Starbeams: Breaking Smashing, Where’s Whitney? & Thinking Outside The Bun

Posted on September 22, 2011 by admin

 

A group of eight children were arrested for breaking into Weeks Elementary in Kansas City and vandalizing school computers to the tune of more than $25,000 in damages.  When I went to Devry, we used to get arrested for breaking into the school to do maintenance on the computers.

*******

Sweet Springs kindergarten students were asked to bring important family items to show and tell.  One kindergartner brought his mother’s crack pipe and an ounce of drugs. His mom is now in prison. I wasn’t aware that Whitney Houston lived in Sweet Springs?

*******

 

A Lee’s Summit man discovered that his Taco Bell meal didn’t contain packets of hot sauce. So he allegedly returned to the drive-through and threatened an employee with a shotgun.  He now faces 10 years in federal prison…where thinking outside the bun takes on a whole new meaning.

 

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

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Jack Goes Confidential: Yale Economics (and the Royals) Fuels ‘MONEYBALL’

Posted on September 22, 2011 by admin

Let me say right upfront MONEYBALL is a terrific movie…

And like me, you don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it. Why?

Because it explores ones true worth, being an underdog and one of the most unorthodox comebacks in Major League Baseball. Let’s be real, back in 2001 there were rich teams, poor teams and crap teams like the OAKLAND A’S.

And there was no money to ‘buy-up’

Enter legendary general manager Billy Bean (Brad Pitt) who hires nerdy Yale grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) whose analysis techniques revolutionized the way teams evaluated players and took the A’s all the way to the playoffs despite having one of the lowest payrolls in the majors!

Together they outsmarted the bigger and richer clubs by implementing a concept based on analytical statistics and on-base percentages—discounting what scouts ha done for 150 years. In Billy Bean’s own words to his team, "We are card counters!"

Think of MONEYBALL as THE SOCIAL NETWORK of baseball.

And yes Johnny Damon plays into the equation as he was one of several A’s players lured away by Boston thanks to larger market’s deeper pockets.

As for the Royals?

They too are part of the story and the film as they almost spoiled Oakland’s 19 game winning streak in 2002.
Also in top form is Seymour Philip Hoffman as A’s skeptical field manager Art Howe.

But it’s Jonah Hill giving a career changing performance here which should earn him a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Co-producer Brad Pitt bases the film on Michael Lewis‘ best selling novel ‘Moneyball: The Art Of Winning An Unfair Game’ and together with director Bennett Miller delivers the best movie I’ve seen since THE HELP!

I’m raising 4 out of 5 statistical fingers for MONEYBALL

 

Catch JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday’s on NewsRadio KMBZ Am & Fm/ 99.7-THE POINT / and 1660-RADIO BACH. And anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 7 Comments

Glazer: War is Hell and Hell is for Heroes

Posted on September 21, 2011 by admin

Sgt. Dakota Meyer didn’t smile much when the President of The United States put that Medal of Honor on his chest.

Meyer understood what the medal had cost. And not just on the day of the combat, September 8, 2009, but all that went before.

I watched Meyer on 60 Minutes and he’s an impressive young man. One of the youngest Medal of Honor winners in several decades at 23. He’s also alive and not wounded. He saved 36 lives that day.

Of the men he went back for, four US Marines, were dead when he got to them. They were pinned down and had called for help. And other than Meyer, it never came. How sad and tragic. Meyer said, "He felt he had failed" because they all died. It wasn’t his fault, of course.

He also said the most interesting thing of all. When asked if it was worth it – THE WAR – did it really mean anything, he answered, "No."

I agree.

We fight for the power of our military and cheap oil for the most part.

Lives are spent to prop up our economy and back up the US dollar, which no longer has gold behind it.  Just guns, lots of guns. We are the most powerful military today of all-time. And because of men like Meyer we are free to do much of what we please in the world.

That is, as long as we keep proving we can "take anyone out" and we can.

This is what men and women in the military are dying for – to show our might.

We do it often and daily. Meyer found that out. And he, like many heroes before him, was upset by that. Clearly. Why didn’t those four marines lives matter? We had the choppers, the manpower to move in within minutes and save them. They just were not important enough I suppose. Christ.

I thought of a couple other Medal of Honor winners who became famous. Sgt. Alvin York. York was the biggest Medal of Honor winner in World War I. They say he killed more than 100 Germans and took hundreds prisoner. Gary Cooper won an Academy Award playing York in a movie. York said it was only 9 killed and 40 prisoners.

After the war he was offered movies, Broadway roles, the works, but he turned it all down and went home to Tennessee.

The State bought him a farm and a home. Problem was, they didn’t pay for all of it, and York went broke. He owed the IRS a boatload and they hounded him all his life. York worked to build better education in the south but he never found financial rewards. President John Kennedy made the IRS get off his back in 1968 and York died a couple years later. His road after the war was a tough one.

Audie Murphy – Second Lieutenant Murphy – was the most decorated soldier in US history.

Hollywood made him a movie star after the war. His career in film last two decades and 44 movies. He had a few hits, but ended with B cowboy films. Murphy, like Meyer and York saw war as worthless. Men die for nothing really. Murphy was in the one war that did matter, WWII. Still his life was not all that wonderful. He was addicted to pills (dope), his wife said. He suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, common today. Audie was a depressed, mean tempered, very unhappy man.

He too went broke and took bankruptcy in 1968. Audie died young his plane crashed in 1971, he was 47.

