Bottom Line Communications

A LOOK BACK AT THE YEAR IN SPORTS
KC SPORTS AND FITNESS
DECEMBER 2007
By John Landsberg
     Another year is fading into memory and now is a good time to look back fondly and reflect on the Kansas City sports scene during 2007:
     � The Kansas City Royals actually gave fans some hope that they were playing harder and smarter this season. There was even some reason for optimism. However, once the team achieved its lofty goal of NOT losing 100 games (for the fourth straight season) it pretty much quit and finished with a 69-93 record. In fact, the 69 victories were the second-most since 2000. If that makes any fans excited about the future of the team go for it.
     � Our beloved KC Chiefs made a disastrous ego decision to invite HBO to do a "Hard Knocks" "Docu-Reality" series (what is a "Docu-Reality"?) during its training camp. Those cameras quickly made training camp a joke and it carried right into the season (remember Larry Johnson signing his contract and running to practice? That is reality!!). Unfortunately, the real joke this season has been on Chiefs' fans.
     � The Chiefs have severely depressed its loyal fan base and the team is spiraling towards the dreaded pre-Marty Schottenheimer days of total futility. The bad thing is that the team will have another opportunity to make some disastrous picks in the next NFL draft (another kicker?).
     However, on a positive note, some great jokes have resurrected:
     Q: What do you call 53 people sitting around a TV watching the Super Bowl?
     A: The Kansas City Chiefs.
     Q: What's the difference between the Chiefs and a dollar bill?
     A: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.
     Q: How many Chiefs does it take to win a Super Bowl?
     A: Nobody knows and we will never find out in our lifetime.
     Q: Where do you go Kansas City in case of a tornado?
     A: Arrowhead Stadium - they never have a touchdown there
     Q: What do you call a Kansas City Chief with a Super Bowl ring?
     A: A thief. 
    � The real feel-good sports story of the year was the "Border War" (some self-righteous media outlets used the term "Border Showdown"). Missouri showed that it was the class of the Big 12 North by beating Kansas and ruining the Jayhawks' undefeated season. It was a great game and once again proved that two major colleges can join forces to screw their loyal fans and sacrifice a home field advantage for money.
   � On the high school scene Kansas City area high schools pretty much dominated the state football finals and brought home lots of trophies. However, isn't it time that high schools have a rule that coaches and boosters cannot "adopt" players and arrange for them to live in their district? The same goes for basketball players. For some reason you never hear of top scholars being given food and lodging to leave one school district for another. Why is that?
    � It was great that baseball's Hall of Fame finally recognized the late Buck O'Neil for his contributions and has established a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in his honor. Who said you can't have "do-overs"? The Hall may have screwed him when he was alive by not legitimately voting him in, but now the brain trusts there can pretend they have corrected things. They really haven't.
     Overall, let me personally thank the loyal readers of this column. Most of your feedback during the past year has been honest and generally positive.
    Of course, a few of you need to dial it back a bit and realize that sports really are just a "Toyland" in the big scheme of things.
     As we head into 2008 we all need to be a bit kinder and gentler to each other. Let's try to not make sporting events fun and life and death events.
     In the grand scheme of things we need to realize the success of any sporting team at any level really has very little to do with our day-to-day lives.
    Peace to all and Happy Holidays!!