Leftridge: So long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Mizzou

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

So, I’m about to report the sort of thing that I’ve previously made fun of in no uncertain terms.

It appears that unless something drastic happens in the coming days or weeks, Mizzou and the Big XII are as good as Splitsville. After a four-hour curator’s meeting on Tuesday, MU chancellor Brady Deaton was given permission by the board to seek conference alignment elsewhere.

While it’s still far from certain, this feels, well, certain. Much more so than any of the previous speculation and rumors that have plagued the internet. Hey, when KC Star Mizzou beat writer Mike DeArmond (@sptwri) is throwing it out there (“My prediction: Missouri is out of the Big 12 Conference and into the SEC by next season.”) in his Tweets, it’s gots to be true, yo.

As Kansas City Star scribe Sam Mellinger astutely responded, “the man is connected.” And he’s right. He’s also right when he said, “if it’s not an official break-up, sure sounds like #Mizzou is asking to see other people.”

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, if you’re a fan of collegiate sports in the greater Kansas City metro, this is a little bit of a blow. The respectable conference that once held court in homes across the land has been fractured into a thousand splinters of confusion and betrayal.

And yet… interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck(les) Neinas is clinging to the delusional fantasy that somehow, someway, something magical will be worked out. From KC star college beat writer Blair Kerkhoff’s Twitter feed: “Neinas statement: “Missouri is a member in good standing in the Big 12, and I anticipate (MU) will continue to be a member of the Big 12.”

I know he’s crazy, you know he’s crazy, but does he know he’s crazy? That’s the question.

In response, 610 AM’s Nick Wright said, “That statement from Neinas is the first of his tenure that I really don’t like. Complete BS. Either make a meaningful statement or stay quiet.”

That begs the question, what ‘meaningful’ statements has Neinas really made in his (most recent round of) days on the job? He was brought in to save the conference—or at least not burn the kitchen down while the parents were away—and losing Mizzou is as good as a three-alarm blaze. I haven’t heard much from him at all, let alone anything inspiring or particularly encouraging.

Yes, it’s a sad day for college athletics in these parts, Virginia. It’s just too bad egos and greed are killing a multi-generational tradition.

As WHB 810’s Nake Bukaty (@nate_bukaty) tweeted, “The KU/MU rivalry is one of the things that makes KC a unique & special sports town. It’s dead if they separate. Thus, a sad day for KC.” And by golly, I think he’s right.

But hey, at least we’ve got the Chiefs, right? Right?
 

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 8 Comments

Hearne: Hold the Hype, Trader Joe’s Having Little Effect on Ward Parkway Center

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

When it comes to Ward Parkway Center, all that glitters is not Trader Joe’s…

Forget what you may have read, according to the retailers I interviewed Tuesday at the center, the much ballyhooed arrival of Trader Joe’s last summer had little to no positive effect on their businesses. And we’re talking about a fairly large cross section. Fom Sports Nutz to Green Smoke, Sprint to Claire’s, Bath & Body Works to Pier One.

Even the mall rental cop, when asked if the upstairs part of the mall had benefitted from Trader Joe’s answered, "No. There’s not much traffic."

All agreed Trader Joe’s has yet to bring any measurable additional biz to their stores.

"They haven’t had too much of an effect at all," says Sports Nutz GM Frank Hernandez. "They did the first week when people were coming into the mall and they weren’t sure where (Trader Joe’s) was at."

Once folks figured out it was on the far end of the mall with it’s own separate entrance the Trader Joe’s spillover phenomenon was o-v-e-r.

"People go in there," Hernandez says. "But I’ve hardly ever seen anybody (here) with a bag on their arm from Trader Joe’s."

The Green Smoke kiosk dude says he maybe got a "little bit" of TJ biz early on, "but then once they figured out where it was, they started parking on that end of the mall."

How about Sprint, any TJ action there?

"You would think we would but we haven’t," said a sales grrrl, excited the company would begin taking iPhone 4 S orders this Friday. "But you know, a lot of people when they have groceries, they don’t want to shop."

Good point.

Who’s wants to race up and down a mall lugging groceries while their Ben & Jerry’s turns into soup?

Claire’s is arguably the main level Ward Parkway biz closest to Trader Joe’s. Any TJ biz coming its way?

"No," a Claire’s staffer said. "We’ve had people come in and ask us how to get there."

Ditto for the woman I spoke with at Bath & Body Works…

"Because a lot of people don’t know we’re up here," she says. "I feel like if we had a little marketing down there to let people know the stores are up here (maybe we would)."

A Pier One staffer told me they had some traffic early on – refugees if you will – after Trader Joe’s first opened.

"But mostly people who said it was too crowded to shop there," she added. "So they came up here and said they’d come back when Trader Joe’s had been open a little longer."

The Star‘s Joyce Smith – if predictably – has painted another picture of Trader Joe’s effect on the mall.

But rather actually talk to Ward Parkway tenants she’s continued to traffic in hyperbole like the recent item about Mr. Bulky’s leaving to make room for tenants anxious to open there "thanks to all the traffic from the new Trader Joe’s store."

Not a big surprise, given I bumped into Smith at TJ’s early on asking a staffer where she could pick up her free Trader Joe’s promotional shopping bag the store was giving away but had run out of.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 13 Comments

Glazer: The Humble Scribe Ponders His Mortality

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

When we were really young, our parents used to tell us, "When you grow up things will be great." 

Most of our memories started way back in those golden days. Remember, going outside, playing army, tag, baseball, hiding out and even talking to the neighborhood girls? Yuk! Oh yeah, and the beginning of trying to make a buck or maybe just a few quarters with a lemonade stand. If you’re like me, you lost money on that one. Sure liked drinking the kool-aid though – lots of sugar – don’t tell mom.

And we all dreamed of being big, like our moms and dads. Mostly so we could beat the hell out of the neighborhood bully.

Soon we were tween-agers and not too far from driving our own car, or at least borrowing mom’s. Those were tough days, walking everywhere, asking for rides, trying to get your best friends mom to take you and your pal to the movies or better yet the mall. We’d play outside at night, maybe even do a one nighter cook out in a tent. We’d watch monster movies before the big night out so we’d be scared.

Yeah, when we got older and bigger things would be just great.

High school seemed to take forever to get into and even longer to get out of. For many young people it was kinda scary. What to wear, who to be friends with, listening to the cool music, hope you’re doing everything right so you’ll be accepted.

Man when this is over, I’ll be almost grown up.

Finally the day comes, the one we’ve all been dreaming of and we’re driving the car. We practiced, but yeah, we still hit some pole, put a big ding in the front end. Dad and mom are gonna kill me and then ground me. Sleepless nights. It’ll be great when I get my own car.

The girl I was crazy about never even looked my way. All my friends talked me into calling her. I was shaking, but I called. She didn’t even really seem to know me.

"I have to wash my hair that night," she said. I ask about next week – she’s busy – someone died and there’s a funeral. Man, did I feel low. But hey, that’ll all end when I’m fully grown like mom and dad.

