 Off
the Couch
by
Greg Hall
Landmark columnist |
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For more of Greg Hall, surf to www.kcconfidential.com
THE SIGNING OF THOMAS JONES
Posted
3-11-10
“Chiefs are one of my sleeper teams - even more so with Thomas Jones now. Jamal Charles was unreal last year but reality is that he's not a full-time 320-carry back. Jones and Charles could be dynamic.”
Chris Mortensen, ESPN NFL insider, Twitter
GH: Could that be the sound of national expectations being showered upon our long-destitute Chiefs? Read on.
“I think this is the best move of the Scott Pioli era so far. They absolutely needed help at running back. I don’t think fans understand how beat up that guy (Jamal Charles) was last season. What makes this move even better is they didn’t have to waste a draft pick on it. I think this is maybe their best free-agent signing in years.”
Kent Babb, KC Star Chiefs beat writer, 810 AM
GH: I was just as excited last off-season when Pioli negotiated the deal for Matt Cassel. If the Chiefs can get an O-lineman in free agency and then put together a draft for the ages this April, we could get real excited real quickly here in Kansas City.
“I think it’s a terrific signing. People who are being negative about it are just trying to find something to be negative about.”
Steven St. John, on the Chiefs signing Thomas Jones to a two-year contract, 810 AM
GH: I haven’t heard/read a lot of negative talk about the Chiefs getting Jones. I love the deal.
“I know Thomas Jones is coming here expecting to be the starter. He is not interested in being a complimentary player. I think that’s a good thing. Jamal Charles needs competition.”
Kent Babb, 810 AM
GH: Babb said he expects the breakdown between the two backs to be about 65/35 with Charles getting the bulk of the carries. I think the opposite is true. Jones is a sturdier ball carrier and he will prove to be the more dependable – especially when it comes to holding onto the football. Charles will be great at what he does best – run away from people and score touchdowns.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to sign good players. Spending money doesn’t always equate into improving your football team. That’s been seen time and time again. Unfortunately, I’ve been a part of that. … They don’t hand out Lombardi trophies for spending too much or spending too little. What you try to do is build a good football team. I’m focused on signing good players at whatever the price is and improving the football team. I don’t get caught up in the numbers.”
Scott Pioli, when asked by Nick Wright if the Chiefs would once again be around the $100 million mark for total team salary or if they would slip far below it, 610 AM
“Like last year, we’re going to pursue free agents and be active with free agents. … I would not have taken this job if there would have been some feeling or sense or belief or knowledge that I wouldn’t be able to do and spend as we need to spend. Clark made that clear that there wasn’t going to be anything restricting me.”
Scott Pioli, 610 AM
GH: Wright’s interview with Pioli was short but informative. Pioli is very, very good in an interview setting. He is immediately likable and very composed. I think this guy is going to be good. Maybe even HOF good.
“The point is that marquee names don’t necessarily equal value. They don’t necessarily equal good players.”
Scott Pioli, 610 AM
GH: I am not a fan of signing big-name free agents. Yes, there are a few each year that would make a difference, but most seem to have already played their best games. I like Pioli’s approach that we can get better in the draft and we intend to.
“Here’s the truth. We have a lot of needs. You don’t win only four games and not have a lot of needs. We need a lot of players, Nick. We need a lot of players. I’m not telling you any state secrets here. … This is a process. You’ve got to do this with a plan in place and understand that it’s not all going to change within one week, one month or one season.”
Scott Pioli, 610 AM
Greghall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
SPORTING NEWS DISSES ALDRICH
Posted
3-10-10
“I think it’s fairly obvious. Cole (Aldrich) averaged 11 points per game.”
Mike DeCourcy, college basketball writer for The Sporting News, when asked why KU’s Aldrich was left off all of TSN’s five-deep All-American teams, 810 AM
GH: DeCourcy spent ten minutes on WHB’s Border Patrol Wednesday morning defending his magazine’s decision to not list Aldrich as one of the top 25 players in the country. I was neither convinced nor swayed by DeCourcy’s adamant and fervent arguments against the Kansas center. The fact DeCourcy used Aldrich’s PPG stat as his first line of defense only weakened his argument -- it made DeCourcy’s reputation as a college hoops guru slip toward the Bob Knight range. Read on.
