Friday, August 31, 2012

Chiefs Fall To Packers, 24-3

The Chiefs wrapped up another lackluster preseason last night, falling to Green Bay Packers 24-3. After winning its first preseason game in convincing fashion, Kansas City lost its remaining three. The team is now 7-29 in exhibition games since 2004.

Most of the game was a battle of the backups, but the Chiefs first-string offense looked good early on. The team moved the ball consistently, and found a lot of success on the ground. Despite gaining a lot of yards, Kansas City could only muster three points. One drive stalled and Ryan Succop missed a 54 yard field goal, and another drive ended with a Brady Quinn interception when the Chiefs were about to score. From there, things went south in a hurry.

Offensively, Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney struggled to consistently move the ball, and the Chiefs got almost nothing through the air. Despite rushing for 247 yards for the game, Kansas City only scored three points, although it should be expected that the team’s third and fourth string quarterbacks would have trouble lighting up the scoreboard.

The biggest concern Chiefs fans should have is how the team’s defense played. Packers backup QB Graham Harrell had been having a terrible preseason, but he absolutely lit-up the Chiefs last night. Harrell finished 13 of 15 with 223 yards, and he led the Packers to a touchdown on all three of his possessions, and all three were long scoring drives. On some plays, the Packers’ receivers were wide open, and while Green Bay boasts one of the most talented and deepest WR corps in the league, most of these players will likely not even make the team for Green Bay.

The entire preseason exposed one of the Chiefs’ biggest weaknesses – the team has a severe lack of depth, particularly on defense. What makes this troubling is that the team still does not know if Brandon Flowers or Kendrick Lewis will be ready for the start of the season, and Tamba Hali is suspended for the first game. Injuries are a regular occurrence in the NFL, and if the Chiefs suffer any more on defense, it doesn’t appear that it has a lot of guys who can step in and play at a high level.

Kansas City’s regular season starts next Sunday at 12:00 p.m. when the team hosts the Atlanta Falcons.

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Kansas City Chiefs - Green Bay Packers Preview

The Chiefs will wrap up their preseason tonight, as they visit Green Bay to take on the Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Kansas City is looking to turn things around after an embarrassing performance against the Seattle Seahawks in its last preseason game. After opening the preseason with a rare victory, Kansas City has reverted back to struggling in its exhibition games. In fact, since 2004, the team is 7-28 in the preseason, however these exhibition games have often given little indication on how the team will perform during the regular season.

It is unknown how long the Chiefs starters will play. Head coach Romeo Crennel indicated that he will go by feel. The Chiefs played most of their starters for quite a while in last year’s final preseason game, although Crennel may elect to play his reserves more to prevent any more injuries from occurring. Cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Kendrick Lewis continue to be held out, and the team will also likely be without CB Jalil Brown, DT Toribio, WR Terrence Copper and DL Allen Bailey for tonight’s game. Toribio has been used as the starting nose tackle, so his absence means first-round pick Dontari Poe will have an opportunity to play with the starters and prove himself to the coaching staff. Another player who has something to prove is the recently-signed Dwayne Bowe, who may see a lot of action as the coaches try to get him up to speed before the regular season starts.

The Packers may have revenge on their minds entering this game, as the Chiefs were the only team to defeat them in the regular season last year. If Green Bay wants to avenge last year’s loss, they will have to do so with their backups – head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the starters will play only one series, and many starters will not see the field at all. Graham Harrell, the Packers second-string quarterback, has struggled mightily this preseason, and the coaching staff will likely try to give him as much game time as they can.

Since Kansas City will be facing Green Bay’s backups for almost the entire game, this will be a good opportunity for the team to gain some confidence and erase the memory of the Seahawks game. However, the Chiefs simply cannot afford to lose any more key players to injury, so Crennel may have to pull his starters early as well. We may see an ugly battle-of-the-backups tonight at Lambeau field.

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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Sports Illustrated's Peter King Picks Chiefs To Win AFC West & Roster Updates

The Chiefs have only one preseason game left, meaning that the team’s regular season opener at home against the Atlanta Falcons is less than two weeks away. There have been several interesting updates regarding the team, from where most pundits expect the team to finish to who has won the backup quarterback position.

Despite being in the midst of another horrible preseason, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King has picked Kansas City to win the AFC West with a 10-6 record. Not only does King thing the Chiefs will make the playoffs, he has the team winning its first round game against the Buffalo Bills (the Bills making the playoffs may be even more of a shock) before falling to the New England Patriots in the divisional round. Kansas City has not won a playoff game since 1994, which means should King’s prediction come true, the team will snap a streak longer than 18 years. King also predicted that Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel will win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. Chiefs fans shouldn’t start celebrating – King picked Kansas City’s rival, the Denver Broncos, to reach the Superbowl before losing to the Green Bay Packers.

In regards to the players on King’s future division champion, Brady Quinn has officially been named the second string quarterback entering the season. Quinn had been in competition with Ricky Stanzi during camp for the right to be next-in-line after Matt Cassel, and ultimately won out due to his game experience. Quinn never lit the world on fire in Cleveland, but he was rarely surrounded by good offensive talent. Should Matt Cassel find himself on the IR once again this season, Quinn should be able to keep the team competitive.