I worked with two war hero’s, my former partner in crime Don Woodbeck and James Wjoyt. Both were decorated, not with the medal of Honor, but close enough. They came home from Vietnam with nothing and they got nothing. I worked on stings with them both. It’s no excuse for them becoming outlaws, but man were they brave and tough. In our final sting together both men were shot in the back and died, Woodbeck was 34 and Jim was 33.

I love this country.

I too would fight for it. We do alot of things that are wrong, but we are still the best. All those brave men would do it all over again, even knowing that their lives would not be the best afterwards.

That’s what makes them so God Damn Brave. Americans.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 109 Comments

Leftridge: Charles Done for Year: Fantasy Football Fans Despondent, Suicidal

Posted on September 21, 2011 by admin

 

With one awkward landing, a fantastic grimace and the collective gasp of hundreds of thousands of fans, Jamaal Charles effectively dashed this town’s playoff hopes against the rocks of reality.

Okay, so I’m being melodramatic.

This season was likely lost before Charles’ knee turned into a quivering mass of gelatin early in Sunday’s game. Had he not gone down, and had all of the stars that were rapidly plummeting to earth remained securely tucked in the heavens, this was still nothing better than an 8 win team. At absolute best. But truthfully, they’d been shaving wins off of the turkey’s carcass before the season even started.

Tony Moeaki gone in the preseason.

Eric Berry gone after one game.

And this, the final nail in the coffin, the fat lady singing her greasy heart out, her arteries clogged by years of barbecue-abuse. So we chalk it up as a lost cause, a “Suck for Luck” campaign that is gaining traction with each passing Sunday. The real concern, though, is that of the future.

The anterior cruciate ligament is nobody’s punk. Short of complete and total paralysis, it’s the biggest nemesis of most speed-based skill players in the game. While a quarterback may not have as big an issue with rehab and the healing, it’s a much more daunting task for a running back or a safety to transcend.

And there have been those on this site that are crowing that this means the end of Charles and Berry as we know them; that we’ve seen the best they’ll ever give… perhaps, that they’ll never play again.

  This could be true.

But it goes without saying: everybody is different. With modern medical advances, a torn ACL– even in its most severe incarnation– isn’t necessarily the death sentence that it was back in the days of ballplayers named ‘Bronco’ and ‘Youngblood.’ Today’s professional athletes are much better equipped to handle such violently devastating injuries. Oh sure, Charles may never be the insane speedster that we were privileged to watch these past few years, but in all honesty, he may still be a pretty good fucking halfback.

So before we link arms and tandem-jump from the roof of the spooky, soon-to-be abandoned AMC building, let’s take a quick peek at some others who suffered similar injuries and how they fared in overcoming their ACL uh-ohs.

Edgerrin James— whose teeth are up 100% since his retirement in ’09—tore his ACL in 2002 and averaged 1,280 yards per year in his next six seasons.

Willis McGahee suffered an ACL tear while in college and has had a respectable seven year career featuring three seasons where he eclipsed the 1,100 yard rushing mark.

Jamal Lewis tore his in college as well. In a nine year pro career, he averaged 1,178 yards per season including a lunatic-like 2,066 in 2003.

Wes Welker tore his in the last game of the ’09 season. Though it was anticipated he’d be far from ready by the start of 2010, he ended up playing in 15 games, catching 86 passes for 848 yards. 

Braylon Edwards had an ACL injury in 2005. Though he hasn’t quite lived up to his original expectations, he caught 80 passes for 1,289 in 2007. Oh, and his ACL didn’t affect his ability to drink and drive, so that’s nice.

Antonio Cromartie tore his in 2005… and, well, he’s Antonio Cromartie, one of the better cornerbacks in the game. Additionally, his malady didn’t put a damper on his dingus. A prolific procreator, he has 9 children with 8 women in 6 different states—talk about some stats!

Roman Harper, Saints safety, started all 16 games in 2007 after tearing his ACL midway through the ’06 season. He’s a subsequent two time pro-bowler and Super Bowl champ.

Warren Sapp’s vicious facemask take-down caused Jerry Rice to tear his in 1997. Over the next five years, he averaged 80 catches per, for an average of 1,028 yards.

Look, I know there’s an argument to be made—that the running backs named were less dependent on finesse and speed than our hero. And that’s true. But the fact of the matter remains, even if Charles fails to recapture the entirety of his abilities, he’s still got a chance to be a very dangerous back.

Here’s the science and math behind all of this, all broken down in one simple equation:

Jamaal Charles at 80% > Thomas Jones at 120%.

There. Now don’t you feel a little better?

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 13 Comments

Sounds Good: Steve Earle@Uptown, Dollar Fox@???, An Horse@Jackpot

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

Wednesday, September 21st

Steve Earle at the Uptown Theater in KC

Steve Earle is a one-of-a-kind American folk musician who got his start writing songs for the likes of Carl Perkins, Johnny Lee, Vince Gill, and Steve Wariner.  His latest album, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, was produced by T Bone Burnett and features a host of top notch studio musicians filling in behind the masterful songwriter.

This tour features a backing band that Earle calls The Dukes (and Duchesses) and includes his wife, singer Allison Moorer, who is the younger sister of country singer Shelby Lynne. 

Reviews of Earle’s new album and tour have been mostly positive, with many critics observing that, with this album, he’s getting back to his gritty roots, but with splashes of polished silver poking through from time to time maybe due in part to Burnett’s production work.  Whatever it is, you can bet that the concert will be a raucous foot stomping affair. 

Plus, if you are a serious music fan and haven’t seen Steve-o yet, you simply have to experience this living legend in person.  Otherwise, maybe you aren’t as serious as you thought.