“I think (Aldrich) was an incredible player at various points of the year but at other points he was just okay. I’m not saying Cole Aldrich isn’t one of the best 25 players in the nation. He’s probably one of the best 10. But he didn’t have one of the best 25 seasons.”
Mike DeCourcy, 810 AM
GH: The more DeCourcy spoke, the less sense he made. Nate Bukaty tried to call out DeCourcy on Aldrich’s omission but he was not as persistent as I would have liked and unsuccessful. I would have liked to have heard Nate and Steven drowned out DeCourcy’s blabber with an ocean of laughter, guffaws and you-gotta-be-kidding-me’s.
“His blocks are the only thing that has taken a leap. Everything else declined.”
Mike DeCourcy, 810 AM
GH: So we should then assume that Aldrich had a worse season than last? Hey, Mike. Did you notice Cole’s team went 15-1 in the Big 12 and were ranked #1 for most of the season?
“What coach did not vote for Cole Aldrich for the first-team All-Big 12 team? I could not believe he wasn’t a unanimous selection. That should be grounds for dismissal! (Aldrich) changed every game he played in.”
Jon Sundvold, who was astonished that Aldrich was not a unanimous selection to the Big 12’s All-Conference team, 810 AM
GH: Not only did DeCourcy’s magazine not list Aldrich on any of their top five All-American teams, they also left him off the All-Big 12 team. AND, ANDDDD the All-Big 12 second team! No wonder The Sporting News is so highly thought of amongst today’s periodicals.
“If I could, I’d take them to Grandview. Show them Grandview.”
Alec Burks, CU’s Big 12 freshman of the year who played at Grandview High last season, when asked where he’d take his Colorado teammates if he could show them anyplace in Kansas City, 810 AM
GH: Okay, so Burks might not be the best selection for a Kansas City tour guide – but he averaged almost 17 points per game in what many believe is the nation’s best conference. DeCourcy’s Sporting News selected Xavier Henry as the Big 12 freshman of the year instead of Colorado’s Burks. Did DeCourcy watch any Big 12 games at all?
“They have completely lost sight of the fans and the people in America who love sports and are listening to sports talk radio right now. Expanding the tournament is not going to bring in any more fans. It’s not going to save coaches jobs.”
Kevin Kietzman, 810 AM
GH: Amen. Period. End of statement. I might not agree often with KK but I am solidly in his corner on this one. The NCAA has completely lost touch with the people who matter most – their fan base. Without us Joes, there ain’t any dough.
“I think most people who are in the media have lost any aspect of being a fan. I think a lot of people lose that after a point and it becomes a job for them.”
Todd Leabo, 810 AM
GH: If you want to know the difference between most people in the sports media, it is their passion for the sports and teams they cover. It has been my experience that those in the sports writing and television industries are far more removed from being a fan than those in radio. I was stunned to discover how many Kansas City Star sportswriters were no longer fans. The comment, “It’s a job,” described far too many of their attitudes toward their beats. I remember Kent Pulliam telling me once he never watched a game or sporting event that he was not assigned to cover. JoPo always wrote how he was not a fan of any team and could not be so as to remain objective. What bullshit. Whitlock openly roots for his teams and it makes him relevant and real. Everybody on sports talk radio is a fan of one team or another. It’s why we listen, scream, moan, laugh and cheer.
“It’s hard for me to watch a game and not think about what I’m going to say about it.”
Danny Clinkscale, 810 AM
GH: Unfortunately for Clink’s audience, this is not difficult to believe.
“It’s just not the same at Sprint Center. Maybe it’s the redneck in me but I liked the Big 12 Tournament at Kemper. It was uniquely Kansas City. You could tailgate and party right there in the parking lot. It’s just not the same.”
Chris Hamblin, 610 AM
GH: This comment shocked me but I suppose there are those who miss parking in mud puddles, the gridlock traffic on the 12th Street Bridge, the rush for a table at the Golden Ox between sessions, the narrow beer-sloshed Genesee Street corridor that was everyone’s way in or out of The Bottoms. I for one like Sprint Center quite a bit better.
