Hearne: The Awful Truth About Why Ink is Eating The Pitch’s Lunch

It’s no secret that news light as it is, Ink magazine is kicking the Pitch‘s butt…

That after only three years on the scene to the Pitch‘s 30-plus. Things had gotten so bad at the Pitch last year that after years of trying to dump it, its former out-of-town parent finally unloaded it on the publisher of the Nashville Scene alt weekly.

When I interviewed former Pitch publisher Hal Brody a few months later, he was shocked to learn his former pub was barely choking out 40-page issues. Meanwhile, Ink was knocking back 56-pagers – 40 percent larger than the now lowly Pitch.

So what does Ink have that the Pitch doesn’t?

Let’s examine the two pubs – and the Nashville Scene – through the eyes of a 30-something, female marketing director who asked not to be named.

"When I read through the Pitch the ads appear geared towards a particular audience," she says. "And I don’t want to be associated with advertisers touting random hookups, drugs, bankruptcy and being poor. Ink doesn’t have the sleazy ads in the back like the Pitch. When you get through reading the Pitch you feel a little bit dirty."

"Like the Pitch has a full-page ad for three DVDs for $9.99 from Cirilla’s – as if I want to make a beeline to Cirilla’s to buy some porn."

"You know, if your audience is male, I guess that’s fine. I used to identify more with the content of the Pitch because of the music, but there’s not as much music in there these days."

Now let’s take a closer look at Ink…

"I kinda like it," the marketing director says. "It has short snippets that are pretty digestible."

The $64 million question being, is it hip?

"No, I wouldn’t use the word hip, but I think it’s somewhat relevant and useful," she says. "And I think it skews older – 35 plus. It’s a lot more mainstream than the Pitch."

Which brings us to the Nashville Scene, the Pitch parent’s flagship alt weekly.

"It blows both Ink and the Pitch away," the marketing director says. "It’s hipper than Ink and there’s not a ton of nasty sex in it – the ads that are there are relatively tasteful. It looks nicer because of the coated stock paper and all the color. It combines the best of both worlds in a taasteful way."

When the Scene publisher purchased the Pitch last year, it was assumed it would clear the decks and transform it into a cleaner, hipper, far more upscale alt weekly.

Well, the decks got cleared alright, and the Pitch has been limping along on a skeleton staff for months with very few pages and even less content. And while it’s been cleaned up a bit, it’s still haunted by the trashy advertisers it’s long wrestled with.

Trust me, this is nothing new.

From its earliest days in the mid- to late 1980s when I ran the Pitch, the sex ads have been a struggle.

We would set up new distribution points around the city to increase our reach only to get phone calls from the new businesses asking us to remove our racks because they’d had customer complaints about the sex ads.

At times when the Pitch and New Times battled for supremacy, one publication or the other would refuse to take sex ads to try and claim the higher ground. However in the end, the money was just too substantial to leave on the table. And when Star publisher Art Brisbane did away with strip club ads in the sports section they had almost nowhere else to go other than radio.

What’s more the Nashville Scene trumps both the Pitch and Ink for real deal content.

It’s got six more columns than the Pitch, ranging from art and theater to sports. At 56 pages, the Scene delivers both content and hipness in an upscale manner, sans the sleaze factor. What few sex ads it has are discreet.

The question being, can the dudes in Nashville turn things around in KC with largely the same guys running the show here (with the exception of the better writers and reporters who have either fled or were fired)?

They’re not exactly making it look easy…

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 20 Comments

Leftridge: The Playoffs Will Get Better Next Weekend, I Promise

This year’s round of NFL Wildcard playoffs is a little like watching Jeff Bridges eat an apple; it’s not apt to be the most entertaining thing you’ve ever seen, but goddamnit, THAT’S "THE DUDE" EATING AN APPLE. Anything that guy does is entertaining. I’d pay money to watch him trim his goatee and balance his checkbook. Similarly, you can’t not watch the NFL playoffs, even if it is the slightly wilted side-salad at the beginning of what promises to be an otherwise fantastic meal.

It seems a foregone conclusion at this juncture that the NFC will come down to the Packers and the Saints in the Conference Championship. Additionally, it’s likely that the Patriots will face either the Ravens or the Steelers in the Divisional round next weekend. In between, there doesn’t figure to be a whole lot of mystery.

The action kicks off Saturday, with a sexy-ass matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans

Bengals @ Houston, 3:30PM Saturday, NBC

Cincinnati rookie QB Andy “the Red Rifle” Dalton takes on Houston rookie QB T.J. “I’m in the NFL” Yates in a battle of… I don’t know… yawns? Dalton has had a surprisingly decent rookie campaign, and is clearly the better of the two, but the Texans, oh, those poor Texans. Never in their worst dreams did they imagine having to start Yates in a playoff game. All that changed when the Matts—first Schaub, then Leinert—went down with season ending injuries. But never fear, Houston fans! Jeff Garciayes THAT Jeff Garcia, formerly of the Omaha Nighthawks, formerly of the NFL—is your third stringer! There may just be hope for ya’ll yet.

Okay… not likely. I think the Bengals win this but probably not by a lot, and probably not in a very entertaining manner.

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints, 7PM Saturday, NBC

The Lions aren’t as good as they pretended to be at the beginning of the season. Their rushing game isn’t great, quarterback Matthew Stafford—despite having put together a nice, healthy season—is still capable of a 4 INT meltdown, and Calvin Johnsonwell, you can’t fuck with Calvin Johnson. That is,unless you’re the Saints. Then you can fuck with him. In their previous matchup—a December 4th game in New Orleans that the Saints won 31-17– Johnson was held to 69 yards on 6 catches.

Who Dat, indeed.

The Lions are alright, but it’s just not their year. The Saints are better at virtually every position, play more cohesively as a unit, and their offensive juggernaut should steamroll an inferior Lions’ squad. Let’s just hope Ndamukong Suh (who was suspended in the first meeting, it’s worth noting) doesn’t get pissed and stomp that birthmark off of Drew Brees’ cheek. (oh, in case you’re reading about football for the first time, Suh is kind of a dickhead)

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants, 12PM Sunday, FOX

Ugh… we seriously have to watch this game? Both teams are perennially overrated, and aside from David Tyree’s miracle catch against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (in February of 2008, for you non-Romans), neither has really done a whole lotta recent winning.

As a fan of either team, you’d have to admit that the QB play is maddening—Matt Ryan OR Eli Manning is capable of giving you a, 14-32, 0 TDs, 2 INTs at the drop of a hat—but the receiving on both teams is potentially outstanding. The biggest difference, however, is the running game of the Atlanta Falcons, where Michael Turner can explode like a barrel of dynamite at any given second. And against the less than spectacular Giants’ run defense, explode he shall.

I say the Falcons get the run going early and often and cruise comfortably into Green Bay the following week (before getting thoroughly and utterly trounced). Circle of life, my friends.


Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos, 3:30PM Sunday, CBS

If the media played this right, this would be a Biblical battle between light and dark, good and evil. The Accused Rapist versus the Man of God. A city of gray, industrial depression taking on the city of clean, mountain air and John Denver Christmas specials. The media is full of pussies, though, so they’ll just talk about Tim Tebow’s woeful accuracy problems and whether or not Ben Roethlisberger’s battered ankle can handle cringe-inducing dives from Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, two of Denver’s more punishing defenders.

