’s carcass before the season even started.
Leftridge: Weekend That Was; Chiefs Implode, Royals Tantalize, KU Curb-Stomped
The ship done sank before it left the dock…
Everything that you need to know happened in the first drive. Back to back 15-yard penalties against the Chiefs. A fumbled interception by Jon ‘Yee-haw’ McGraw. Our newly minted $50 million dollar man getting blasted for a touchdown.
The summation of the game reads like some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare crafted specifically to cost a head coach his job. Six turnovers. An anemic offense. A porous defense. Eight penalties for 70 yards to their 4/35. You’re never going to win this game on the road. EVER. You’re rarely going to pull this kind of thing off at home.
And perhaps the biggest blow of all was the injury to Jamaal Charles. Look, almost nobody in their right mind thought that the Chiefs would be winning the division this year, but strident optimists thought that maybe they’d be able to crap out 8 or 9 wins. If Charles is out for any extended period of time, however, all bets are off. It will mean that they’ve firmly planted themselves in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, though.
Elsewhere:
Leftridge: Curtains for Great Kansas Hope Ortiz, Mayweather Still Sidestepping Pacquiao
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A headbutt.
A hug and a kiss.
A cheap (legal) shot.
And that was all she wrote.
Floyd Mayweather (42-0), undefeated, undisputed champion of everything not MMA, knocked out local(ish) boy Victor Ortiz (29-3-2) in the fourth round of Saturday’s battle in Las Vegas. The hook he threw that connected solidly with Ortiz’s chin was about as hard a punch as Mayweather throws—but it didn’t come without controversy.
Murphy: Rick’s Rambling Sports Ramblings, Glass Bash, Thigpen et al.
After all these years the Chiefs have yet to figure out how to hold a press conference…
Here’s how it typically goes. Reporter: "Coach, waa waaa (static) waa (more undiscernable words)." It sounds like the adults in a Charlie Brown special.
Then you hear Coach Haley say: "You’re correct–that is what we’re doing, and we plan to continue doing that."
Can someone please give the media a mic so we can hear what they’re asking?
*******
I was going to say that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be the Miami Heat of the NFL. But about 5,000 other sports writers are saying the same thing. So let’s just say they won’t be Super Bowl winners.
*******
Former Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen has reunited with former Chiefs coach Chan Gailey in Buffalo. Tyler signed a three year deal and will be given the chance to earn the starting position. He had six teams interested in him. Biggest shocker being the Vikings, who were actually planning on making him starting quarterback. When they couldn’t land Thigy they went with second choice Donovan McNabb.
Do these teams know something the Chiefs didn’t?
Murphy: Recognizing the Joy in Sports Sadness
There’s no crying in baseball, allegedly…
When’s the last time something in sports touched you? I’m not talking about making you scream or unleash an end zone dance after a touchdown. Nor am I talking about a boneheaded throw by the quarterback that made you want to kick in your TV screen you we so pissed.
I’m talking about where you were so moved it was impossible to contain your emotions.
Murphy: My Top 10 Questions for This Year’s Chiefs & Bagging on Kevin Harlan
I’m a list guy – I like lists…
In high school I remember reading The Book Of Lists. Lists are great because they put things in perspective. Everyone has their own list. Here’s my list of 10 questions that I want the Chiefs training camp to answer.
1-Do the Chiefs have a back up quarterback? I heard I believe Kevin Harlan say that statistics show at least 50% of starting quarterbacks will miss at least one game. I hope one of these young guys step up. Tyler Palko is saying all the right things and seems very mature for his age. But I’d feel far more comfortable if we had a veteran behind Matt Cassell.
Speaking of Harlan. I really enjoy listening to his insight but I lost respect for him during the lockout because he was so over the top in his support of owners. I get that they provide income for him but he was just a mouthpiece.
Murphy’s Law: Speaking of Sports; Breaking Rules, Boosting Babes, Busting Hall
My first column on KC Confidential (and maybe my last) and I’m about ready to break four rules…
- Rule One. Don’t talk about the former person in the position. Folks don’t want to be reminded he’s gone. Unlike me the new writer, the old writer has a body of work to show his talents. I got zip. So I should just pretend he never existed.
- Rule Two. Don’t say anything negative about a a well-liked and now deceased public figure. I think the reasons for this rule are self explanatory. The person was well liked. The person is now dead. Nothing to be gained by saying anything negative.
- Rule Three. Don’t talk about fringe sports. That makes sense. When it comes to professional sports we’re pretty much a two team town. As a writer you want people to read what you write. So why write about a sport that has low interest?
- Rule Four. NEVER say anything negative about a female’s physical appearance. Especially if that female is a well liked local athlete. Actually this is a pretty good rule of thumb for life in general and not just for writing on a website. But it doesn’t make sense that we can write about how hot Anna Kornikova is but how unattractive other athletes are. Weren’t Dennis Rodman and Scotty Pippen two of the ugliest men ever to be on the same team?
But as previously stated, I’m going to break some rules.
Glazer: Take Off the Training Wheels, It’s Time for The Star’s Sam Mellinger to Grow a Pair!
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When Sam Mellinger took Jason Whitlock‘s place on the sports page of the Kansas City Star I really thought he was going to be outstanding…
Now that he’s had the post for about a year, uh, I don’t see much excitement there.
Maybe the Star has put the brakes on Sam’s ink, but he’s become a total "homer" and kinda boring. Of course our sports world in KC is horrible. We have no good teams, but hey Sam could have gone out of the box.