“I love, love, love the Big 12 Tournament, especially here in Kansas City.”
Bob Fescoe, 610 AM
GH: The tourney is here and the games have begun. I already blew my first Big 12 bracket pick with CU losing to Tech. I will be spending most of Thursday and Friday at Sprint Center to take in the sights, sounds and rebounds. Hope you get a chance to be a part of it as well.
GregHall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
K-STATE COACH WANTS 96 TEAMS IN TOURNAMENT
Posted
3-8-10
“I think it (the NCAA Tournament) should expand to 128 teams. I think everyone should play one more game. I don’t think teams should get byes in the NCAA tournament. That’s not what it’s about. I think if you’re going to expand, you go the whole boat and everyone plays one more game.”
Frank Martin, 810 AM
GH: And you thought the talk of a 96-team field was too large! Read on.
“There’s 347 teams in college basketball. If you expand it to 128, you still (inviting) less than half. What a tremendous opportunity! In football, 68% of the schools get to play in a bowl game, why not do that for college basketball?”
Frank Martin, 810 AM
GH: Martin says this like the college bowl system ain’t broke. Why would basketball want to follow the footsteps of the BCS bowl system? You know why – so mediocre basketball coaches could do what mediocre football coaches do – talk about how their team was “bowl eligible.” What a crock.
“I think there are positives from both fronts. A lot of coaches would like to see it expand. It could be better for our profession. I think it should be expanded but not to 96. I see it going to 68 or 72. I cannot see it going to 96. I don’t think 96 is the answer…but I do see the coaches’ point.”
Bill Self, 610 AM
GH: Self is concerned about the handful of bubble teams that get left out each year. I am not. Having a few schools suffer the heartbreak of not making the field of 65 adds to the celebration of making it.
“Everyone says you would water it down, I don’t understand how you water it down. You’re just giving more opportunity to qualified teams. If the NCAA’s mission is about the student athlete, then why not give more student athletes the opportunity to experience that wonderful tournament?”
Frank Martin, 810 AM
GH: Martin must not understand what the term “water it down” means. A 128-team NCAA bracket would be spouting so much water it would need to be filled out by Vincent Chase’s Aquaman. What is scary is that Martin isn’t the only coach thinking this.
“Let’s be honest, I like K-State but their Big 12 schedule was easier than Kansas’ schedule. I think they should probably be a three seed but they’ve created such a positive vibe they are (right now) a two.”
Doug Gottlieb, 810 AM
GH: K-State will most likely see Oklahoma State on Thursday. That is a game they need to win if they want a #2 seed. It will not be easy. I think OSU could pull a Mizzou this year and win the whole thing.
“The thing about college basketball this year is that I don’t think there as many greats teams as there have been in the past.”
Bill Self, 610 AM
GH: Agreed. Are Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse that much better than the four seeds? Nope. Is this the year none of the top seeds make it to the Final Four? Very possible.
“I really don’t have much hope for anyone in this league to make much of a deep run besides Kansas. I’ll be thrilled if three of the seven make it to the Sweet 16.”
Kevin Kietzman, 810 AM
GH: I think the field is so average that the Big 12 teams have a real shot to do well in this year’s tourney. A lot will depend on the tourney matchups but I think five B12 teams in the Sweet 16 is doable.
“I would make Sherron Collins beat me.”
Jon Sundvold, on how he would approach coaching against KU, 810 AM
“I think you want to make Sherron Collins beat you from three.”
Doug Gottlieb, 810 AM
GH: Collins’ stock has dropped the last six weeks. His jumper has left him and people are starting to question his elite status. I think that will prove to be a mistake.
“I think Mike Anderson has done a phenomenal job with probably three or four honorable mention players.”