But more to the point, it’s uncertain whether there’s a worthy story here at all. The Broncos are quite possibly the weakest team in the field. The backed in by virtue of Oakland’s ineptitude and after a miraculous run, have started to show their true colors. And though the Steelers are hobbled—Ben’s piggies, RB Rashard Mendenhall’s torn ACL and safety Ryan Clark’s what-the-shit-sickle-cell affliction—come on… does anyone in their right mind—aside from Denver fans—think that the Broncos stand a chance here? Wait: do Broncos fans even think they stand a chance?

Well, they don’t.

And thus concludes our look at the first round of the NFL playoffs. Quite a stinker, right? Tune in next week to catch me gloating about being right on all of my picks AND predicting the divisional round, once again with frightening accuracy (or making up excuses about altitude and the fight that forever survives in the heart of Texas).

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 23 Comments

Starbeams: Rolling Roof, Rolling Streetcars & Rolling with the Punches

While in Washington, D.C., Kansas City mayor Sly James was told by the U.S. Secretary of Education that KC has the "worst school district" in the nation.  Mayor James is trying to get the city to take over the district, the interim superintendent says we are "not the worst district…" 

Meanwhile, thousands of KC students are left wondering, "Where is Washington, D.C?"

*******

The mayor was in D.C. to ask for $25 million in federal aid to build a new streetcar line downtown.  Why don’t they just ask for $25 million less in parking meter change and maybe more local residents would go downtown?

*******

More proof that soccer is taking over:  Sporting KC will have seven nationally televised games in the upcoming season.  The MLS wants to reward the team for a strong finish and the league also wants to show off the fancy Livestrong Sporting Park.  Some fans were upset because weather became a bit of an issue toward the end of last season. 

A lot of people don’t realize this, but Livestrong is situated by to Kansas Speedway and lines up perfectly for a giant rolling roof!

 

Kelly Urich is the morning host on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 1 Comment

Glazer: Scribe Lays His Money on the Line for NFL Playoffs

Boy, seems like just a few weeks ago the season started, doesn’t it?

And still no snow. No big suprises really; the top four teams are all there, the Packers, Ravens, Saints and Steelers. I said they’d be and they are. The other teams that we talked about, Houston and Detroit – the new kids on the block – are also there. Baby surprises are the Bengals and Denver. The New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons were expected to land with less force and they did.

I counted out favorites such as the Cowboys and Eagles and sure enough, they both failed. So here we are, and picking the Super Bowl winner will not be so easy.

Three teams have made nice, positive moves with "new stars" to carry pull the load. Tom Brady and New England needed the help of a new, great receiver and got  tight end Rob Gronkowski. And he made the difference. Without him no home field advantage.

In New Orleans, they got "giant help" from a 6’8" monster at tight end named Jimmy Graham and in New York Eli Manning can count his lucky toes he has Victor Cruz. Aaron Rodgers may lose the MVP award to Drew Brees, because the Pack suffers from NO NEW STARS. They seem a bit worn down, and their defense is awful as is New England’s. Yet those two are the Vegas favorites even now over the hot Saints.

The Packers are 1 1/2 to 1 to win it all, New England is 3 to 1 and the Saints are 4 to 1. At the bottom Denver and the Bengals and at 20 to 1 the New York Giants are not a bad long shot…

Pro Football Playoffs:
 
Pittsburgh -2 over the Broncos (tease you get 6 points)
 
Saints -4 1/2 over Detroit (tease with Steelers above)
 
 
 
Bengals 8 over Houston (tease with Giants)
 
New York Giants -3 over Atlanta (tease with Bengals)
 
 
College Bowl Games:
 
Kansas State 15 over Arkansas 9 (tease get  6 points)
 
Alabama 5 over LSU (tease with K State)
 

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 26 Comments

Sounds Good: Making Movies@Jazzhaus, Fire in the Churchyard & La Guerre@Replay & Wakarusa

OK, so maybe I’m getting jaded…

I’ve seen so many great shows over the past year, on an almost weekly basis, that I think I’ve gotten a little spoiled.  Wilco, The Jayhawks, Bon Iver, Steely Dan, Muse, Bright Eyes, Roger Daltry, Zappa, Arcade Fire, St. Vincent, Mumford and Sons, Old 97’s, Ween, Willie Nelson, My Morning Jacket, the list goes on and on.  Breakout local acts, too, like the ACBs, Fourth of July, and The Noise FM to name just a few. 

I’ve gotten to the point where I simply demand to be entertained by interesting and talented performers night in and night out.  So the last few weeks have been tough for me. 

Some people blame their melancholy on the (normally) crappy, grey weather, the short days and long nights.  I blame it on the doldrums – the period of time from the middle of December to the middle of January when it seems like the live music scene all but grinds to a halt.  The national acts aren’t swinging through town.  The better local acts are on vacation, or playing somewhere else that’s warmer. 

(I never thought I’d say this but) C’mon February, where you at?

Speaking of somewhere warmer, the Wakarusa Festival just made their first round of artist announcements for this summer’s bash in Arkansas.  Check out who’s on the list, as well as a couple bands in the KC area this weekend to tide you over, after the jump…

Wakarusa Festival, May 31st – June 3rd at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas

So, this is only the first round of artist announcements, and usually there are three or four rounds.  There are roughly 25-30 acts that were released today, but the top of the list right now looks like this:

Pretty Lights
Weir, Robinson, & Green Acoustic Trio
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
G. Love & Special Sauce

Fear not, skeptics, at least two to three more headliners will be forthcoming, probably bigger names than anyone already on this short list.  Check out the full initial lineup announcement here: http://wakarusa.com/2012/lineup.asp

Friday, January 6th

Making Movies at the Jazzhaus in Lawrence

I saw making Movies a few weeks ago with Cowboy Indian Bear and The Noise FM at the Bottleneck for a Toys for Tots benefit.  They play a mix of Latin infused indie rock, which sounds odd when I describe it, but is actually kind of cool when you see them live.  Very unique sound, to say the least, that was a little tough to wrap my head around at first.  But after a few songs their gumbo approach starts blending musical flavors together to make a spicy and nutritious meal. 

They’re actually playing Friday and Saturday night at the Jazzhaus, so why not double up?  Oh, and their favorite recent band is Delta Spirit, so mad props for that right there. 

 

Saturday, January 7th

Fire in the Churchyard & La Guerre at the Replay in Lawrence

Do you like indie chicks?  No?  How about beer?  Still no?  How about the filthiest fucking bathrooms this side of that one in Trainspotting?  No again?  Then there is no pleasing you…

For the rest of you who like those things, the Replay will be your hideout Saturday night as the girl-girl stylings of Fire in the Churchyard display their ukuleles and minimalist weird songs.  And as if that weren’t enough, Kat Conroy will be there too, with her new project, La Guerre.  You might know Kat as the girl in Cowboy Indian Bear.  La Guerre is kind of loopy and electronica, with Kat’s pristine vocals layering over the top of everything.  Should be a scenester’s wet dream. 

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 5 Comments

Jack Goes Confidential: ‘TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY’ Makes For Inglorious Spy Thriller

We’ve seen a ton of TV spots of late for the screen adaptation of John le Carre’s best-selling, Cold War spy thriller, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY.