For example, which Chiefs are using roids? Investigate it, Sam, it’s all out there. Or how about a story about the Royals having No Future? That would be a good one. Or, will this be Matt’s last year here?
Something, anything!
Instead Sam tows the party line way too much.
OTC: The Top 10 Reasons Greg Hall Left KC Confidential
Read ’em and weep…
10. Craig Glazer’s scandalous tales of juggling 20-something babes enticed Hall into trolling Westport. Haven’t seen that white boy since.
9. Hearne promised Hall a Fiat 500 but the delivery date turned out to be December 2015…in Rome.
8. The Kansas City Star called, "Hall?…Sorry, wrong number.”
7. The Kansas City Star called Hall back, "Would you like to purchase a subscription?”
OTC: Ex-Royal Paul Splittorff Loses Battle To Melanoma
“Normally when you hear news like this you have heard about it for quite a length of time and have had time to reflect on the guy. But man, what a bomb to drop on today. … I had heard rumors that Paul had told somebody that he was going in for some treatment at the hospital and he would be out in seven to ten days. That was seven to ten days ago.”George Brett, in an interview with Bob Fescoe, on the passing of his former teammate Paul Splittorff, 610 AM
“You can never be ready even when you think you are when a loved one passes away.”
Fred Patek, former Royals shortstop, talking with Petro on 810 AM
GH: When I heard Nate Bukaty read the Royals’ email before 8:00 AM this morning announcing the passing of Splitt I was finishing my morning run. I ran the last block with my left arm raised to honor the Royals big southpaw.
Fred Patek, former Royals shortstop, talking with Petro on 810 AM
GH: When I heard Nate Bukaty read the Royals’ email before 8:00 AM this morning announcing the passing of Splitt I was finishing my morning run. I ran the last block with my left arm raised to honor the Royals big southpaw.
OTC: Nick Says 610/810 Ratings Hubbub Ain’t Wright
“I don’t know if you guys (frequent) those local sports media sites, but there’s been some misinformation.”Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: This statement in itself was absolutely shocking. Misinformation on a local sports media website??!! Al Gore just rolled over in his gravy!
“Some (of this misinformation) was good for this radio station and some bad about ratings going on. I just want to clear it up.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: Nick never alluded to what local sports media websites he was referring, which I believe to be a tad unprofessional. I am going to assume at least one of those sites was this one you are currently reading.
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: Nick never alluded to what local sports media websites he was referring, which I believe to be a tad unprofessional. I am going to assume at least one of those sites was this one you are currently reading.
OTC: Ray Lewis Warns Of “Evil” If NFL Lockout Continues
“Do this research if we don’t have a (NFL) season — watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game.”Ray Lewis, Ravens All-Pro linebacker, in an interview with Sal Paolantonio, ESPN
GH: Read this quote from Lewis again, I’ll wait. Sounds like a threat, right? Is Lewis saying we are all going to hit the streets and start boosting cars, looting stores and rolling old people just because we have our Sundays free this fall? Hey Ray, we don’t all live in Oakland.
“Maybe Lewis meant the players would turn to crime.”
Soren Petro, who said this in jest but was taken seriously by at least one caller, 810 AM
GH: Petro fielded a call from a person who identified himself as having a chance to make the Chiefs in the 90s. He explained that the way players receive their paychecks only during the season would leave some players desperate for cash if the players remain locked out. To the point of turning to crime? These NFL coaches and GMs don’t make enough money if they are dealing with an element of society that is this stupid.
Soren Petro, who said this in jest but was taken seriously by at least one caller, 810 AM
GH: Petro fielded a call from a person who identified himself as having a chance to make the Chiefs in the 90s. He explained that the way players receive their paychecks only during the season would leave some players desperate for cash if the players remain locked out. To the point of turning to crime? These NFL coaches and GMs don’t make enough money if they are dealing with an element of society that is this stupid.
OTC: Did KU Help Or Hinder Josh Selby? And Vice Versa
“You shouldn’t use certain words on the airwaves but that is absolute crap! Josh is a very good athlete. Josh is one of the more athletic kids on our team. That’s how rumors get started. That’s as false as anything could be. One thing that is a coach’s responsibilities is to promote his kids and put them in the best light they can possibly be.”Bill Self, in an interview with Nick Wright, after Wright asked him to comment on a report that stated KU didn’t find Selby to be as athletic as thought and that they intentionally limited Selby’s play at KU to make him less attractive in the NBA draft, 610 AM
GH: Wright has long held the opinion that KU’s handling of Selby will hurt the Jayhawks in their future efforts to recruit top recruits. Some of those fears are possibly coming to fruition. Read on.
“(Josh) Selby was, in a word, awesome in the (NBA) workouts I saw in Vegas. At Kansas, Selby looked wild, out of control and oddly unathletic. He struggled to create space from himself and made a number of bad decisions with the ball and in his shot selection. In Vegas he once again resembled the superstar we saw in high school. He was explosive athletically, got to the basket at will and shot the ball very well from range.”
Chad Ford, NBA draft expert, in a May 13, 2011 post on ESPN.com
GH: Could it be Selby is simply allergic to wearing the uniform of the “City of Kansas?” How could Selby play like Jelani Janisse while at KU but then turn into Dwayne Wade in his Vegas workouts?
Chad Ford, NBA draft expert, in a May 13, 2011 post on ESPN.com
GH: Could it be Selby is simply allergic to wearing the uniform of the “City of Kansas?” How could Selby play like Jelani Janisse while at KU but then turn into Dwayne Wade in his Vegas workouts?
