KCMB Kansas City News

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Kansas Storms Back To Beat Iowa State In Overtime

The Kansas Jayhawks moved closer to a ninth consecutive Big 12 title with a thrilling 108-96 win over Iowa State in Ames last night. The victory was Bill Self’s 500th career win, and the Jayhawks now have three winnable games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Elijah Johnson, who has been criticized all season for some poor play, had one of the most legendary performances in Kansas history. The senior scored a career-high 39 points, including eight in the final 29 seconds of regulation and 12 in overtime. Travis Releford added 19 efficient points, and Jeff Withey was a force in the paint to help Kansas keep pace with the red-hot Cyclones in the first half.

Iowa State nearly pulled off the win by hitting an insane 17 three pointers – a school record. The Cyclones’ 22-game home winning streak was snapped when Iowa State went cold in overtime as Johnson continued to score at will for the Jayhawks.

The Iowa State fans proceeded to throw plastic megaphones and concessions at the Kansas players after the game, due to Johnson dunking the ball with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. Johnson and Self both apologized for the dunk after the game.

Kansas has now passed the two toughest games it had on the backend of its schedule – on the road against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Kansas hosts West Virginia and Texas Tech in its next two games, and the Mountaineers and Red Raiders are two of the weakest teams in the conference. The Jayhawks finish the season on the road against Baylor, who has been inconsistent all season. Kansas State, currently tied with Kansas in first, still has to travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State and also plays Baylor on the road. The road wins over OSU and ISU have put Kansas in a great position to once again win a Big 12 championship and earn a high seed for the NCAA tournament.

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Chiefs Close To Acquiring 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith

According to multiple reports, the Kansas City Chiefs have a deal that is nearly completed to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Any deal involving Smith cannot officially take place until March 12, when the new league year begins.

Smith’s story was well documented this past season due to the emergence of Colin Kaepernick during the 49ers run to the Super Bowl. After a strong 2011 season in which he threw 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions, Smith was having an even better season in 2012 – enjoying a 104 QB rating through nine games before suffering a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. Kaepernick played well in Smith’s absence, and head coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with the young QB instead of Smith all the way up through the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs’ most glaring need is at quarterback, and many thought the team would draft a QB with its top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. However, this draft does not have any quarterback prospects that deserve to go number one overall, and many reports have indicated that Kansas City is moreinterested in drafting Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel.

If the Chiefs trade for Smith, there are two paths the team can take. Kansas City could make Smith the starting quarterback and still draft a QB like Geno Smith or Matt Barkley with the top pick, grooming the young signal caller for the future similar to how the Packers brought along Aaron Rodgers. The Chiefs could also make Smith the starter and spend its top pick on an impact offensive or defensive lineman, and select a QB later in the draft or next season. Acquiring Smith certainly gives the team options.

Is Smith a good fit for Kansas City? He rarely turns the ball over and has excelled in a scheme in San Francisco that emphasizes conservative passes and running the football. With the dynamic Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs are built to be a run-first offense, and Smith could give the Chiefs just what they need – a steady quarterback who limits mistakes. The downside to Smith is that he struggled his entire career in San Francisco until a championship-level team was built around him. As Matt Cassel proved, an average QB can look good with a strong team around him, and Smith will not have the talent supporting him that he enjoyed in San Francisco.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Kansas City Recovering From Winter Storm

Kansas City is still trying to recover after being hit by a massive winter storm over the past 24 hours. The metro was blanketed in snow, with accumulations of anywhere between 10 to 13 inches.

The snow fell at a rate as rapid as three inches per hour, which quickly made roads dangerous and led to many motorists being stranded or, even worse, wrecking their vehicle. Drivers who had a car stranded or towed are urged to call the city at 816-607-2000 before visiting the city tow lot to retrieve their vehicle. Some vehicles are located at the impound lot at 7750 E. Front St., while others may have been taken to a Missouri Department of Transportation site.

While the snowfall has stopped, the Kansas Department of Transportation is still urging those in the metro to avoid driving, if possible. Many roads are still in poor condition, and road crews and towing companies are still extremely busy.

The storm forced Kansas City International Airport to close down, however KCI has reopened today. A UPS plane was the first to land, and reported good traction on the runway. While the airport is open, many flights have been affected, and a total of 51 flights were still cancelled as of this morning. Anyone traveling in the near future should check their flight status at FlyKCI.com.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Kansas Beats Oklahoma State In Double Overtime

In a critical game for the Big 12 title race, the Kansas Jayhawks won a double overtime thriller against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 68-67. The win moves Kansas back into first place, and KU now has its sights set on a ninth consecutive league title after winning the hardest game left on its schedule.

Oklahoma State and Kansas are both top defensive teams, which was on full display last night as both failed to get anything going offensively. Kansas’ Ben McLemore struggled from the floor, but the Jayhawks once again got a strong game from point guard Elijah Johnson, who attacked the rim and took good care of the ball. For the most part, Kansas was carried by Travis Releford (18 points) and Jeff Withey (17 points).

Kansas led for almost the entire second half, and seemed on the verge of putting the game out of reach when Releford made an acrobatic layup to give Kansas a four point lead late in the game. However, Oklahoma State rallied back to force overtime, and forced a second OT when Kansas again let a lead slip away. Both teams stalled on offense, as Johnson fouled out for Kansas and star freshman Marcus Smart fouled out for Oklahoma State. At the end of the game, KU’s Naadir Tharpe got into the lane and hit a short jumper, which gave KU a one point lead. In the final seconds, Oklahoma State’s Markel Brown took a tough jumper that missed, and Releford made an acrobatic save along the sideline to prevent a dead ball and allow the clock to run out. It was a deservingly thrilling finish to the biggest game of the Big 12 season.

Kansas has a favorable home schedule remaining, as it hosts TCU, West Virginia and Texas Tech – the three worst teams in the league. Kansas will face another tough test on Monday when they travel to Ames to take on a good Iowa State team. If the Jayhawks can win that one, it may be nearly impossible for KU to lose out on a ninth consecutive Big 12 title.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Explosion, Fire Hits Kansas City Plaza Area

A deadly fire ripped through the Kansas City plaza area last night, triggered by a gas explosion at JJ’s restaurant. At least 14 people have been injured, and one female employee of the restaurant is still missing today.

The University of Kansas Hospital has reported that one person at their location is in critical condition, while two are in serious condition. All of the patients at KU have traumatic injuries rather than burns. St. Luke’s Hospital has indicated they have two patients in critical condition, one with extensive burns and another with facial trauma. The others injured in the blast have been treated and released from the hospitals. Heavy equipment has already been brought in to clear out large pieces of rubble and debris, while cadaver dogs are currently searching for the missing worker.

Authorities believe that the initial explosion was caused from either a motor vehicle striking a natural gas line or a piece of heavy equipment disrupting the gas main. Missouri Gas Energy, who supplies utilities to the area, released a statement that “early indications are that a contractor doing underground work struck a natural gas line.” Kansas City Fire Chief Paul Berardi has indicated that an investigation into the cause of the blast will begin after a search for any remaining victims is completed.

Residents in the area reportedly smelled gas about an hour before the explosion, and alerted Missouri Gas Energy. Firefighters and the utility company then began checking the area for the source of the odor before the explosion. JJ’s asked their customers to leave, however several employees stayed behind and were injured in the explosion.

The resulting fire from the explosion spread over an entire block and lasted about 90 minutes. JJ’s was completely destroyed, and many other shops, offices and restaurants in the area have suffered heavy damage.