Kansas City will wrap up its preseason tomorrow night at Lambeau field against the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Chiefs Make Roster Cuts

Fresh off a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Chiefs were forced to make some roster cuts. Kansas City ended up cutting 14 players to reach the league-mandated number of 75 for this point in time.

Most of the players cut are first or second-year players that have not made much of an impact on the team. Chiefs fans will likely recognize wide receiver Jeremy Horne and fullback Shane Bannon, who have seen playing time in the past. Bannon’s release is a little surprising, given that the team has been very thin at fullback during the preseason. Many expected him to at least make it to the 53 man roster cut. Kansas City fans may also remember Tim Biere, who was a standout tight end at the University of Kansas.

The full list of the players Kansas City cut:

• Shane Bannon - FB

• Tim Biere - TE

• Caleb Campbell - LB

• Justin Cheadle - OL

• Dominique Ellis - DB

• Jean Fanor - DB

• Dexter Heyman - LB

• Cam Holland - OL

• Jeremy Horne - WR

• Ethan Johnson - DE

• Brandon Kinnie - WR

• Zeke Markshausen - WR

• Matt Szymanski - K

• Aaron Weaver – WR

The team will make its final cuts on Friday, after concluding its preseason schedule with an away game at Green Bay. Head coach Romeo Crennel has yet to comment on the roster cuts, but injuries may play a factor in regards to which players the team keeps. The Chiefs have been hit hard in the secondary, as cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Kendrick Lewis continue to nurse nagging injuries and may miss some time early in the regular season. The team signed a several undrafted free agent defensive backs this offseason, and these players have to feel better about their chance to make the final 53 man roster.

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Monday, August 27, 2012

Chiefs-Seahawks Game Recap

After a disappointing showing against the St. Louis Rams, the Chiefs were looking to make a statement against the Seattle Seahawks in the all-important third preseason game. Rather than turn things around, things went from bad to worse for Kansas City, as the team got embarrassed by Seattle, 44-14.

The Chiefs had no answer for Seattle’s Russell Wilson, a rookie third-round pick out of Wisconsin who recently won the team’s starting job over Matt Flynn. Wilson threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 58 yards, leading the Seahawks to scores on their first six possessions. The absence of cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Kendrick Lewis was noticeable in the passing attack and the Chiefs front seven mustered little pressure on the QB and routinely gave up big plays on the ground. Kansas City had one of the better defenses in the NFL last year, but the unit has not looked sharp this preseason. With Tamba Hali suspended for the first game of the regular season and Flowers and Lewis continuing to fight nagging injuries, head coach Romeo Crennel is going to have to get creative and find a way to improve the defense while it is missing some key players.

Offensively, Kansas City struggled all night long, including going three-and-out on the team’s first four drives. The Chiefs had one impressive drive in the second quarter, marching 80 yards and scoring on a Dexter McCluster reception, but the rest of the night was pretty dismal. Matt Cassel threw an interception that was returned 75 yards for a touchdown, and the team failed to hit on any big plays once it got down by a couple of scores.

Even special teams were troublesome for the Chiefs, as Seattle’s Golden Tate returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

It is still only the preseason, but Kansas City played its starters well into the third quarter and looked overmatched by an average Seattle team. Injuries on defense have been a major problem, and the team will have to find more consistency on offense. Hopefully the return of Dwayne Bowe will ignite a spark for the offense, and Flowers and Lewis can return from injury soon to aid the defense.

The team’s final preseason game will be this Thursday, when the Chiefs travel to Lambeau Field to play the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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Friday, August 24, 2012

Kansas City Chiefs-Seattle Seahawks Preview

The third preseason game is considered by football fans and players to be the most important, as teams traditionally play their starters for the majority of the game and treat the contest more like the regular season. The Chiefs third preseason game is tonight, when the team will host the Seattle Seahawks.

It has been an up-and-down preseason so far for Kansas City - the team looked very sharp in its opening game win against the Arizona Cardinals yet struggled in its second game in a loss against the St. Louis Rams. The biggest story line for the Chiefs is the newly-signed Dwayne Bowe and what role he will play. Bowe recently signed his franchise tender after skipping the team’s entire offseason program and the first two preseason games, so he has had only a few days to learn the new playbook. While he likely will only see a few series, head coach Romeo Crennel has indicated that Bowe will see the field.

Bowe isn’t the only big story line for tonight’s game. The Chiefs are still sorting out some position battles, particularly at back-up quarterback. Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi have been battling for the number two spot all preseason, and it appears that Quinn likely has the upper-hand to be next-in-line after Matt Cassel. Cassel has had some injury problems in the past, which makes the team’s QB2 battle intriguing.

