Leftridge: Mr. Brightside Presents a Royals June Recap

Posted on July 4, 2012 by admin

And as June marched on, its oppressive, triple-digit heat gripping Kansas City by the balls and roasting the flesh of the inhabitants therein, a curious thing began to happen to the city’s baseball team: they began to play decent baseball.

Despite pitcher Felipe Paulino’s groin strain that somehow morphed into an injury requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery, and despite the glaringly evident fact that Jonathan Sanchez is a useless pile of crap that needs to be jettisoned—and now—the Royals find themselves 6 games under .500 and only 5.5 games back in the lousy American League Central.

After April’s miserable origins, and an up and down May, the ROYALS ARE 5.5 GAMES BACK IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL. It seems improbably, but I assure you, it is not.

And though Sanchez is as exciting as making out with your stepmom at the lake, and Jonathan Broxton will almost certainly begin to finally, spectacularly implode, finally losing his luck in the 9th inning heart-attacks for which he is so mystifyingly fond (a man of his stature can only wiggle for so long), there are players on this team who have made all of this winning possible. They are June’s Heroes, and they shall not go unnoticed.

Billy Butler:

Until Butler stops crushing the ball like a fat guy in a rec-league softball game and reverts back to the singles hitter with occasional doubles power that he has been for most of his career, he will continue to make this monthly roundup. 

Billy Butler is on a season long tear, and miraculously, shows no signs of stopping.

In the month of June, Butler hit five homeruns, drove in 13 and while hitting .315. He is on pace to hit 30 homers and drive in 100 on the season. These are all-star numbers. Billy Butler is an all-star. A LEGITIMATE all-star, at that. I don’t CARE that he can’t play a position defensively; he is huskily asserting himself as one of the best hitters in baseball, at the tender age of 26.

It’s hard to not be excited about the long-term prospects of B-But as a Kansas City Royal.

And now for something completely different.

Alcides Escobar:

Escobar—who came to the Royals as part of the Zack Greinke deal—was primarily acquired for his defensive supremacy at shortstop. He’s a tall, lithe Ozzie Smith whose adolescent skin and braces make him look 15. The initial report was that the offensive potential was there, and now the delicious report-tree is beginning to bear sweet, sweet fruit—to the tune of LEADING THE MAJOR LEAGUES IN BATTING AVERAGE FOR SHORTSTOPS. Say what? Say THAT.

A career .264 hitter, “Esky,” as he is often annoyingly called, is hitting .309. And though he’ll never have Butleresque power potential, he’s on pace to hit 40 doubles this season.

Couple his recent offensive output with his continued defensive wizardry, and you’ve got yourself a fine ballplayer on the cheap ($1mil this year).

If only all of Dayton Moore’s acquisitions could be as great as Escobar.

But then how about this?

Luis Mendoza:

“El Lobo,” as I’d like him to be called, has quietly had an amazing June, and only studying his stats paint the full picture of his surprising success.

He started off the month by going 5 innings against the Twins, giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs. Meh. Decent, but not great.

In his next start, something amazing happened. POSESSED BY THE SPIRIT OF A WILD WOLF, he went 6 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up ONE HIT and ONE RUN. The hit? That sonofabitch didn’t come until the 7th inning. No fucking kidding.

(I was watching that game with my wife, screaming at the television as though it was the 7th game of the World Series and I had some sort of rooting interest. I was thinking, “if he pitches a no-hitter, I am OBLIGATED to buy a Luis Mendoza jersey, right? Will I be the only person in the history of the world to own a Luis Mendoza jersey? You know, aside from Luis Mendoza?” I decided that I probably would be.)

His only hiccup on the month was his June 23rd start in KC against the dreaded St. Louis Cardinals—I was there, it was awful, trust me—but last Friday night’s effort at Minnesota was easily his best of the season: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 0 BB.

Those are ASTOUNDING numbers, especially from a scrap-heap pickup who is making under $500K this year. And though his history tells us that this success isn’t likely to live forever, it’s nice to get it when the team is so desperate for even ADEQUATE starting pitching. 

And finally,

Yuniesky Betancourt:

Full disclosure: Yuni and I are like, practically best friends. See, in his last KC go-round, he lived in my building. The last time I saw him, we were riding the elevator down to the ground floor. I was going somewhere—probably to beg for spare change, or whatever—and he was meeting the Subway guy for his delivery order (that’s right—when you’re a big star, you get perks like “Subway delivery”). And though we didn’t speak, our silence spoke volumes. So to me, Betancourt will always hold a place in my heart as a quiet, polite Cuban with an affinity for avoiding eye contact and eating turkey on wheat with lite mayo.

(And yeah, I know I’ve told this story before, but aside from my dad drunkenly pissing in front of Terry Shumpert in the exit-tunnel that leads from the bowels of the stadium to the player’s parking lot when I was a youngster waiting patiently to procure Storm Davis’ autograph, this is my favorite Royals’ encounter. [BTW—Shumpert? Great guy. My dad said, “good game, Terry!” and Terry said, “thanks, man,” without missing a beat, OR calling security on the dude pissing in the tunnel]).

Look, Yuniesky is a martyr. He was (and is) the symbol of everything that is wrong with this team: poor talent evaluation, overpaying a mediocre ballplayer to come to this shit-water burg, elusive hopes of a better tomorrow riding squarely on the shoulders of someone ill-equipped to provide such a tall order.

But the thing is, he comes through.

Though he only hit .243 in the month of June (and .252 on the season), he hit four of his five homeruns within the month. He drove in 22 runs within this period, leading the club by a good margin.

And he’s been doing it when it counts.

An RBI double giving the Royals the lead in the 14th against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Then, a two-out, two-run homer in the 15th to win it.

A two-run homerun in the third inning of the June 26th game against the Tampa Bay Rays that gave the Royals the lead, and eventually, the win.

Betancourt has inarguably been the best clutch performer the Royals have had all season (or at least, tied with Butler), and though he’s not the long-term answer as a starter at SS or 2nd, I’ll just never understandthe vehemence from Royals fans that curse him as the source of all ills.