Next it was which college should I go too? Hel, who will even will take me?  Can I afford to go to college? I got it, a summer job will be just swell. But man did I hate that grocery store manager. Those days felt like weeks. I couldn’t talk or take too many breaks. And all the girls in my class thought I was a dope sacking their mom’s groceries.

Finally I went away to college. My luckier friends actually finished and got married. But we all grew up. Got that first job, that first big adult relationship, that first apartment.

It was great, right?

Time flies. We have kids, a big monthly payment on the home, credit card debt up the ass, insurance payments. Then we’re hoping we don’t get laid off in a tough economy. After that comes the first divorce and those payments. We need money for our kids college fund. Oh hell, it starts in a year. No more going out to bars, hardly ever see the guys anymore. We’re all too busy paying bills and getting up early for work.

Brother, this sucks.

What the hell happened? I thought we were all gonna be on easy street as soon as we could drive to the mall in our own cars. Where’s the good shit? I guess we can all dream, huh? Oh well at least we live in the United States, it could be worse, what if we were born in Mexico?

Yep, we grew up alright. I wonder if I should buy that health care insurance for the retirement home. 

Nah, that’s forever away. Isn’t it?

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 42 Comments

Hearne: Will the World Wide Web End Retail As We Have Known It?

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

A moment of silence please for the dearly departed…

Including Circuit City, Movie Gallery Borders Books and Ultimate Electronics.

And now with Best Buy and Blockbuster, on the ropes, newspapers and magazines hanging on for dear life, it’s clear when it comes to the ravages of the World Wide Web, nothing is sacred. Raising the question of if we’re entering an era where local retail will be limited to a handful of specialty store survivors.

"If you had any doubts that nowadays people prefer to shop electronics online, the latest earnings report from Best Buy should make you a believer," CNN Money said last month. "The nation’s largest electronics ‘brick and mortar’ retailer announced a 30% decline in its net income for the second quarter. Same store sales slid 2.8%"

The flip side of that toe stubbing:

"Meanwhile, Amazon, which has become an e-tailing powerhouse, continues to grow revenues," CNN added."Its shares are less than 5% from an all-time high level and up almost 50% for the past 12 months."

Kansas City audio / video retailers have been dropping like flies for years. Can even the once mighty Best Buy survive?

"Best Buy is without a doubt the dominant audio/video chain in America," says John Kiefer, owner of a/v retailer Kief’s in Lawrence.

Kiefer stopped short of forecasting Best Buy’s demise, saying only, "My personal opinion is they’re less than they were a year ago."

CNN reader/commenter Jeffrey Nagy offered a far less generous take .

"Best Buy is seeing what every retailer with an online counterpart will inevitably have to deal with," Nagy wrote. "The only retailers spared are the ones that sell products that have to be so exacting to the individual that purchasing online creates too many variables… like clothing."

Part of Best Buy’s problem – believe it or not – is the death of its chief competitor Circuit City, Kiefer says.

"When they had Circuit City they had competition and you need competition to keep you sharp," Kiefer says. "And they don’t have that right now – they’re just a store."

Will local audio retailers even exist in the years to come?

"What I think is simply this," Kiefer says. "Our industry has changed from an audio industry to stores selling small, miniature ipods, iphones and ipads. You know, a way to get stuff where you don’t even have to think about it. We’re not seeing customers who want music. What they want is noise. What I’m saying is today’s consumers by and large seem to be shopping for a lot of features and tech stuff. They’re not looking as much for true audio."

Which has effectively transmuted what’s remains of the electronics retailing industry, Kiefer says.

"All of the box stores today are loaded with a lot of gadgets and you don’t see a lot of audio," Kiefer says. "You don’t see a lot of audio and what audio you do see is entry level audio. You do see a lot of TVs."

Bypassing local retailers and purchasing electronics online was shortsighted because, "Specialty stores have always been the most honest stores in my opinion," Kiefer says. "But when consumers went online to save a few bucks, the specialty stores went out of business. Now the two main places you can buy audio and video gear, the box stores and online are the highest priced places left.

"Today old line stores – guys like me who have been there for 50 years – are all that’s left. Who’s got enough money to open a specialty store today? So what you’re seeing is the Nebraska Furniture Marts which are extremely large, but they can’t tell you much about the products."

Meaning?

 "What’ll happen is if the only thing you can walk in a store and see are mediocre products, then mediocre is gonna be thought of as good," Kiefer says. "What consumers are doing is trading quality of sound for quantity of music that is portable. They don’t know any better. You know, if KU was the best football team you ever got to see, then people would think of KU as the national champions. That KU must be the best."

The bottom line:

"I think  technology is telling the customer, I want it easy, fast and cheap. Add those up and who’s going to stay in business?"

So how long can smaller specialty retailers like Kief’s survive?

"I would argue that in the future a store like Kiefs – provided I want to stay in it or somebody like me does – can survive," Kiefer says. "But you may have to go 250 miles to find a real store. I don’t think it’s going to be bad forever. And we’ll be one of the ones left. I think so – I do think so.

"What I believe without a doubt is the industry will have to evolve kind of like the car business, except the government isn’t going to help us. There were way too many cars out there. So what we need to see, for the audio business to get good again, is about half of the choices of products and half as many choices of places that sell them."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 31 Comments

New Jack City: Chaos Reigns First Weekend @ New Nordstrom’s Rack

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

First Trader Joe’s, next Jack in the Box, now Nordstrom’s Rack…

Kansas City is on fire with trendy new businesses hitting town. So after writing about Nordstrom’s new Rack at 95th and Quivira a couple of weeks back I decided to take on the masses and check it out this past weekend…

Unfortunately, I went by Saturday afternoon—two days after its grand opening – not a good idea. The parking lot was jammed forcing me to park clear down by Gordman’s to the south and walk and walk and walk to the Rack.

Needless to say, with that many hoosiers clogging up the aisles, shopping at the Rack wasn’t much fun. In fairness however, it was attractive, well-stocked and offered tons of bargains—especially compared to Nordstrom’s main store at Oak Park Mall across the street.

Employees were decked out in colorful RACK t-shirts and were plenty friendly. However it was evident that many of them were newbies and not fully versed in the ways of the RACK.

Give’em time.

How the Rack’s pricing and merch compares to discount retailers like KOHL’s is another story for another day.

Will I return for a less harried visit? And, more importantly, will I actually buy something something the next time?

Count on it.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 12 Comments

New Jack City: The Case of the Missing Clock Hands or Time Flies in Downtown Overland Park

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

Been a while since we’ve given downtown Overland Park’s hallowed-if-unpredictable timepiece a second glance.

You may recall an earlier column this year in which I noted that the various times displayed on the towering clock tower’s four faces were out of whack.

Well, a check today found the following; the clock’s north and south faces are (finally) giving the correct time. And the east face of the venerable timepiece overlooking the city’s charming downtown is running approximately 13 minutes behind.

Confusing, but liveable.

As for the west-facing clock face – the one forever stuck at 4:44 – it’s lost its hour and minute hands altogether!