The film is receiving a platform release pattern—meaning that it opened in major centers in mid-December then was gradually opened in additional markets in subsequent weeks.

It opens as a limited multiple in Kansas City today.

TV spots for the movie would have you believing that it’s a fast paced spy thriller along the line of James Bond.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not!

Which is not to say TINKER, TAILOR isn’t worthy of your visit. But go expecting a slow-paced, thinking person’s thriller. In other words, no glamour and no sex.

A collegue who saw the film prior to my viewing it put it in starker terms: "It’s like watching paint dry," he quipped.

That’s an overstatement for sure, but now at least you know what you’re in for.

Set in 1973, the British Intelligence Service—code named ‘The Circus’—tries desperately to keep up with the eastern block’s espionage efforts whose intelligence budget, unlike Great Britain’s, is unlimited.

Making matters worse, signs now point to the agency having been compromised by a double agent working for the Soviets. Time for the agency to bring back ousted master spy Gary Oldman to make use of his unique perspective to flush out the mole.

And while these spies don’t take their martini’s shaken or stirred, they’re nevertheless a crusty bunch.
Their portrayal is executed here to perfection by screen pros like Colin Firth, John Hurt and Oldman.

I guess what I’m saying is if you really want to dig into the Cold War, where an escalating spy game took an emotional and physical toll on its players, this is your movie.

However if it’s big action and sexy intrigue you’re looking for you’ll be sorely disappointed.

For fans of that era on film, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY will bring back memories of 1965’s THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD which starred Richard Burton.

To that end, I’m raising 3 out of 5 inglamorous fingers.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 8 Comments

Hearne: Missouri’s Offer to Play KU in Football a Hollow Gesture

Add sports politics to the circus going on in Washington, D.C….

When Missouri told the world late last year it was leaving the Big 12 for the SEC there was no shortage of pissed off Kansans. Starting with comments by KU basketball coach Bill Self and continuing on to the school’s official Facebook page with: "Missouri forfeits a century-old rivalry. We win."

So as the final Big 12 KU-MU basketball games draw near, do the KU faithful still harbor ill feelings towards the departing Tigers?

"You’re funny," laughs Lawrence promoter Brett Mosiman. "No. None at all."

Because Kansas would have done the same thing as Missouri if it were in the same boat?

"The same boat as having short man’s disease or whatever?" Mosiman quips. "They clearly had issues with their self worth."

Shots aside, what about KU setting aside hurt feelings and agreeing to keep the basketaball and football rivalries intact as a non-conference games? Something Missouri has publicly stated it wants to do.

That would be stupid, Mosiman says.

"It’d be like playing Little Sisters of the Poor in basketball because they’ve been so consistantly below us," Mosiman says. "We don’t need them to sell out Sprint Center, KU sells out Sprint with anybody they play and there are so many other good teams out there KU can play. So why should we split half the revenue with MU when we can get Dartmouth to come in for a couple grand?

"It doesn’t advance KU basketball in any way. And it doesn’t matter if we beat them or if we don’t."

How about the football game at Arrowhead that Kansas City and Mo. politicians are so bummed about losing?

Doesn’t make good business sense from a Kansas viewpoint, Mosiman says.

"You don’t see a lot of Oklahoma versus Ohio State non conference games in football," Mosiman says. "And KU is not going to go out and play an SEC team for kicks unless they become a perenial bowl team – and when has KU ever been a perenial bowl team?"

In other words, KU’s rejection of Missouri pleas to continue the series has nothing to do with being jilted.

"Missouri thinks it’s all about them, but it’s not at all," Mosiman explains. "We’re not going to play Missouri anymore than we’re going to play Tennessee or Georgia."

Mosiman thinks MU’s pleas to continue playing KU ring hollow at best.

"MU wanted to come out of leaving the Big 12 smelling like they weren’t the bad guy when they left," Mosiman says. "Which they were. They just wanted to try and save their face with the fans and politicians. They wanted to make like they still wanted to play the game even though they knew it didn’t make any sense and they knew full well that it was never a possibility. So that was a lame extension of the hand, it wasn’t real."

Don’t buy it? Read on.

"Missouri had an intense rivalry with Nebraska the past several years and did you see them trying to keep Nebraska on their schedule?" Mosiman asks. Of course not."

The bottom line for KC on MU’s bailing in Mosiman’s humble opinion:

"MU did great damage to the Kansas City economy and it should be held responsible for it."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 32 Comments

Today: KU Fans Stoked Over New Football Phat Man Despite the Critics

This is a very unusual season in Lawrence…

And not just the weather. Basketball’s well underway but everywhere you go the scent of pigskin’s in the air. There’s a new phat dude in town and KU football fans are getting restless. They’ve all but put Missouri in the rearview mirror and out of their minds. However, instead of dreaming about going to the Big Dance, they’re buying KU football tickets.

Go figure.

To some in KC, hiring new KU head coach Charlie Weis was downright dumb. Star sports columnist Sam Mellinger labeled it desperate, calling Weis a failed head coach on his fourth job in four years with really bad health.

Mellinger didn’t quite have the guts to come right out and say it, but Weis isn’t just phat, he’s fat.

Just like former KU head football coach Mark Mangino, the dude who inspired defunct Lawrence retailer Joe-College‘s infamous "Our Coach is Phat" T-shirts.

All that said, Lawrence is stoked and here’s why.

"So far, so good," says Lawrence promoter Brett Mosiman. "He’s brought a lot of enthusiasm back to KU football. People are talking about it in the middle of basketball season and that’s never happened hardly.

"They’re talking about possible assistant coaches and that kind of stuff. It looks like things are looking up for KU football, so we’ll see if any wins follow all of this enthusiasm."

Mosiman’s a die hard sports fan who just runs legendary Lawrence artist showcase, the Bottleneck. He also created the Wakarusa festival and is the force behind the Crossroads KC concert venue downtown.

"Since Weis came on two top ranked quarterbacks have committed to KU," Mosiman says. "So ostensibly we have two 5-star quarterbacks coming in over the next three years. And they should attract top receivers and all kinds of offensive talent. I mean, Weis is an offensive genius. He has like three or four Super Bowl rings and look at Matt Cassel.

"Cassel was terrible in Kansas City his first year. Then his second year he made the Pro Bowl and then he was terrible again this year. And the only difference is that during his second year he was under the tutelage of Charlie Weis. Tom Brady was a sixth round pick and Weis turned him into ann All Pro, Super Bowl-winning, Hall of Famer."

Let’s take a minute to refelct on ousted KU football head coach Turner Gill. Gill was one very popular cookie in LA – despite his horrible win-loss record – owing in large part to the fact that he was such a standup guy.

Is there anybody floating around thinking Gill got a raw deal and deserved another year or two to get KU on track?

"You will not find that sentiment in very many barber chairs," Mosiman says dryly.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 13 Comments

Donnelly: MLS SuperDraft Comes to KC Convention Center, Can Vermes Score Again?

Sporting Kansas City head coach and general manager Peter Vermes is gaining a reputation as a skilled talent evaluator after only a couple years on the job. 

PhotoLast year in the MLS SuperDraft, he tapped a relatively unknown forward out of James Madison with the 10th overall pick.  The selection was universally panned as a reach, with most observers noting that KC really needed a center defender more than another attacker. 

