SportsBeat KC

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Who dat going to play offensive tackle for Chiefs against Saints? Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

Chiefs at Saints. It’s been circled on the calendar since the schedule was released in anticipation of both teams having good seasons. They haven’t disappointed. if the season ended today, the Chiefs (12-1) would be the top seed in the AFC and the Saints (10-3) the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

The A-Team of Vahe Gregorian, Sam McDowell, Sam Mellinger and Herbie Teope joined SportsBeat KC host Blair Kerkhoff to talk about Sunday’s game in New Orleans. Among the topics: injuries along the Chiefs offensive line, especially at tackle, the monster season by tight end Travis Kelce and how will this contest play out?

It started as a SportsBeat Live with plenty of questions and comments from the audience. Just like that, it’s a SportsBeat KC podcast.

Story links:

Here’s how Chiefs’ Reid, Saints’ Payton keep their offenses at the top of the NFL

Patrick Mahomes in a Saints uniform? Almost. Chiefs made their move just in time

How Travis Kelce’s work with Operation Breakthrough reflects breakthrough of his own

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No bowl, but hoops rally at K-State. All about rankings for Mizzou Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

Kansas State’s basketball season seemed to bottom out a week ago with a loss to Division II Fort Hays State. Since then the Wildcats have won twice, including Tuesday’s victory at Iowa State in the Big 12 opener.

What’s changed? A players only meeting and a lineup shift seems to have done the trick. Beat writer Kellis Robinett has the update.

Missouri hoops is soaring. The Tigers are coming of their biggest victory in years, a triumph over sixth-ranked Illinois and have jumped into the top 25. Souichi Terada tells us what’s in store for Mizzou on the court and previews Saturday’s season football finale against Mississippi State.

Plus, it’s signing date. How do incoming classes at Missouri and Kansas State rank?

Story links:

Kansas State signing date updates

Mizzou signing day updates

K-State opens Big 12 play with surprising road upset against Iowa State

Mizzou enters AP top 25 for first time under Cuonzo Martin after Braggin’ Rights victory

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Holland, Santana, Minor, Taylor deals keep Royals active in offseason Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

Baseball scrapped its winter meetings, which were scheduled for Dallas last week, because of COVID-19. But that doesn’t means teams haven’t been busy ... and the Royals have been among the most active. This week they announced the signing of reliever Greg Holland.

Last week, it was Carlos Santana, who had a terrific career with Cleveland — and against Kansas City. Before that, pitcher Mike Minor and outfielder Michael Taylor were signed. In this episode of our daily sports podcast, KC Star beat writer Lynn Worthy stops by to break down the moves and catches us up on other Royals news with SportsBeat KC host Blair Kerkhoff.

Story links:

Royals re-sign veteran relief pitcher Greg Holland as anchor for young bullpen

Royals’ Salvador Perez adds AL Comeback Player of the Year to his list of honors

Royals projected 2021 Opening Day lineup after the Carlos Santana signing

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After Patrick Mahomes’ worst quarter, Chiefs find enough to beat Fins Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

The Chiefs know how to make things interesting, don’t they? They fell behind 10-0 and lost the fourth quarter 17-3. But their 30-0 advantage in the second and third quarter added up to a six-point victory that meant a 12-1 record for the first time in franchise history and a fifth straight AFC West championship.

The A-Team of Sam McDowell, Herbie Teope, Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian joined SportsBeat Live host Blair Kerkhoff and the audience to success what was assuredly the worst quarter in Patrick Mahomes’ career, the big plays by the defense and special teams and what it means to be the division champion...again.

Story links:

The layered reasons why the imperfect Kansas City Chiefs remain Super Bowl favorites

Mahomes’ adventurous reminds us that he’s human. And he amazes us anyway

The Dolphins game-planned for Tyreek Hill and he still burned them. Here’s how

What we learned as the Chiefs dug out of an early hole of their own making in Miami

Grading the Chiefs: So many contributed but let’s give props to the defense

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A measuring stick kind of weekend for Mizzou football, men’s hoops Dec 11, 2020

Show notes

As of Friday morning, nine college football games, including Michigan at Ohio State, had been canceled, and number of college basketball games postponed or canceled on Saturday was approaching 20. But one college town is stoked for its football and basketball games that day: Columbia, Missouri.

The football Tigers are 5-3 and ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoff poll. They meet ninth-ranked Georgia at 11 a.m. Mizzou won a coin flip and the right to host the St. Louis-based Braggin Rights game with Illinois. Missouri is undefeated. The Illini, coming off a 15-point victory at Duke, are sixth.

Beat writer Souichi Terada and columnist Vahe Gregorian join SportsBeat KC host Blair Kerkhoff to discuss the big day in Mizzou sports. Fingers crossed the games will be played as re-scheduled.