Friday, September 23rd

Dollar Fox at… somewhere in KCMO "north of 75th Street"

Anyone up for an adventure this weekend?  Maybe a little hootenanny?  Maybe some hootin’ and hollerin’?  If so, here’s a secret-ish show that is being promoted by Dollar Fox as if it were a top secret ass shaking mission.  Which it kind of is.

From their website:

"This show will be held at a secret location, to be revealed only on the day of the show. For those of you wanting to have an idea of where this event is, know that the location will be within the city limits of Kansas City, Missouri north of 75th Street.
 
This show will be pre-ticketed. Tickets are available at our Music and Merch page for $5 apiece. You may purchase more than one ticket for you and your guests, though we will need your name at the time of purchase for check in purposes on the day of show.
 
On the day of the show you will receive the address of the show and additional instructions sent via email.
 
This show will run between the hours of 7p.m. and 10p.m. on September 23rd."

And it’s BYOB!!  It also features LA band The Peculiar Pretzelman as well as The Hillary Watts Riot. 

If I wasn’t going to be out at LIVESTRONG for one of the biggest games of the year Friday night, I’d be all over this deal, it sounds pretty cool.  Check their website at dollarfox.com for the deets.

Saturday, September 24th

An Horse at the Jackpot in Lawrence

This boy-girl duo from Australia gained some notoriety when they opened for Canadian pixies Tegan & Sara in 2008.  Then they got picked up by Death Cab for its Australian tour.  And this past summer they performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago.  Not too shabby for a brand new band who met while working in a record store together.
 
“We’d worked in the record store together for a couple of years and talked every day — even on days off — mostly about music and film, which we continue to do every day now,” explained Damon Cox, the drummer and co-singer.  “After listening to music all day together at work for two years, we had a really clear idea of what we liked and disliked musically.”

To me, An Horse sounds like a little edgier version of the Weepies, or a little less-cute Tegan & Sara with their simple bedroom songs of loss, love, and angst. 

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 2 Comments

Hearne: The Pitch’s ‘Big Deal’ Tanking; Are Daily Deals Drying Up?

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

Goes without saying, when even the Pitch and Star hop on the daily discount deals bandwagon the party’s about over….

With two fierce years and dozens of firms hawking half price email offerings, a thinning of the herd is in order. So how many different companies are out there attempting to con local businesses into giving their shit away at half price?

"I’ve been contacted by no less than 40 and I’ve used 10," says Stanford’s main man Craig Glazer. "And none of them got anywhere near the results I got with Living Social and Groupon. Our last round with Groupon was in May and we did around 1,000 deals when they had 450,000 people on their list. Now they say they have 680,000."

New owners of the Pitch are trying to cash in on the gold rush but with little apparent success.

I contacted a number of businesses that participated in the Pitch‘s The Big Deal.  Results; weak as a kitten. Its Big Deal Kansas City Facebook page has been frozen for weeks at 146 "likes."

Sweet Z’s Gym says it sold only two deals – two freaking deals on The Big Deal. Imo’s Pizza puts its magic number at between 50 and 100 for its $7.50 to get $15 deals. Clearly there’s not enough bang in those bucks to make it much worth anybody’s while. Thai Orchid says it capped its deal at 100.

That said, Sweet Z’s says it did quite a bit better with the Star‘s Deal Saver. Seven times better, which translates into a mere 14 deals sold. Fourteen measily deals.

That’s chump change compared with the 14,000-plus Groupons blanc burgers bottles unloaded earlier this year. Or the 747 Groupons jazz club Jardine’s unleashed in April. Or the more than 800 Groupons Taste in Overland Park has on the books at this writing with more than a day left to go on its deal.

Stanford’s tried the Pitch’s Big Deal with lackluster results.

 

"It was horrible," Glazer says. "I did it because I’m an advertiser but I’ll never do it again. It’s just such a small universe and they’re so many big players like Groupon and Living Social available. And what happens (on the Pitch) is you dillute your brand. People on Groupon are looking for deals. People on the Pitch are looking for free stuff, same as radio, so you’re denigrating your product."

The reason Glazer opted to try the Pitch in the first place?

"They kept harrassing me and I felt sort of sorry for them but their ad was really second rate," he says. "I just did it to get them off my back – they were calling me every week."

The bottom line: "I’m signing an exclusive with Groupon this week," Glazer says. "They’re worried about Facebook and Living Social stretches out your payments too long. Groupon gives me three times a year to do it and I can kinda pick the times."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 9 Comments

Glazer: 610 Sports’ Nick Wright Now on the Craig Glazer Bandwagon

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

Yes it’s true…

610 Sports afternoon host Nick Wright now says on the air that he believes Chiefs coach Todd Haley will soon be gone. And Nick really likes Todd and thinks he is a good coach in a bad situation. But Nick believes Scott Pioli is also to blame and blames him hard.

It’s now also known that Todd and Scott do not get along and haven’t for some time.

All of which adds up to the following; its just a matter of time before Haley is let go by the Chiefs. Word at Woodside – where I met  Haley during his first season – is that the decision has already been made. I think the Haley family is getting ready to leave Kansas City soon. Not until after it’s official, of course. I also believe Haley will land a post in the NFL or College Football, but probably not as a head coach in the NFL.

Many other radio sports guys are saying how shocked they are at Chiefs being so bad and that nobody saw this coming.