Used properly—as a utility guy/spot-starter to spell a regular—he’s a nice piece of ANY winning team.

(and my best friend)

 

So there you have it. Four players who made this month fun to watch. The team is winning (mostly), .500 is within reach, and although Glazer wants to incessantly bitch about how Eric Hosmer is a failure, there are some bright spots on which to hang our hats.

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Glazer: 4th of July Flashback; Blowing Up Dear Old Dad & The Plaza

Posted on July 4, 2012 by admin

The Fourth Of July has always been one of my favorite holidays…

Ah yes, the fireworks. If you’re a guy you remember the M-80‘s and Cherry Bombs. The good fireworks were always illegal, so those were the fireworks we always wanted. And somehow we’d end up with a box or two of them. They were like 20 firecrackers rolled into one.

It was almost like dope back in the day….

Who had them? Where did we need to sneak off to get them? I knew DAD WOULD FND THEM and so it was. Good old dad to the rescue. How in the world did that man know where to find these illegal beauties? I never did know.

Now the cherry bombs looked nice, but were not as powerful as the M-80’s. So if you were cool you’d light one of those bad boy and throw it up in the air as far as you could send that bomb. The blast came seconds later, a puff of smoke, a loud blast, heaven.

And the fuses on these two little devils were like dynamite. Long green stems. Yep, a simple firecracker punk wouldn’t do, you had to use a cigarette or a lighter.

We’d save the M-80’s for last.

And as we became teenagers, the cherry bombs and M-80’s were kinda the equivalent of "Can I buy you a drink" to young girls. They’d act scared and stand behind you and watch you throw them. They put their hands over their ears but still watched. It kinda turned them on.

Remember how’d you’d save about 10 or 20 of them to fire off on New Year’s Eve? Or blow up mailboxes on Halloween? Yep, those were special firecrackers alright.

I had a couple bad experiences with M-80’s and Cherry Bombs.

I remember when I was about 10 and my dad was throwing them one after another. He only let me do about every fourth one and one of the cherry bombs had a very short fuse. But why waste it? I took a firecracker punk and jammed it into the cherry bomb and it still didn’t light.

Not until my dad Stan, picked it up to see what was up.

Then, BOOM! It tore up his thumb and hand.

I got the crap beat of me for that one but I deserved it. Man, that must have hurt.

I learned how to time fuse the M-80’s and Cherry Bombs. One day a couple older kids took me to the Plaza Movie Theatre to see a new film called "What’s New Pussy Cat" with Woody Allen. I had a couple M-80’s. I wanted to show off for my older pals, David and Brian Haken.

So I took my little bombs, some cigarettes and went into the bathroom. I lit the smoke and fixed it as a fuse so it would burn down in time and blow up the M-80. Then I set up two of them and went back and sat down in the movie.

About five minutes later…KAA-BOOM!

What was cool then was a moment later a second KAA-BOOM!

There weren’t many peoiple in the theater, but those that were there moved out to the lobby until the danger had passed. I got away with that one, but I bragged about it to Brian and David and they were pissed and never took me with them anymore.

Guess someone could have gotten hurt, but as a kid, I was thinking, "Nah, nobody is gonna take a poop in this toilet today." And they didn’t.

Today I just watch other people shoot off the fireworks.

I guess it’s like being at a concert out in the crowd, shooting fireworks finally lost its fun to me.

Like too many other things we grew out of as time moves forward.

M-80’s,Cherry Bombs once ruled my holiday world but sadly, no more.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 42 Comments

Sounds Good: Fourth of July & ACBs@Replay, Fitz and the Tantrums@Crossroads, Red Bull Locally Thrown@Crossroads, Victor Wooten@Granada, Death Cab@Crossroads

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

 

So much going on this week and weekend…Lawrence Field Day Fest: This Weekend!

Of course there are the various fireworks displays around the area – that’s a given.

There’s also the MLB All Star game and festivities that go along with it, including a 5K on Sunday. There’s a food festival in Lawrence’s Watson Park featuring local food and drinks. There’s a thing called Lawrence Field Day Fest that’s spanning a few nights at the Bottleneck featuring 20-some local and regional bands. There’s a Sporting KC game at LIVESTRONG on Saturday against the team that knocked them out in the semis last season, the Houston Dynamo.

Shall I go on?

If you have any time left at all, think about mixing in one of these killer shows…

Wednesday, July 4th

Fourth of July & the ACBs at the Replay in Lawrence

 These might be my two favorite bands at the moment.  At least in terms of local bands.  Band that play catchy indie pop and stuff.

Ever since Fourth of July decided to name their band Fourth of July, they’ve been forced to play on the 4th each year at the Replay to honor this great country of ours.  And to drink cheap PBR and Hamm’s as well.  With a new album rumored to be dropping sometime in the next few months you can count on hearing some newer material sprinkled in with a bunch of their classics, of course.

The ACBs caught my attention last year with the release of Stona Rosa, perhaps the best local effort of the last 18 months. Make that 19 months.  If you still haven’t given it a listen do it NOW!  I mean, it’s freaking free to listen to on Bandcamp and Spotify, I believe.  It has falsetto vocals, jangly guitars and a lo-fi production value that is actually rather hi-fi!  Just do it already. 

 If you live in Lawrence and have any thought that you may be a “LFK scenester” you better be at this show.  Otherwise, you are not a LFK scenester.  Just ask Nog dog.   

 

Thursday, July 5th

 Fitz and the Tantrums at Crossroads KC

Did you catch the interview I did with Noelle Scaggs, co-lead singer of this LA based indie soul outfit?  If not, shame on you.  (It’s down there somewhere, I swear).  She talked about why they aren’t trying to just re-hash the Motown thing, but instead are creating their own style of music with all the members’ influences melded together.  And also, they use no guitars, which is kind of crazy when you think about it.  I mean, who does that?

 This should be a high energy affair as is often the case when a band rolls through with some horns.  And I’ve heard that Hearne might be there and he promised to buy anyone who comes up to him a beer if you can prove you’re not smartman, harley, or that other guy that calls everyone gay.

