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Glazer: Down & Out in Beverly Hills; The Jason Whitlock Story
Well, the jury’s in…
Former Kansas City Star sports columnists Jason Whitlock is kinda, sorta employed. But just by a sports website, Fox Sports. This is not the big time spot the once powerful Kansas City Sports Broker once held.
Jason was THE MAN, on the Kansas City sports scene.
No doubt about that. But nearly a year after he left, silence.
You don’t see Whitlock. You don’t hear Whitlock. You don’t really read Whitlock… well, anywhere.
Today: Wanted, Dead or Alive; Proof as to The Whereabouts of Jerry Mazer
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In the spirit of O.J.’s search for the real killer, I bring you my search for an actual dead body…
We’re talking about notorious Plaza panhandler Jerry Mazer, of course. He of the, "Can I get a down payment on a cheeseburger?" fame. The dude who in 1994 knocked the Plaza and City of Kansas City on their butts and got an ordinance banning bumming on the Plaza overturned. Not only that, the city had to cough up some cash for Mazer’s trouble to settle the case.
Mazer’s travels to San Fran and beyond and his subsequent run-ins with the Gestapo-like Plaza Patrol went on for years as he continued his pursuit of the American Dream along Kansas City’s Appian Way outside Barnes & Noble.
Until, several sources say, sometime late last summer or early fall.
That’s when Mazer, 56, allegedly tipped his toes toward the sky and said goodbye
OTC: Kansas Looks To Battle Richmond / Mizzou Coaching Search Buzz
“I kinda think Kansas might roll in this one. It’s more of a feeling I’m getting from Kansas than anything. … I will tell you that last night I picked Duke and BYU, so what do I know?”Jason King, of YahooSports.com, 610 AM
GH: Our last local team in The Dance and the only Big 12 team remaining takes on Richmond tonight at 6:27 PM (CT). Will they come hungry or play down to Richmond’s sleeper reputation? The experts are pretty certain the Jayhawks will not repeat the Northern Iowa loss in last year’s Sweet 16.
“I think Kansas just jams it inside (against Richmond).”
Doug Gottlieb, ESPN Radio
GH: Kansas will tower over the Spiders’, who are a poor rebounding team. I don’t see the Morris twins playing the game with their backs to the basket, though. That’s Thomas Robinson’s game. Look for the muscular T-Rob to have a big night in the paint.
Doug Gottlieb, ESPN Radio
GH: Kansas will tower over the Spiders’, who are a poor rebounding team. I don’t see the Morris twins playing the game with their backs to the basket, though. That’s Thomas Robinson’s game. Look for the muscular T-Rob to have a big night in the paint.
Hearne: Will News/Talk Station 980 KMBZ’s Talent Measure Up On The FM Dial?
The $64 million question: Will younger, trendier listeners flock to news/talk radio 980 KMBZ after it goes FM?
That’s a tough one.
At this point, nobody really knows. After all, the main thrust of frequency modulation (FM) is the high quality the signal imparts to music. I mean, how mellifluous can Rush Limbaugh get? And it’s not like Mike Shanin’s going to forget he’s not in the shower and break into song in the middle of dissing Obama or fantasizing about Sarah Palin. I mean, he is getting up there some, but…
Which brings us to the age issue…
For KMBZ to take its game to the next level, it needs to attract younger listeners when it begins to simulcast on KUDL 98.1’s FM signal. You know, people who don’t subscribe to the Kansas City Star.
Glazer: Nick Wright Taking KC Sports Talk Radio By Storm!
Afternoon drive 610 Sports host Nick Wright has taken KC sports radio by storm.
A year ago everybody went round and round about Nick Wright’s survival and could he compete or beat Kevin Kietzman and Soren Petro on 810 WHB. I voiced my opinion as YES, he would survive and eventually win out. Now it seems he’s just about there!