Which may means it’s finally about to be repaired – or maybe retired. Who knows?

So for the time being, when you ask somebone what time it is in OP—well— the answer is, depends what direction you’re facing.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 2 Comments

Starbeams: Top 5 Reasons KC’s a Great Place to Retire, Cain Rules, Christie Too Liberal

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

Kansas City is the 9th-best U.S. metropolitan area to retire in, according to a ranking conducted by Sperling’s Best Places.

Right behind 1. Minneapolis; 2. Boston; 3. Pittsburgh; 4. Cleveland; 5. Denver; 6. Milwaukee; 7. San Francisco and 8. Portland. Which brings us to…

The TOP FIVE REASONS KANSAS CITY IS A GREAT PLACE TO RETIRE:

#5.  If you fall and break your hip in Westport, you’re just another patron.

#4.  You can usually find a comfortable mattress on the side of the highway.

#3.  The entire city drives 20 miles per hour in the passing lane.

#2.  The highlight of everyone’s day is taking a nap.

#1.  You have no risk of heart attacks from attending exciting playoff games.

*******

 

The National Federation of Republican Women met in Kansas City and cast their vote for Herman Cain, the African-American Republican candidate.  Cain won overwhelmingly with 49 percent of the vote. The next closest had 14 percent. I’m going to paraphrase Charles Barkley:  You know times have changed when the best rapper is white and the leading Republican candidate is black.

*******

While in town Cain said New Jersey governor Chris Christie was "too liberal" to be the Republican nominee for president.  Christie’s "too libera"l alright, too liberal with mayonnaise.

Kelly Urich is the morning host on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | Leave a comment

Donnelly: Sporting Earn Point at San Jose As Playoff Race Gets Insane

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

Sporting Kansas City narrowly averted disaster Saturday with a late-game goal to salvage a draw against one of the worst teams in the league, the San Jose Earthquakes…

To put it bluntly, the game was horrible. In part, beause of to the postage stamp San Jose calls home, which gave me flashbacks to Community America Ballpark Side rant: How in the hell did we ever play there? And how much did opposing teams have to just dread going in and playing on that tiny field that radically alters the strategy and flow of games?

Praise be to LIVESTRONG!

Saturday’s contest saw several good chances come and go for both sides within the first minute. After that the game was a back and forth affair, with the limited space really cutting down on Sporting’s ability to use its speed and athleticism to stretch teams out.

San Jose finally found the back of the net in the 85th minute when Chris Wondolowski got on the end of a cross and one-timed a nice volley past Jimmy Nielsen from point blank range. The cross got in behind central defender Aurelien Collin, who lunged at the ball but whiffed, leaving Wondolowski with an unchallenged strike from around the six yard box.

I guess the San Jose goal woke KC up from their slumber. 

Not even 30 seconds later, directly off the kick off, CJ Sapong slithered up the middle of the pitch beating four or five San Jose defenders. He slipped a nice ball right into the path of a streaking Teal Bunbury, who hit a hard, low shot to the right of the San Jose keeper to level the score at one each.

Sporting’s answer came so quickly after they had just gone down a goal that the cameras hadn’t even switched back to live action yet.  All the television audience saw was a ball flying into the San Jose net.

So KC salvaged a point on the road and remain in first place in the east, where they head back home for their final MLS home game of the season October 15th against the New York Red Bulls.

Here’s the thing that’s scary – no team in the Eastern Conference has clinched a playoff spot yet.  Not one!

The west is already locked up, and has been for some time, by LA, Seattle, and Salt Lake.

But the east is coming down to the freaking wire. To give you an idea, right now, NY sits in the final wild card playoff spot, with 40 points. They would be the 10th and final team in if the season ended right now.  And SKC leads the east with 45 points. 

Let that sink in for a moment…

Between NY and KC sits Houston with 43 points, Columbus with 44, and Philly with 44. 

The top three get automatic berths, and after that there are four wildcard teams that get in based on points and regardless of conference. Things could get very, very crazy, sports fans. 

This Saturday’s game is nothing short of HUGE. Similar to what happened recently in MLB, this thing is going down to the last game of the season.

All KC has to do now is win its last two and no one can catch them. Win one and tie one, I’ll take that, too. Lose one and tie one, or (gulp) lose both… well, let’s not even think about that.

Posted in Sporting_Kansas_City | Tagged | 3 Comments

Haley, Cassel, Succop Stave Off Executioner: Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

So I was giving some serious consideration to doing a Whitlock-esque, “Team Grades” for the Chiefs at the quarter point of the season. You know, “Defense gets a ___ because of blah blah blah, Special Teams get a _____ for the following reasons.”

And then it hit me: Truthfully, no facet of this team would get anything above a low D-. Most would be F’s. After all, one 100% on a pop quiz doesn’t negate the fact that you haven’t handed in anything else the entire year.

But I’m tired of the negativity. Really, I am. It’s no more fun to ridicule this team with spiteful words than it is to read about it.

Therefore, I’m going to devote this column to positivity. And this weekend, there was a lot to be positive about. Let’s start with the Chiefs, and the season’s first triumphant win.

Take THAT, Minnesota: How the Game was Won

– Ryan Succop kicked like a champ. Five for five, two from 50 , including a career high 54 yarder. Probably saved his job in the process.

– Matt Cassel looked like last year’s vintage, midseason Cassel. Though still shaky at times, he limited his mental errors and even completed some impressive downfield bombs. He also showed a lot of passion… by cussing out his coach in a heated exchange on the sidelines.

– Defense bottled up Adrian Peterson in the second half. Never an easy task.

– The Vikings dropped several interceptions.

– Nobody was killed or seriously injured.

– Tamba Hali pressured Donovan McNabb consistently and came away with a few sacks.

– Chiefs had a lead for the first time all season, and even regained said lead twice. Who are these guys?

-Somebody gave Steve Breaston directions to the stadium and he responded accordingly. Nice to meet you, Steve!

– Dwayne Bowe quit letting passes hit him in the chest, choosing instead to catch them and then run with them.

– Javier Arenas had some nice, table-setting punt returns.

– Some random dude named ‘Keary Colbert’ showed up, doctored a jersey, snuck onto the field and managed to catch a few passes.

All in all, a solid all around win. Hopefully, this doesn’t come back to bite the Chiefs in the ‘Suck for Luck’ campaign. Minnesota needs a QB just as badly as they do.

How About Those Wildcats?

Look, they won’t run the table. And no, they probably won’t be in the national title game. But you’ve gotta hand it to Bill Snyder’s Wildcats for handling their business against Baylor’s explosive offense, led by superstar QB Robert Griffin III. And yeah, they did little to harm Griffin’s Heisman candidacy—and with two less touchdowns on the year (18) than incompletions (20), you bet it’s a real thing—but they got to him when it mattered, picking him off late in the 4th quarter of a tight game. 

This may be K-State’s first and last foray into the top 25, though, as October gets positively horrific. Next week, they host a rested Mizzou team, then traveling to Texas Tech and KU before finishing out the month in Norman. Enjoy this feeling while it lasts, Wildcat fans. Nobody can take this away from you.