Fast forward nine months and that unknown forward, CJ Sapong, was accepting the MLS Rookie of the Year trophy. 

And look at some of his other recent high draft picks…

In 2008 it was Chance Myers out of UCLA with the 1st overall pick.  Myers played little his first two seasons due largely to injury, but then exploded last season, the first time he was able to remain fit all year.  He is now widely regarded as one of the best attacking wing defenders in the league.  He also snagged Roger Espinoza the same year with the 11th pick.  The Honduras national team player started most of the games last season and was consistently a difference maker with his physical ball-winning.   

In 2009 it was Matt Besler out of Notre Dame that Vermes tapped 8th overall.  Last season Besler was an all-star, and was arguably Sporting KC’s most valuable player. 

In 2010 it was Teal Bunbury out of the University of Akron with the 4th pick.  Bunbury has been a mainstay for KC, leading the team in goals in 2011, and has been called up several times for USMNT duty.  Many see him leaving sometime this year due to substantial European interest in the athletic striker.

The fact is, Vermes has not missed with a single of his high level draft picks, not one.  Sure, there’s a little bit of luck involved with any draft in any sport.  But there’s no arguing that the Sporting boss has been almost perfect so far with his most valuable picks. 

Try saying that for Dayton Moore or Pioli.  No way.

Which brings us to this year’s SuperDraft being held at the Kansas City Convention Center on January 12th.  The draft airs live on ESPN2 starting at 11 a.m.

Will Vermes score another success?  Remember, KC picked up experienced winger Bobby Convey already, as well as versatile midfielder Paulo Nagamura.  They got rid of midfielder Davy Arnaud, striker Omar Bravo, and a couple other guys who rarely played. 

So what are the team’s needs at this point?

Most mock drafts- including Fox Soccer’s Ives Galarcep’s– has Sporting taking a defender.  Galarcep lists Austin Berry out of Louisville, a physical 6’2" player who is "strong and intelligent." 

The thing is, all of the defensive starters are back – Besler, Aurelien Collin, Seth Sinovic, and Myers.  So is Julio Cesar, who came on late last season as a solid presence, and who played both center defender and defensive center mid.  Also, Michael Harrington is back.  He started all year in 2010 before getting hurt last year and losing out to Myers.  And Homegrown player Kevin Ellis might be ready to fill in.  Vermes has consistently praised Ellis’ development and this might be the year he starts to contribute.  Come to think of it, Espinoza is a serviceable defender, too, playing there for the entire 2010 season. 

I just simply don’t see the need for another defender at this point.

Instead, my guess is that Sporting looks for another attacker who can back up the starters when they run out of gas. 

Vermes’ stable of strikers at first glance looks pretty solid with Sapong, Bunbury, and Kei Kamara.  Plus, Convey can get into the attack on the flanks.  But they did lose Bravo, who co-led the team in goals.  And considering the all-out attacking style that Vermes favors, it’s never a bad thing to have another guy who can find the back of the net. 

Since basically the rest of the starting lineup is intact from last season, my money is on Sporting to select another athletic striker who can challenge defenders with strength and speed.

Posted in Sporting_Kansas_City | Tagged | 4 Comments

Today: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it…Lezak Weigh in on (Possible) Record Setting Winter

Praise the lord and pass the suntan lotion…

The heat is on in Kansas City and elsewhere around the country in one of the warmest late December / early January cold spells ever. The question being, how long will it last?

"I think the second half of January will turn much colder," says KSHB weather wonk Gary Lezak. "There’ll be a couple of cold outbreaks, one of which will be an arctic outbreak which will be really cold."

The reason for the recent and current balmy climes?

"It’s just the way the weather pattern has been," Lezak says. "It has to do with the arctic oscillation – all the cold air has been held up north."

The most benign holiday, winter weather in KC ever?

"Well, certainly in many years," Lezak says. "Last January we never hit 50 degrees one time and it’s 50 today and maybe 60 to 65 tomorrow. It was 65 New Year’s Eve and that was one degree shy of the all-time record of 66. So it ended up being the second highest New Year’s Eve here ever."

As for the prospect of snow, "So far we haven’t had an inch of snow yet," Lezak says. "But I think it will happen the second half of this month. But last January our first big snow didn’t happen until January 8th. And the lowest amount of snow in Kansas City since 1885 has been four and one-half inches."

Which Lezak expects KC to match or exceed before season’s end.

So is it totally boring lately for a dude who loves the uncertainty and dramatic changes and challenges of KC’s climate?

"Oh yeah, I want it to be winter," Lezak says. "But I’m enjoying the warm weather, too."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 9 Comments

Glazer: My Life of Crime & Cool Cats I Met in the Joint

I was surprised at some of the email I got over my prison Christmas story last week…

Including from guys I was in the joint with! Where was my name? they asked. Okay, I did leave out some interesting names and stories about the holidays, so…

On weekend nights, we dressed up like we were free and walked the yard at night. And holiday weekends were even bigger. Why? Because we were morons, but hope was always in the air.

So we’d put on our best pressed uniforms, do our hair up like we were going to the prom and shine our shoes (If you wore tennis shoes you cleaned them with a toothbrush, and no, not the one you brushed with).

Clean, tough, muscled up and ready to rock.

After the evening’s crappy meal, you and your best pal or two went outside and walked the track or the fence line area. Or maybe an indoor green space – each joint was different.

They move you around quite a bit, prison to prison. They’re supposed to try and keep you near family, but they don’t. I started in Terminal Island (Long Beach, Ca.) Then I was sent to a level 3/4, medium to upper security prison. Then to Lompoc a level 5, high security prison.

Finally, after much screaming and yelling about why was a seven year sentence, first time in prison guy at Lompoc, I got transferred to a level 2 in Safford, Arizona, on the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Level 2 meant lower security. And after about 18 months in, they sent me to camp, Boron, the Watergate camp in California.

I got in trouble there and was sent back to Terminal Island and finished at Lompoc in Level 1 – no walls, all dorms, decent. And finally to a halfway house in L.A. downtown – all that in 4 1/2 years. Nice tour.

Walking the yard was a big deal.

Who you walked it with, were you in top shape, what kinda stuff you wore and so on. You and your crew were always on the lookout for GIRLS. Of course there were none, except for the staff and it was very hard to get them.

I did land a teacher, but that’s another story.

One day we were walking and ran into a TV crew from ABC. A cute blonde wanted to interview Ivan Boesky and they had a pass to get in to set up for the interview. I told the 25 year-old reporter, "Hey, I’m president of toastmasters and the camp spokesperson."

I was kinda.

Boesky wouldn’t do the interview, so she set up a time to do a story about "camp life" in prison, on ME.

Wow, that was worth cleaning up for and it aired on the area ABC news a few weeks later. She had a crush on me, checked out my records and thought I was the greatest. She took my collect calls for about four months. We were gonna meet on my furlough in six months. I was out in about a year or so. We would date, move in together, get married, have a family. But after about 100 days she changed her mind, met a TV star and it was curtains for the King of Sting.

One guy I met and even took acting classes with was Seymour Cassel. He was the actor who played Robert Redford‘s driver in Indecent Proposal, the grey haired gentleman. Seymour was a major co star in the day, and even was in Coogan’s Bluff with Clint Eastwood – he played a smart-ass punk in the movie. He was in with John Cassavetes‘s and that crew and did tons of movies and TV before prison. 