Bullshit! I know someone who did. ME. I never bought into the preseason, "We lose on purpose" crap. The Chiefs just plain stunk. And that 2-5 down the stretch last year showed me we were a bottom seven or eight team by the playoffs. After the preseason we were a bottom five team.

And after the injuries, we are the worst team in the NFL that includes Indy and Seattle, who are right next to us.

The new power rankings have the Chiefs DEAD LAST.

So now Nick wants to SUCK FOR LUCK.l

Lose every game to get Andrew Luck as our first round draft pick next year. He’s the No.1 quarterback in college ball.

I feel the team has quit, they know Haley’s a goner, so they’re kinda no shows. The Chargers can score whenever they want too against us. We have only two weapons, fumble fingered Dexter and D-Bowe. Wow. That means less than 10 points a game, unless there are turnovers.

Looks like another plus 40 point loss this week. We are already setting several stink records. For example, we’re on our way to the most points a team has been beaten by in three straight games. Three playoff teams are 0-2, the Chiefs, the Rams and Seattle. The Chiefs and Seattle really stink and Rams will be lucky to win six.

How the mighty have fallen…

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 24 Comments

Glazer: The KCC, True Hollywood Story of Chocolate Becky

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

 

It’s not often the No.1 morning radio host gets upstaged…

But it happened last week when Johnny Dare had local media phenom Chocolate Becky on as his guest. OMG, she rocked the house big time. So much so, Dare’s considering her as the replacement for recently departed Kari Coogan.

Not so fast.

More likely Becky will get her own segment once a week or more. Why?

"You have to be good at reading the news and do alot of homework," Dare says. "And that’s a bit tough for someone who’s never done that. But oh yeah, we want her."

So who is Chocolate Becky, for God’s sake?

I’ll tell you. Months ago I started sending Dare the PHONE MESSAGES she leaves on my answering machine at home. Because they’re so damn mean they’re funny. Then Johnny started playing them on air.

"Pick up the phone, BITCH," Becky would yell. "I hate you, you old man, you little dick bitch. Where’s my check for the car? You promised to leave it under the rug. That’s why I hate you, YOU ALWAYS SELFISH BASTARD!" 

Becky is a 27 year old, sometimes-employed school librarian. She’s is hot, black and has a tattoo just above her butt that reads, TASTE THE CHOCOLATE. I kid you not. She’s well-dressed, but has a mouth like a hood rat. Though she really isn’t. In fact, she is really is a very nice girl.

 

Becky gets pissed at me because I’ve been seeing her off and on for years, but won’t make her my main girlfriend.

She’s aware of the other girls seeing me, and is mad about it. Although she accepts it. Grudgingly.

She did admit that she loves "Craig" on Dare’s show, but then added, "I think his balls may be bigger than his dick." 

That’s just how black girls talk to white guys sometimes. The hip-hop girls. She’s left about 30 messages so far and Dare has played them all. However, she was not aware of this until recently.

In fact, Johnny’s producer stitched together a song called LITTLE DICK BITCH which plays weekly sometimes daily on 98.9 The Rock.  It’ss now known by well over 100,000 Kansas Citians. I even go to Quick Trip and the guy there will say, "Are you LDB?" Meaning little dick bitch. They say it in jest – I hope. Talk about me being thick skinned. There you go.

Dare’s been busy with Bikers For Babies. Even in the rain this year it drew more than 4,000 riders and raised over $500,000 for the March of Dimes. It’s now the biggest bike ride for charity in the nation. Dare also recently signed a FIVE YEAR contract with the station, so he isn’t leaving KC anytime soon. These are tough times for radio personalities and precious few get the attention or respect – let along big contracts – like Johnny Dare. Not anymore.

So finding a hot, new segment only makes things that much more fun: AT MY EXPENSE, NATURALLY. Oh well, it’s damn funny.

If you would like to hear the phone calls, listen to the song, or see the "LITTLE DICK BITCH CARTOON SONG," go to freejohnnydare.com. The song is to the Beach Boys tune, LITTLE DEUCE COUPE.

Enjoy, then catch Chocolate Becky, me and more on Dare from 6-10 AM weekdays, with replays Saturday mornings.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 48 Comments

New Jack City: Nice Rack (at 97th and Quivira, that is)

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

It’s been quite a year for national brand favorites expanding into Kansas City…

The most anticipated was the long awaited opening of not one, but two TRADER JOE’S. And let’s not overlook popular Nebraska export RUNZA which opened its first fast food outlet recently in Mission. JACK IN THE BOX made a splash last year in KCK and its second opens this coming Monday at 103rd and Metcalf in OP.

They say Jack’s’ tacos are to die for.

But hold on, there’s another really big one right around the corner.

Seattle-based, upscale fashion retailer NORDSTROM, which entered the K.C. market not on the Country Club Plaza as had been expected, but instead opened a full-line store at Oak Park Mall, is about to double its presence.

With a twist!

On Thursday, September 29th a new NORDSTROM RACK, big brother’s sister discount store opens at 97th and Quivira in Lenexa. That’s right, Lenexa, even though it’s only like half an inch from Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.

NORDSTROM RACK is part of Nordstrom’s off-price retail division and features merchandise from Nordstrom’s full-line stores and nordstrom.com at 50% to 60% off original Nordstrom prices.

 NORDSTROM RACK’s feature large selections of name brand apparel, accessories and shoes for the entire family. And some of the featured merchandise has been specifically purchased for NORDSTROM RACK stores.

New deliveries to NORDSTROM RACK usually arrive several times a week, resulting in restocked shelves on an almost daily basis. And customers can also purchase and redeem Nordstrom Gift Cards at the RACK.