Matt Moore Embarrasses You, Me, Everyone: What Was I Doing at His Age?

Imagine this: you’re 22. You’re a highly touted prospect for a solid major league team. There’s maybe a slight chip on your shoulder because you weren’t picked until the 8th round, but you’re affable enough because hey, you’re still a professional ballplayer.

And so you dazzle in the minor leagues, shooting through the ranks because you’re really, really good. Like, “you were only in your previous position for 92 innings” good.  And you get a late season call up and have a really outstanding start.

And then the skipper comes up and says, ‘Kid, here’s what we need you to do. We need you to start off this postseason series with the defending AL champs. And we’re not asking you to be Sandy Koufax, but we would like you to throw strikes and keep us in the game.”

So naturally, you crap your pants. But after you’ve cleaned yourself up, you take the mound and shut the Texas Rangers down, going seven innings, giving up no runs on two hits while striking out six and walking two.

Welcome to the big leagues, kid, I have a feeling you’re going to be pretty special.

Fans of the Big XII, Rejoice in the Misery of the Defectors

So long, Texas A&M. Have fun in the SEC. You’ve lost seven straight to your new conference, stretching all the way back to ’95. Oh, that huge come from behind loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks?  Yeah, you’re gonna get heaping helpings of that next year. .

And hello, there, Nebraska. We didn’t forget about you, either. Wisconsin is really good, and while there’s no shame in losing to them, you looked fantastically overmatched. In fact, you played like refried horse manure.  You’re going to struggle the rest of this season against the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Michigan. I’m going to laugh.


Today’s Winner:  LeBron James. Despite the lock out, and his lack of an NBA title, I was informed (repeatedly) during the Chiefs broadcast that he’d just won a McFlurry! And then later, a free order of fries! Nicely done, LeBron. It really is good to be king. Bada-dah-dah-da, I’m a gazillionaire!

Today’s Loser: Buffalo, Dallas and Philly. The Bills were up by two scores heading into the second half against the Bengals, the Cowboys were up by 24 in the third against the Lions and the Eagles were up by 20 midway through the third against the 49ers. All lost. Thanks for screwing up my picks, guys. Really cool.
 

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 10 Comments

Hearne: Local Movie Powerhouse Dickinson Theatres Drops Out of Star

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

Talk about gone in 60 seconds…

Just like that one the the Kansas City Star‘s premier advertisers – Dickinson Theatres – has gone missing. Sources say the heavy hitter, locally owned movie exhibitor quit the Star as of October 1st. Dickinson had been a seven day a week advertiser.

However its flight from print isn’t so much a sign of today’s difficult times, as the trend of moviegoers no longer consulting newspapers for movie times.

"I saw a survey recently that said that nationally 84 percent of moviegoers get their information on movie times from places other than newspapers," says movie industry veteran Jack Poessiger who writes for KCC. "And I spoke with someone at a movie convention in Las vegas who told me 92 percent of moviegoers were getting their movie times from places other than newspapers."

This isn’t the first time Dickinson or other exhibitors threatened to yank their ads out of the local daily, sources say.

However in the past the Star reportedly made the companies "offers they couldn’t refuse" to retain the biz.

"I’ve heard that AMC is getting an almost free ride," says one source. "That the Star‘s running its ads just to keep everybody else in check."

That said, the local movie powerhouse has cut back its ads from seven days a week to three – Friday through Sunday.

Not that there are zero financial considerations to the cutbacks.

At one point operations like Dickinson and AMC dropped big bucks on movie ads, reportedly in the neighborhood of $300,000 or more each every year.

Which may explain in part why the Star axed longtime movie critic Robert Butler earlier this year in favor of syndicated and freelance reviewers that can be had for pennies on the dollar.

As reported on KCC earlier this year by Poessiger, several major film studios have stopped buying those huge newspaper display ads for blockbusters like this past summer’s Transformers and Harry Potter movies.

What then is in store for the remaining few who rely on newspapers for movie times?

For years many newspapers have run movie listings for free as a service to readers. In the biz, that’s called a "movie clock."

"That’s what the Star will have to do eventually if they keep losing the movie ads," Poessiger ventures.

Or not provide them at all..which given the vast majority of moviegoers get their show times elsewhere is maybe no big deal.

Because if they’re not going to provide a comprehensive listing of theaters and movies, why bother?

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 5 Comments

Glazer: Chiefs Win, Now Kansas City is Out of Luck

Posted on October 2, 2011 by admin

Well, it finally happened…

The Chiefs pulled out a win over the 0-3 Vikings at home, 22-17. They played an inspired game. Todd Haley yelled at quarterback Matt Cassel on the sideline after Matt, threw one away. And Matt played much better after being bitch slapped by his coach.

A win is a win, however in this case that may not be a good thing.

There’s no doubt, the Chiefs are a very bad football team.

Even with this win, and maybe one or two more. If they finish 3-13 or 4-12, there will be no No. 1 pick, no Andrew Luck. In other words, Chiefs fans are in for more of the same. And they will continue to stink, with or without a new coach.

We must have a franchise quarterback – it’s not Matt.

He’s a guy that can only take a solid team to the playoffs and lose – at best. We’ve had enough of that, right? So winning now is not a good thing for the Chiefs immediate future. Even if it buys Haley a few more paychecks.

I had a perfect college day with picks and missed close on three pro games.

But a miss is still a loss, close or not.

The big surprise was the Bills losing to the Bengals.

The Chiefs game was not a surprise, both team are not very good. Neither has a good quarterback or defense. The Vikings are also going to be on the long comeback from Stink Land.

D-Bowe, Cassel, Tamba Hali, and a few others had nice games today.

Hey, with a soft schedule and some luck this team could be 10-6 again one day. Great!

Oh yeah, and then lose their first playoff game again.

Lets find a coach and a quarterback. Please.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 15 Comments

Glazer: Weekend Pics; Humble Scribe Bets the Farm Because He’s That Kinda Guy

Posted on September 30, 2011 by admin

Well football fans, I’ve had a nice three week run..

Lets see if I can hold it together. My numbers have been so good, I’ll have trouble keeping them this high, but stick with me, maybe we’ll get lucky.

First let’s see how my season-long picks are going.

My number one pick for the season was Kansas City under 7 1/2 games and the Chiefs are 0-3, so that looks like a lock. Next I picked Detroit at over 7 games and that looks very good – they’re 3-0. Last I have Dallas at 9 with the under and they’re 2-1.  That one’s still up in the air, but I still like the under. They seem to have issues, but they’re in a weak division, and the Eagles look to be in trouble as I predicted with Mr Vick. He will likely be out for the season soon.

In College Football the mighty are just that – way better than the rest.

My top teams are 1. Alabama 2. LSU 3. Wisconsin 4.Stanford 5. Oklahoma

Now on to this weekend…

College First:  You’ve learned that sometimes teasing (adding or subtracting 6 points to at least two games) can be a good thing. Remember you have to win them both.