Cassel’s career fizzled and he started sending ounces of blow to pals in the mail, a federal crime. He got a couple years and was next to me at Terminal Island. Even his friend, actor

Peter Falk

came to visit him in the big house. Cassel was a cool older guy. He got out before me and did a slew of movies, nice parts too. He made big money.

I ran into him at the screening of Indecent Proposal – my studio partner Dan York had taken me – and everyone was there, including Redford, Demi Moore and her husband Bruce Willis. Seymour was the co-star along with Woody Harrelson. I went up to congratulate Seymour and he said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

He’d been so kind and warm in prison, but now he was cold and kinda mean.

I told him I was at Universal now and he said, "For God’s sake don’t mention me to anyone here as a former inmate!"  I kinda figured people knew, but oh well. I ran into him a few times more and he was better but we never hung out again.

Then there was Jerry Newton, the banker, He was Wayne Newton‘s brother. Wayne even flew into the camp area in a helicopter to visit Jerry. That was back when Wayne was having some money issues and they say Jerry took the fall for some bad loans and ones that were not supposed to happen. I met Jerry where he and I worked, on the outdoor crew, cracking rocks. He was a good guy though. 

Maybe the most interesting man I met was Ron Semler. He owned Saddle Rock Ranch in Malibu. One of the richest men in prison. Ron and his brother Barry were in on some tax beef. Ron was maybe 10 years my senior, a nice looking guy, small and married to a Playboy Playmate. He owned a $100 million estate complete with a real Zoo (I kid you not) and garages with rare cars and wagons from films like "Gone With The Wind."

Ron and I became fast friends; we worked out together, ate together – we were pals. He even loaned me 25 G’s when I got out. He was in for nearly a year after I left. I went to his ranch to get the check, met his playmate wife, nice. He invited me to parties there a few times after he got out and it was a who’s who. His best pal was Noel Blanc of the cartoon voices family fame. He also was best pals with the Kirk Douglas family, who along with many other stars kept their horses at Saddle Rock Ranch.

I slowly paid off the loan – but I didn’t have the money in time – so that kinda killed out our friendship. I did pay it off finally, but he was just in too big a league for me when I got out. That changed eventually, but it took too long. Still Ron was a decent guy and he later partnered with Wolfgang Puck on his grocery pizza concept. I think that went south. Hey, but he helped me and I will always appreciate that of Ron.

There were others, and you do meet the most interesting people in prison. But it’s still not a great place to stay.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 19 Comments

Starbeams: Iowa Republicans & The Top 5 Phrases You Won’t Hear in KC in 2012

Keith Olbermann did a great job of covering the Iowa caucus last night.  When results came in, he promised to call my cell phone with updates.

Ron Paul received an official endorsement from Kelly Clarkson.  Naturally, I don’t throw my support behind anyone until I hear from David Cook.

THE TOP 5 PHRASES YOU WON’T HEAR IN KANSAS CITY IN 2012:

#5.  I would go gambling but there’s never a casino nearby.

#4.  Let’s park here.  I don’t mind paying for the meter.

#3.  Billy Butler is leading the home run derby!

#2.  I love giving people a ride to the airport.

#1.  You’re hired.

Kelly Urich is the morning show host on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 1 Comment

Glazer: Rest in Peace New Year’s Eve, We’ll Miss Ya

Well, this was to be the turn around New Years Eve in Kansas City…

It fell on a Saturday and it was a balmy 65 degrees outside. Hope was in the air. Unfortunately, things were pretty quiet. I cased the city out and can now tell you that New Years Eve has officially become a secondary holiday.

 

That’s so damn sad.

And not just here, but across the nation. First the good news.

I had to go to Stanford’s first because both of our shows were 95% sold out. Thank god. Nikki Glaser, a former KU student, was the star and she drew very well all week. The Legends though is not a big night club area, so the overall attendance was just average. We left Stanford’s at 10:30 after I did the opening for our second show.

My little posse, wound through Westport, the Plaza and Power & Light jand Union Station ust to see what was up.

Everything we saw was just O.K. None of the party zones were dead but the Plaza was the slowest with no major nightclubs or events. Westport was above average and P & L had the biggest New Year’s Eve crowds with a paid to get into party. It was decent, but not crazy busy.

Union Station had a nice middle age crowd with some young adults but mostly it was 35 and up. It had a great live band and the neat thing was they shot fireworks off at midnight indoors. That was cool. Overall it was well done with decent food and a crowd of maybe 500 people.

However, I expected more. Last year I did the Hyatt and it had 2,500 plus, but Sheraton chose not to do it this year.

Overall the city steets looked like on a weeknight – in other words, it was slow.

I didn’t see that many cops out and NO DUI checkpoints. I was told there would be several but I saw zero. Maybe it just wasn’t worth it with it with the light traffic.

Again, it wasn’t dead, but it just wasn’t very busy out. WHY?

I was talking with my 42 year old agent in LA, Matt and he laid out his reasoning.

When we were growing up, New Year’s was a big deal for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. 

That’s not the case today. We had the TOP 40 countdown to see what the No. 1 song of the year was. Today there are so few hit songs nobody cares. We shot off fireworks, M-80’s and went nuts. Younger people today grow up blowing up stuff on the Internet and in video games.

Back in the 80’s and 90’s we had to take our date to a great restaurant, a party and then a hotel room – booze, weed and party time. People still party but not much at the really nice restaurants. It’s more like get a pizza, play Xbox, smoke a joint or two, rent a movie and you’re good.

People used to have huge parties at their homes with hot chicks and bartenders. There were a few of these on the Plaza this year, but not that many people wanted to spend the money and have their house trashed these days.

In 2000 they said the world would end, computers would crash and the stock market did.

It’s never been the same since.

To be honest, too many people just don’t care about THE NEW YEAR much anymore. Hope has been watered down, the economy is poor – there are just too many headaches – bills, work, kids, ex wives, urban crime, DUI check points. And we’ve all got lots of TV to watch.

There’s football on Sunday, so what more do we need? There are fewer if any real nightclubs anymore to have a big bash. Hotel parties are less personal, you hardly anyone there.

At midnight, 90 percent of the Union Station crowd started to leave. WHAT? What happened to the 2 AM crowd?

People go home because they’re afraid of cops, urban crime, light rain, and hey, they want to get up early and watch something on TV.

Yeah, the wild New Year’s Eves are over for most people.

Remember this one? "Hey, lets go to Las Vegas for New Year’s, it’ll be crazy!" Don’t hear that one much anymore.

It was 65 degrees, clear, Saturday. It was New Years Eve 2012 but most people just didn’t care.

I almost shed a tear.

I love the party of life and watching it fade away is a crime.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 6 Comments

Today: Guido Toledo on New CD, Jardine’s & What Your Favorite Classic Rock Band Says About You

This just in from KC expat Joe “Guido Toledo” Welsh in Nashville…

The former 4 Sknns front man sends his wishes for a Happy New Year to all and wants to let devotees know that his band has a new jazz/rock fusion album out that’s also available on iTunes under Joe Guido Welsh.