And how about that famous liberal Nordstrom return policy?

Here’s how it’s spelled out as it relates to items purchase at their RACK:

"We’ll gladly accept a return or exchange within 30 days of any merchandise purchased from Nordstrom Rack that has not been worn or altered and is accompanied by its original price tag or receipt or packing slip. Valid photo ID required for in-store cash refunds."

How about that?

Ironically the company chose to open its approximately 35,000 square feet new Kansas City RACK outlet within walking distance of its main store located on the south side of Oak Park Mall. According to one Nordstrom associate the two stores should feed off each other, and she couldn’t wait for the RACK’s grand opening in the Orchard Shopping Center’s former Circuit City store.

So mark it your calendar: September 29th will be a red letter day for value-minded, Joco Fashionistas!

So let’s see,we’ve got TRADER JOE’S, RUNZA, JACK IN THE SACK and now NORDSTROM RACK. What would make this lineup complete?

It’s high time Kansas City gets Winstead’s killer, IN-N-OUT BURGER.

Posted in News_and_Views | Tagged | 8 Comments

Hearne: Remember When Jason Whitlock Tweeted He’d Replace Nick Wright Sept. 5th?

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

Don’t look now but…

A funny thing happened earlier this month. September 5th to be exact. That’s the date former Star sports scribe Jason Whitlock teased via Twitter that he’d be heading home to KC to do a radio show on 610 Sports. Maybe even take rising star Nick Wright‘s place.

Some local bloggers were all over that story early this summer. The Royals were in the tank. The Chiefs up in the air. And MU, KU and K-State football and KU basketball were a long way off. Even the Big 12 appeared halfway off the hook. They needed something to write about.

Remember the sports talk radio war?

"He intended everyone to think he meant he was coming back to take my job," Wright says. "What he really meant was that September 5th was Labor Day, and he wanted me to know that I would still be white after Labor Day. Jason is a peach."

A peach that remains unpicked, even to the naive few who bought into the silliness.

"He is coming back…burned bridges mean nothing in radio," said Rainbow Man in the KCC  comments section. "It isn’t like he is a doctor and sewed a dropped scalpel into someone…This is radio, the gimmickiest industry on the planet…He will pop up somewhere soon and he will make a difference."

So much for Whitlock popping up…

As for Whitlock’s Labor Day metaphor, "You’re not supposed to wear white after labor day, and Jason’s big point when he called into my show a few months back – that’s when the Sept 5 stuff started – was that i was ashamed that i was white or wanted to be black or something," Wright says. "He wouldn’t outright say it, but that was his point, and that’s what the tweets were about."

Meanwhile, back in Twitter Land, Whitlock had zero to say on 9/5 about his return to the airwaves here or much of anything else of interest to locals. He did lay down a line that fit the bill : "Love media hypocrisy."

Even former KCC sports media blogger Greg Hall – who fanned the Sept. 5th Whitlock flames – allowed the date to pass without notice. That after rejoicing at the time, "Oh, how Kansas City sports talk radio (and my OTC column ) could use those fireworks!"

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 4 Comments

Today: Lest There Be Any Mystery, I Present To You Brandon Leftridge

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

You asked for it…

You wanted an even humbler sports scribe. Someone to walk the walk and talk the talk, hotties be damned. A writer with whom English is not a second language – sex with strangers an avocation. A sportswriter cut from the actual cloth (not Fredericks of Hollywood). With ears not mired in the hopelessness of Don Fortune and the inability to look past hip-hop into the full metal straightjacket that is Kansas City.

To borrow a trite expression from fallen Star Jason Whitlock – you wanted "the real deal."

Here it is…

Brandon Leftridge, 30, was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri by his two dads, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan (that’s right—he’s the other guy from the seminal 80’s sitcom MyTwo Dads). He writes for fun, mostly, but occasionally it’s an exercise in removing the demons from his troubled mind. In his spare time, when he’s not making the world a better place, you can find him dressed up like a clown hanging out in urinals, passed out at the Crown Center fountains, or reading to sick children at the orphanage. Brandon is married to a very lucky lady who has no knowledge of any of the activities listed previously, and he’d like to keep it that way.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 12 Comments

Glazer: Humble Scribe Apologizes to Chiefs Fans, Prescribes Fresh Air Cure

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

Yes I know, I know your Humble Scribe is a near genius NFL/College football guy…

Nobody in the KC sports media has had the two weeks I have. I have one game left on the Pros and if that wins, I’ll have gone 100% on pro picks and gotten all but that late night ASU game that I missed by half a point. Yes, I know you all want my cell number for next week. I did have two Vegas guys (people I met there not casino employees) call for my pic’s. Nice.

OK our Clown Act (the Chiefs) Quit.

They quit on their coach, their city, their profession. This team would like to forfeit the season. They would, I’m not kidding. Almost none of them want to play anymore. In fact, at season’s end this team will be mentioned with the ALL TIME WORST NFL CLUBS.

The Chiefs now have NO stars. Nobody. Nothing.

They have some big contracts that they will regret. Cassel, Charles, Flowers, maybe Tamba Hali. I mean, I hope not, but the entire defensive line is horrible and needs to be let go at season’s end.

This club is so far gone, man. I don’t know what to tell you to do to fix it for the next season. So let’s just be honest.

HALEY IS FIRED FOR SURE NO DOUBT AND HE KNOWS IT. THEY MAY HANG ON TO MATT TO TRAIN THE NEW QUARTERBACK. BUT GOD FORBID, SINCE WE DON’T HAVE A VETERAN OTHER THAN MATT.