Nick has that cool, hip-hop style – the good part. He’s young and full of energy. And I like that he’s surrounded himself with his own on-air mafia. In year one, with less "name" guests, no less. He used to have me on quite a bit, but now I have to stand in line. Unlike WHB, Nick did my book interview a couple times, and 610 had me on with my new Ali film last year, WHB didn’t but was kind enough to ask me to get them Frank Caliendo on the station.
Mean me, I set it up.
Glazer: Will Sly Be KC’s Guy? The Jury Is Out
I picked the winner of the mayor’s race, the Superbowl, and both NFL playoff championship games – not bad.
Now the question becomes, what kind of leader will Sly James turn out to be?
Mayor-turned-congressman Emanuel Cleaver, was probably the popular Kansas City politician in the past 30 years. He had the support of both the white and black communities. In this election Sly James was helped by the fact midtown voters were behind him, while the heavier white vote of North KC and the Ward Parkway corridor went to loser Mike Burke.
Sly was not an apple to the eye to most black voters.
OTC: Mike Anderson Shows More Snake Than Hog In Leaving Mizzou
“It was handled as bad as it could have been handled on Mike Anderson’s side.”Gabe DeArmond, of PowerMizzou.com, on the head basketball coach’s departure from Mizzou to accept the Arkansas job, 810 AM
GH: DeArmond was a guest on Steven St. John’s and Nate Bukaty’s Thursday morning show and his commentary on what went down in Columbia Wednesday night regarding Anderson’s arrival at the airport and mysterious departure from Mizzou Arena was riveting radio. Apparently, Anderson chose the cowardly way out and bypassed speaking to the media after talking with his the Mizzou players.
“Media admitted (to Mizzou Arena after Anderson/players meeting). Cynics wonder if draw to divert so Anderson could get out. Wonder why he can’t/won’t face situation?”
Vahe Gregorian, of St. Louis Post Dispatch
GH: Anderson leaving Mizzou for Arkansas where he spent 17 years is understandable. His son called it “going home.” But why act like a snake the evening you make your departure official? He hid behind trucks at the airport, tried to lose reporters on his drive the arena and then snuck out of the building before facing the press. These are the same guys who throw a fit when a 17-year-old recruit changes his mind about signing a letter of intent. I lost a lot of respect for Coach Mike last night. Be a man and face the music. He chose to be a wimp and slither off into the night.
Today: Why News Radio KMBZ’s Move to FM May Not Work, Part One
Simulcasting news radio 980 KMBZ AM on the FM dial makes perfect sense – or does it…
While the station remains a cash cow for Entercom, its flagging ratings were bound to catch up with its pocketbook. So by bringing in more listeners grazing on the FM band – not the AM – KMBZ hopes to keep the cash coming in and perhaps charge a bit of a premium for a more upscale (and hopefully larger) FM enhanced audience.
Just how poorly has KMBZ fared of late?
In the just released February radio ratings it placed 14th in the market in adults 25 to 54 with a 3.5 share of listeners. And in its prime demo of adults 35 to 64 it came in 14th also.
Hearne: Police to KU Fans & Bars, Read Our Lips; No Open Containers
It’s that time of year again…
You can almost taste the jubilation. KU’s forging ahead in the NCAAs and the prospect of dancing in the streets is smack in the minds of Jayhawk faithful. To that end, a bartender at La Parrilla in downtown Lawrence told me the city and/or police enacted an ordinance or policy allowing bars and restaurants to let customers buy booze and take it to the streets.
Whenever KU‘s basketball team makes it into the Sweet 16 or Elite 8.Other customers added assurances that this was the case. It started in 2008 when KU won the national title.
Kinda makes sense, right?
New Jack City: How KC $tacks Up For Tourism & Business Visitors
Got a lot of response to my story about price gouging downtown during the Big 12 Tourney.
Most people agreed that parking prices up to $30 by opportunistic lot operators. were outrageous. Others thought I was a cheapskate and should have just ponied up the bucks no matter how bad it might look to visitors to KC.
But not to worry, the Slyster– new mayor Sly James — will surely look into it.
Which brings me to another matter; how Kansas City stacks up in terms of daily expenses for visitors and out-of-town business people compared to other cities.
