KC SPORTS & FITNESS By John Landsberg (Nov. 2008) This is the month when we should all stop and give thanks for the many blessings we have experienced this year. Sure, when you examine most of the sports teams in Kansas City there haven�t been a lot of �blessings� this year.But if you really work hard and try to keep a positive outlook you can find some. As an example, the Kansas City Royals finished the year fairly strong and have given some fans hope for the future. That�s nice, but maybe we should look past just wins and losses.Let�s look at ticket prices. The New York Yankees didn�t make the playoffs this year either, but give thanks that you don�t live in New York. The top season ticket package for the Yankees� home games at the team�s new stadium is a stunner. The Royals� top seat is about $190 per game, or a bit more than $15,000 for the season. Compared to the Yankees it is the deal of the century In your wildest dreams could you imagine plunking down $2,500 for a single game ticket to a Yankees� game?Or how about $202,500 for the season? In less than two seasons you could buy your own Larry Johnson Maybach car. No wonder we are all helping to bail out the New York experts who got us in this financial mess?These are the same folks who love the Mets so much they have already sold out the suites at their new ballpark. The cost: $250-$500,000 for each of their 49 luxury boxes. On the football side, sure the Kansas City Chiefs are having a miserable season, but there is a bright side: We aren�t in Dallas. Owner Jerry Jones is constructing a $1.1 billion football Taj Mahal for his Cowboys with ticket prices starting at $16,000 for a 30-year �seat option� that tops out at $150,000.Keep in mind, this is just the everyday low price �upfront fee.�The actual game tickets are extra. Oh, and a suite at the new Dallas stadium can cost up to $500,000 for a season.That�s not for a lifetime, but a single season. Even with the KC Chiefs kicking up their prices every year they aren�t even in the same price league as Dallas. And we complain about rising parking prices at Arrowhead? We should also be thankful that no NHL or NBA teams have decided to relocate to our fair town.We have enough losing pro sports franchises to depress us. *** You have to be thankful that even staid college presidents can sometimes make us chuckle. Some college presidents, congressmen, coaches and athletic directors recently �urged� the NCAA to limit (or ban) alcohol ads from telecasts of NCAA events failed.Then someone told them this lofty gesture could threaten their revenues from telecasts. End of discussion.What makes this gesture particularly silly is that you wonder if these folks ever wander around a college campus on a Saturday night. *** I�m thankful that despite an attempt by the University of Kansas to kill its tradition of a steam whistle blowing to announce the end of classes each day it will continue. The tradition dated back to 1912, but school officials figured it cost about $5. every time it blew.Over a year that would cost an astounding $3,000! $3,000?The school relented after several people protested the planned change and said it will keep the tradition. While school officials felt the whistle cost was too much they didn�t even blink when Coach Mark Mangino demanded $90,000 worth of trees be planted to hide his practice facility. Was he fearful someone might want to copy this year�s defense? What the heck, the students will barely notice the tree expense in their next tuition increase.
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I have many things to be thankful for this year and let me take this opportunity to thank each and every one of my readers.Whether you agree or disagree it is always great hear from you. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
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