It all starts at quarterback, vis-a-vis Cam Newton. Wow, what a player. He nearly upset the world champs, Green Bay.

Look I’m sorry our team is trash. It just is.

Try what I do, make some bets on the other teams, it will ease the pain. Too bad Scott Pioli can’t be fired, he sure deserves it.

By the way my score picked for this week was Detroit 42 Kansas City 6. Close, huh? And that was on The Mix and Q l04. Next week more of the same. A team that quits and gets guys hurt. We will have maybe no name players left at season’s end.

 

Crazy. Enjoy the weather.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 27 Comments

Leftridge: Curtains for Great Kansas Hope Ortiz, Mayweather Still Sidestepping Pacquiao

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

A headbutt.

A hug and a kiss.

A cheap (legal) shot.

And that was all she wrote.

Floyd Mayweather (42-0), undefeated, undisputed champion of everything not MMA, knocked out local(ish) boy Victor Ortiz (29-3-2) in the fourth round of Saturday night’s battle in Las Vegas. The hook he threw that connected solidly with Ortiz’s chin was about as hard of a punch as Mayweather throws—but it didn’t come without controversy.

After a fairly intentional looking Ortiz head-butt, an awkward apology where Ortiz kissed and hugged Mayweather (?), and a separation, Ortiz left his hands at his side, waiting for the ref’s signal. Unaware that all was a-go, he took a shot to the mouth and went down like a whore on prom night.

And that’s too bad, really.

Ortiz is a real-life Rocky. An underdog kid with a less than stellar upbringing that would make Sally Struthers cringe. He grew up in Garden City, KS, the product of a mother who left the family when he was seven and an abusive, alcoholic father who mercifully checked out not too long after. He spent the rest of his childhood in foster families before discovering his outlet and winning the Golden Gloves.

Mayweather is the brash, unblemished asshole with impeccable defense, amazing stamina and enough arrogance to make Ali blush.

It was pretty clear who should have won this bout, at least in the court of public opinion.

But unfortunately, Ortiz’s inexperience—why was your guard down, kid?—ultimately corrupted his efforts. He was losing, he made a very illegal head butt and he ended up taking a very legal punch.

So where do they go from here?

Well, Ortiz is young. A loss to ‘Money’ Mayweather is nothing to be embarrassed about. He’ll continue to fight and will undoubtedly see more success down the road. Unfortunately, no challenge is likely to be as big as the one he had Saturday under the hot Las Vegas sun. This may have been a once in a lifetime shot at eternal notoriety and he blew it by getting frustrated.

Mayweather, everyone’s favorite love-to-hate boxing personality, will continue to dodge Manny Pacquiao, the only person who really poses any tangible threat. To Mayweather, his untarnished record is his legacy… but he’s failing to realize that until he faces off with his greatest competition, he’ll never join the pantheon of great pugilists.

And that’s a shame.

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 6 Comments

Leftridge: Weekend That Was; Chiefs Implode, Royals Tantalize, KU Curb-Stomped

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

The ship done sank before it left the dock…

Everything that you need to know happened in the first drive. Back to back 15-yard penalties against the Chiefs. A fumbled interception by Jon ‘Yee-haw’ McGraw. Our newly minted $50 million dollar man getting blasted for a touchdown.

The summation of the game reads like some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare crafted specifically to cost a head coach his job. Six turnovers. An anemic offense. A porous defense. Eight penalties for 70 yards to their 4/35. You’re never going to win this game on the road. EVER. You’re rarely going to pull this kind of thing off at home.

And perhaps the biggest blow of all was the injury to Jamaal Charles. Look, almost nobody in their right mind thought that the Chiefs would be winning the division this year, but strident optimists thought that maybe they’d be able to crap out 8 or 9 wins. If Charles is out for any extended period of time, however, all bets are off. It will mean that they’ve firmly planted themselves in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, though.

Elsewhere:

On Saturday night, the Royals made it 7 in a row.

When was the last time the boys in blue won seven in a row? September of 2008. You know, when Eric Hosmer was sweating his way through Hop on Pop. It’s a crying shame that they can’t pull this off in July when it actually matters. Rookie Everett Teaford had a second consecutive start brimming with encouragement. Moose homered. So did Frenchy.

Hell yes, boys, taste that sweet nectar of success. Live it, love it, hopefully find it early and often in ’12.

*******

Kansas is a fluke, and they proved it handily on Saturday by getting curb-stomped,  66-24.

They gave up more yards than anyone ever in the history of yardage (as far as a I can tell; I didn’t bother to consult the record books). 10th straight overall road loss for the Hawks, 768 total yards allowed. Good luck with that fellas.

If you’re playing the Leathernecks of the Football Championship Subdivision, greatness is anticipated. The Missouri Tigers fulfilled that prophecy by trouncing Western Illinois 69-0. Though Mizzou set a team record with 744 yards of total offense, let’s go ahead and not pencil in similar results for next week’s game with top-ranked Oklahoma.

K-State continued their yeoman-like effort with a 37-0 pounding of Kent State. Except it didn’t seem as impressive as the score made it sound. You know, because it was Kent State. Sorry, Wildcats. Oh, and by the way—best of luck next week on the road against Miami. 

*******

This Week’s Winner:

The Corpse of Donovan McNabb. Despite the Vikings loss to the Bucs, he likely staved off the unemployment line for one more week with his blistering 228 yards on 18 of 30 attempts. And yes, it’s fair to call this ‘blistering’ after last week’s 37-yard passing debacle that disguised itself as an effort.