Friday, July 6th

 Red Bull Locally Thrown –FREE! – at Crossroads KC

This is a unique event, the likes of which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before.  Here’s the deal.

They get a bunch of local DJs and a bunch of local bands together for a big party, with all the artists collaborating together and feeding off each other to create an entirely new musical experience.  Oh, and did I mention that it’s FREE?!!

Here’s who’s playing:
DJs: DJ Brent Tactic, DJ B-Stee, DJ Mike Scott, DJ Spinstyles, Barbaric Merits
 

Bands:  Making Movies, Diverse, Hearts of Darkness

  

Saturday, July 7th

 Victor Wooten at the Granada in Lawrence

Bass mad scientist Victor Wooten does a little bit of everything.  First and foremost, of course, he tears the crap out of the bass guitar and has done so with Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews and a ton of others.  But he also writes books, teaches at a college, holds music camps, and probably does a bunch of other freaky stuff as well judging from the interview with lawrence.com’s Mike Krings a couple days ago:

“[N]ature is the most natural thing on the planet. You don’t have to teach a tree how to grow. You don’t have to point a flower toward the sun. A bird doesn’t have to learn how to sing. A squirrel doesn’t have to learn how to build a nest; it’s just natural parts of them. Well, humans have natural abilities also, but a lot of the time we don’t access them.”

 Total mindblow, right? 

  

Sunday, July 8th

 Death Cab for Cutie at Crossroads KC

This one will be super packed, so I’d get your tickets ASAP if you’re into the whole indie-emo-northwest-rocker-guys-with-horned-rimmed-glasses thing.  How huge are these guys anyway?  Pretty damn huge. 

They were originally slated to play at Liberty Hall in Lawrence but switched it over because the band loves the outdoor venue at Crossroads.  And they can probably fit a bunch more people in there. 

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 5 Comments

Today: Former Star Sports Scribe Posnanski Questionable Choice to Pen Paterno Bio

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

Get me rewrite…

To be fair, the jury’s out on how good a job Joe Posnanski will do in penning fallen Penn State coach Joe Paterno‘s biography…

That said, there’s little doubt on why the ebullient former Kansas City Star sports scribe was chosen for the task. Posnanski has carved a career in breathing fervor into even the most mundane sports achievements and personalities.

He’s a great writer, if a bit euphoric and hyperbolic at times – like most of the time. So it comes as little surprise that JoePa would feel comfortable and assured he’d receive kid glove treatment at the hands of JoePo.

And what writer wouldn’t leap at the chance to get their mitts on a reported $750,000 writing fee?

Unfortunately, an anticipated, run of the mill journalistic blowjob turned into an ugly, nasty tell-all courtesy of the Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky’s child abuse scandal.

And given Posnanski’s track record, Paterno’s firing and recent evidence that JoePa well may have been at the epicenter of the wrongdoing, Posnanski now looks like the last guy you’d want driving the bio bus under the cicumstances.

"The late Joe Paterno may have played a much bigger role than he had claimed in persuading Penn State officials not to report Jerry Sandusky to officals," says  MSNBC‘s Michael Smerconish.

"The takeaway is, as far as I’m concerned, is that Joe Paterno has no legacy left," says "Friday Night Lights" author Buzz Bissinger. "You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that (Penn State athletic director) Tim Curley (had) a three pronged plan, one of which (was) it was going to be reported to the department of welfare. He talks to Paterno and all of a sudden, the key element of that plan has dissappeared. And even Paterno himself in his very brief and frankly odd grand jury testimony, said he knows that something of a sexual nature occurred. They know that Sandusky at the very least was in the shower with a 10 year-old boy. They don’t care about the victim. It’s all about spin. It’s all about treating Jerry humanely."

Bissinger’s bottom line:

"I think it just cements Paterno not only as someone who was cowardly and did not do what he should have at the beginning but also a liar…At this point, anyone who believes that Joe Paterno did not know about the 1998 incident is a fool. He did know."

As for Paterno’s family defending the former coach as not being "an email guy" or in the loop about Sandusky, "So he didn’t use email, I mean, I think he still had the ability to talk," Bissinger says. "He must have told Curley something to get Curley to change his mind and say, ‘Let’s not report to welfare authorities.’ I’m not convinced and I’m just connecting the dots. And every dot has been connected."

So what started out as a puff piece – with Posnanski in the driver’s seat at the dinner table with Paterno and his family – has now become a hard news expose.

Because who at this point  wants to read about what a nice guy and great coach Paterno was?

So back to you, Joe. It won’t be easy, but let’s see if you can punch your way out of this feather light, journalistic paper bag.

Your public awaits.

He’s got time. Posnanski’s book was delayed from a June release to August 28th. And he’s not above pimping potential buyers, as evidenced by this June 30 Tweet:

"Will not comment re: Paterno because I don’t think it’s my place now. But I will say that all of this and more is in the book."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 10 Comments

Hearne: Improved Addams Family @ Starlight Worth Checking Out, Theater Insider Says

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

Not every show makes it big on Broadway…

Not even a number of the good one. So says Theater League main man Mark Edelman. Something about it being too expensive to "fix" things when a show gets off on the wrong foot. Which doesn’t mean things can’t be fine tuned later before the show hits the road.

Which is exactly what happened in the case with the Addam’s Family musical that opens tonight at Starlight Theatre and plays through Sunday, Edelman says.

"It wasn’t a hit on Broadway but the authors went back and tweaked a few things and the word I got is the tour is better than the show on Broadway was," Edelman says.

Including the cast…

"Well, the guy who’s playing Gomez is a great guy and a terrific performer," Edelman says. "He starred in the Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway and he’s a really good-looking man. It was really a coup for Starlight to get him. His name is Doug Sills."

Edelman’s favorite Addams Family TV show memory?

"Actor John Astin who played Gomez was one of my favorite television actors as a kid," Edelman says. "And then he married Patty Duke. He taught me at an early age how to make love to a beautiful woman. How to satisfy my wife by kissing her up the arm. He taught a generation of guys how to be romantic to their wives, for which I am grateful."

