Did I hear somebody cry, uncle?
Probably not, but one has to wonder. Because after Star reporter Steve Everly‘s more than 30 articles banging the big bad oil industry for “deceptive” practices by selling “hot fuel” and ripping off consumers to the tune of billions of dollars, a jury of 10 of those consumers ruled that – wait for it – the gas selling swindlers were not guilty.
By the way, the jury verdict was unanimous.
Well, it was bound to happen. With replacement officiating entering its third OH-SO-PAINFUL week, it finally, unequivocally cost a team a game.
With seconds left on the clock, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson launched a ball deep into the Monday Night lights and into the arms of Green Bay Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings. Side judge Lance Easley, apparently oblivious to the fact that Jennings was wearing green and yellow instead of (ugh) aquamarine and neon green and sea-foam (?), signaled touchdown and halfway across the country, thousands of television sets were pelted by cheese curds and empty bottles of Leinenkugels.
And there were a million instantaneous explanations.
Jennings shared possession of the ball with Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate and, well, tie goes to the runner and all that jazz.
Only this certainly didn’t appear to be a tie. M.D. Jennings—excellent name for a television show about a doctor, by the way—pretty clearly had that ball all to himself before Tate got his doughnut thieving paws on it.
This should have been an interception and a touchback, and a Packers victory. Continue reading
It’s hard to explain, football fans…
The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell were all about punishing New Orleans Saints players for Head Hunting for money. All in the name of something called player safety. Yet here we are today today going into week four with no real referees on the field for the games!
And the players are getting hurt more than ever with costly mistakes made in almost every game. Like the Green Bay Packers bogus loss last night.
These are not even top notch college refs, they’re Division 2.
WTF? Continue reading
So where the hell have I been?
Not that the world ground to a halt or anything, but it is somewhat wondrous as to what I’ve been up to the past couple of weeks – as opposed to, oh, writing say.
Well, I’ve been moving.
Moving simultaneously from both Kansas City and Topeka (yes, it’s true) to…LA. Or as most of you call it, Lawrence. You know, that little college burg just west of KC that pisses off MU and K-State types whenever I write about it.
So here’s the deal: Continue reading
Pretty, it was not…
For one thing, there were no goals – the game ended in a 0-0 deadlock. Plus the weather was rainy and cold for Saturday’s midday game in Montreal and Sporting KC used a makeshift lineup due to having played in New York a couple days earlier. Inserted in the starting lineup were defenders Michael Harrington and Lawrence Olum and midfielders Uri Rosell and Jacob Peterson.
The lack of cohesion showed early and often for Sporting, as they struggled to create much offensively. But Montreal was similarly ineffective which made for a long day of battling it out in the midfield trenches.
Not helping the matter much was referee Jorge Gonzalez. Continue reading
Well, it was a case of two bad teams playing for some sanity…
The Chiefs – badly outplayed in the first half – caught breaks and lucked out when Jamaal Charles decided to carry the team. With over 200 yards rushing, including a 91 yard dash to the end zone, KC saved some face. Not too much but some. Hey a win is a win. Continue reading
A year.
One whole year.
That’s how long I’ve been writing for this website now.
My first column was posted on September 13th, 2011. A simpler time, really. I was young, and naïve, untainted by the mercurial rants of the comment section, dumb enough to believe that the Royals where the TEAM TO BEAT! in 2012.
That’s right: my first piece, penned under oblivious pretense, boldly proclaimed “Next Year’s Kansas City Royals Could Be the Real Deal.” I didn’t write the headline. I do now, because I think headlines are funny and I enjoy writing them. Continue reading
Well, football freaks it’s been a tough start for our local ball clubs…
The Chiefs, as we talked about last year and early this season, seem to have quit on their coach and general manager. Not to mention the fans. Watching them in interviews you see no confidence and it seems as though the season is already over.
Here’s their chance.
The New Orleans Saints are also a head case. Sure they have the Brees, but we’ve got Matt THE FRANCHISE Cassel. Damn.
Is his house up for sale yet? Continue reading
I remember when Rock was young, me and Suzie had so much fun, holding hands and …
Well, Rock isn’t young anymore, and if you’re like me and stood in those large lines to watch Jimi Hendrix, Cream or the Rolling Stones, did it ever cross your mind that one day in the not too distant future rock would fade out?
Never even crossed my mind back then.
Oh sure, there’re still young rock bands around and we hear most of the older bands on some radio stations. Like the biggest rock station this side of New York City, The Rock 98.9. But nobody really has managed to take the place of all those household name groups – not even Kid Rock (who ain’t no kid anymore).
