Tag Archives: Hearne Christopher
Hearne: Lew Perkins Legacy at KU
Just spin, baby…
Everybody loves to kick a dude when he’s down, but the fact of the matter is KU athletics director Lew Perkins was really never that far up when it comes right down to it.
Sure he got KU athletic supporters to cough up a buncha cash before the economic bubble burst two years ago. And the football team had its Orange Bowl Season, the basketball team its national championship magic.
But Sweet Lew had zero to do with hiring Bill Self or Mark Mangino, the architects of those achievements.
And the truth be known, we’ll likely never know how much long term cash was lost because of Perkins across the board bouncing of KU season ticket holders from their long held basketball and football seats. Continue reading
Hearne: Star Layoffs/Cutbacks Today, This Week?
More cutbacks, layoffs and/or unpaid furloughs are expected at the Kansas City Star...
Possibly this week. Since the layoffs tend to come at the beginning of pay periods, one of which starts this week. The Labor Day holiday threw things off by at least one day, since Monday was a holiday.
KC Confidential first reported rumors of more layoffs last month on August 10.
Interestingly, embattled Star editor Mike Fannin was MIA all last week. Continue reading
Hearne: KC Star Layoffs, Furloughs & Excuses Unfold; the Hit List
As expected, the latest round of Kansas City Star layoffs and cutbacks unfolded today…
The known hit list: LaJean Keene in FYI, copy editor Deb Bauer, copy editor and Inkster Liz Garcia, copy editor (and hotdog connoisseur) Gary Marx on the copy desk, reporter Sarah Shepherd, neighborhood news editor Julie Adam, reporter Meredith Rodriguez, special sections artist Continue reading
Hearne: KCC Fab Four take on Starlight Fab Four Tonight!
In what may be a musical theater first, four – count ’em, four – of Continue reading
Hearne: Baby Flash Mob Rocks Plaza on Saturday Night
Think of it as a Saturday Night Special…
Whether you want to call it a flash mob or just an influx of urban youth, the Plaza kid problem was back in play on Saturday night. Complete with 300 to 350 roving urban youth, Continue reading
Hearne: Star Layoffs Tomorrow or Next Week?
As reported here three weeks back, more layoffs appear to be on the way at the Kansas City Star…
As noted earlier, newspaperlayoffs.com reported August 5 that sister Star newspaper the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram had just laid off 15 newsroom staffers.
And sources say Continue reading
Hearne: Star Editor Missing in Action as Layoffs Loom
Will Kansas City Star editor Mike Fannin live to tell the story?
First Fannin took a three-hour radio and cable TV drubbing at the hands of former sports scribe Jason Whitlock. Whitlock painted a picture of Fannin as a party boy who had been having an “inappropriate relationship” with his immediate subordinate, Star sports editor Holly Lawton (a.k.a. sportsbabe68 on Twitter).
Coincidentally, Lawton abruptly resigned just prior to the three-month Whitlock “vacation” saga reaching full boil. Continue reading
Hearne: K2 History, K3 Sucks, Enter ‘Heaven Scent’
There’s a new smoking substance in town…
As of midnight Friday, the synthetic marijuana substitute known as K2 is no more. Legally speaking, anyway. That’s because Missouri joined Kansas in banning the stuff. A new Missouri law – similar to a Kansas bill earlier this year – outlaws the sale of K2’s active ingredients, the synthetic cannabinoids JWH-073 and JWH-018.
Not a problem, says Micah Riggs, the owner of Coffee Wonk at 3535 Broadway.
“I have my new stuff in and it’s going very, very well,” Riggs says. “And we had a nice K2 going away party on August 27th at two locations.”
The name of Riggs new game: Heaven Scent Incense.
Not to be confused with another new smoking substance called K3. Continue reading
Hearne: Chiefs & Chopper, Tough Times for Team and Star
Sad state of affairs of late at the Kansas City Star…
Then again, who isn’t having problems? These are difficult days for many.
Let’s start, for example, with the Blackout Boyz aka the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hard to remember a time when this many core Chiefs football fans were this down on the team this early. Hope usually springs somewhat eternal. And say what you will about exiled Big Chief Continue reading
Hearne/Fitzpatrick: Star Editor Guilty of Assault Charge in Texas
Turns out there’s more Continue reading
Hearne: Derek and the Dominos; Whitlock ‘Expanation’ M.I.A.
Seems like only yesterday, Kansas City Star ombudsman Derek Donovan was assuring readers that Jason Whitlock would return…
Actually, it was June 22nd and here’s what Donovan wrote for all to see:
“Jason Whitlock will return
I’ve had a lot of questions about where Jason Whitlock has been recently. Many readers have wanted to hear his opinions on the Big 12 shakeup, in particular.