Seattle raised a few eyebrows this week when it announced that rookie quarterback Russell Wilson would start the all-important third preseason game. Wilson, a third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, has played well this preseason, and it appears he has a legitimate shot to win the starting job in Seattle. Most thought that Matt Flynn, who was signed as a free agent to a lucrative deal, would earn the position. Flynn has spent his career spelling NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and looked impressive filling in for the Rodgers when he was hurt for a game in 2011 and didn’t play the team’s regular season finale last year as they had already locked up the top playoff seed. The Seahawks will likely be watching both very closely tonight, with the regular season only a couple weeks away.

Game time tonight at Arrowhead Stadium is 7:00 p.m. The Chiefs will wrap up their preseason next Thursday, when the team travels to Lambeau Field to play the Packers.

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Royals Offense Stalls, Team Drops Series To Rays

After sweeping the white sox over the weekend, the Royals came back down to earth a bit, dropping two out of three to the Tampa Bay Rays. Kansas City’s lone win came in an epic, extra-innings pitching duel between Like Hochevar and David Price.

David Price is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but on Tuesday, Kansas City’s Luke Hochevar went toe-to-toe with the All Star. Hochevar only allowed one hit while striking out ten, absolutely dominating the Rays and looking like the player the Royals thought they were getting when they selected him first overall in the 2006 MLB draft. Price was nearly as effective, striking out eight while only allowing three hits. The game was scoreless until the 10th inning, when Eric Hosmer hit a two-out single to score Jeff Francoeur. From there, Kansas City’s Kelvin Herrera held the lead, giving him his first victory in the major leagues.

Unfortunately for the Royals, their bats never quite woke up in this series, as they scored only five times over the three game span against the Rays. On Monday, the team only mustered one run off of Jeremy Hellickson, and today, the team got only three on the scoreboard against James Shields. The Rays are the best pitching team in the American League, boasting a 3.27 team ERA, and Kansas City may just have to be thankful they picked up one win thanks to Hochevar’s dominating performance. The team didn’t have many highlights from the plate, but Alcides Escobar did hit an RBI triple in the eighth inning.

The team’s upcoming schedule should provide the Royals with an opportunity to pick up a few more wins, as the team heads to Boston for a four game series with the struggling Red Sox. Game one in the series will be Friday night at 6:10 p.m. Bruce Chen (9-10) will start for Kansas City, and Jon Lester (7-10) will start for Boston.

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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Tamba Hali Suspended For Chiefs Season Opener

The Chiefs defense has suffered some injuries to several key players over the past few weeks, and now the unit has received more bad news. Tamba Hali, the team’s best pass rusher and a key to Kansas City’s defense, has been suspended from the season opener against Atlanta. Hali will be suspended without pay, and will be fined an additional game’s paycheck as well.

The good news for Chiefs fans is that Hali only received a one-game suspension. Often, the NFL doles out a four game suspension (or longer) for a substance-abuse violation. The bad news is the one game Hali will miss is a big one – the season opener against a talented Atlanta Falcons team. The Falcons have been a playoff team for the past two seasons, and should give Kansas City all it can handle to start the season. Even worse, the team is missing Brandon Flowers and Kendrick Lewis, and it is unknown when the two defensive backs will return. A depleted secondary and the absence of the team’s best pass rusher could be a recipe for disaster for Kansas City.

Since the team drafted him in the first round, Hali has been a consistent force for Kansas City. In his career, Hali has 266 tackles and 53.5 sacks, as well as 22 forced fumbles. His last two years have been his best, with 14.5 sacks two years ago and 12 last season.

It is unknown who will replace Hali in the starting lineup. Andy Studebaker is the most likely replacement, as he has been a reliable backup for the team over the past four seasons and knows the defense well. The other option is Cameron Sheffield, who hasn’t seen much playing time in his three year career. Neither player is known for his ability to pressure the quarterback, which will make second-year player Justin Houston’s play even more important. Houston showed the ability to get to the quarterback in his rookie season, and the Chiefs will need him to step up and play well with Hali sidelined.

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Monday, August 20, 2012

Guthrie Flirts With No-Hitter, Royals Sweep White Sox

Jeremy Guthrie has been on fire lately, and that trend continued yesterday. Guthrie took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Royals defeated the White Sox 5-2. The win gave Kansas City a sweep over their AL Central rival, and the team has been playing winning baseball over the past two weeks.

The hit that broke up Guthrie’s no-hitter attempt has been a controversial subject. Paul Konerko hit a ground ball that shortstop Alcides Escobar had to dive for. Escobar was able to make an accurate throw to first baseman Eric Hosmer, however the throw took a bounce that Hosmer was unable to field. It appeared the play should have been an error on Hosmer, however the official scorer Del Black decided that Escobar had to make too tough a play which resulted in an infield single. As a result, Guthrie didn’t even get a victory, as Chicago tacked on two runs later in the 8th inning. Luckily, Kansas City got some great hitting from Salvador Perez, who drove in runs in the 6th and 8th to twice give Kansas City the lead.