"Think 1974," Guido says. "It features some heavy hitters – three original members (Roger Powell, Kevin Ellman & John Siegler) of Todd Rundgren‘s Utopia on it, along with Reeves Gabrels from David Bowie‘s band Tin Machine and some of Nashville’s finest. It hits radio this month and we’re hoping to tour Europe by the Fall of 2012."

Here’s the lineup:

"The live band is HOT with: Yours truly on guitar, Jim Riley on drums (Rascal Flatts), John Siegler on bass (Utopia/Hall & Oates), Steve King on keys (Keith Urban), Chris Rodriguez on guitar (Keith Urban/Faith Hill),
and Randy Leago on sax, keys & percussion (Shelby Lynne). We’ll have a DVD out by Feb. 1 on Amazon.com and we hope to get to KC this year. Maybe another 4 Sknns reunion – we’ll see."

Which brings us to Guido’s dark side…

"I will do my 20th year for Wal Mart this year," he says. "Go figure!"

Not that the G Man hasn’t been keeping up on KC via KCC.

"I’ve been following the Jardine’s drama," he says. "The sad thing is how it has hurt some of my best friends who rely on the club for a gig. Hope they figure it out soon."

Guido also went to the trouble of passing along one of those year end style lists by John Peck via Guido’s one his favorite bloggers, Timothy McSweeney:

"What Your Favorite Classic Rock Band Says About You.
– – – –

The Doors: You have been bitten by an animal while trying to get it stoned.

The Who: You own a Goldwing with a baby-changing station.

Ted Nugent: Your hair has at some point been caught in a ceiling fan, boat propeller, or lathe.

The Rolling Stones: You own three cars and no stereo.

Canned Heat: You own three stereos and no car.

The Beatles: You can do exactly 1.5 pull-ups.

Badfinger: You are a Beatle.

Deep Purple: Some part of a law named after a young girl applies to you.

Led Zeppelin: The first three things you smoked were banana peels, catnip, and poppies, in that order.

Jimi Hendrix: You are under 20 or over 65.

The Kinks: You have bad teeth and are good in bed.

The Guess Who: You have good teeth and are bad in bed.

Black Sabbath: Your greatest joy is painting unventilated rooms.

David Bowie: There is still, somewhere, a Dig Dug or Zaxxon machine with your high score on it.

Mott the Hoople: You are David Bowie.

The Moody Blues: You are a former volunteer at the Liberace museum, a serial killer, or both.

The Grateful Dead: Your stories about the seventies make your daughter’s roommates at Tufts very uncomfortable.

T-Rex: No matter how much you clean, there will always be trace amounts of glitter on your stove and blender.

The Eagles: You can only reach orgasm while listening to talk radio.

Pink Floyd: Your garage is full of failed versions of your stereo/barbecue hybrid.

Thin Lizzy: You are often forced to change or cancel your plans due to NO LOITERING signs.

ZZ Top: Your favorite Hank Williams is Hank Williams, Jr.

Chicago: You are incapable of talking about Chicago without mentioning their horn section.

Quicksilver Messenger Service: You become sullen when people don’t stick around while you fix their vacuum cleaners.

Crosby, Stills & Nash: You own an oversized hat.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: You own three or more oversized hats.

Jefferson Airplane: You make your living buying and selling oversized hats.

AC/DC: You only remove your socks to shower, and then only reluctantly.

Aerosmith: You know a store that still sells puffy Reeboks.

Van Halen: You have a Peeing Calvin bumper sticker on your Jeep.

Sammy Hagar: You have a Peeing Calvin bumper sticker on your Subaru Brat.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive: You have an actual urine stain on your Subaru Brat.

Uriah Heep: You are the cause of the urine stain.

Santana: You have had an hours-long conversation with someone before realizing it was just a pile of clothes.

Rainbow: You have worn sweatpants to a funeral.

Foreigner: You have a severely wrinkled Jane Fonda poster under your bed.

Styx: You have a severely wrinkled Foreigner poster under your bed.

Allman Brothers Band: You do not own a bong, but can quickly make one from a piece of fruit or an abandoned toilet.

Bad Company: You have sustained several alcohol-related injuries involving sheetrock.

Cream: You know a guy who knows a guy who worked on Star Wars.

Journey: You own those running shoes that are shaped like feet.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: You somehow have both long hair and a sunburned scalp.

Yes: Your ideal partner would be into both tantric sex and fat guys.

Creedence Clearwater Revival: You are frequently missing part of an eyebrow.

Rush: You carry a small flashlight everywhere, and use it at least three times a day.

Blue Cheer: You have a subset of friends whose sole purpose is to hold your hair while you vomit.

Boston: Your best friend really likes Blue Cheer.

Steely Dan: You have snorted cocaine off a copy of Remembrance of Things Past.

Fleetwood Mac: You have snorted cocaine off a copy of The Hobbit.

Blue Oyster Cult: You have snorted cocaine off a copy of Type 2 Diabetes for Dummies.

Mountain: You have snorted cocaine off a Blue Oyster Cult record.

Nazareth: You have snorted cocaine off a member of Mountain.

Hawkwind: You sell cocaine to Nazareth fans.

Molly Hatchet: You sell baking soda to Hawkwind fans and tell them it’s cocaine.

Jethro Tull: You have a favorite rune.

Kiss: You have partied on a boat in a driveway.

Queen: You have injured several people by jogging into them.

The Byrds: There is a thin layer of sand on the bottom shelf of your fridge.

Bob Dylan: You have the Swiss army knife that comes with a map reader and tweezers.

Electric Light Orchestra:You have three lava lamp bases and five tops.

Mike Oldfield: You have five lava lamp bases and three tops.

The Beach Boys: You won’t live anywhere without a built-in microwave.

The Band: You have misspelled your name while carving it into a picnic table.

Genesis: You know what a steeplechase is.

The Zombies: You know what French cuffs are.

The Doobie Brothers: You have swallowed exactly two spiders—one accidentally, one on purpose.

Warren Zevon: You have a jacket with elbow patches.

.38 Special: You have a tattoo of an animal driving a vehicle.

Bob Seger: You lost your virginity in a Chevette with a spoiler.

The Georgia Satellites: You lost your virginity in a Chevette that was being towed.

REO Speedwagon: You have a favorite brand of lip balm.

Bay City Rollers: Your shower has flower-shaped traction pads.

Bruce Springsteen: Your ringtone is either “Takin’ Care of Business” or “Chariots of Fire.”

UFO: You have burned yourself while urinating on a campfire.

Slade: You have smoked speed through a TV antenna.

Procol Harum: You have smoked hash through an antique rifle.

Heart: You have smoked chamomile tea through a hookah.

Alice Cooper: You have a photo of your dog wearing sunglasses on your phone.

Foghat: You swim in man-made lakes exclusively.

Stevie Ray Vaughan: You have a bolo tie in the shape of a gun, guitar, or state.

Stealer’s Wheel: You own an adding machine.

Traffic: You have several incense scars.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer: You have several self-inflicted incense scars.

Jackson Browne: Your favorite cola is RC Cola.

Hall and Oates: You have successfully fought someone off with a ski.

Blind Faith: You constantly misuse the word “penultimate.”

Billy Squier: Your vanity plates say ROKRMOM.

Neil Young: You know at least three stores that sell bidis.

America: You think America is Neil Young.