And Business Travel News has just released its 2011 corporate travel index with the daily costs of doing business in the top 100 domestic and international cities.
Donnelly: Sporting Kansas City Should Never Have Let Chad Ochocinco Try Out
Today marks Day One of the traveling three ring circus known as Chad Ochocinco’s “Tryout” with Sporting KC. I’ve gone back and forth on this since the announcement.
On the one hand, I can theoretically understand why SKC would invite Ochocinco in for a few days. Let’s face it MLS is not exactly on the tip of most sports fans’ tongues.
In fact, there’s an almost unnatural distaste for soccer among some of the meathead NFL crowd.
They see soccer as a euro-centric pageant where guys with frosted tips and mullets roll around on the ground every time they get touched by an opposing player. So maybe, in a way, getting the support of a legit NFL star could help to bridge this gap between the D&D MLS diehards and fans of big time American sports.
And that’s a big maybe.
Hearne: Will Nick Wright or 980 KMBZ Commandeer KUDL FM’s Signal?
What’s to become of one of Kansas City most esteemed local radio signals, KUDL-FM?
Parent company Entercom told key advertisers today it would announce the signal’s fate tomorrow. KUDL currently plays soft rock, targeted to women at 98.1 on the FM dial. However at noon today Entercom did away with its Gen X radio format at 99.7, changing it to The Point, playing "Today’s Best Music" and targeting women between the ages of 25 and 49.
There’s more…
OTC: Nick Wright Gets Inked & It Might Stain Him
“I say this, and I mean it: You could not speak English, and be scanning the radio dial in Kansas City, and you would stop on my show.”Nick Wright, Ink Magazine
GH: Dugan Arnett wrote a feature piece on 610 Sports afternoon sports talk host for The Kansas City Star’s alternative weekly, Ink Magazine. I think Dugan’s piece was fair but a bit confusing. He appears to waffle between whether or not Wright is delusional or credible. One thing rang clear in the story, Wright is high on Wright. Read on.
“As (Nick Wright) spoke, he was nursing a wine cooler and … he had just finished providing a detailed and unsolicited account of how intelligent he happens to be (“I crushed the SATs”), how regularly he is recognized around town (“a lot”) and how, had he not decided to pursue a career in radio, he would have almost certainly become a very successful doctor or lawyer (“I could have gone to Harvard, probably”), and now he was leaning forward in his seat and explaining that, when you really break it down, there isn’t a sane individual on this planet who could listen to his radio show and not conclude that it is, without question, the best sports-talk program in Kansas City.”
Dugan Arnett, writer, Ink Magazine
GH: Makes you wonder why this future Johnny Cochran/Doogie Howser settled for talking sports.
Dugan Arnett, writer, Ink Magazine
GH: Makes you wonder why this future Johnny Cochran/Doogie Howser settled for talking sports.
Glazer: Elizabeth Taylor, The Queen is dead, Long Live the Queen!
Another big – in fact monster – movie star has passed away…
Elizabeth Taylor joins the long recent list with celebrities like Paul Newman and Dennis Hopper as, "Man, I can’t believe they’re gone" people.
The way Hollywood is today, it’s not likely there’ll be another Liz Taylor. Someone who literally owns the screen for decades as both a sex symbol and a great actress. I remember being in Miami, Florida as a little kid and my grandmother taking me to see CLEOPATRA with Liz and her husband Richard Burton. I hated seeing her die in the movie, but not so much him. Hah!
As I’ve said before, there are few movie stars that I didn’t meet, know or see in Hollywood during my 16 years there. And without doubt, Liz Taylor was at the top of my list, even though I only saw her once.
Today: Entercom To Blow Up Historic KUDL FM, Changes Format on 99.7…Again
This just in….
Entercom radio told advertisers today that it’s blowing up up one of Kansas City’s most legendary radio stations, KUDL 98.1 FM. The soft rock station is more-or-less being folded into a new station and format called The Point on sister signal 99.7 FM. Until today 99.7 was the home of Gen X Radio, which debuted just last year.