Dayton Moore has taken some heat this year, particularly for trading Melky Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez, who was a complete disaster for the Royals. However, he should be commended for trading Sanchez for Guthrie, who has been absolutely lights-out over his past several starts. Guthrie has likely earned a permanent spot in the Royals’ rotation, and could be part of the team’s future plans. With some key pitchers returning from injury next season, suddenly one of Kansas City’s biggest weaknesses – starting pitching – has a potentially bright future.

Kansas City’s sweep of Chicago improved the team’s record to 54-66 on the season, and the team will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to Tampa Bay for a three game series with the Rays. The first game starts tonight at 6:10 p.m., and Will Smith (4-4) will start for the Royals. Jeremy Hellickson (7-8) will be the starting pitcher for the Rays.

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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Chiefs Fall To Rams, 31-17

After a hot start to their preseason, the Chiefs looked sloppy last night in a 31-17 loss to the lowly St. Louis Rams. Kansas City's defense struggled, giving up two quick touchdowns against the Rams' first-string offense and 17 total first half points.

The defensive performance has to be worrisome for Chief fans. Kansas City gave up a quick touchdown on St. Louis' opening possession, then allowed the Rams to score only a few minutes later after a costly Jonathan Baldwin fumble. The Rams, who were one of the worst offensive teams in all of football last year, gained 151 yards in the first quarter alone. The Chiefs' D looked great against Arizona, but the Cardinals have some of the worst quarterback play in the league. The Chiefs have a very talented defense, and they are missing their best cornerback, so this may have simply just been a random poor showing.

Offensively, Kansas City didn't fare much better. Cassel played the entire first half, and he put up decent numbers as the Chiefs mustered 10 points. However, turnovers plagued the team all night, as the Chiefs committed four turnovers - three of them fumbles. With the Rams' offensive clicking early, the turnovers proved to be the difference in the game. The team's backups didn't play very well either, as the Chiefs only score in the second half came late in the game, when Brady Quinn hit Jeremy Horne for a 38 yard touchdown.

Many have predicted the Rams to make some improvements this season under new head coach Jeff Fisher, and St. Louis looked sharp last night after getting blown out by the Colts in their first preseason game. The facts are what they are, however, and St. Louis is coming off a dismal 2-14 season in which they averaged 12 points a game. Hopefully this loss will get the attention of the Chiefs' younger players and will help the team get focused with the regular season only a couple weeks away.

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Friday, August 17, 2012

Chiefs Conclude Camp, Prepare for Rams

The Chiefs 2012 training camp is officially over, as the team held its final practice yesterday. The team has made some strides, looking very good in its first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals and establishing a depth chart. However, Kansas City has also suffered a few key injuries, and has several questions to answer with the regular season approaching.

The biggest question for Chiefs fans is the status of All-Pro wide receiver Dwayne Bowe – and at the moment, we don’t have an answer. The team failed to reach a long-term deal with their best wide receiver, and Bowe is currently holding out for a better deal. Some speculate that the team may choose not to resign Bowe, as the Chiefs will have several other important players who will need to be resigned in the near future, including Branden Albert, Jovan Belcher, Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Siler and Dustin Colquitt. Jonathan Baldwin, the team’s 2011 first round pick, had an impressive camp, and the team has other reliable receivers such as Steve Breaston. There is no denying, however, that Bowe makes the Chiefs a better team, and Kansas City is running out of time to get something done.

The Chiefs have also dealt with several injuries, and Brandon Flowers, Cameron Sheffield, DeQuan Menzie and Cyrus Gray will all miss the team’s second preseason game tomorrow against the St. Louis Rams. Flowers’ injury is the most concerning, as his hurt foot has yet to heal. Flowers should be ready to go by the time the regular season starts, but it would be nice for the Chiefs’ best corner to get some preseason reps in.

Kansas City travels to St. Louis tomorrow for its second preseason game. The Rams’ looked terrible in their first preseason contest, getting destroyed by the Indianapolis Colts 38-3. Many thought St. Louis would be improved this year, with Sam Bradford maturing and new head coach Jeff Fisher running the team, but their first preseason game was a disappointment. Kansas City looked very sharp in its first preseason game, and tomorrow’s game will be a good opportunity for the team to continue to work in its new offense.

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Chiefs Training Camp Updates

The Chiefs have one preseason game under their belt, and the 2012 NFL regular season is only a few weeks away. The team is still practicing, and there are several important updates that have recently come out of camp.

The biggest concern the team has is the foot injury of starting cornerback Brandon Flowers. Flowers has a bruised heel which has kept him out of practice since July 31. Initially, the coaching staff thought Flowers would only miss a few practices; however now the team is worried that he might not make it back for the team’s regular season opener on Sept. 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Flowers is a critical component to the Chiefs defense, and it is very concerning that his foot has yet to heal properly. Time is still on the team’s side, and hopefully Kansas City’s top corner can get healthy before the regular season starts.

One of the biggest position battles has been at nose tackle, where Anthony Toribio continues to impress coaches and hold down the starting spot. This has drawn the ire of many Chiefs fans, as Poe was considered a reach by many and now it appears that the team’s first round pick isn’t good enough to win a starting position. Kansas City has done a poor job of drafting defensive tackles in the past, which is likely part of the reason Chiefs fans are so on edge, but this seems like an overreaction. Poe has talent, and Toribio has had an extremely productive camp. The rookie should be given a little more time to learn the ropes, and Chiefs fans should be happy there is good depth at a position that is critical to the team’s 3-4 alignment.