*****   So lets take Wisconsin over Nebraska 10 and lets take Stanford -21 1/2 over UCLA. Teasing it makes it this way: Wisconsin -4 over Nebraska and Stanford -15 1/2 over UCLA.

*****   Texas Tech -6 over Kansas

*****   Alabama -4 over Florida

*****   Bonus Bet:  Tease LSU -30 1/2 over Kentucky and tease down Stanford -21 1/2 over UCLA. So now you have LSU at 24 1/2 over Kentucky and Stanford – 15 1/2 over UCLA.

 

Now Pro Football:

The pros are always tougher than it looks. Why is that? Last week was the third closest finish for the board of all time. Games decided by 3 or less. That’s tough. Also the score doesn’t matter much in pro ball. In college good teams want to cover so they can get their rankings up.

For example Oklahoma best MU but only by 10 so in many polls they fell from No. 1 to No. 2.

In the NFL it’s just, win baby.  A "W "is a "W." So the score is not as important, though good teams want to prove they are good by beating you badly. There’s also not as big a difference in the NFL from top teams to some of the lower teams, but in college its huge. Like LSU and say Colorado, huge difference.

So here we go…

*****   Vikings -2 1/2 over Chiefs

*****   Detroit 2 over Dallas

*****   Buffalo -3 over Bengals

***** Two team tease: New England -4 over Oakland and Green Bay -12 over Denver. Which makes it
New England 2 over Oakland and Green Bay -6 over Denver.

*****   Bonus bet: Saints – 7 over Jags, Let’s tease again with Green Bay and make it Saints -1 over Jags and Packers – 6 over Denver….

There you have it – it’s never easy – so wish me luck!

 

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 32 Comments

Starbeams: Michael Jackson’s Security Head, Royals Trip on Road Trip & Bubba Starling & Brew

Posted on September 30, 2011 by admin

During the manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, we learned a very sad fact:  Michael Jackson’s eldest children, Prince and Paris, saw their father die. Michael’s head of security, Faheem Muhammad, testified Prince and Paris watched as Murray desperately tried to resuscitate their father. Once again, our top story,  a guy in charge of security in America was named FAHEEM.

*******

The Royals top draft prospect, Bubba Starling, was cited for underage drinking after a high school football game in Arizona.  He just signed a $7.5 million deal and is a homegrown celebrity.  He had the equivalent of one beer in his system. Apparently, Bubba thought he signed with the BREWERS.

*******

During the manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, we learned a very sad fact:  Michael Jackson’s two eldest children, Prince and Paris, saw their father die. Michael’s head of security, Faheem Muhammad, testified that Prince and Paris watched as Murray desperately tried to resuscitate their father. 

Once again, our top story….there was a guy in charge of security in America named FAHEEM.
 

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 2 Comments

Hearne: Midland by AMC to Resurrect Vaunted Sandstone Entertainment Auction

Posted on September 30, 2011 by admin

One of KC’s most iconic entertainment institutions is poised to re-rear its long absentee head…

The music and entertainment biz fandango known as the Sandstone Auction – an event put on by former concert powerhouse Contemporary – will return in spirit to AEG‘s Midland by AMC.

Year after year the auction offered an array of supercalifragilistic, superstar autographed tschotskes. Items signed by the top artists who’d visited Kansas City stages that year.

What was it like?

Return with me to the October 1999 Sandstone Auction for a few highlights from my column at the time.

“We don’t have any weird stuff this year,” organizer Candy Chorice told me then. “But Olivia Newton-John signed a `Grease’ poster. And at the Lilith Fair I got a guitar signed by all of the mainstage acts, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Indigo Girls and Deborah Cox."

“Probably the coolest thing we have is a shiny baby grand piano music box," Chorice added. "You open it and it plays ‘Candle in the Wind.’ Elton John signed it with a silver pen. It looks awesome!”

That year’s auction also included items from Cher, Marilyn Manson, Celine Dion, Lauryn Hill and Hank Williams Jr.

Talk about a pop culture flashback…

And like before, this year’s auction will include items from other area venues and AEG shows, including the super heavy duty shows at Sprint Center. Organizers also hope to bring back auctioneers The Rock’s Johnny Dare and The Point’s Tanna Guthrie.

Proceeds from the auction – penciled in for December 1st – will go to Autism Speaks.

So what sort of stuff can we expect this time out?

"We have an actual sweatshirt that Bill Cosby left here – he wore it on-stage – and gave it to us to auction off," Chorice says. "That’s pretty cool – it’s the red, ‘Hello Friend’ sweatshirt in the pic. That’s him on the Midland stage. Also, we’ve got a Margaritaville margarita machine / blender that’s signed by Jimmy Buffett from when he played at Sprint Center.  It is VERY cool."

And there’ll be autographed, framed posters, books, DVDs, guitars and more.

One kickass item from my 1999 story however remains shrouded in mystery.

“We have a big, real piano, and we’re taking off one key at a time and having them signed by artists,” Chorice told me then.

The piano was expected to take three or four years to complete the signing of all 52 white keys, Chorice added. The $4,000 retail piano had been donated by Prairie Village’s Toon Shop, and Contemporary hoped it would sell for $10,000 or more.

That, of course, was before the Monopoly game ride the concert business got swept up in a couple years later and the auction – kinda like Sandstone as KC’s premier concert venue – drifted away.

So whatever became of the piano?

"I was just wondering about that," Chorice laughs. "No idea. What a shame, huh?"

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 6 Comments

Leftridge: Tales from the Tweet: Arenas Heads to Walmart, Kietz Gets Saucy & Wright Rants

Posted on September 30, 2011 by admin

In today’s modern media world, some of the greatest quotes come not from press conferences or radio interview soundbites, but directly from the horse’s mouth. And by ‘horse,’ I mean person. And by ‘mouth,’ I mean Twitter page.

Social media is a vast landscape of triumph and tragedy; ridiculousness and realism.

But who has the time for all of those Tweets? What lifeless loser has hours to spend looking up random athletes and sports media personalities, in search of gold but bogged down with a thousand unnecessary ‘lolz’ and a million punishing abuses of the English language?

I do, my friends. I do.

It is my pleasure to present to you, this installment of ‘Tales from the Tweet.’

 

@acrow43 (Aaron Crow, Royals RP)

“Just beat Luke Hochevar in words with friends again. Still undefeated against him”

Though this is an older Tweet, sounds like we may have found the reason for Aaron Crow’s late season implosion. Words with Friends is a soul-sucking, life-consuming addiction. I speak from experience; my wife used to know I existed.
 

@OzzieGuillen (Florida Marlins manager)

“At the the negro league museun in kc.”

“Every player coming tru kansas city should come visit the museum and see. Especially if you are latino to see this great history.”

I’m going to miss Ozzie’s profanity laced tirades directed at the media after the Sox lost a game to the lowly Royals. Nice shout out to the ‘museun,’ too. (Bonus points for wasting precious characters in the first Tweet with the double ‘the’, as well.)

