jeo4
08-19-2005, 04:16 PM
To: Allard Baird, David Glass, Mayor Kay Barnes, Kansas City, Missouri City Council, Governor Matt Blunt, Missouri State Congress, Carl Peterson, Lamar Hunt, and select players from the local professional sports teams
From: One of many fans who pay your salary by buying tickets, voting, and paying my taxes whether I want to or not
It goes without saying that Kansas City is fast becoming the laughing stock of the sports world. The Royals are on their way to the worst losing streak not only in American League history, but in the history of baseball itself. Players are making foolish mistakes and struggling to do their jobs effectively. One coach has already quit this year. That is to say, he is one of many in the last two decades to leave this team after futile efforts to improve the team with little to no financial help. Players such as Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, and many other quality performers left promptly for more money on teams that have consistently appeared in the playoffs year after year.
The Chiefs have had no fewer than four players in trouble with law enforcement officials this week in River Falls, Wisconsin. And a fifth player was allegedly involved in some harassment of servers at a local bar there. The Chiefs are fast becoming the most penalized team in the National Football League. The defense that was once number one in the league is now third from the bottom. The offense, which is the second highest scoring in the league, is aging rapidly. The team is undergoing dramatic changes.
Add to these sad facts the woes of Truman Sports Complex. The stadiums need repair. They are two of the oldest in both baseball and football. Teams and community leaders aren't working for a solution to the issues this complex faces. Yet ticket prices continue to skyrocket. Tickets for a Chiefs game start at $65 each. Parking in the complex on game day is $20. Yet Arrowhead Stadium consistently sells out all 78,000+ seats and has people all but living in the parking lot tailgating and partying. That's unconditional love. Even Kauffman Stadium has baseball fans on a regular basis. On some days, the stadium is half-full, even with the sad sack team we have playing right now.
The Royals haven't seen a World Series in twenty years. The Chiefs haven't seen a Superbowl in thirty-five years. The fans are pouring their money into a bottomless hole. And downtown, a new stadium, which seats only 18,000 fans, is being built for a new team (possibly arena football) which may or may not materialize when the structure is completed. Still, Arrowhead and Kauffman go untouched and unresolved. The Royals continue to skid into failure. The Chiefs continue to behave like thugs. And the fans continue to get ripped off. This is no way to treat a city that loves its sports.
Mayor Barnes, Governor Blunt, City and state representatives should be completely ashamed that they have effectively done nothing to enhance our existing sports venues. Barnes has been a do-nothing mayor since her election. And Blunt is busier protecting us from those dangerous lap dances plaguing the state.
Carl Peterson and Lamar Hunt should be ashamed that they haven't managed to send the Chiefs to the Superbowl since their last victory 35 years ago. They should also be ashamed that they aren't meeting the city half way on the renovations the complex needs. Peterson should be even more ashamed that he is sweeping bad behavior under the rug rather than letting his team face the music and admit they were wrong. But then again, he had lunch with Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, more than likely to discuss possible places in the state to move the team. For some reason, the Olathe, Kansas Chiefs doesn't really seem to fit.
If the Chiefs leave, can the Royals be far behind? Not if David Glass and Allard Baird continue their pattern of not giving a single thought to them. I can't blame the coach for shit management. After all, he isn't managing the money or the resources. Glass and Baird are. And they both suck at it.
After all the arguing and fighting for a few million dollars in renovations and upgrades, it still isn't getting done. Don't reward the fans with another empty venue or second rate team. Reward the fans with a future for the teams they know and love. They deserve a reason to be fans.
From: One of many fans who pay your salary by buying tickets, voting, and paying my taxes whether I want to or not
It goes without saying that Kansas City is fast becoming the laughing stock of the sports world. The Royals are on their way to the worst losing streak not only in American League history, but in the history of baseball itself. Players are making foolish mistakes and struggling to do their jobs effectively. One coach has already quit this year. That is to say, he is one of many in the last two decades to leave this team after futile efforts to improve the team with little to no financial help. Players such as Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, and many other quality performers left promptly for more money on teams that have consistently appeared in the playoffs year after year.
The Chiefs have had no fewer than four players in trouble with law enforcement officials this week in River Falls, Wisconsin. And a fifth player was allegedly involved in some harassment of servers at a local bar there. The Chiefs are fast becoming the most penalized team in the National Football League. The defense that was once number one in the league is now third from the bottom. The offense, which is the second highest scoring in the league, is aging rapidly. The team is undergoing dramatic changes.
Add to these sad facts the woes of Truman Sports Complex. The stadiums need repair. They are two of the oldest in both baseball and football. Teams and community leaders aren't working for a solution to the issues this complex faces. Yet ticket prices continue to skyrocket. Tickets for a Chiefs game start at $65 each. Parking in the complex on game day is $20. Yet Arrowhead Stadium consistently sells out all 78,000+ seats and has people all but living in the parking lot tailgating and partying. That's unconditional love. Even Kauffman Stadium has baseball fans on a regular basis. On some days, the stadium is half-full, even with the sad sack team we have playing right now.
The Royals haven't seen a World Series in twenty years. The Chiefs haven't seen a Superbowl in thirty-five years. The fans are pouring their money into a bottomless hole. And downtown, a new stadium, which seats only 18,000 fans, is being built for a new team (possibly arena football) which may or may not materialize when the structure is completed. Still, Arrowhead and Kauffman go untouched and unresolved. The Royals continue to skid into failure. The Chiefs continue to behave like thugs. And the fans continue to get ripped off. This is no way to treat a city that loves its sports.
Mayor Barnes, Governor Blunt, City and state representatives should be completely ashamed that they have effectively done nothing to enhance our existing sports venues. Barnes has been a do-nothing mayor since her election. And Blunt is busier protecting us from those dangerous lap dances plaguing the state.
Carl Peterson and Lamar Hunt should be ashamed that they haven't managed to send the Chiefs to the Superbowl since their last victory 35 years ago. They should also be ashamed that they aren't meeting the city half way on the renovations the complex needs. Peterson should be even more ashamed that he is sweeping bad behavior under the rug rather than letting his team face the music and admit they were wrong. But then again, he had lunch with Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, more than likely to discuss possible places in the state to move the team. For some reason, the Olathe, Kansas Chiefs doesn't really seem to fit.
If the Chiefs leave, can the Royals be far behind? Not if David Glass and Allard Baird continue their pattern of not giving a single thought to them. I can't blame the coach for shit management. After all, he isn't managing the money or the resources. Glass and Baird are. And they both suck at it.
After all the arguing and fighting for a few million dollars in renovations and upgrades, it still isn't getting done. Don't reward the fans with another empty venue or second rate team. Reward the fans with a future for the teams they know and love. They deserve a reason to be fans.