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Hearne: Food Flipping Japanese Steakhouses Hibachi, Kabuki on Brink

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

Once upon a time Kansas City was a pretty sleepy city when it came to quality restaurants…

Lots of comfort food joints like Jess & Jim‘s, Stroud’s, Waid’s, Winstead’s, Arthur Bryant’s, Gates, Savoy Grill and however many restaurants whose names began with the word "Putsch’s."

No mas…

No longer must locals strap on a coat and tie and head to places like the American Restaurant or Peppercorn Duck Club to enjoy an upscale, eclectic dining experience.

Far from it.

There’s Michael Smith’s Extra Virgin, Bluestem, Room 39, Westport Cafe, Bluebird Bistro, Blue Koi and any number of options, with new places sprouting all over town month in and month out.

When I was growing up near the Plaza, there was like one Mexican restaurant down there, one pizza place nearby and one Japanese steakhouse, Hibachi.

So popular was the Hibachi that when Crown Center opened in the 1970s, it was quick to pounce on the chopped up food flipping craze by getting the Hibachi’s owners to open a second eatery there called Kabuki.

And all through the ’70s, ’80s and into the ’90s the Hibachi and Kabuki did a kick ass business.

However as Kansas City sprawled and Kansas relaxed its liquor laws, more and better Japanese steak joints began to pop up serving higher quality meats and seafood. While Hibatchi in particular began to grow longer and longer in the tooth. 

It took them forever for example, to do away with the giant screen television in the waiting room that was pushing 20 years in age. It was practically a museum piece and the picture looked like something you would see after suffering a severe head trauma.

Hibachi began to look more and more haggard and the steak there tasted like it was better suited to being served at a low end all-you-can-eat chain, especially when compared to the high quality cuts being offered in the burbs. Even the once-studly, proud chopmeisters seemed to lose their edge.

Kind of like how vaunted local Mexican eatery Annie’s Santa Fe went down the tubes prior to its closing several years ago. The place just got dirtier and dirtier and the food began to suck. From Kansas City’s penthouse to the outhouse.

Now a changing of the old guard appears imminent where Hibachi and Kabuki are concerned.

Landlords of both eateries have filed lawsuits for back rent and seek to terminate their leases.

And while in a way it’s sad to see two pioneering Kansas City dining institutions face extinction, it’s not like this is going to come as much of a surprise to anyone who was frequented either place in recent years.

And fortunately, it’s not like locals will have to go without.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 7 Comments

Hearne: New, Improved Addams Family Hits Starlight; How to Keep Cool

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

On your marks, get set, swelter…

Tonight’s kickoff of the Addams Family at Starlight Theatre should be a scorcher. As in a tad on the warm side. To that end, Starlight has delivered unto ticketholders some advice on how to beat the heat.

"Every guest is allowed to bring 1 sealed bottle of water into the theatre," Starlight advises. "Complimentary water stations will be placed at our North and East Guest Relations. Water misters will be placed throughout the theatre for guest convenience (and) Starlight has drinking fountains throughout the theatre."

There’s more.

You know it’s really hot out when, "Upon request, all concession stands will provide you with a complimentary cup of ice" to theatergoers, Starlight says.

Not that it will be unbearable or anything, adds KSHB weather wonk Gary Lezak.

"I think people are getting acclimated to the heat," Lezak says. "But at 8 p.m. tonight when the Addams Family begins it will be down to about 91 degrees and by 9 p.m. it will drop into the 80s. And the humidity is not as high at Starlight as in other suburbs."

Theater League honcho Mark Edelman‘s best tip for keeping cool at the show:

"Sit up as close to the stage as you can, because the the air conditioning comes off the stage and the first six rows are basically air conditioned."

The weather will continue to be hot through Saturday, Lezak says, with a chance of a cooling down by Sunday.

 

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Starbeams: Fox Anchor Gets Rouses Kelly, Royals Fans on Hot Seat & Bazooka’s Makeover

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

Erin Andrews said she hopes her move to Fox Sports will help her grow as a journalist.  She’s always helped me grow as a viewer.

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Little known fact: New Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto is one letter away from having the initials ESPN.

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Three sites have been chosen for a UMKC Downtown Campus for the Arts, a top civic endeavor that would bring 600 college students downtown…and possibly some younger entertainment at Bazooka‘s.

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Scientists at an underground collider at Brookhaven Institute in New York created the hottest man-made temperature ever of 7.2 trillion degrees Fahrenheit. The second hottest man-made temperature can be found on the blue seats at Kauffman Stadium.

 

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

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Glazer: Scribe Sends Up Salute to Hollywood Icon Andy Griffith

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

To say I knew Andy Griffith is an honor…

Andy died yesterday at age 86 and I officed across the hall from him with producer Dan York at Universal from 1990-1992. I’d run into the legendary star weekly and we talked about new projects. When I mentioned that Nick Kazan had written my life story (a screenplay) then titled OUTLAWS, he smiled.

Andy’s first big break came from Nick’s father Elia Kazan who directed Griffith in "A Face In The Crowd." That’s the movie that made Griffith a star. What I most remember about Andy is that he was tall and always wore a coat and tie. Yes, those were fun and interesting times.

I find it strange when icons like Andy Griffith pass away that there’s so little fanfare.

I guess when you go the distance, live a long life and have so much success, it’s just not as exciting when you die. If you’re a baby boomer though, odds are you grew up with Andy’s TV show, The Andy Griffith Show. Remember that opening whistling tune with Andy with son Ron Howard going fishing?

Ron would go on to be one of the most successful directors in Hollywood history.

I didn’t really know Ron, but we met when I worked for Roger Corman. I was a film music V.P at his New World Pictures. Howard was often in the office back in those days, the early 80’s. Howard directed his first film for Roger, "Eat My Dust" and the rest of his career was hit after hit.

If you were like me, Andy Griffith was kinda like the dad we all wanted – kind, wise and tough.

For me his TV show was the series of the 1960’s. So many careers of merit came from that wonderful family program that shot more than 250 shows. Gomer Pyle, starring Jim Nabors, for one. That was another must see TV series on Friday nights.