Now back to the future… Continue reading
Talk about a pleasant surprise…
Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson‘s controversial, unsettling yet enthralling religious cult study drama THE MASTER opened last weekend in New York and Los Angeles and promptly set house records.
The film expands its runs this weekend to include theaters in greater Kansas City.
But unlike previous P.T. Anderson films such as BOOGIE NIGHTS, PUNCH DRUNK LOVE and THERE WILL BE BLOOD, his latest effort is much more of a so-called art film.
In other words it doesn’t play so much to the masses. Continue reading
“What crept up your ass?—Old age.”
It sure has for old guard Atlanta Braves baseball scout Gus Lobel portrayed well enough by Clint Eastwood. We first meet up with Lobel in the bathroom where the age factor hasn’t been kind to his urinating process. Continue reading
AEG is putting Kansas City’s Sprint Center up for sale. Unfortunately, the only interested buyer is David Glass.
*******
A lawsuit by Bank of America claiming Rep. Emanuel Cleaver‘s car wash company defaulted on a $1.5 million loan will go to court in April. Cleaver is expected to give a fiery testimony that’s very inspirational…but nobody will watch.
******* Continue reading
“I don’t think there’s anything special to their team,” said New York Red Bull midfielder Tim Cahill…
That after his team was hammered at home 2-0 by Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday. The loss snapped New York’s 16 game home unbeaten streak.
Special? Maybe not. Unless you’re counting that choreographed celebration dance-off between Kei Kamara and CJ Sapong. That was special. Continue reading
Guess who’s back in the news?
After a long absence Monica Lewinsky is out pitching a new tell-all book to New York publishers. Likely it will go for several million dollars. Those celebrity scandals just kill don’t they?
Gee, I wonder what the book will be about? Where she and President Bill Clinton did it, when she and Bill did it and how she and Bill did it.
Shocker.
Bill Clinton is arguably the most popular President of the past 100 years, save John Kennedy and maybe, just maybe, Ronald Reagan. Some would say he’s better liked than both. Continue reading
Former Super Bowl quarterback Steve Young said it best last night after Monday Night Football...
“The NFL doesn’t care what you think…they don’t care…you will watch this game no matter what! They don’t care about player safety, never did…they don’t care.”
Wow, gusty speech.
Young could be fired for saying that on national TV. Except for the fact that everyone agreed with him, including Jerry Rice. Steve Young is on the money they all said.
THE NFL DOESN’T CARE. Continue reading
Some cool shows this week, but I’ve pared down my picks to just three.
Not included in my three is Bryan Adams Wednesday night at the Uptown, a show that I’m sure my next door neighbor’s mom will be at. Nor Robert Earl Keen at the Granada in Lawrence, a show that I’m also sure my next door neighbor’s mom and a couple friends who went to college in Texas will be at (last time he played there it was mad packed, by the way).
It was tough, but I’ve made my decision… Continue reading
How quickly they forget….
It barely got a mention in mainstream media reports in the Star and Pitch, but the between-the-lines big news about the second coming of Kanrocksas next year is that the fest’s founder, longtime area entertainment icon Chris Fritz, got kicked to the curb.
“Well, I’m okay, I guess,” Fritz says. “They must have had a different mindset and didn’t want me involved. But they have a great event to build on and it’s their decision.”
Fritz has his doubts, but when people get their minds set that they can do it better, who’s to convince them otherwise? Continue reading
Talk about a bolt from the blue…
Today’s surprise axing of eight Kansas City Star staffers comes one week after new McClatchy President and CEO Patrick J. Talamantes visited the newspaper and assured newsroom staffers of brighter days ahead.
McClatchy is the parent company of the Star.
“People here are sick,” says one newsroom staffer. “They’re just like shaking their heads. Talamentes was just in last week telling us that the Star was the company’s shining star and how (corporate) is paying down their debt. He pretty much left us with the thought that we’re doing so much better and we’ve made great progress. And now it’s like, ‘We’re doing so great, let us kick you out the door.’ ” Continue reading
It’s a jungle down there…
After only recently announcing that Kansas City Star employees will be required to take yet another week of unpaid “vacations,” the newspaper stunned newsroom employees today by laying off eight full-time staffers, including enormously popular newsroom IT dude Chase Clements. Continue reading
Mitt Romney told the truth…
Is this the America you want? Where 47 percent of the population is on the dole? Is that why our Founding Fathers emancipated us from British Rule?
I am talking to you Harley!
Please tell me I am delusional for being behind our “Mormon Savior” as if that is a bad thing.
Is America now a nation where it is a good thing that more of its citizenry qualifies for disability than becomes employed in any given month? How is that a positive development? Where is the people’s sense of self-respect? Continue reading