Joni Mitchell: You have accidentally eaten more than half of a scented candle.

Montrose: You have used a bandana as a coffee filter.

Steppenwolf: You have three or more cigarette burns in hard-to-reach places.

Golden Earring: You have three or more intentional cigarillo burns.

Jimmy Buffett: You have used AAA as a cab.

Brownsville Station: You have tried to use AAA without a car.

Meat Loaf: You have a mustard stain on your mousepad.

Joe Walsh: You have fired a gun while in your underwear.

Don Henley: You have been shot at while in your underwear.

Bread: You have a cordless phone with an extendable antenna.

Donovan: You have a non-mammal pet with a human name, e.g. an iguana named Phillip.

Joe Jackson: You are an excellent speller.

Steve Miller Band: You have not yet figured out how to turn off the hourly beep on your digital watch.

Grand Funk Railroad: You have become stuck trying to retrieve a quarter from behind a stove.

Blood, Sweat & Tears: You have become stuck trying to retrieve your friend who likes Grand Funk Railroad from behind a stove.

Little River Band: You have used a riding lawnmower to flee across state lines.

Big Brother and the Holding Company: Your coffee table is a big wooden spool.

Alabama: You are from Alabama.

Kansas: Your first kiss was with a Toto fan.

Toto: You don’t really remember your first kiss.

MC5: You have barbecued a whole chicken at 3 am.

Ozzy Osbourne: You have barbecued a frozen pizza at 3 am.

Dio: You have accidentally dropped a flashlight into a barbecue.

King Crimson: You have spent an entire afternoon watching a screensaver.

Eric Clapton: You yell when you play table tennis.

Marshall Tucker Band: You wear black socks with white shoes.

Little Feat: You have hit a baby with a frisbee.

Buffalo Springfield: You have broken a reinforced window with a frisbee.

Blackfoot: You have stolen a wine cooler from the back of a pickup truck.

New Riders of the Purple Sage: You have been bitten by a Blackfoot fan while trying to get your wine cooler back."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 8 Comments

Hearne: The Uncertain Beat Goes on at Jazz Club Jardine’s, Former Co-Owner says

Just when you thought it was safe to go back outside…

Reports of new ownership and management at Jardine’s may be a bit premature, say former Jardine’s co-owner Pat Hanrahan and businessman Paul Wilson, who is still in what he has been told are negotiations to buy the local jazz club.

In other words, a report that local businessmen Robert McCain and Joseph Fulgenzi have purchased Jardine’s and Hanrahan will now run the show are questionable at best, Hanrahan says.

"I don’t know what the hell is going on over there," he says. "There’s all kinds of things going on, but I don’t think anything’s been finalized yet."

Case in point, Jardine’s 2012 calendar remains a complete blank.

Hanrahan did meet with McCain and Fulgenzi and Jardine’s owner Beena Raja late last week and discussed his returning to Jardine’s but that’s as far as things got, he says.

"It appeared to me that they had made some kind of deal with Beena and they talked to me about contacting the musicians and I said, if she’s out of there, I’d be glad to contact them. And they talked to me about my involvement and I told them I’d be interested."

So now what?

"I don’t know, she’s talking to these people and I think they’re close to a deal," Hanrahan says. "And she’s talked to Paul Wilson and some other people who are interested, but if it doesn’t work out, she’s looking for other options."

Raja could not be reached for this column.

Hanrahan was at Jardine’s New Year’s Eve bash Saturday.

"I helped out," he says. "I wasn’t really needed though because the people they brought in to wait tables and tend bar did a great job. They had over 90 people in there and the people had a good time and were having fun."

Hanrahan’s take on Jardine’s current sad state of affairs:

"As far as I’m concerned, Beena has lost all control. She lost control of the club, she lost control of herself and the staff took full advantage."

Hanrahan’s 2012 forecast for Jardine’s future?

"Somebody will take it over, but I don’t know who it will be" he says. "And if the right people are in there and it’s run correctly, it will be successful."

There you have it, the beat goes on…

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 45 Comments

Glazer: Ladies & Gentlemen, Meet the Next Quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs

Matt Flynn threw for almost 500 yards, 6 touchdowns and beat favored Detroit 45-41 to send the Packers into the playoffs on a high note…

Flynn is a free agent and WANTS TO GO TO THE AFC. In the meantime Kyle (Mr. Average) Orton, threw for 180 yards, no touchdowns and couldn’t move his team anywhere in three quarters of football against Denver. Shockingly, the Broncos and God Squad’s Tim Tebow were even worse.

An average Chiefs team beat an average Broncos team and Tebow in a wild one, 7 to 3.

Both teams looked pretty pathetic.

Denver at 8-8 still wins the west even though they have lost three in a row. And Tebow has been exposed as not being a top notch NFL quarterback. The guy can’t throw and it’s likely he’s seen his last starting season in the NFL. It was also his first.

God loves both sides Tim.

The Chiefs now have a possible answer at quarterback, seventh round 2008 pick Matt Flynn.

Flynn looks very sharp and he looked good last year filling in for Aaron Rodgers. So the Chiefs, who do have a strong defense but zero offense, need a quarterback,a  running back (Thomas Jones is done) and a couple lineman. Oh yeah, and a tight end.

So buy Flynn.

Let him back up average Matt Cassel and then at some point take over the team. The Chiefs are not likely to pursue Orton. And maybe in the meantime draft another top quarterback.

The reason this franchise has been a joke – other than Marty-ball/Montana/Allen Era – is NO QUARTERBACK. We’ve had rent-a-quarterbacks who could get you to one playoff game but that’s it. Flynn may be our next Len Dawson.

What have we got to lose?

Otherwise, look for next year to be Part Two of this season. Or is is Part Three? The AFC West has four average teams with no leader. Everybody’s about the same. Yeah, the Chumps could win it with their defense but so what? In the end we go nowhere. Because we have no quarterback.

BUY FLYNN and let’s see what happens.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 4 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Shares Pal’s Along Tongue-in-Cheek Tim Tebow ‘Grip’ Story

I had Christmas brunch with my childhood pals, Joel Weinberg, Jeff Spero and Mike Epstein. Mike later forwarded this piece and photos today.

I’d written about my arguments with Joel about the Chiefs. This was Epstein’s answer to the Tim Tebow question. Hey Tim, is she on God’s Squad? If so, ME TOO….

Check it out:

"Denver Bronocos quarterback Tim Tebow has NEVER fumbled!

In 2007 at Florida Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, the first time ever the award has gone to a second year player. In addition to his amazing passing, running and TD stats he had NEVER fumbled the ball. How is Tebow able to hold on to the football so well?

What grip does he use?

Turns out Tebow’s grip training technique was inspired by his girlfriend of 2 years, Amber.

"I really have to say, with her help and training support, I have been able to strengthen my grip, with either hand," Tebow says. "Even if I barely have any piece of the ball in my hand"

Note the grip on the football shown at the right.

"But I feel that I can still improve my game if I stick with Amber’s training method just one more year"

Introducing the Amazing Tim Tebow Grip Master Training System!

Any questions? I didn’t think so."

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 5 Comments

Hearne: Unintended Mediocrity & Hedonism Collide on KU Campus at The Oread

I have been to the mountain and I’m back…

And I can now tell you that aside from its many sports, pizza and coffee bar offerings, the two-year-old Oread hotel high atop the University of Kansas campus is a bust.