@mrzoombiya (Jarrod Dyson, Royals OF)
“Just lost 440 on the poker table in the casino”

Nice. Mental note: if Dyson ever sticks with the big league club, keep him away from Ameristar. The last thing the new look Royals need is a speedster with an addiction. #WillieWilson
 

@jazayerli (Rany Jazayerli, Royals fan, baseball blogger, dermatologist)
“My next sentence hasn’t been spoken truthfully in 25 years. If you want to cheer up, KC fans, switch over from the Chiefs to the Royals game.”

Rany’s a wise man. And though this Tweet was from 9/18’s loss to the Lions, I have a feeling this is a re-Tweetable sentiment (well- it was, at least until the Royals season ended on Wednesday).
 

@kkwhb (Kevin Kietzman, WHB 810)
“Watching at my mom’s. She doesn’t have a radio. 15 yrs on 810… Wonder if she has ever listened. #humbled”

This is weird. And depressing. And I’m a little curious as to why this is the first time it’s come up in 15 years.
 

@jazayerli
“MLB should declare a league-wide holiday when AJ Pierzynski retires. Also, Jesse Chavez sucks.”

Damn, Jazzy! Telling it like it IS, brother. (and it’s true—AJ looks like a turtle, and is well known to be a huge ass. Oh yeah, and Chavez is yet another Braves retread who is in dire need of a haircut).
 

@kkwhb (Kevin Kietzman, WHB 810)
“Rivers leads NFL in interceptions to defensive linemen. What a bonehead.”

Seriously, Kev… who intentionally calls someone a ‘bonehead’? This should have been hash-tagged #InsultsFromThe1940s
 

@kkwhb (Kevin Kietzman, WHB 810)
“I’m really glad Pioli passed on D. Alexander. Very wise.”

Yeah, because who would want a legitimate deep threat who’s capable of making acrobatic catches? Not the Chiefs. No freaking way, man.

@MikeTyson (yep)
“I bit Evander because I was undisciplined at that moment. I had nothing to lose then. I had no wife, I didn’t have my kids.”

He left off the part where he exclaimed: ‘But I had an insatiabuw appetite for human eaws.’

@getnickwright (Nick Wright, KCSP 610)
“What a sad, miserable, broken person you must be. RT @AnnCoulter: ONE TROY DAVIS FLAME-BROILED, PLEASE.”

“I’ve blocked fewer than 20 people in my Twitter career… These Ann Coulter apoogists are about to take that number north of 50.”

1)    Fact: Ann Coulter is a massive, hemorrhaging hole.
2)    Regardless of your feelings about the recent execution of convicted cop killer Troy Davis, this just goes to show that politics and sports make strange bed-fellows.
 

@ESPNStatsInfo
“With Butler, Melky, Francoeur & Gordon, the Royals are 4th team to have 4 players w/ 40 doubles (’29 Tigers, ’32 Phillies & ’06 Rangers).”

Man… just to think about what we could have done with some decent starting pitching. I’m also hereby declaring this the official start of the ‘Bring Back Melky’ campaign.  He’s 27. He fits in with the youth movement. He’s proven what he’s capable of. No excuses.
 

@JavierArenas21 (Javier Arenas, Chiefs CB)
“i like to throw up random gang signs to Wal-Mart greeters”
“Convinced that u dnt have to pass a class to get your drivers permit in op”

Javier Arenas is one of the more personality-laden athletes on Twitter. It’s refreshing to hear a professional football player talk about the lighter side of life—you know, terrifying elderly retail employees and the terrible motoring habits of  Johnson County drivers. Keep it up, Javier.
 

@wilmyers (Wil Meyers, highly touted Royals outfield prospect)
“I must say @SouthPark is the best show on tv”

Yep, he’s 21, folks.
 

@FloydMayweather (duh)
“I’m tired of beating up these guys. I’m thinking of moving up to the heavyweights and fighting the Klitschko brothers.”

Look, we all know that “Money” Mayweather is the king of arrogance… but this was stupid, even for him. I would pay damned good money to watch one of the Drago’s beat the ever-loving snot out of him. Please do it, Floyd, PLEASE.
 

@kentbabb (Kent Babb,  KC Star)
“WR Jonathan Baldwin is catching passes in pregame warmups. Can’t play today, but this is progress.”

Oh thank Jesus! Problem. Solved.
 

@getnickwright
“As we’ve said for a while, the hope is that Baldwin plays next week.”

Hope is such a strong word, Nick. Look, I get it. Baldwin could be the next… Steve Breaston? But the fact of the matter is, he’s an unabashed diva who’s lousy attitude caused him to miss the first four games of his professional career. Inexcusable. Screw J. Baldwin and screw Pioli for pretending that ‘character’ was such an important quality when building this team.
 

@kkwhb (Kevin Kietzman)
“Slam me if you want, but Haley’s game management is very good.”
 

@getnickwright (Nick Wright)
“I’ve been really impressed with Haley’s gameplan… Given our injuries/weaknesses, this is #Chiefs only chance to move ball.”

These were both tweets from the Chargers game. It’s nice to see the boys agree on something for once. It’s pretty clear who Wright blames for the Chiefs troubles thus far… possibly Kietzman as well? But wait… let’s see what Wright REALLY thinks about the Pioli/Haley issue.

@getnickwright (Nick Wright)
“I posted this late last night, but I’ll repost since people are still asking about genesis of Haley/Pioli beef…”

“Pioli hired Haley b/c he thought Haley would always be beholden to him b/c he gave Haley his first real shot…”

“Things started to go sour when Pioli wanted to bring in Weis, Haley objected, and Pioli did it anyway.”

“Haley has never been high on Cassel, and that was another Pioli pick. Haley also wanted more money spent this offseason, it obviously wasn’t”

“Now a fall guy is needed, and Pioli is leaking stuff like Haley having a bad work ethic to Florio, and hoping the focus stays on Haley.”

“The shame of it, is Haley would be safe no matter what if he hadn’t gone out on such a limb with the preseason. Now he’ll be the fall guy.”

Yahoo! Sports writer Mike Silver brought a lot of this to light in a recent column. He also mentioned Josh McDaniels being a possible replacement once Haley is (inevitably) shown the door. If this happens, I will vomit blood. And then move to St. Louis and pledge allegiance to the Rams.
 

@ESPNStatsInfo
“Neither #Rams or #Chiefs have run an offensive play w/ a lead this season. Only 2 teams who have yet to run a play with a lead this season.”

Stats can’t lie, folks. It’s not in their nature.
 

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 12 Comments

Jack Goes Confidential: ’50/50′ Delivers Heartfelt Hilarity

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

Who would’ve thought it?

A cancer movie that works on many levels. Or as Seth Rogen tells best bud Joseph Gordon Levitt in ’50/50′: "If you were a casino game, you’d have the best odds."

’50/50′ is a bittersweet comedic approach to a pretty taboo subject.

Bottom line: A massive malignant tumor on his spine is what Rogen’s best friend and NPR producer Levitt is diagnosed with and doctors give him a 50/50 chance of survival. Something his girlfriend Bryce Dallas Howard has trouble dealing with in more than one way.