Finally, it appears that Brady Quinn is still the second string quarterback – although this could change in the near future. Quinn was not impressive in the team’s first preseason game against the Cardinals, and he has rotated with Ricky Stanzi in practice lately as the number two QB. If Quinn has another unimpressive performance in the team’s next preseason game, Stanzi will likely get a shot to win the backup QB position behind starter Matt Cassel.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Royals Shut Out A's - Jeremy Guthrie Continues To Dominate

Almost a month ago, the Royals traded the struggling Jonathan Sanchez for Jeremy Guthrie, a pitcher who was also in the middle of a bad season. At first it appeared that the Royals failed to gain anything from the trade, as Guthrie struggled in his first start in Kansas City. Now, that trade appears to be a steal, as the new Royals pitcher is in the middle of an incredible pitching streak and could become a mainstay in Kansas City’s rotation.

Last night against the A’s, Guthrie completely shut down an Oakland team that has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season and is currently fighting for a playoff spot. Guthrie only allowed three singles in seven innings, adding a season-high eight strikeouts to completely dominate Oakland. The Royals would use a hot fifth inning to put the A’s away and wound up winning 5-0, improving the team’s record to 50-65 on the season.

It appears that Guthrie is coming into his own in Kansas City, as the pitcher currently has a 15 inning scoreless streak and three strong consecutive starts. He will be a free agent after this season, but it appears that the team may have plans to resign him and offer him a starting position next year. A change of scenery may have been all that Guthrie needed, and he claims that working with Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland has given his game a significant boost. For the moment, it appears that he has impressed both general manager Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost, and may be part of the team’s future, even though Kansas City will be getting several talented pitchers back from injury next season.

The Royals face the A’s again tonight at home in the second game of the teams’ three game series. Will Smith (3-4) will start for Kansas City, while Brandon McCarthy (6-3) will start for the A’s. The game starts at 7:10 a.m.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Happy Hour at The Zoo - Libations for Conservation by KCMB Kansas City News

Cool Caribbean Fun at The Kansas City Zoo - KCMB Kansas City News


This Wednesday evening, leave your work clothes on and drive over to the Kansas City Zoo where they are having a happy hour party with a Caribbean theme. Featuring LIVE MUSIC from Kansas City's best reggae band Az One, produced in part by Adam Blue Productions, the weather is perfect for a nice evening outside at the zoo with a few cocktails, live music and good friends.

More details from The Kansas City Zoo and Friends of The Zoo:

Cool Caribbean Fun

Libations for Conservation on Wednesday, August 15th from 5pm - 7:30pm. Tropical style fun with a run tasting, flavorful appetizers, cool icy treats and joyful Caribbean vibes - all in support of the animals from the Tropics.

Caribbean eats from Deco Street Eats Food Truck, musical entertainment by reggae band Az One, rum provided by Major Brands and icy treats by Tropicana. And for more animal-sized entertainment, join the Zoo Keepers for chats by the sea lions at 5:30pm and in the Tropics at 6:30pm.

Libations for Conservation is a happy hour event in support of conservation efforts for adults ages 21 and older. Register at The Kansas City Zoo - Friends of the Zoo Members - $20.00, Jackson County and Clay County Non Friends of the Zoo Members $25.00, Regular Non Friends of the Zoo Members $30.00

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Monday, August 13, 2012

Chiefs-Cardinals Game Recap

Football is back, and the Chiefs got their preseason schedule off to a great start with a 27-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Kansas City scored touchdowns twice in the first quarter, using a balanced attack to put the Cardinals away early.

The biggest thing Chiefs fans can take away from this game is that Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry and Tony Moeaki all played and looked like their old selves. The team lost this trio to injuries last year, which was a big part in Kansas City’s failure to reach the postseason. Charles took a hit to his surgically-repaired knee on the first play of the game, but appeared fine as he rushed for 12 yards on three carries.

Offensively, the team’s first-string offense looked very good in the first quarter. Kansas City got a huge boost from new running back Peyton Hillis, who broke a long run and continuously found good yardage on his inside runs. Hillis also scored the game’s first touchdown, catching a wheel-route pass from Matt Cassel for an 11 yard touchdown. It appears the Hillis may be able to return to his 2010 form and provide a nice complement to Charles, while keeping the team's feature back fresh. The Chiefs’ offensive line looked great early on, opening up holes for Charles and Hillis while giving Cassel time to find receivers open downfield.

Defensively, Kansas City did not allow a touchdown until after halftime and made a few big plays as well. Newly-signed safety Abram Elam intercepted Arizona’s John Skelton and returned it 37 yards, which lead to a Ryan Succop field goal. The Chiefs also got points following a great special teams play, as rookie Devon Wylie had a long punt return to set up another short Succop kick.