 

This Week’s Loser:

It’s too time-consuming to lambast the whole Chiefs organization, so we’ll pick on one person in particular. Over his last four games, Matt Cassel is 57-109 for 437 yards, with one solitary touchdown and nine pickoffs. His quarterback rating over this period is ‘negative penis.’

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 16 Comments

Starbeams: Kauffman Center Boasts of ‘Plaza Lights” Crowd, Chiefs Lose to Infomercial & No Cheese!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

An estimated 50,000 people took the first public tour of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Sunday. Sounds like they hired the same folks who used to put out the Plaza lights crowd count.  I was there with the family but discovered the line to get in was 4 blocks long. 

Most of the people I met thought they were in the unemployment line.

*******

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles had a season-ending injury yesterday as the team fell apart losing 48-3 to Detroit.  Even worse, the TV ratings are out and the Chiefs game came in behind an infomercial aired by Channel 9.

*******

Officials in Osceola, Missouri – half-way between here and Springfield and famous for "Osceola Cheese"  – are asking the University of Kansas to drop its Jayhawk mascot because the name refers to domestic terrorists that nearly destroyed the city 150 years ago. I’m asking the people of Osceola to stop making cheese because I’m lactose intolerant and their cheese is terrorizing my intestines.

 

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 6 Comments

Hearne: Halloween City Blows Away Christmas at Borders, 91st & Metcalf

Posted on September 17, 2011 by admin

I’ve seen the future of Halloween and it is now….

That spanking new Halloween City at 91st and Metcalf in the former home of Borders Books is eye popping beyond belief. I kid you not.  This store has anything and everything that you can or cannot imagine where Halloween is concerned. And you can take that to the bank.

Entire sections of spiders, swords, Jack O Lanterns, vampire capes, witch’s brooms and hats, plastic swords, caveman clubs, shields, fog and sound effects machines, massive displays of everything immaginable, devil paraphernelia, "spooky frames," life-sized, suspendible fiends of every type and an incredibly wide variety of costumes of every imaginable theme for every age. Even scary kiddie designer sweatshirts…

Plus a whole heckuva lot more.

Remember how vast Kansas City’s first Borders was? Halloween City has jammed stuff into every square inch!

It’s Disney in Orlando-like, and then some. It’s completely over-the-top. It puts Christmas to shame.

And here’s where it starts to get interesting…

For starters, there’s a good sized section of political character masks that include at least three Obamas, George H.W. Bush, Nixon, Bill and Hillary Clinton and last but not least, Sarah Palin. Can John McCain and Rick Perry be far behind?

How about KCTV weather wonk Gary Amble’s whacked out sister Michele Bachmann?

"We have Sarah, but not her," said a store manager.

Speaking of Bachmann and Palin, the days of worrying about stuff being "too sexy" appear to be in the rearview mirror.

At the rear of the store is a fenced off adults only section labeled "Hot! Hot! Hot!"

Naturally, I didn’t go in but a perimeter peek revealed an array of costumes – Playboy brand included – "Racy Red Riding Hood," a football-esque "Tackle Me" getup, for biker chicks a "Joy Rider," a "Midnight Nurse," "prep School Delinquent,"  a sexy beekeeper costume called ‘Sweet as Honey" and for police groupies, an "Officer Rita Dem Rights."

In short – if that’s possible at this point – the Halloween City’s as worthy of a visit as a wax museum or Ripley‘s. Plus it’s free.

Oh and to borrow a Steve Jobs expression, one more thing…..

This is Halloween City’s first ever venture into the state of Kansas, the manager told me. Plus there’s one in Lee’s Summit.

Accept no substitutes (and no they’re not an advertiser)…

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 7 Comments

Starbeams: New Federal Reserve Board Queen & Top 10 Reasons Bikers Won’t Miss Sedalia

Posted on September 17, 2011 by admin

 

For the first time in its 97 year history, a woman will lead the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Esther George is from Faucett, Missouri, just north of the metro. With a woman’s in charge of such a powerful bank, there’s bound to be a SUBSTANTIAL PENALTY FOR EARLY WITHDRAWAL. I tried going through theReserve bank drive-thru to get a sucker recently, but all I got was a black helicopter and and a lot of questions from the FBI.

*******

Yesterday we learned AMC Theatres is moving its headquarters from downtown KC to South Leawood. Also, the 28th annual BIKE MS Ride is moving from Missouri to Kansas.  We used to ride from Ray-Pec to Sedalia. Saturday, we ride from Garmin in Olathe to Lawrence.

To wit…

The TOP 10 THINGS WE WON’T MISS ABOUT RIDING TO SEDALIA:

#10. Leaving our precious bicycles in a place called the SWINE PAVILION.

#9.  The sense that the volunteers in Green Ridge have never seen people in spandex.

#8.  Trying to pronounce Tebo Creek.

#7.  Calculating at what point we leave Royals territory and entered Cardinals.

#6.  Central Missouri has more pickup trucks with naked lady mud flaps per-capita than any place in the country.

#5.  Trying to determine whether Ray-Pec High School is part of the KC metro or TULSA’s.

#4.  Pulling into HOLDEN and hearing someone radio, “THE FIRST CYCLISTS HAVE ARRIVED IN SEDALIA.”

#3.  Taking a shower at the State Fairgrounds and hearing a cowboy in the next stall say, “I WISH I KNEW HOW TO QUIT YOU.”