And everyone’s favorite character had to be Barney Fife (Don Knotts). You didn’t get much funnier than that man.

Well, outside of Howard and Nabors, the stars and co stars of one of America’s all time favorite TV series are gone. Sadly, young people will not get to know this small town group of wonderful, funny and charming people, though they live on in reruns.

With the passing of Andy Griffith and other household names of the best decade maybe ever – the 1960’s – their memory fades a little further. And that’s so sad and makes me wonder.I

If they don’t matter much anymore, who does? 

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 13 Comments

Starbeams: Anderson Cooper Comes Out, Tom & Katie Split, Michigan DUIs, Joco Sex

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

CNN’s Anderson Cooper finally admitted….he really is Ellen DeGeneres.

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It was sad to hear about Katie and Tom but will their daughter Suri keep her job as the voice that screws up my iPhone?

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In Michigan, they’re using talking urinal cakes to prevent drunk driving.  My mom wants me to apply for the voiceover gig because I’ve always been a potty-mouth.

*******

Jackson County prosecutors have accused a 47-year-old KCPD officer of corruption for allegedly having sex with two women in exchange for not arresting them.  That’s pretty impressive at 47. That line stopped working for me when I was a sophomore in college.

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

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Donnelly: Chalk it up to Bad Luck? No, Not Again. Enough with the Excuses.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

Sporting continued its mini-slide over the weekend, with a 1-0 loss against fabricated rivals, the Chicago Fire at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park...

That despite that KC outshot the visitors 27-10.

Headlines from some of the other publications around town covering Sporting spoke of a "dominant" performance from the boys in blue.  Really? 

I wonder if they saw the more relevant stat, "shots on goal," which showed KC with only the slightest edge at 5-4.  Let’s be honest, KC takes a ton of shots that never test the opposing keeper or even require a save.  So it’s no surprise that they routinely, massively outshoot their opponents, even in the games they lose.

Fake hustle, anyone?         

But hey, maybe that’s just how the ball bounces – just bad luck.  Maybe it’s simply the alignment of the planets.   

"This happens sometimes in soccer," said second-half sub Soony Saad.  "You can shoot as many shots as you can, but if they have a good goalie and get lucky a couple times, you don’t get the breaks."

"I really feel like we were unlucky," said Teal Bunbury.  "It’s pretty disappointing because I feel like we outplayed them the majority of the game, but that’s the way it goes."

However KC boss Peter Vermes was less inclined to blame karmic force. 

"I don’t buy into that kind of stuff," he said.  "Obviously we’ve been snake bitten every time we go to their place with PK’s and red cards but maybe we just need to be a little smarter, who knows?"

A little smarter?  I think Vermes is on to something…

Sure, KC had a ton of shots.  Right off the bat in the 5th minute, Graham Zusi won a corner after playing a ball off a Chicago defender.  The Chicago keeper came out well though to deal with Zusi’s bending ball, but couldn’t quite clear the box resulting in a scrum in front of the goal. 

A scrum that did not result in a KC goal or even a shot on target.     

Chicago had the first real decent chance of the game in the 16th minute after a corner was half cleared then played back into the KC box.  Chicago striker Dominic Oduro side volleyed a shot but it was basically right at Jimmy Nielsen, who made a reaction save and cleared the effort. 

The heat was definitely playing a big factor as both sides were content to knock it around the back and slow the pace of the game down.  Neither side looked to stretch too much for fear of wearing down and getting exposed on the counter, and neither team looked particularly sharp.

Around the 25 minute mark KC started settling in and controlling the tempo of the game.  They were able to pick and choose moments to probe forward and make Chicago chase the ball.

In the 28th minute Kei beat his defender and found himself alone running along the end line with the ball at his feet.  But instead of laying it back to an onrushing teammate with a better angle, he took the selfish option and blasted the ball into the outside of the side netting for a goal kick.  Really poor decision making.

Definitely not the SMART play in that situation. 

From there on out until halftime neither team looked particularly interested.  When the ref mercifully blew his whistle all the crowd could hope for was a better effort for the second 45. 

The second half opened up with KC earning a solid chance early and pushing men forward with more urgency than they showed in the first period.  But then they regressed into a disjointed mess.  The normally tenacious Roger Espinoza seemed unable to track and hassle like he usually does.  Zusi struggled to hold the ball in the center of the pitch, or to combine with anyone other than the players along the touchlines, which is exactly where opposing teams want you to play it – force them to the outside, right?   

And that- to make things overly simple- is the major problem right now.   

Sporting looked like a team that wants everything RIGHT NOW.  They expect that if they give maximum effort and pressure relentlessly that they will be able to beat opponents by sheer will.  But that’s just not how this game goes once you get to a certain level.  

There needs to be a little cunning or guile mixed in with their phenomenal athleticism and pace.  Rather than possess, knock it around, pull the defense apart, and then pick-and-choose the moment to exploit a hole, KC plays desperately at points in time that they shouldn’t, throwing men forward recklessly with fake hustle that amounts to little.     

In the 58th minute, as KC pushed nearly everyone into attacking positions, horror struck. 

Chicago cleared a ball out of its box and started a counter pushing three men forward.  Sporting was so stretched out that they could only muster a two man defense.  That’s unacceptable.  The KC players retreated, trying to delay, but no help was coming. 

Chicago looked like they were on the training ground, playing the ball out wide, then cutting back into the middle for a simple point blank finish. 

I don’t think I’ve seen KC made to look as inept as they did on that sequence all season, not even in their 4-0 loss to Philly a week ago.

"There was a lack of organization on our part in the back because when we went forward the two central defenders were standing there and they see everything in front of them," explained Vermes.  "It wasn’t a planned thing but we were unfortunately being lazy and not getting back…" 

After Chicago silenced the Cauldron, Sporting finally woke the hell up and started playing with fire, with purpose and energy.  But where was that grit an hour ago?  That’s the million dollar question isn’t it? 

Of course Chicago dropped into a shell as expected, so KC just kept pumping the ball into the box, winning some headers and forcing a few nice saves from Chicago’s keeper.  But it was too little too late. 