Enter attractive, young therapist Anna Kendrick to the equation, which soon leads to an awkward doctor-patient relationship that may—or may not have a future.

But don’t let the subject matter bum you out.

Seth Rogen definitely takes the edge off and any uneasy feelings soon vaporize as the boys use the cancer as a hook to pick up women.

And most importantly the patient in real life—Will Reiser—on whom this true story is based today is in remission and actually wrote the screenplay for the film.

The movie’s tag line proclaims it takes a pair to beat the odds.

Well, Reiser as portrayed by Levitt, has done just that. And co-producer and co-star Seth Rogen has surrounded himself with a quality cast that pulls off this comedy of cancer, including Anjelica Huston as Levitt’s caring but overbearing mother.

It’s funny, touching, emotional and a great story of friendship and survival.

 My diagnosis: 3-1/2 out of 5 fingers for ’50/50′.

Catch JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on NewsRadio KMBZ Am & Fm and at 8:20 a.m. on 1660-RADIO BACH. And anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411. 

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 4 Comments

Donnelly: Sporting Rockets Into First Place, But Will Its Luck Hold?

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

Though still a bit out of sync, Sporting Kansas City vaulted into first place in the Eastern Conference Wednesday…

Sporting scored a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew and is almost guaranteed now to see some playoff soccer in the next few weeks at LIVESTRONG. Prior to the match, KC and Columbus were tied for second in the division, so the three points from the win- combined with Columbus collecting zero from their loss- is huge with only three games left before the playoffs.

Was it pretty?  No. Was it kind of lucky?  Yes.

Is Sporting’s form over the last few games a bit troubling, even though they continue picking up points?  You bet.
The game was scrappy from the get-go, with SKC coming out strong as they usually do at home and getting on the board first after CJ Sapong used his strength to muscle his way into the box.  A Columbus defender had no choice but to try a risky tackle that resulted in a penalty kick.

Kei Kamara stepped to the spot and coolly buried the shot, but Columbus responded minutes later with a goal of their own. That after KC gave the ball away deep in its own territory.  US National Team member Robbie Rogers collected the mistake and drove forward, drawing several out of place Sporting defenders to him before dishing the ball to a streaking Emilio Renteria who finished professionally in the side netting.

The second half saw more of the same- Sporting with the edge on possession and chances, and Columbus scrapping and counterattacking, creating a few good chances of their own. Including one point blank shot near the end that Jimmy Nielsen turned away admirably to save the victory.

KC sealed the deal in the 74th minute off a long Matt Besler throw in that was deflected off a Columbus player for an own-goal.  Besler’s throws are practically the same thing as a corner kick, and KC has now scored five times this season off the long bombs.

KC coach Peter Vermes credited the own-goal to his team’s relentless attacking:

“Obviously the pressure is what caused the goal,” Vermes explained.  “It’s too dangerous with the guys that we have on our team. There a lot of guys that can get in the goal and we are going to take those as much as we can.”

It’s tough to be disappointed with a win – especially a big win like this one – but the last several games have seen Sporting’s form drop off a bit. 

Almost all of their chances on goal are coming from long crosses or Besler’s throw-ins.  Rarely in the last few games has Sporting generated a legitimate scoring opportunity by possessing and building in front of the goal.

What happened to Graham Zusi’s lashing right boot that we saw in the middle of the season?

I’m afraid that Sporting is getting too predictable in its attack, And against the better (and bigger) teams that are solid in the air, vaulting cross after cross into the box is a low percentage play.

Don’t get me wrong, with KC’s ability in the air and size, getting the ball high into the box can be the right play. 

But if other teams know there’s no other viable scoring option, KC becomes one dimensional and too easy to defend.

Sporting can be versatile – I know because they have been just that earlier in the season.  Hell, about three weeks ago, remember?  And no one can question the crazy work ethic that Vermes has instilled in this team. But to win in the playoffs, KC needs to get back its flow, its continuity, its flare,

That’s what got them from the cellar to the penthouse in the first place.

Posted in Sporting_Kansas_City | Tagged | 3 Comments

Sounds Good: Garage a Trois, American Royal BBQ, Sound Tribe Sector 9 & Bob Lockwood

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

Busy, busy weekend coming up – which is a good thing…

Yep, everything seems to be coming together. So long as you don’t mind not sleeping for a few days and existing solely off the nutritional value contained in beer and smoked meats.

I’m actually going to try and attend all the events that I’m recommending this weekend, so if I go MIA for awhile, just assume that I ended up in some dirty van after the STS9 show and  woke up somewhere in Colorado.

Oh, and I’m also going to try and review the new Wilco album, "The Whole Love", (if I can find a solid 45 to listen to the whole thing) which dropped a day or two ago.  On first listen, I like it, though you know how first listens can be.

On to the madness….

Thursday, September 29th

Garage a Trois at Crosstown Station in KC

Stanton Moore, drummer and founding member of the New Orleans funk band Galactic, comes to town tonight with his side project, Garage a Trois. To help kick off the last weekend ever for Crosstown Station before the curtain closes on the venue for good Saturday night.

The other members of the band are no slouches either.  Mike Dillon on vibraphones, Skerik on sax, and Marco Benevento plinking on keys.  Their style ranges from jazz to funk to rock to freaky improvisational jamming, which endeared them over the last few years to the summer festival circuit crowd.

Tickets are still available for tonight’s show, so come on out and pay your respects to one of the better small-ish venues in town before it’s gone forever.

 

Friday, September 30th

The American Royal at Kemper Arena in KC

Well, what can I say about the Royal?  If you haven’t been down on a Friday night then you have to go.  Beer, bands, barbecue, thousands and thousands of revelers – what’s not to like?  Shuttles run from Union Station to drop you off right at the main gates, and admission is, I believe $13.

Levee Town, Trampled Under Foot & Dolewite perform Friday, with Mary Bridget Davies, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials & Marcia Ball Saturday.

 

Saturday, October 1st

Sound Tribe Sector 9 at Liberty Hall in Lawrence

STS9 is a workhorse of a band, known almost exclusively for its live performances that encompass elements of electronic, heavy rhythms, jam, hip hop, and psychedelic.  They were the last band to play this summer out at Kanrocksas, and for good reason – they bring a ton of energy, glow sticks, sweaty people shaking what they got, and tripped out wookies staring at the pretty lights.

A year or two ago, STS9 sold out several consecutive shows at Red Rocks in Denver, so the chance to see them at such an intimate venue as Liberty Hall is certainly a treat for hard core fans and newbies alike. I would think this show will sell out, so if you’re looking to turn yourself into a sweaty mess Saturday night, get your tickets NOW.  You might never have the chance to see these guys in such a small hall again.

 

Sunday, October 2nd

Hole in One at HyVee in Lawrence for the Kansas Half Marathon Benefit

This country band features a living legend in Lawrence circles, with singer and guitarist Bob Lockwood. He haunted Lawrence watering holes for decades playing classic country, and still can belt out a tune or two.  The event goes from 3:00 – 5:00 and includes food, a Kids’ Fun Run, and fitness guru Red Dog on hand to whip everyone into shape.