The team has struggled mightily in the past during preseason play, which led to a lot of criticism from the media and fans of former head coach Todd Haley. It was refreshing to see the team look sharp early-on in this one and defeat a weak team at home.

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Friday, August 10, 2012

Royals Win Third Straight Game

The Royals have been playing some pretty good baseball lately, winning their third straight game last night with a dominating 8-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Kansas City has now won seven out of its past 10 games, and has improved its record to 48-63 on the season.

One big reason the team is winning games is due to a suddenly hot offense, led by Billy Butler and Alex Gordon. Both players homered in the first inning last night, giving the Royals a commanding 4-0 lead early on. Butler has three homers in the past week, and has raised his average to .303 for the season with 23 home runs and 72 RBI. Gordon has also cranked up the offensive production, raising his season average to .294. Gordon is batting .347 since the All-Star break, and while he has failed to provide the Royals’ offense with power, his ability to get on base in front of players like Butler has been very valuable, as has his defense in the outfield.

The Royals have also gotten some strong pitching performances recently, only giving up five total runs over the past three games. The biggest surprise was the recently-acquired Jeremy Guthrie, who was dominate in an eight-inning performance against the White Sox. Guthrie was acquired when Kansas City traded Jonathan Sanchez, and it appeared as if the team had merely swapped one struggling pitcher for another. If Guthrie can turn things around and continue to pitch well, he could find a permanent spot in Kansas City’s rotation entering next season.

The Royals will be back in action tonight, facing the Orioles in game two of the teams’ four-game series. Luke Hochevar (7-9) will start for Kansas City, while Miguel Gonzalez (3-2) will start for Baltimore. The game will begin at 6:05 p.m.

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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Chiefs Scrimmage Cardinals In Joint Practice

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Arizona Cardinals for a joint team practice yesterday, competing with their upcoming preseason opponent in a variety of drills and competitions. There were almost 200 players practicing at one time on the fields of Missouri Western State University, and nearly 3,000 fans were in attendance.

This was the first time in three years that either team had held a training camp scrimmage or joint practice. The Chiefs scrimmaged the Vikings in 2008 when the team still held camp in River Falls, Wisconsin while the Cardinals participated in a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Many teams had decided to eliminate joint scrimmages due to fights breaking out between the opposing players; luckily there were no scuffles between any Kansas City or Arizona players in yesterday’s practice.

After working individually during walkthroughs and stretching, the two teams went at it in a series of individual drills, 7-on-9, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 scenarios. The scrimmage wrapped up with both teams’ first-string offenses competing in a two minute drill situation. Matt Cassel and John Skelton were both able to lead their offenses to a field goal in the competition.

The idea for a joint practice came in response to the Cardinal’s travel schedule. The team recently played the Saints in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio and is scheduled to play the Chiefs on Friday. Rather than take extra flights to Phoenix, the team decided to stop in the Midwest for a unique practice opportunity and avoid some extra travel.

Both teams plan on practicing separately for the remainder of the Cardinal’s stay in Kansas City; however Chief head coach Romeo Crennel said he would be open to joint practices/scrimmages in the future, should the right opportunity present itself.

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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Chiefs Release First Depth Chart

With the 2012 NFL regular season only a few weeks away, the Chiefs have announced their first unofficial depth chart. While most positions were already etched in stone, there were a few surprises on this first chart.

The biggest surprise may be at nose tackle, where journeyman Anthony Toribio is listed as the starter over first round pick Dontari Poe. Toribio has had a terrific camp, and Poe is still learning the ropes, so perhaps this is simply a motivational tool for Poe. Another interesting note is that Steve Breaston is listed as a starting receiver. Dwayne Bowe is still in the midst of a holdout, which means Breaston is the de facto starter opposite of second-year man Jonathan Baldwin. Also, despite a reputation of being one of the most dynamic running backs in football, this is the first Chiefs depth chart that actually features Jamaal Charles in the starter’s role.

While most expected Brady Quinn to win the job as Matt Cassel’s backup, he has been in a battle with Ricky Stanzi for the position. The first chart lists Quinn ahead of Stanzi, while rookie Alex Tanney is the fourth quarterback on the roster. It is hard to imagine the Chiefs keeping four healthy QBs when the season starts, which means Tanney will have to beat out Stanzi if he wants to avoid a spot on the practice squad.

The first unofficial depth chart is below. The starters are listed first.