Story links:

Mizzou football gets to measure season’s strides with game against SEC foe Georgia

How Mizzou basketball passed class in a comeback victory over Liberty

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Red zone woes, Tua, predicting offensive line changes and an iguana Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

The Chiefs will be looking to improve to 2-0 at Hard Rock Stadium in 2020 when they line up to play the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon.

Their first victory at the Miami Gardens, Fla. venue? Against the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LIV in February.

The Star’s A-Team of Vahe Gregorian, Sam McDowell, Sam Mellinger and Herbie Teope break Sunday’s down the game in this episode of the daily SportsBeat KC podcast with host Blair Kerkhoff. Containing rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, projecting changes on the Chiefs’ offensive line and an examination of the Chiefs’ red zone woes of the past two games are all part of a conversation that includes comments and questions from viewers.

Also, part of this show: an iguana.

Story links:

The problem isn’t that the Chiefs get cute in the red zone The problem is nothing else works

Why the Chiefs are girded for more ahead than they were last tiime they won the Super Bowl

A season later at Hard Rock Stadium, Chiefs missing only a few players from Super Bowl

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In hoops, KU breathes sigh of relief. Alarms sound for K-State Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

Rock Chalk and rock bottom.

Kansas and Kansas State left the basketball court with different emotions on Tuesday. The Jayhawks were smiling after their one-point victory over Creighton. The Wildcats were dejected after their loss to Division II Fort Hays State.

Beat writers Jesse Newell, Gary Bedore and Kellis Robinett break down what went right and wrong for the teams on SportsBeat KC with host Blair Kerkhoff. Whatever the issues, they have to get solved quickly. Big 12 play begins for both programs next week.

Story links:

Don’t sell them: Self says of KU tickets after Creighton fans invade Allen Field House

Bill Self had a regret last game. His adjustment after that helped KU beat Creighton

Bruce Weber apologizes to K-State fans after humiliating loss to Fort Hays State

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On roster decisions for Royals, Sporting KC, and Matt Besler’s future Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

When a season ends, rosters take shape. So it’s been for the Royals, whose activity has picked up in the last week with the addition of pitcher Mike Minor and the non-tendering of several players, including third-baseman Maikel Franco and outfielder Bubba Starling.

Beat writer Lynn Worthy speculates on who will, and won’t, be returning.

Shaun Goodwin performs the same exercise for Sporting Kansas City. The club’s season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the MLS playoffs last week, and decisions on next season’s roster are happening now. That includes the future of captain Matt Besler. Will the longtime defender be back with the club next season?

Also, Kansas City added to its menu of professional sports team with the return of women’s soccer. FC Kansas City spent five seasons here, winning two championships, before moving to Utah and returning.

Story links:

Mike Minor felt like he owed the Royals and GM Dayton Moore another try

Sporting Kansas City’s season ends with 3-0 loss to Minnesota

Women’s professional soccer is returning to Kansas City. Here are the details

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SportsBeat KC: Even leaving TD on the field, Chiefs found way to beat Broncos Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

The Chiefs are so good they don’t even need all the touchdowns they score. Well, not really. But that happened in Sunday’s 22-16 victory over the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs left a touchdown on the field by not challenging an official’s call on a pass Tyreek Hill didn’t know he caught.

All’s well that ends well for the Chiefs, who improved to 11-1 with the victory and clinched a berth in the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Columnists Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian joined beat writers Herbie Teope and Sam McDowell and host Blair Kerkhoff on SportsBeat Live after the game. Now it’s a SportsBeat KC podcast.

Story links:

Tyreek Hill made an insane TD catch but the Chiefs failed to review it. Here’s why

What we learned from the Chiefs Sunday nighter against Drew Lock and the Denver Broncos

Chiefs grades and KC Star of the game

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Mizzou, K-State with a big football weekend ... and then some questions Dec 04, 2020

Show notes

It’s the kind of football weekend that would typically attract big crowds to Missouri and Kansas State, but full stadiums are out for 2020.

The Tigers play host to Arkansas and their former coach, Barry Odom, now the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator; the Wildcats entertain Texas and are bidding to finish .500.

Beat writers Souichi Terada and Kellis Robinett break down the games on this episode of SportsBeat KC, The Star’s daily podcast, with host Blair Kerkhoff. We also take a look at what lies beyond this weekend for both programs, including some bowl talk. Then we chat basketball, with Mizzou coming off an impressive victory over Oregon and Kansas State collecting its first win over the KC Roos.

Story links:

Odom’s coming ‘home’ for a visit, but Mizzou focused on the opponent and Senior Day

Mizzou basketball shows why it not the same team from last season in victory over Oregon

What happens after Senior Day? Rare decisions loom for Kansas State’s oldest players

Bruce Weber finds elusive shooting star in K-State freshman Nijel Pack

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