"We should be playing better," opined Espinoza.

Indeed.

Posted in Sporting_Kansas_City | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jack Goes Confidential: Web-Slinging Andrew Garfield Wows as ‘AMAZING SPIDER-MAN’

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

I’ll be perfectly honest, attending THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN didn’t rank very high on my excitement meter…

After all, this was not a sequel or prequel, but rather a completely recast reboot of director Sam Raimi‘s original.

And only 10 years after Tobey Maguire first flew.

But guess what? I was pleasantly surprised as this fresh approach to cross breeding genetics put more emphasis on Peter Parker’s back story as the webbed one. The complexities of his persona and humanity of his character.

The chemistry between new girlfriend Emma Stone and the spider guy really works as they struggle with love, commitment—and their secret! Andrew (‘The Social Network’) Garfield takes the franchise in a more dramatic, yet touching direction as he attempts to understand his parents’ disappearance and the lab of Dr. Curt Conners who was his father’s partner.

There’s some interesting casting in the supporting roles as well.

Including Martin Sheen as uncle Ben, Sally Field—as aunt May and Denis Leary playing the police chief who also just happens to be Emma Stone’s super protective father.

The C.G.I. effects in this reboot are top notch and the 3-D definitely worth the upcharge.

Here the 3-D enhances instead of overshadowing the production.

The bottom line: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN feels less like watching a comic book. It puts Peter Parker’s spider phenomenon on sort of a collision course with the lizard who’s Oscorp’s Dr. Conner’s—alter ego.

Let’s keep it there and give this re-webbing a thumbs up. Or actually, 3-1/2 web slinging fingers.

JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on KMBZ Fm & Am / Also anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411 / And throughout Nebraska on NEBRASKA ON DEMAND, Channel 411.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 6 Comments

Hearne: Layoffs, What Layoffs? Star Sales Staff Pigs Out, Celebrates $uccess

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

Long time no boots to asses, what gives?

I can’t remember the last time the Kansas City Star unleashed a round of cutbacks and/or layoffs. And that’s saying something. Yeah, they’re still choking out employee furloughs – forced, unpaid vacations. – And while I hate to jinx anyone – after all, I was one of the hundreds that took a bullet a few years back – it does seem quite remarkable.

I mean, the newspaper’s obituary page is chock full of former readers on a daily basis – so it’s not like its readership ranks are growing.

So what’s the deal?

Turns out the worm has temporarily turned at 18th and Grand and ad revenues are up, up, up…

"Yeah, advertising is celebrating big time," one Star staffer says. "The publisher just had a big party for them about a week ago in the Press Pavilion celebrating their success. They had a roast pig and alcohol and everything."

No such gaiety was lavished upon the lowly inked stained wretches who toil in the income-free zones.

That said, it’s not like the surviving newsies are kicking butt and taking names in a post Armageddon newspaper landscape. Not after years of wage freezes, benefits cutbacks, layoffs, furloughs, job insecurity and general uncertainty.

Add to that the reduced news output (fewer pages) being delivered to the driveways of its increasingly elderly readers and you have to wonder how much longer the newsprint game can continue without further cuts. Even given the prospects of an eventual economic rebound.

"I can’t understand why people spend the money for our paper when our circulation is still going down," the staffer says. "And this is at a time when people cancel their subscriptions during a political season because they get mad about our politics."

Hey, keep your fingers crossed.

But know somehow that things will even out and the Star will continue to shine.

Trust me.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 5 Comments

Hearne: Pitch Getting Better, Still Struggling with Print Content, Sex Ads

Posted on July 1, 2012 by admin

Give it up for The Pitch...

The record store rag I ran and built into an alternative newsweekly was on life support for years before Village Voice (aka New Times) unloaded it last year on some dudes in Nashville named Southcomm.

The betting money being that Southcomm would evolve the aging hippie rag into something fresher, flashier and less formulaic than it had become under its former owners. And that it would go after the upscale advertisers the Star‘s upstart weekly Ink was attracting. Advertisers that wouldn’t advertise in the Pitch at gunpoint.

To do so, the Pitch would need to start dialing more content into its all-important (revenue-producing) print paper, clean up the tacky sex ads in back and start printing on magazine stock instead of newsprint like it does in Nashville.

Well, one out of three ain’t bad – not in baseball anyway.

Just a handful of months back the Pitch was barely getting in a single feature story every issue and its poor editor was stuck writing all the movie reviews. And printing a paltry 40 pages per week (to Ink‘s 56) doesn’t allow much room for news or arts content – or ad revenues for that matter. But it’s looking a little better.

This week’s Pitch, for example, is cleaner, has two stories instead of only one, a bit more music writing and a dialed back sex section.

But while things are looking up at the Pitch, Ink‘s still cleaning its clock in the all-important ad game.

The Pitch is hanging on for dear life to a small handful of syndicated national ads and most of the key local live music bars and concert venues. Meanwhile Ink – though news content light -is loaded with full page ads nowhere to be found in the Pitch. Huge, coveted advertisers like Baron Mini, Starlight Theatre and the KC Royals.

Frankly, having run both the Pitch and a competing local alt weekly, I can tell you that for the Pitch attract big, mainstream advertisers like Ink, it’s going to have to bite a seriously big bullet and banish the dirty business sex ads to the Internet.

It’ll hurt, but in the long run it’s the only answer.

Unfortunately its dialed back print content has already cost the Pitch both eyeballs and money.

And repackaging generic local news stories online won’t pay the Pitch‘s bills.

So it’s a struggle and won’t be easy, but little by little the Pitch is inching the right direction.

Here’s hoping they make it!

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 2 Comments

Today: Don’t Waste Your Money on ‘Ted’ – Rent ‘Ishtar’

Posted on July 1, 2012 by admin

Far be it from me to lobby for you guys to become homebodies…

Get out, party, have a good time, go to a concert, movie, comedy club – anything. Why waste away at home if you don’t have to?

There are times however to pull back and not get sucker-punched by Hollywood.

And one such time is staring you in the face in the form of the new Mark Wahlberg movie Ted.

