SportsBeat KC

Latest Episodes:

Better of Chiefs’ Super Bowl opponents, last year’s Niners, this year’s Bucs? Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Super Bowl week has arrived, and we kick it off with a SportsBeat KC podcast. Star columnists Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian joined beat writer Sam McDowell and host Blair Kerkhoff along with viewers to the SportsBeat Live program in breaking down the Chiefs’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and answering questions.

How will the reworked Chiefs offensive line perform? How big is the Buccaneers’ home field advantage? Does Tampa Bay present a bigger challenge to the Chiefs than last year’s Super Bowl opponent, the San Francisco 49ers?

Follow the Super Bowl coverage all week in pages of The Star, on KansasCity.com, the SportsBeat KC podcast and Friday’s Mellinger Minutes for Your Ears, along with the loads of video produced by The Star’s production team.

Story links:

Seven important decisions that dragged the Chiefs from 2-14 to back-to-back Super Bowls

The quest for another Super Bowl began immediately after the Chiefs won the last one

Two new Chiefs Super Bowl sections hit Sunday. And you can still get the poster edition.

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Big 12/SEC Challenge arrives with KU, Mizzou, K-State seeking answers Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State are participating in the Big 12-SEC Challenge this weekend, and they all have their own challenges.

The Jayhawks are looking for an identity, especially on the offensive end. The Tigers seek consistency, having followed their terrific victory at Tennessee with a loss at Auburn. Kansas State needs, well, everything. Beat writers Jesse Newell, Gary Bedore, Souichi Terada and Kellis Robinett cover it all on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s daily sports podcast.

Football is also part of the conversation as Mizzou and KU made coaching staff news this week.

Story links:

KU’s Bill Self wary of Tennessee’s defensive challenge heading into SEC/Big 12 Challenge game

Jayhawks lose offensive coordinator to Conference USA school. Here’s the impact

Early thoughts from Mizzou’s Steve Wilks and what his defense might look like

K-State Q&A: Bruce Weber, basketball struggles, football transfers and more

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Super Bowl conversation begins, and NFL teams lose by not hiring Bieniemy Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

We’re getting you ready for the Super Bowl on today’s SportsBeat KC, The Star’s daily sports podcast. Columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam Mellinger joined beat writer Herbie Teope and host Blair Kerkhoff on today’s show. Beat writer Sam McDowell was on assignment.

Patrick Mahomes versus Tom Brady, the Chiefs’ makeshift offensive line against the Buccaneers terrific pass rush that sacked Aaron Rodgers five times in last week’s NFC Championship and Kansas City’s playoff-ready defense were among the topics.

Also, we close the book on Eric Bieniemy’s quest to become a NFL head coach this season. The final opening, with the Houston Texans, reportedly will be filled by former Chiefs assistant David Culley.

The show started as a SportsBeat Live with your questions and comments and is now presented as a SportsBeat KC podcast.

Story links:

NFL Network analyst: Texans passing on Eric Bieniemy puts Chiefs in a unique position

Here’s what the Vegas odds say about the Chiefs-Buccaneers Super Bowl matchup

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Talking Tampa Bay sports, Patrick Mahomes and more with ESPN’s Dickie V Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

The subject is the Super Bowl, but it’s also college basketball, baseball, the NHL, cancer research and so many other topics, because when you talk to ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale, the conversation takes many interesting turns.

But the Super Bowl is the primary focus because the pro teams in Tampa Bay have no bigger fan than Vitale, who lives in the region. Those fans have had a great year, with the NHL’s Lightning winning the Stanley Cup and the Rays reaching the World Series in 2020. Now the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers will meet the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

On this episode of The Star’s daily sports podcast, Vitale speaks with SportsBeat KC host Blair Kerkhoff about how the good times are rolling in Tampa Bay.

Story links:

The Lost season: A look at What the 2020 National Championship Could Have Been

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Hear Chiefs' Mahomes, Kelce, Hardman, Mathieu, Veach on beating the Bills Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

The Chiefs’ “Run It Back” tour continues with a second straight AFC championship and Super Bowl appearance and SportsBeat KC will follow that lead and run back postgame interviews from Sunday’s triumph over the Buffalo Bills on today’s show.

You’ll hear from Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman, Tyrann Mathieu and general manager Brett Veach on the 38-24 victory over the Bills and a look ahead at the Super Bowl meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The interviews were conducted moments after the team celebrated winning the Lamar Hunt Trophy as AFC champs.