Offense

WR: Steve Breaston, Dexter McCluster, Josh Bellamy, Devon Wylie, Aaron Weaver, Zeke Markshausen

LT: Branden Albert, Donald Stephenson

LG: Ryan Lilja, Jeff Allen, Rich Ranglin

C: Rodney Hudson, Lucas Patterson, Rob Bruggeman, Cam Holland

RG: Jon Asamoah, Darryl Harris, Justin Cheadle

RT: Eric Winston, David Mims, Ray Willis

TE: Kevin Boss, Tony Moeaki, Steve Maneri, Jake O'Connell, Tim Biere

WR: Jon Baldwin, Terrance Copper, Jamar Newsome, Jeremy Horne, Brandon Kinnie, Junior Hemingway,

QB: Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Ricky Stanzi, Alex Tanney

FB: Shane Bannon, Patrick DiMarco

RB: Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis, Shaun Draughn, Cyrus Gray, Nate Eachus


Defense

RDE: Glenn Dorsey, Amon Gordon, Brandon Bair, Ethan Johnson

NT: Anthony Toribio, Dontari Poe, Jerrell Powe

LDE: Tyson Jackson, Ropati Pitoitua, Allen Bailey, Jerome Long

ROLB: Tamba Hali, Cameron Sheffield, Edgar Jones

RILB: Derrick Johnson, Cory Greenwood, Leon Williams

LILB: Jovan Belcher, Brandon Siler, Caleb Campbell, Dexter Heyman

LOLB: Justin Houston, Andy Studebaker, Gabe Miller

RCB: Stanford Routt, Javier Arenas, De'Quan Menzie, Neiko Thorpe, Mikail Baker

LCB: Brandon Flowers, Jalil Brown, Jacques Reeves, Chandler Fenner

FS: Kendrick Lewis, Travis Daniels, Donald Washington, Tysyn Hartman, Dominique Ellis

SS: Eric Berry, Abram Elam, Jean Fanor, Terrance Parks


Special Teams

P: Dustin Colquitt, Matt Szymanski

K: Ryan Succop, Matt Szymanski

Long Snapper: Thomas Gafford, Cory Greenwood, Andy Studebaker

Holder: Dustin Colquitt, Brady Quinn, Ricky Stanzi

PR: Javier Arenas, Dexter McCluster, Devon Wylie

KR: Javier Arenas, Dexter McCluster, Devon Wylie

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Monday, August 6, 2012

Kansas City Chiefs 2012 Training Camp Roster Moves

The Chiefs have gotten nicked up quite a bit during their 2012 training camp, and several injuries have forced the team to make some roster moves as the upcoming regular season approaches. After losing two fullbacks, Kansas City has signed Patrick DiMarco.

DiMarco signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers last season, and had a brief training camp stint with the Chiefs’ rival. On the third day of camp, the fullback fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot, and the Chargers decided to release him. DiMarco played in 52 games as both a fullback and tight end in college at the University of South Carolina, where he caught 38 passes for 302 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 34 yards on 11 attempts. He developed a reputation as a good lead blocker, and hopefully he can help the Chiefs avoid a significant drop off in camp. He is the nephew of PGA Tour Pro Chris DiMarco.

DiMarco was required to go through a three-day acclimation period before becoming eligible to join the Chiefs in practice; meaning today will be the first day he can participate in team drills. The Chiefs training camp roster now has 90 players, meaning the team is at its full camp allotment.

The signing of DiMarco was necessary due to an injury to Shane Bannon. Bannon suffered an abdominal injury early last week; however the team believes he will be able to return to practice within the next couple of days. The other fullback on the roster, Taylor Gentry, was cut after he failed the Chiefs’ physical. Rookie Nate Eachus has played fullback in practice over the past couple of days.

Kansas City has had to do some shuffling on its offensive line as well, as veteran reserve Tony Ugoh decided to retire from football after the team recently signed him. To replace Ugoh, the Chiefs signed veteran tackle Ray Willis, who was recently cut from the New York Jets. Willis played 44 games with the Seahawks from 2005-2009, starting 26 games. A knee injury kept him out of the 2010 season, and he has been trying to stick on a roster ever since. He should provide some quality depth and experience backing up Branden Albert and Eric Winston.

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Sunday, August 5, 2012

Royals Avoid Sweep With Extra Innings Victory Over Rangers

The Royals pulled off an improbably comeback today, beating the Texas Rangers in extra innings, 7-6. The game winning run was scored by Eric Hosmer, who scored on a costly throwing error by rookie Mike Olt to end the game. With the win, Kansas City moves to 45-62 on the season.

With the scored tied up at 6 in the bottom of the 10th, the Rangers made several critical mistakes that allowed the Royals to steal the game. Olt’s error lead to the end of the game on Jeff Francoeur’s grounder, but Texas had shot itself in the foot previously in the inning to put themselves in that position. Alberto Gonzalez botched a routine ground ball only three pitches earlier which allowed Hosmer to advance.

It appeared as if the Royals were on the verge of being swept all game, as Texas took a three run lead in the fourth inning. After Kansas City regained the lead thanks to home runs by Francoeur and Bryan Pena, Olt tied the game up for the Rangers on a double from Michael Young. Elvis Andrus attempted to give the Rangers the lead on the same play, but was thrown out at home. Texas would have another opportunity to win the game in the top of the tenth, when they loaded the bases with only one out. Alcides Escobar made a great diving catch for the second out of the inning, and Greg Holland struck out Olt to keep Kansas City alive.

The Royals start a seven game road trip tomorrow, when they travel to Chicago to take on the White Sox. Luis Mendoza (5-7), who has been pitching well of late, will take the mound for Kansas City.  Chris Sale (12-3), in the midst of one of the best pitching seasons in the majors this year, will start for Chicago.