I know, I know, Jack stuck up a bunch of fingers and it’s taking names and kicking butt at the box office. But don’t get fooled, like I did yesterday.

Stick with the laffs you’ll get watching the trailer and quit while you’re ahead.

I found out how bad Ted was the hard way yesterday at a 4:20 p.m. screening in a packed theater.

OMG, I can’t remember the last time I was this bored and didn’t unleash a single laugh.

And I’m an easy mark. I’m even thinking about going back to see Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter a second time since I missed it in 3D the first time. And I liked Dark Shadows.

But I wasn’t alone in being underwhelmed by Ted.

There were predictable, scattered laughs throughout the theater, but by and large the crowd was pretty quiet. Like me.

And none of the laffs I heard could be described as "uproarious."

Trust me, Ted may have done business like The Hangover but it’s no Hangover. Not even close.

I finally bailed early after wrestling more than half an hour with slipping into another theater or asking for a refund.

Now check out what director Seth MacFarlane said about Ted in an interview.

"One, it’s my first movie so there’s going to be a lot of eyes on it. Two, if it doesn’t do well, eh, it’s just my first movie, I’ll get better. For me, it’s got to be received well enough that it doesn’t seem insane to make another one. My first movie can’t be ‘Ishtar.’"

Talk about prophetic

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 12 Comments

New Jack City: Hot Times On The Big Screen

Posted on July 1, 2012 by admin

Seth MacFarlane‘s raunchy TED beat expectations by over $20 million in ticket sales this weekend!
 
By grossing an estimated $54.1 million in North American theaters, the talking-dirty teddy laffer has become the best-ever opening of an original R-rated comedy. By comparison TED bested THE HANGOVER by $9.1 million which had held the record with a $45 million dollar opening during the summer of 2009.

And when it comes to word of mouth—which will keep TED around for a while—the hit comedy has scored an impressive A- Cinemascore.

Speaking of scoring…

Warner Brothers’ male stripper dramedy MAGIC MIKE didn’t fare bad either.
The Channing Tatum-Matthew McConaughey showoff brought in (estimated) $ 39.2 million while earning a B- Cinemascore.

Things are bound to heat up even further at the boxoffice on Tuesday when THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN joins the holiday fray.

Note: Catch my SPIDEY review here Monday!

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Glazer: How KC Wasted the Last 40 Years Going Nowhere Fast

Posted on July 1, 2012 by admin

The Star’s Randy Covitz wrote a nice story about Kansas City being a big sports town back in 1973…

That was the year baseball’s All-Star game last came here. And what a year it was. As Covitz points out, we had FOUR PRO SPORTS TEAMS, hockey, basketball, football and baseball. It was the last time Kansas City played host to the All Star game.

Hard to believe that was 40 years ago, nearly half a century. Damn.

Yep, we were on our way, the nation’s 26th largest city with a new Kemper Arena, Crown Center and just a few years away from the 1970 Super Bowl Champion Chiefs’ season. The Royals were about to launch George Brett‘s career, becoming one of baseball’s best teams of the 1970s and early 1980s. And one of our most interesting events, the Republican National Convention was just a couple years away.

Kansas City was maybe at its all time best.

We very much looked like we were well on our way to becoming a city of maybe three or four million by the end of the 90’s. A city with strong leadership and much to do and see.

So what Happened? Where did we go wrong?

Since then the city has added almost nobody to its population. The Kansas City Kings basketball team were a bust and fled. As did did the KC Scouts hockey team. The Chiefs became a doormat for a couple decades and eventually the Royals became baseball’s worst franchise after the passing of owner Ewing Kauffman.

The city spread to the north and south with midtown becoming low income and urban. And the leadership of a parade of nice guy, do-gooder mayors destroyed our shot at becoming a bigtime, winning city.

Yes, they kept us on the straight and narrow path alright. But the city was rocking when we had a little crime and the mob ran downtown. They kept it safe and you could even go into a strip club and see a girl dance naked. Thank the lord that’s not the case now.

Yep, they cleaned it all up.

But now nobody wants to come here and visit because we’re boring.

That’s what most people around the country think. That we don’t matter much. But we should.

Mayor Kay Barnes brought us the new, now broke, downtown with like three restaurants, nine bars and a B-rated arena called Sprint Center.

No pro team wants to call it home.

Most of our other attempts have also met with failure. All of our malls, save Oak Park, struggle and that includes the once-great Plaza. Kansas City once had a night life that mattered in our crown jewel, but now it’s usually dead by 9 pm. 

Westport is making a giant comeback and the Power & Light has some packed Saturday nights, but nothing on weeknights, unless Q 104 or somebody is hosting a concert.

We are always hoping our Royals and Chiefs are coming back, but God knows when. Both teams have been awful for way too long. It’s true the Chiefs and Royals finally have some talented young players, but so far, no go. Both are still no shows.

Kemper is toast. Sprint has fewer and fewer events that draw less and less people every year. Few people like to go downtown. Maybe if it gets those apartments it can survive.

I’m sure (and I hope) our city leaders are looking deep into the issues of not having 1,000 DUI checkpoints on weekends and busting bars just because an employee forgot their meaningless liquor cards. Kansas doesn’t even have them.

About our 2012 All Star Game…

It’s gonna bring in millions and we need to clean up the city for all those visitors, civic leaders say.

Please!

Most hotels here have plenty of rooms left. Probably 35,000 of the 40,000 fans going to the game LIVE HERE.

Almost nobody is coming in from out of town, except for the media and players. PLEASE!

The only one making a buck on the All Star game is the Glass family.

Cute trick.

Buy tickets for 20 games and we’ll let you buy All Star tix too.

Hey, that seems to have worked out well. Yes, dads are bringing junior to the game, but they all live here. 

Who else really wants to go see a boring, meaningless baseball game in this heat?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice event and I’d rather have it than not. But is it really a big deal? Uh NO. It’s not. This ain’t the Super Bowl folks.

Yep, back in 1973 the road ahead looked bright….WTF happened?

