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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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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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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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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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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