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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Royals & Chiefs Caught In Taxpayer Scandal

Information has recently been leaked out suggesting that both the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs have been misusing Jackson Country residents’ tax dollars. Both teams have a fund set up for stadium renovations; however, it has recently been discovered that the Chiefs and Royals are using these funds for many non-repair subjects.

Both teams currently get reimbursed through a fund for RMMO (repairs, maintenance, management and operations) expenses. This fund was designed to be used first to pay debt service on a $500 million bond approved for the recent upgrades and renovations for both Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums. Rather than focus on repairs and maintenance, the two organizations are taking advantage of an amendment added to the stadium’s lease agreement that allows the RMMO funds to be used for “event day operations.”

According to documents, the Royals have used only nine percent of the $17 million RMMO funds they’ve requested from taxpayers over the last five years for maintenance, while some of the money has been used to cover payroll taxes. The Chiefs have used just 33 percent of the 27.3 million they have requested.

The main issue here is that both the Chiefs and Royals are using taxpayer money to reduce the cost of running their teams. Taxpayers funds are going towards payroll taxes, something that these funds were not originally designed to do. It will be interesting to see what the Kansas City public’s reaction to this news will be, and if it has any effect on attendance or support during the remainder of the Royals’ season or the upcoming Chiefs season. At this point, no official statements have been issued by either organization to respond to these allegations, but Royals owner David Glass has had contact with County Executive Mike Sanders regarding the team’s spending.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Google Fiber Internet Cable TV Coming to Kansas City

Although Google Fiber will only be available in central Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas (Kansas City, Kansas? Really?), Google Fiber, Google's new cable tv and internet service, will debut right here in Kansas City. Most likely Google is looking at Kansas City as a "test site", a medium sized town who's local news doesn't travel much further than the state borders, and should the product need some tweaking before it is presented in major cities, news won't spread of any customer dissatisfaction in any significant capacity.

Google Fiber in Kansas City claims to be able to reach a speed of 1 Gigabite per second, which is 100 times faster than the fastest current internet speeds available through various companies in Kansas City at this time. You may be asking why a normal residential household would need that much speed when actually, a lot of your internet speeds as people perceive them are dependent upon the speed of the website or web service that you are accessing. In other words, no matter how fast YOUR home computer internet speed is, if you are watching videos on YouTube or internet TV on NetFlix, you are only going to be able to go as fast as those sites will allow you at any given time. If YouTube is bogged down with high traffic volumes at a particular time of day, it wouldn't matter if you had NASA's computer in your house, you would only get the stream as fast as YouTube can give it to you.

What a more likely scenario is going to be this: Google is going to attempt to dominate every facet of the home user's universal online participation. This will include a new Google Fiber social network, as their Google+ program has essentially FAILED compared to Facebook - not even close. Google Plus is a TERRIBLE product and they are either going to radically change the way it connects people, or they are just going to start something completely new. Obviously Google does not own Facebook and therefore the new Google Fiber will most likely attempt to steer people away from Facebook and into the world of Google Fiber in some way that is yet to be seen.

We know that Google is heavily tied into both Netflix and YouTube so expect those two components to be major factors in Google Fiber. It is a wait and see type of situation. They are talking about charging $120.00 per month for internet and HD Cable TV at this point. To check to see if your part of town will have Google Fiber, visit google.com/fiber

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Royals Trade Jonathan Broxton To The Reds For Two Minor League Players

The Royals made a move to improve their future yesterday, trading closer Jonathan Broxton to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers J.C. Sulbaran and Donnie Joseph. Greg Holland is expected to fill Broxton’s role as closer for the Royals for the remainder of the regular season.

Sulbaran, a 22-year-old right-hander, was the Reds 30th round draft pick in 2008. The Plantation, FL native is 25-24 with a 4.68 ERA in the minor leagues. While these numbers won’t wow Royals fans, he does have 449 strikeouts in 413 professional innings. Also interesting to note is that Sulbaran was a high school teammate of Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer. Joseph, a 24-year-old left, was the Red’s third round pick in the 2009 draft. He is 16-14 with a 3.50 ERA in four minor league seasons, and has converted 54 saves.

Broxton has pitched well for the Royals this season, but will be somewhat expendable next season with the return of former All Star Joakim Soria. Broxton will likely be used as a set-up man for closer Aroldis Chapman, similar to the role he was original slated to do in Kansas City. Reds manager Dusty Baker may use Broxton for save situations when Chapman could use some rest. Broxton gets to go from a team that is 41-60 and in last place to the Reds, who have the second-best record in the majors and currently sit in first place.

For the Royals, this move makes sense. The team will not have much of a need for Broxton after the season, and he would be expensive to resign as a free agent after pitching at an All Star level for much of the 2012 season. The team did what it could to replace Broxton with two young arms, and hopefully either Sulbaran or Joseph develops into a capable major league pitcher. Kansas City didn’t have many options, so stocking up with two young players for the future seems like a steal, given the situation.

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