KC Confidential

Here we go again…

Last one out the door, turn out the lights. Kansas City Star lead political writer Steve Kraske is outward bound. As in, bailing from the rocky realm of print journalism for the far calmer seas of UMKC.

Check it:

About that celebration of the anniversary of  Elvis Presley‘s death this past weekend…

For most folks 1977 was the year Elvis checked out. Something about too many painkillers, peanut butter and banana sandwiches and falling off the King of Rock N Roll’s bathroom throne at Graceland.

So he’s gone, right? Long gone – 36 years long gone – officially speaking.

Or is he?

Followers of my column in the Star may recall that in 2001 I stumbled onto a Parkville M.D. by the name of Donald Hinton who swore up and down that Elvis was still alive but in hiding. And that Hinton was treating him under the assumed name of Jesse, Elvis’s identical twin brother who died at birth.

There were five people at the time in Hinton’s inner circle who knew the “real truth” about Elvis still being alive and hiding out as Jesse, including his cousin Jerry Presley, a local deck builder and musician who performs nationally as an Elvis tribute band.

Hinton self-published a small book outlining the story of Jesse entitled, “The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley In His Own Words.” Continue reading →

Before…

There are always at least two ways of looking at things…

In the case of former Kansas City Star sports statistics editor Martin Manley – who killed himself and left a blog full of reasons as to why – you can go with your gut or take Manley’s many words for it.

And while it’s certainly a fascinating subject for many, the actual truth lies closer to reading between Manley’s lines rather the lines themselves, says a prominent local psychiatrist who asked not to be named.

“Hearne, this guy needs to be pitied not vilified,” she says. “From his blog I can see that he has had emotional problems his entire life and I would not see that as worth commenting on as a professional.

“It’s too bad that no one was able to see his illness for what it was – but at any rate, it’s just another sad case that ended in suicide. The only unique thing was his use of a blog,  which was another piece of evidence of his illness.”

There’s more. Continue reading →

It was bound to surface…

After years of being on the receiving end of snide stares and regular guy slights, BMW and Toyota Prius drivers alike have been fingered as being jerks in a recent study linking bad driving habits to wealth by the Institute of Personality and Social Research at the University of California, Berkley.

Hey, BMW drivers are one thing.

The marque’s snob appeal is legend. But Prius drivers? Tree huggers ostensibly bent on saving the earth and fostering world peace – them too? According to the study yes. Because in California where it was conducted, the Prius is considered a “premium” car.

Go figure.

First let’s examine some of the stereotypes.

Starting with Ranker’s “Top 5 Reasons Priuses Suck.” Continue reading →

Martin Manley

Suicide may not be pretty but it seems like everybody wants a piece of it…

Including former Kansas City Star sports statistician Martin Manley, a dude who lived his life largely anonymously – in the shadows – all while obviously wanting something more.

Manley got that something after publicly offing himself last week and leaving a pair of websites explaining why.

How inconspicuous was Manley at the newspaper? Continue reading →

JJ’s main man Jimmy Frantze

Think of it as a match made in restaurant heaven…

Word on the street is that  JJ’s Restaurant is poised to initiate a second coming at 616 Ward Parkway in the space currently occupied by the wine and pizza bar Coal Vines.

Sources say the popular, upscale, off-Plaza eatery – the one that famously blew up last February – has been looking into and may be about to ink a deal to take over the space that once was home to re-Verse, Loy Edge‘s No Name Bar and before that (for 19 years), French bakery La Bonne Bouchee.

Here’s the deal. Continue reading →

There are reasons why former Star sports scribe Jason Whitlock hasn’t made it yet…

Why he doesn’t appear to yet have cashed his once-rumored $2 million, three year paycheck. And why after blogging in the shadows the past three years since leaving the newspaper, he’s leaving Fox Sports and mounting a new campaign to achieve fame and fortune on ESPN.

“Part of the problem is he just wasn’t that good on television.” says sports scribe and Whitlock pal Craig Glazer. “Or even on radio. He wasn’t horrible but…He spoke real slow and he wasn’t funny.  I mean, he’s clever and smart but…” Continue reading →

Go ahead and uncross those fingers and toes, the party’s over…

It’s time for this year’s Kansas City Royals team to start making plans for next year – like they usually do, says sportaholic Craig Glazer of Stanford’s.

“The Royals are over,” Glazer says. “It’s going to be over this weekend. I said that on The Mix this morning. It’s over – they have no chance – none. By this Sunday they’re out. I mean, there’s nothing these guys can do now. You can’t win without talent.”

Now a little, “I told you so.” Continue reading →