In a telephone conference call, Point program director Mark Edwards described the new format as being designed to serve Kansas City women between the ages of 25 and 49.
OTC: Media Struggles To Solve Whether Mike Anderson Stays Or Goes
“I have never covered a story where both sides are hearing such diametrically things. Anybody who tells you they know, they’re not telling the truth.”Gabe DeArmond, of PowerMizzou.com, on the fluidness of whether or not Mike Anderson is staying or going, in an interview with Steven St. John and Nate Bukaty, 810 AM
GH: The Mike Anderson saga is now in its third year of whether he stays or goes from the Mizzou basketball program he revived after the Quin Snyder debacle. This courtship with Arkansas is easily the most serious of his past affairs. In the past few days reports have swung wildly back and forth that Anderson was gone to Arkansas and also that he had struck a deal to stay in Columbia. It somewhat mirrors his Tigers’ chaotic performances on the court the past two months.
“Overwhelmingly the Missouri fans who follow me on Twitter want him to go.”
Steven St. John, 810 AM
GH: Has Anderson tested the Mizzou faithful fan base one too many times? According to SSJ there may not be much of a home to return to if Anderson does decide to stay.
Steven St. John, 810 AM
GH: Has Anderson tested the Mizzou faithful fan base one too many times? According to SSJ there may not be much of a home to return to if Anderson does decide to stay.
Joe Miller: Election 2011, Out With The Old, In With The New, Take Cover!
Once again, the Star is the big winner on Election Day in KCMO.
During the primary, the paper of record conquered the Titans of Industry, the Chamber of Commerce and the secretive cabal of CEOs known as the Civic Council, when it backed Mike Burke and Sly James over Deb Hermann.
For the general, for the coup de grace, they vanquished the King Maker, the Old Mr. Moneybags who had never backed a loser in a mayor’s race: Mr. James B. Nutter.
So now we know, once and for all, who runs this city.
A word to Mayor-Elect Sly James from a man who has been 29th floor and failed:
Sounds Good: James McMurtry, Lewis Black, and the ACBs
Like a moth to a flame, this week’s must-see shows will suck you in, but may ultimately contribute to your untimely demise…
The first, with a grizzled and honest desperation. The second, with insanely maniacal exasperation.
And the third……… with a huge gun.
I know, scary, right?
Okay, just kidding about the huge gun thing – kinda – not about the first two though…
Tonight: End of an Era; Jim Nutter Sr. Loses Mayor’s Race for First Time
This just in from a political observer who declined to be identified…
"This is the first time Jim Nutter Sr.’s lost a Kansas City mayoral election since H. Roe Bartle was in office," says the source. "Until tonight, he’s won every mayor’s race since H. Roe Bartle – that’s your story."
In an interview earlier this week Nutter confirmed he was backing Mike Burke over eventual winner Sly James. Nutter noted that this was the fourth mayor’s race pitting a black candidate against a white one.
Nutter had backed the winners in the first three; Dick Berkley over Bruce Watkins, Emanuel Cleaver over Bob Lewellen and – to Nutter’s everlasting chagrine – current KC mayor Mark Funkhouser over Alvin Brooks.
This was to be Nutter’s fourth victory in the mayoral races of black versus white. Just one problem..
Joe Miller: To Vote or Not to Vote, That Was the Question
That thing I wrote last week about voting for Mike Burke? Total lie.
It wasn’t a lie at the time I wrote it. But today, as I stepped out of my house and headed for the polling place, I realized that I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Maybe it was the conversation I had this weekend with one of my neighbors. He said he was voting for Sly James because his wife, who used to work right in the middle of everything at City Hall, said Burke is exactly the same kind of leader we’ve always had. He’s always been part of the in-crowd, and the in-crowd is who has made this city the fucked up mess that it is.
Hard to come up with a good response to that one.
So as I strolled down to the old Catholic church where I do my voting, I thought about who I might vote for.