At least as an upscale hotel.

It kicks ass as a sports bar hang for thirsty KU students and out-of-town parents. But its stately stone facade makes promises that the eleven-story ediface doesn’t come close to delivering on.

Despite its critics, the Oread fits in just fine with the other classic stone structures that dot the nearby KU campus.

But here’s the deal…

From the outside the Oread looks like an elegant, grand hotel – from the outside. However, after dropping $200 on one of the Oread’s "King Suite" rooms on New Year’s Eve (and staying in a lesser room a year ago), I can report that it’s basically little more than a glorified Comfort Inn, minus the standard issue, in-room coffee pot.

I don’t know if they ran out of money mid-project or simply hired a really bad decorator, but the Oread’s stark, souless, cookie-cutter rooms are adorned with mostly cheap furniture and empty walls, sparsely populated by faux art prints of old barns, cattle and meandering stone walls. Clearly not the stuff of an upscale hotel. Not even close.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s new and it’s nice but ceiling fans with plastic, fake wood blades?

The bottom line on the Oread experience: think upscale cheap.

Then there’s the restaurant, which early on locals buzzed was supposed to be a pretty big deal. I almost bought into that at first a year ago until I visited the Oread’s Web site and learned the chef had come from a Westport brewpub. That’s been remedied.

But when was the last time you ordered Caesar salad and got overdressed shredded cole slaw-like lettuce with sweet croutons?

Or when was the last time you stayed at an upscale hotel that provided ear plugs along with a note that reads – and I quote – "We hope you enjoy the vibrant nightlife that is ever present so near the KU campus. Unfortunately, this fun is often accompanied by late night noise. Please make use of the complimentary ear plugs if you feel necessary. Have a good night’s sleep!"

Then again, maybe it’s just me.

My King room came with a pair of massive 52-inch LED screens. Enabling one to easily host a Super Bowl or Final Four gang bang with a dozen of your closest, noisiest Jayhawks.

Then there’s the Cave nightclub.

"Imagine a multi-tiered parking garage that’s been converted into the sleekest speakeasy ever, and you’ve kind of got The Cave," the Lawrence Journal World writes. "The Cave isn’t really one club but a series of ‘pocket bars’ scattered throughout the four sub-levels."

Self-described as"Lawrence’s Hottest Nightclub," the Oread promises to charge all of the Cave’s regular $5 to $10 cover charges to your room.

"Come to the front desk to obtain a Cave pass," a brochure advises. "After obtaining your pass, you will be escorted down the elevator to join the fun."

The $64 million question: If a fire or fight breaks out, how quickly can the throngs in the four-level, multi-bar club be escorted out?

"They must have made a deal with the fire marshall to get that thing approved," quips one local nightclub owner.

And talk about excessive hedonism, the Cave’s New Year’s Eve package (at $40 to $45 per person) came with a whopping 15 drink tickets. Fifteen drinks per person?

Anybody remember that KU freshman who died of alcohol poisoning two years ago?

KCC music man and Lawrence resident Matt Donnelly‘s take on the Cave:

"Among locals it’s known mostly as a bro hangout," Donnelly says. "They usually have dance-type music being played by lower level DJs with laptops.  I know that it does get packed sometimes, but I never even think to go there.  Then again, I’m not a bro. 

"It is a bit odd, too, that it’s so far underground.  That could be a cool concept, but with all the stone and heavy metal fixtures and stuff, it kind of makes it feel like a medieval dungeon.  That juxtaposed against flatscreens and martini bars just turns it into a weird concept for me."  

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 22 Comments

Today: The Jardine’s Saga is Over… For Now

When it comes to tangled webs, it doesn’t get much more convoluted than Jardine’s

At least for now, the confusion and uncertain future of Kansas City’s top jazz club has been stemmed. things came to a head yesterday when Chartwell Realty main man Joseph Fulgenzi and his partner Robert McCain walked into the offices of the Pitch to buy advertising, identifying themselves as the new owners of Jardine’s.

Think perfect storm.

Perfect in the sense that Chartwell is Jardine’s nextdoor neighbor and a respected tenant of the American Century-owned building that houses Jardine’s. And perfect also because former Jardine’s co-owner Pat Hanrahan has agreed to return to the club and oversee its operations and the booking of local jazz bands.

Hanrahan’s return is key because of the musician boycott that errupted in the wake of the last month’s confusion that left the club mostly dark.

The exact behind-the-scenes on these developments may never be known to the public. But most importantly, the club will reopen tonight, as reported here a few days ago, and going forward Jardine’s plans to return to its longtime mission of showcasing Kansas City’s leading jazz artists.

Owner Beena Raja‘s exact role in any and all of the above remains murky, but at this point Raja says she hopes to remain in Kansas City and seek employment elsewhere.

This much I can tell you; the new chandeliers and sconces are in and Jardine’s has never looked better.

I spoke briefly with a delighted Hanrahan and McCain while I was traveling yesterday and hopes are high.

As for exiled former Jardine’s staffers, the jury is still out.

A new staff has been hired, McCain says, and while former employees are free to re-apply, it’s a safe bet that many will have a snowball’s chance in hell of making it back into Jardine’s fold. And they know who they are.

However, knowing what I at least think I know, there are a number of first class staffers who got caught up in the confusion who I suspect would be welcomed back should they desire to return.

My advice to local live jazz music afficionados: knock on wood.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 14 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Watches NFL Season Grind to and End & This Week’s Picks

The NFL season just goes too fast…

Seems only yesterday teams and fans across America just knew that this was THEIR YEAR! In the end reality sets in and most of the same teams are back in the playoffs. And only four or five of them have a real shot to win the Super Bowl. Very few surprises.

This year the big surprise is the Cincinnati Bengals. The San Francisco 49ers are also a surprise – not for winning the division – but for having one of the NFL’S  best records. The Detroit Lions are a bit of a shocker, but not as much. People like me saw this one coming.

Now the letdowns of the season…

Number one is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are a big bust, as is quarterback Michael Vick – from dream team to last place. San Diego was also below what most had thought. A soft division should have been theirs for the taking with just 10 wins needed. Didn’t happen.

The Chiefs, well they’re ending as most in the know expected, 6 and 10-ish…

An 8-8 season would have been a great year for this below average Chiefs team. There’s just too much turmoil. They did get some big breaks playing wounded teams, the Colts, the Raiders (game one), the Bears – all with no quarterback.

So yeah, 3-13 was more like who this year’s Chiefs were. They did improve at the end to an average team or just below.

I will pick the weekend college games I like and do the Bowl games on Sunday for the rest of the year.

PRO FOOTBALL:

Denver -3 over KC

Giants -3 over Dallas

Eagles -2 over Washington (tease the 6 with Niner’s)

49ers -4 1/2 over St. Louis Rams(tease with Eagles)

Bills 16 over Pats (tease 6 with Packers)

Green Bay 9 1/2
over Detroit (tease with Bills)

Why the last two? QB Tom Brady is hurt and may play a limited role in the game. Anf the Packers may rest some guys including Aaron Rodgers but will still try and win. So it should be close. That said, the Pack has nothing to play for really and neither does Detroit they are a 5 or 6 spot wild card.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 9 Comments