#2.  Is that smell coming from a chicken ranch or the guy riding in front of me?

#1.  Getting some weed stuck in your chain takes on a whole new meaning in Lawrence!

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 2 Comments

Hearne: Don’t Look Now but KC Confidential has a New Sports Columnist

Posted on September 17, 2011 by admin

It’s like this…

Things are about to get a lot more sporty at KC Confidential. You asked for it and now you’re about to get it receive. Starting this Monday – and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – KCC will sally forth with a blazingly hot, new sports columnist. One who even knows how to spell and has a rudimentary command of the King’s English.

A dude who’s passionate about sports and will bring both a knife and an edge to the gunfight otherwise known as the "comments section." Some of you may remember him from the Pitch. And no, it’s not C.J. I’m talking a different kinda dude.

And not Charles Ferruzza either.

I won’t bore you with the details until I can unleash a full bio but, suffice it to say sports is back.

The $64 million question: Will KCC pick up where we left off in June by burning down KC’s sports media gossip scene?

Good question – wait and see – but in  a perfect world, nobody is safe.

It’s been a long, hot, bitterly cruel summer for local sporty types. Not counting the touchdown dancing fans of Matt Donnelly and Sporting Kansas City. Other than a few ginned up slap fights between WHB and 610 Sports designed to pass the time, how much did we really miss? OK, OK, the demise of the Big 12, but that game’s still afoot.

I know many of you have had your fill of being told how bad the Royals and Chiefs suck.

Not that you can expect a complete respite, given the circumstances. But get ready to mothball your Beer Pong game because here we come…

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 28 Comments

Glazer: Humble $cribe Rolls Out College & Pro Picks for Weekend

Posted on September 16, 2011 by admin

You want me to give you my weekend picks? OK…

These are based on is the current Vegas line, which can change. College first.

OKLAHOMA -3 over Florida State. *******

Teaser Bet: STANFORD -9 over Arizona & Nebraska -17 over Washington. By betting these two games together as a teaser you get to knock 6 points off the spread on bioth games. So now Stanford is minus 3 and Nebraska is minus 11. But to get paid, you must win both games – it’s one bet.

Oklahoma State -131/2 over Tulsa

4) Bonus Bet: ASU 2 over Illinois. I love ASU’s quarterback Brock Osweiler. Who could just be the Chiefs’ lst round draft pick. NOTICE THIS IS MY ONLY UPSET PICK.

******* Craig’s top pick

NFL

Teaser bet:  Saints -6 over the Bears & the Packers -9 over Carolina. The teaser on these games is 6 again. Which means the Saints and Bears are even and Green Bay ends up minus 3.

Cleveland -21/2 over Indy -2 1/2

Houston – 3 over Miami -3.

Detroit – 71/2 over KC. This one looks so easy it’s a bit scary. *******

 

******* Craig’s top pick

AND IF YOU’RE BRAVE TAKE ALL NFL GAMES TO GO OVER (last week nearly all did).

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 47 Comments

Caitlin: Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer 2012 Collection for the Modern Gatsby Woman

Posted on September 16, 2011 by admin

On Thursday Ralph Lauren revealed his Spring 2012 Collection. Lauren has been a distinguished fashion designer for over 40 years—a fashion designer with a consistent style, reinterpreted season after season to be fresh and modern.

Lauren’s designs feel distinctly American, casual and formal pieces meant for the weekends at the Hamptons, Hollywood restaurants, and the Red Carpet. And his Spring 2012 Collection is no exception. The designer’s versatile collection included everything from short suits and day dresses to glamorous silk trousers and shimmering evening gowns.

Lauren launched the show with casual daily wear in a pastel color palate, like the colors from a bag of Easter M&Ms. Powder blue, pale pink, pale yellow, and mint green separates were showcased, styled with long, flower-print scarves, bucket hats, basket purses, and platform shoes. Fringe purses were carried by models wearing wide leg, silk trousers, perfectly balancing the luxurious material.

Following his pastel color palate, the collection moved into looks that were crisp and clean—a refreshing adjustment. Tailored trousers and menswear-inspired jackets, vests, and ties added layers and dimension to all-white outfits; tassel belts and long, single-strand pearls added simple luxury; pinstripe pants and jackets were a simple, subtle alternative.

Lauren’s tailoring also revisited the 1920s, Great Gatsby era, perhaps a nod to his work for the 1970s film that featured his designs. Tap shorts and shift dresses are examples of this style, and they were worked into Lauren’s spring collection.

Moving into the more formal looks of the collection, Lauren maintained cohesion. Models walked the runway in pale pink, blue, and mint green gowns. Enormous feather stoles accessorized gowns, and feathers adorned hemlines to provide an interesting texture. White silk gowns were breathtaking, some with open backs and elaborate beadwork.

Moving into the more formal looks of the collection, Lauren maintained cohesion. Models walked the runway in pale pink, blue, and mint green gowns. Enormous feather stoles accessorized gowns, and feathers adorned hemlines to provide an interesting texture. White silk gowns were breathtaking, some with open backs and elaborate beadwork.

But Lauren’s best looks were still menswear inspired, including a button-up, sleeveless shirt dress worn with a jacket and tie, and evening gowns with breathtaking metallic details and simple but impeccable design. While his silk dresses were gorgeous in all-white, they felt too much like nightgowns in other colors—particularly, his pink silk gown, worn with an oversized feather boa, like a real-life Barbie on the runway. 

Check the complete Ralph Lauren Spring 2012 Collection here.

Posted in Food_and_Fashion | Tagged | 2 Comments