He’s taking some personal time off, but will return. He hasn’t set a date yet that I’m aware of.”
That seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? Clear as mud. Continue reading
Hearne: Add Two DUI Convictions to Star Editor Mike Fannin’s Resume
And another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust….
To the dramatic slagheap of startling revelations and allegations about Kansas City Star editor Mike Fannin unfolding over the past week, add the following:
A pair of DUI convictions, two days of slam time and three days of house arrest.
That according to Wyandotte County District Court digital records.
On April 8, 2006, court documents say, one Michael C. Fannin did operate his vehicle “while driving under the influence of alcohol” at an alleged speed of 74 miles-per-hour in a 55 mph zone, on Continue reading
Hearne: Boo! Max Weinberg Big Band Rumored to Play Jardine’s Halloween
This just in…
Move over, Marilyn Maye. It’s not official, but sources say the most fiendish Halloween ticket in town may go down October 31st at Jardine’s jazz club on the Plaza. That because the Max Weinberg Big Band is rumored to be close to inking a deal to raise the dead for two shows there that night. Continue reading
Hearne: Will Whitlock’s Stunning Expose Cost Star Editor His Job?
Should Kansas City Star publisher Mark Zieman have taken embattled editor Mike Fannin’s advice two years ago to not hire him?
Statements about Fannin made Friday on local radio and television by recently resigned Continue reading
Hearne: What Happened to Our Ass Clown Suits?
Wisely, former Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock wasted zero time ragging on the gang here at KC Confidential for engaging in a two-month guessing game as to the whys and wherefores behind his prolonged, unexplained absence from the paper the past three months…
Instead he opted to let the actual cats out of the bag as to why he and the newspaper had parted ways.
And kick ass cats they were…
Forget the stick-in-the-mud posturing about whether it was unprofessional or not, Whitlock clearly had the guts and ammunition to lay it all on the line and that’s just what he did.
Too bad Whitlock’s twin broadcast delivery mechanism of choice resulted in confusion and misinformation. Continue reading
Hearne: Welcome to the Whitlock Channel
All Whitlock all of the time…
Nah, looks can be deceiving...
If it seems like KC Confidential has been dabbling a bit much in the Jason Whitlock / Kansas City Star saga this week, you can stop rubbing your eyes now. I admit it.
But allow me to assure you this will not continue indefinitely.
All good things must come to an end. Whitlock’s gonna spill his beans today on Nick Wright’s 610 Sports show from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and we’ll likely move on down the road with the rest of the people on the planet with bigger fish to fry. In the meantime, maybe we’ll get thrashed today along with the Star and maybe we won’t.
Whatever…
Either way, Whitlock’s news cycle appears to have about run its course. Which is not to say it’s time to curl up in a ball and fade away. Not just yet. We may yet find a few cards to play.
Like restaurateur Mike Garozzo’s take on Whitlock’s fall from grace. Continue reading
Starbeams: Top 5 Ways David Glass Made The K Feel Like Wal-Mart, Panhandling on the Plaza
Former Wal-Mart CEO and current Royals owner David Glass denies rumors he wants to sell the team. Not only that, Continue reading
Hearne: Ass Clown Suits All Around for KC Confidential
About that Jason Whitlock reality show simulcast tomorrow on 610 and Metro Sports…
Word on the street is the big fella – who by the way at my last sighting had chased away a lot of his chubby – is supremely pissed at yours truly, Craig Glazer, Jim Fitzpatrick and the gang at KC Confidential. I don’t want to sell Greg Hall short, I just haven’t heard his name being taken in vain of late. And I think W might be afraid to mess with Greg, given their, uh, history.
I think you get my drift.
In any case, despite the compliments Glazer laid on his one time pal, Whitlock apparently focused on the negatives in Glazer’s post. Specifically, the part where the smoking hot babes were willing to ride shotgun as arm candy for the big guy, but Continue reading
Hearne: Whitlock’s Tweety Bird Does the Hearne Burn
So what do I think of Fallen Star Jason Whitlock’s nasty spate of anti-Hearne twittering?
Predictable.
Anybody who knows Whitlock – even a little – knows that for all of his bluff and braggadocio he comes fully equipped with paper thin skin. Newspaper thin.
And he’s got at least 16 years of public meltdowns to show for it. His infamous on-air screaming matches with former 980 KMBZ sports talk host Don Fortune. The antics that got him suspended by the Star at the New England Patriots football game oh so many years ago. His high profile debacles and firings at Entercom and ESPN. Added to however many of his caustic/defensive columns in the Kansas City Star. Even his dramatic falling out with his one-time best buddy, sports muse and occasional ghost writer Greg Hall.
Now Whitlock’s down to lowly me. Read on. Continue reading