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 7 Comments

Whinery: The Winners & Losers on Health Care, Mostly the Losers

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

In one of the most shocking decisions to come down ever, “The Affordable Care Act” was found Constitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States…

Chief Justice John Roberts had to rewrite the law and convert the mandate to a tax in order come up with the majority opinion. That’s something I don’t think the court has ever done before.

But who cares right?

Millions are uninsured and this law is gonna provide universal coverage and reduce costs.

HARDLY!

It’s now being forecast by the Congressional Budget Office that this law will add almost $2 trillion to the deficit over the first 10 years. 

Unresolved issues include the exclusion of a public option and universal coverage through Medicaid, while leaving between 20-40 million Americans without health coverage. Many more will be left underinsured and be hunted down by the IRS and forced to pay fines not being able to afford health insurance

The only winners here are the big insurance companies.

They wrote the legislation, along with their buddies in big pharma and large hospital chains, so are we surprised that we are left with a plan that will shift costs to the consumer, offer inadequate coverage at unaffordable prices and force Americans to pay higher deductibles for essential services?

Most people are of the opinion that this is a big win for President Obama.

How does a law containing 21 new tax increases help someone facing an election in a little more than four months? And with a majority of the tax increases hitting families making less than $250,000 a year- a group candidate Obama vowed not to raise taxes on.

Now he must explain why it’s good thing to tax poor people who don’t have the money to pay for a mandated health insurance plan. And to the American People, who already have insurance, that are going to end up paying more to add coverage for conditions their current policies do not cover and may lose their choice of doctors.

Not a great position to be in running for re-election during an economic collapse.

Mitt Romney’s “Massachusetts Mess” of a health care plan, being the blue print for ObamaCare, makes it a little laughable that Mitt’s going to now run on a “replace and repeal” agenda.

His plan in Mass included an insurance mandate and penalties for not having insurance. Which was clearly the model for the President’s health care law.

Republicans are going to make a big deal out of all the tax increases- but what is their plan? They don’t really have one, and if Democrats sold out the people to those profiting off health care- will Republicans do anything different?

The United States is now the only Western-Industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care to its citizenry and this new law is not going to remedy that.

If the military-industrial complex doesn’t bankrupt this great nation- health care costs most
certainly will.

I’m not advocating “Socialized” medicine, but I do believe it’s a travesty that so many people do not
have access to medical care.

Posted in News_and_Views | Tagged | 8 Comments

Glazer: Bogus KU Pot Bust a Sham – Let it Go, People

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

Lions and Tigers and Bears…oh, my!

Let the insane, stupid witch hunt begin. A weed dealer – lord save the planet and shoot him fast – sold smoke to some KU Student Athletes.

What’s the world coming to? Let’s ruin their lives, their careers – we’ll show ’em.

EVIL DO GOODERS TO THE RESCUE, HERE THEY COME.

Overland Park weed man Samuel Villeareal, 32, tried to distribute 1,000 kilos of the devil herb. They didn’t catch him with much of anything, but informants, math and phone calls put the number up there.

But it’s weed folks…legal in many states already, just not here.

GOD FORBID.

Villeareal was seen with several KU basketball players and police surveillance had  KU players at his pad. Oh, and he was seated behind the KU bench at Sprint during a game. O.K., so he sold weed too several players. No doubt.

And yes, Jeff Withey when contacted said, "Never heard of the guy." 

I’m sure the players bought and smoked pot. It will all come out now.

This was the 2010-2011 team.

But guess what, most players and certainly black players, love the weed.

They do. If you busted every player in college or pro sports for smoking marijuana or other illegal substances you couldn’t field a roster for a single team. No way.

"Oh Glazer, you’re a jerk. Not all the players do drugs. How do you know asshole?"

Trust me, I’ve got excellent sources and I believe it to be a fact.

The players I knew from the Chiefs almost all at least smoked weed, except maybe a couple. In the case of some, to a fault. But hey, they are young men and that’s what young people do. They just do.

Sorry, EVIL DO GOODERS.

I’m talking about the ’90’s Chiefs. We all know today’s guys are clean, right?

Kansas is an elite basketball program, so this will be a ton of fun for the authorities to go after.

Headlines, messed up careers, lots of fun for them. If your name is Jim Jones and you are a clerk at Walmart, and you bought way more weed from this guy – who cares? We don’t want that guy, he’s just a victim.

But if you’re a name basketball player, "You must die, bastard, criminal." 

What a bunch of B.S.

All of us these young guys are under a ton of stress so they drink, smoke weed and some do a lot more. Is it legal? Often, no. Is it the way it is and has been for years? You bet.

In this case we need to look the other way.

Now if players are involved in selling large amounts of powder, that’s a different matter, but smoking weed? NO. Let it go, people.

I know several of you never smoked a joint, never drove drunk or did anything illegal.

Well ,God bless your boring asses.

P.S. I don’t believe you.

Maybe you did all this years ago and not now -still you did it – and years ago you were their age.

Be fair, just let it go.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 20 Comments

Starbeams: Janet Jackson Super Stunt, George Toma, Microsoft @ Oak Park & Bruce Chen

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

A federal judge finally threw out the Janet Jackson Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction case.  Thanks for the timely response, replied no one who worked for CBS after 2004.

*******

Former groundskeeper George Toma will become the 25th member of the Royals Hall of Fame during a ceremony planned for August 31st at the K.  Unfortunately, George had the team’s highest On Base Percentage from 1986-1995.

*******

The KU Cancer Center has achieved National Cancer Institute designation.  Not to be confused with Kansas City, which will remain a national cancer DESTINATION.

*******

Microsoft has opening a new Microsoft Store in Oak Park Mall.  It will be fully operational when they can get windows installed.  In order to accommodate Microsoft, Oak Park Mall will now be known as Microsoft Mall.  When you leave the store you’re asked, "Are you sure you want to navigate away from this store?"

Royals pitcher Bruce Chen gave away All-Star tickets to a lucky fan, one of nearly 200 that showed up for an oil change. Chen announced on Twitter he would be giving away the tickets at Action Goodyear in Shawnee.  Once again, our top story…There’s a Royals player with at least 200 Twitter followers.

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

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