Story links:

Against gravity of the past, chaos of COVID, Chiefs’ Super Bowl encore is a feat in itself

Photos: See action from the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game victory over the Buffalo Bills

Mayor and Chiefs agree: If Kansas City wins the Super Bowl, COVID means no parade, for now

Mic’d-up video shows Chiefs stars encouraging Mecole Hardman after muffed punt

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Talking AFC Championship Game and a glance at the Super Bowl matchup Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Next stop: Tampa, Florida, and the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs are going to the big game for the second straight year after defeating the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC Championship Game. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and the offense were sensational. The defense was ultra-aggressive. After falling behind 9-0, the Chiefs dominated.

The game and the Super Bowl matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the topic on a postgame SportsBeat Live, now a SportsBeat KC podcast. Columnists Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian joined beat writers Herbie Teope and Sam McDowell and host Blair Kerkhoff to talk all things Chiefs.

Story links:

Chiefs return to the Super Bowl. Next: Tom Brady’s Bucs

Get used to this KC: Patrick Mahomes leads Chiefs to another Super Bowl

Super again. Chiefs Patrick Mahomes makes agony of postseasons past a fading memory

The sudden inevitability of the Kansas City Chiefs and a run back to the Super Bowl

Here’s the Chiefs AFC Championship Game report card. Welcome back dominant offense

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Good news on Patrick Mahomes’ availability from … Patrick Mahomes Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

The Chiefs’ coaches and select players delivered their final comments before Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills Friday, and a bit of critical news emerged: Patrick Mahomes is out of the NFL’s concussion protocol and ready to play Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

You’ll hear from Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Dan Sorensen and Frank Clark along with Andy Reid in this episode of our daily sports podcast, SportsBeat KC. They break down Sunday’s game, talk about the closeness of the locker room, what they think of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy not yet having a head-coaching job, and much more.

Story links:

Patrick Mahomes to play Sunday. Here’s what he said about passing the concussion protocol

Mahomes has been gifted motivation he definitely did not need

Playoff payoff for Darrel Williams, and now the Chief have more options at running back

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The Patrick Mahomes injury discussion ahead of Sunday’s AFC title game Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

Three years, three AFC Championship Games for the Chiefs. On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills arrive at Arrowhead Stadium for a 5:40 p.m. kickoff and this one comes with its own set of questions: Patrick Mahomes’ health, the meaning of these teams’ regular-season game in Week 6, and the Bills’ hot hand over the past three months.

Star columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam Mellinger, along with beat writers Sam McDowell and Herbie Teope, join host Blair Kerkhoff in covering all the angles for this game (including their predictions). Viewers joined us with their questions and comments on a livestreamed show that started as a SportsBeat Live and is now presented here as a SportsBeat KC podcast.

Story links:

Desire to be great: Why Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill are elite receiving targets

When it comes to conference title game experience, Chiefs have big edge over Bills

Chiefs’ keys vs. Bills: What Andy Reid and Co., need to do to reach Super Bowl again

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The latest on Patrick Mahomes, plus Tyreek Hill on motivation Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

What’s the latest on Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ injury? Andy Reid provided the update Wednesday and you’ll hear it on SportsBeat KC, the Kansas City Star’s daily sports podcast.

You’ll also hear from backup quarterback Chad Henne on how he remains prepared; defensive tackle Chris Jones on the difference between the Buffalo Bills now and when the Chiefs met them during the regular season; Tyreek Hill on what motivates him to be a great wide receiver; and offensive tackle Eric Fisher. Criticism about the pass protection in the late-season Falcons’ game must have been so harsh, Fisher says he has no memory of the game. Things have gotten better since then.

Story links:

Patrick Mahomes returns to practice Wednesday ahead of AFC Championship Game

Will Bills’ use the same defensive strategy against the Chiefs, hoping for a different result?

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KU on Big 12 slide, and Reid on Patrick Mahomes’ injury Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

Kansas never led second-ranked Baylor Monday night and the Bears quickly opened a big lead. But the Jayhawks battled back a couple of times, reducing the deficit to as few as five in the late stages before falling 77-69.

Beat writers Jesse Newell and Gary Bedore break down, as Bedore says, a “moderately alarming” second straight Big 12 loss for KU.

After a break, you’ll hear what Andy Reid had to say the day after the Chiefs’ victory over the Browns in the Divisional Round. Pay close attention to how he describes the injury to Patrick Mahomes. Reid never says Mahomes suffered a concussion, only that he’s in the concussion protocol.

Semantics? Gamesmanship? We’ll know more on Mahomes’ status this week.

Story links:

Kansas loses back to back Big 12 games as No. 2 Baylor pulls away on Big Monday

Here’s something for Bill Self to consider following KU Jayhawks loss to Baylor

Chiefs won’t say Patrick Mahomes has a concussion. Here’s why he’s still in protocol

A day later, Chiefs still not verifying that Patrick Mahomes suffered a concussion

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