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | Leave a comment

Leftridge: Historic Collapse of Boston and Atlanta & Handicapping the Playoffs

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

And when the dust settled, the historic collapse of two storied franchises was complete.

By now, you know what happened. You’ve seen the highlights on ESPN and read lengthy, poetic diatribes by countless other sports writers. Perhaps you stayed up late to watch it happen live, to be a part of history.

And certainly, you’ve read all of the amazing statistics. The Boston Red Sox were 77-0 this year when leading after 8 innings. They were up nine games in the wild card standings at the beginning of the month. The Atlanta Braves, virtually an identical story. But bullpen woes, and a pronounced lack of offensive punch, cost both teams their trip to the postseason.

Oh, and the fact that the Cardinals and the Rays played some really great late season baseball. The Cardinals, in fact, won 23 of their last 32. That’s pretty solid stuff.  The Rays came back from a seven run deficit against the AL East champs to win an extra inning walk-off.
It doesn’t get any more storybook than that.

And yet the real losers here—sorry Jonathan Papelbon and co.—are the thousands of schoolteachers throughout the Boston and Atlanta
school-systems. Today, they’re dealing with all of the grumpy, sleep
deprived kids who were allowed to stay up late with dad last night to
watch the conclusion of the scariest horror flick they’ve ever seen.
And now the postseason begins, and if you’d been scripting this earlier in
the month, your bracket looks decidedly different. So who’s playing who,
and who’s going to win? Let’s take a look.

Tampa Bay Rays @ Texas Rangers (Series begins Friday, 4:07 CT, TBS)

The Rays are the Cinderella story, I suppose, especially after the last month of the season. Unfortunately, there was a reason they were so far
out of contention in early September. They’re scrappy, but from top to bottom, they’ve looked at times like the most beatable team in the field.
Oh sure, they’ve got some pieces—their rotation is as solid as Sears—and you’ve gotta figure that ace David Price got his mulligan out of the way with Wednesday’s disastrous performance.

But the Rangers have done this before. They’re the team that beat the Rays in five games last year on their march to the World Series. Two of those
games, however, were started by Cliff Lee. And they were masterful performances. Lee jetted for more Philadelphian pastures in the off
season, though, and I don’t think the Rangers pitching staff is ready to fill the void his departure created, especially in the playoffs. The Rays win this one in five.

 

Detroit Tigers @ New York Yankees (Series begins Friday, 7:37 CT, TBS)

Justin Verlander has been dominant this season. So dominant, in fact, that
he’s a virtual lock for the AL Cy Young. MVP talk has also been thrown around. He won 24 games, lost only 5. His ERA was miniscule. He struck out 250. Against the Yankees in the regular season, though, he made two starts and had a 4.50 ERA, his third worst against any opponent. He’ll start two against them in the ALDS, but I’ve got a feeling one of those starts will
be average, at best. And I just don’t think the rest of the Tigers rotation has what it takes to hold off the murderer’s row that comprises the Yankees lineup. At some point, you just KNOW Brad Penny is going to be facing off against Mark Texeria or Robinson Cano with the game on the line, and that kinda makes me giggle. Yankees win this one in five.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers (Series begins Saturday, TBD,
TBS)

The Diamondbacks have the worst record of any playoff team at 94-67. Last year, they finished 65-97 and ended up in last place. Turnarounds like this don’t happen in baseball. They just don’t. I’m not saying Arizona is a fluke, I’m just saying they’re potentially fluke-ish. Huge difference. Also: the Brewers’ Zack Freaking Greinke is 11-0 at Miller Park. Unbeatable. It’ll be interesting to see how our boy does under totally foreign circumstances… you know, baseball that actually matters. And with Ryan Braun and Prince “I’m Not Fat, I’m Just Big Fleshed” Fielder in the lineup, I smell some blowouts. I think the Brewers sweep.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies (Series begins Saturday, TBD,
TBS)

The Cardinals squeaked in. For the first time in Albert Pujols’ career, he failed to drive in 100. He started off slow, got hurt. Matt Holliday has battled injuries throughout the season. The pitching staff, composed of retreads, inexperienced youngsters and an aging Chris Carpenter, feels like it’s living on borrowed time.

The Phillies staff, however, is quite possibly one of the best in MLB history. Team ERA of 3.02. Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee. Cole Hamels. Roy Oswalt. As the fan of a team who ran Kyle Davies out there until the joke wasn’t funny anymore (wait… was it ever funny?), this seems unfair. Their offense is a shadow of its former self, though, so the chance is there to
lose some 1-0 or 2-1 games. But ultimately, you just don’t beat that staff in five games. You can’t. You won’t. Phillies win in four.

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 4 Comments

Glazer: Forget the Death Wish, Time to Put the Pedal to the Metal

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

Nobody wants to die young…

However today, so many junior senior citizens seem to want to live forever. In their 60’s and 70’s many people talk about going on and on into their 90’s or even 100’s. Don’t get me wrong; stay in shape and have fun as long as you can.

But to aim your daily life at just hanging on forever may be a huge mistake.

There’s a big difference between enjoying life as we age and just putting on the brakes so you can live long enough to make it to the old folks home- the really old folks home.  Trust me living in extended care housing isn’t going to be a very fun time.

Like many of you, I’ve had a parent, grandparent or friend live in these places until they go to Hospice. And none of them were thrilled about it. Who would be?

Don’t you have friends or relatives that have been lucky or worked hard and have tons of cash saved?

And when you ask them if they’re gonna travel or buy that cool car they always wanted, maybe move to where somewhere nice and warm, they say, "Hey I can’t. I’m saving for the future." 

To people already in their 60’s I tell them, THE FUTURE IS HERE, BABY.

Another sad note is hanging onto everything you can for the kids. Because the nicest thing you can do for them is don’t stop living. Not because you want your kids to love you more when you are gone just because you left them some extra dough. Live your life.

I have a good pal who is in his 50’s and all he talks about is leaving more money for his sons. One’s already out of college and doing well; the other will be out soon. Their mother is a multi-millionaire and will always take care of these young men. Hey, the dad and mom helped get them through college. Neither of them really worked to get there.

Yet my pal denies himself travel and fun to save FOR THE FUTURE.

In today’s world, some people at 45 to 55 look ten or fifteen years younger, not many but some.

We have better medical care, work out, diet, and the media beats us with a stick to look good even if you are not a star. But don’t have Jewish or Christian guilt, have fun – it’s OK to let go. None of us are going to get out of this world alive. Now’s the time to go do all those things YOU WORKED ALL YOUR LIFE TO DO.

You earned it baby, go do it.

Yeah, even if the money is running low – and for most it likely is – do it anyway. Don’t live a life of quiet desperation. So when you’re in those final few weeks or months of life, you can say to yourself, "Know what, I had some fun and it was worth it."

Those were my mother’s last words to me before she passed away. "I had fun."

Can’t beat that, huh?

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