KC SPORTS & FITNESS
November 2007
By John Landsberg
Earlier this season the Chiefs� future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez was just one touchdown away from setting the mark for most career touchdowns in the NFL for tight ends. It would be a great achievement.
However, according to the Kansas City Star, he made it clear he wasn�t interested in setting the record-breaking touchdown against Jacksonville in the final seconds to help the Chiefs avert a 17-0 shutout.
Gonzalez set the touchdown record the next week to lead the team to a home victory against Cincinnati. He was highly praised by the fans and media.
�If I�m going to go out there and score a touchdown to break the record, I�m going to make sure that�s it�s in a game we win and it counts and everything�s going in the right direction,� Gonzalez said in the Star interview. �I didn�t want it to be a garbage touchdown.�
Of course, no one would dare ask the Chiefs� icon if he even tried to get open in the final drive of the Jacksonville loss for a �garbage touchdown.� Or what he would have done if the pass came his way.
At times in his career Gonzalez sounds a bit like �Leon� in those Budweiser commercials. If you never saw them go on YouTube.
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When Buck O�Neil was turned down for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame I wrote a column saying that they should not come up with some phony honor to make up for it. I was wrong.
The Hall of Fame have now decided to put up a statue and create a Lifetime Achievement Award in Buck�s honor. It will help keep his memory alive and will help fund-raising for the Negro Leagues Museum.
However, no matter how much we pretend, in reality a statue and award is not the same as being legitimately inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ask Frank White if he would rather have a statue outside Kauffman Stadium or be in the Hall of Fame.
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Did it seem to anyone else that once the Royals were guaranteed they would not lose 100 games this season they went into the tank? A 69-93 record and another last place finish is not exactly a source of pride, but the only goal this season seemed to be to not lose 100 games again.
Of course, Kansas City fans remained loyal as the team continued to suck. Voters even went to the polls and passed a tax to give the team $250 million for renovations to one of the finest ballparks in the country.
As a way of saying thanks the team responded with a ticket increase of 15%. Maybe next year fans can somehow get a collective kick to the groin in appreciation.
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Former Chiefs� quarterback Trent Green�s career might be over after suffering a season-ending concussion as the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins. Ironically, Green was injured while throwing a great block on a running play. 99% of quarterbacks in the league wouldn�t block if their lives depended on it, but that is the kind of guy he is.
Here�s hoping Green retires in Leawood and remains a community asset.
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It has been a myth for years that the fans of the University of Nebraska were the best in college football. The only reason the Husker faithful were so �nice� was they were pummeling teams by scores of 63-3 and 58-6.
It�s easy to be nice to fans of teams like Baylor when you are scoring at will. Now that the Cornhuskers are getting their butts handed to them on a regular basis they are acting like the college version of the Oakland Raiders.
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The Sprint Arena is beautiful and a real asset to Kansas City. However, in reality wouldn�t Elton John, Hannah Montana and Garth Brooks have easily sold out dusty, old Kemper Arena? And Kemper holds more people�
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November is the month when we give thanks for our numerous blessings. I�m thankful for the health of my family and the fact that the powers at Kansas City Sports & Fitness let me pontificate each month on sports issues. Thanks folks.
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