Jon Sundvold, on the lack of talent at Mizzou, 810 AM
“Seeing what Missouri can do, and no disrespect to my friend Marcus Denmon, with a bunch of nobodies. Missouri’s got the talent of Colorado, honestly. I don’t know how many coaches in the country could take the players that Mike Anderson has and win 10 games in the Big 12. And that includes Bill Self.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: Does Anderson’s break-neck full-court style allow him to get it done without the same talent at some other Big 12 schools? So what happens when his talent matches Kansas? Can you say Arkansas under Nolan Richardson?
“What I like about Zaire Taylor is that he doesn’t mind being the hero or the goat.”
Mike Anderson, on the Mizzou senior’s willingness to take the last shot, 810 AM
GH: This is a great line. Everyone wants to be the hero but the understanding that the goat collar comes with that gamble is reserved for special athletes and people who dare to make a difference.
“Frank Martin apparently was content to sit there and lose his last game.”
Kevin Kietzman, on Martin’s decision to limit Wally Judge’s playing time to four minutes against Iowa State, 810 AM
GH: It looks like the honeymoon is over, Frank.
“LeBron, like most young professional athletes, you need a better understanding of history.”
Jason Whitlock, FoxSports.com
GH: This from the sportswriter who once asked me after Joe DiMaggio died, “Is he the guy who played in all those games in a row?”
“The real question is, ‘Has (Tiger) really changed?’ Doubtful. Doubtful. Alpha dogs like that rarely do. No, I don’t think that guy has changed.”
Jim Rome, Jim Rome Show
GH: I just want Tiger to get back on the golf course and start making the PGA relevant again.
“(The Chiefs) traded Tank Tyler because he was a mole, even though he wasn’t. It’s unbelievable that I’ve been able to still break Chiefs news even though they traded him.”
Nick Wright, insinuating that the Chiefs believe Tank Tyler was a mole for Wright, 610 AM
GH: I thought the Chiefs traded Tank because he was a “hole” in the D-line.
Greghall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
NEW CONTRACT BRING$ TEAR$ TO FRANK MARTIN'$ EYE$
Posted
3-8-10
“I told (John Currie) from day one that I want to be the guy that grows old with you here.”
Frank Martin, after K-State announced they had signed Martin to a contract extension through the 2014-15 season, 610 AM
GH: Everybody gets what they wanted with this agreement. Martin gets stability for the first time in his coaching career along with his salary doubling. K-State gets to keep their first Big 12 COTY in basketball at a price that may be considered a bargain. And the Big 12 keeps one of the conference’s most dynamic young coaches the conference has ever birthed.
“If there were any doubters that Frank wanted to stay, he cried during the press conference. He appreciates the hometown feel and loyalty and all that kind of thing that K-State people have shown him. To watch him cry, it was a little bit out of place but you could understand where he was coming from. It was pretty cool.”
Curtis Kitchen, 810 AM
GH: Martin is an emotional guy and he makes no excuses for his passion. But Kitchen’s assumption that Martin’s tears were evidence that he “wanted to stay” might be more wishful thinking than reporting. If my boss walks in my office today and doubles my salary, I’ll shed a couple of tears as well. But I’d do the same if I was moving to Bloomington, IN for double the money.
“This is going to allow me to help my family and raise my children differently than I was raised.”
Frank Martin, 610 AM
GH: As a parent, I worry about this exact thing all the time. I was raised with 14 siblings on a mailman’s salary. My parents had little to share with us beside their love, work ethic and character. We have two sons who want for nothing. But what they don’t have is the kind of burning need to excel that earned every one of my siblings a college education and a successful life and family as an adult. I hope it is simply hidden somewhere in them and just has yet to surface. Growing up wanting got Martin his dream gig. I sometimes think less is more when it comes to raising kids.
“For us to know this is going to be our home for awhile makes us extremely happy.”
Frank Martin, 610 AM
GH: Some believe this does not ensure Martin will remain in Manhattan the next five seasons. Read on.
“College coaching insiders who’ve seen the contract warn that anything beyond Martin coaching K-State next year is still in play.”
Sam Mellinger, columnist, KC Star
GH: After listening to Martin’s teary press conference, I find it hard to believe he would bolt for the cash and prestige of a bigger-named school. But coaches surprise us all the time.
“I don’t work to chase the dollar.”
Frank Martin, KC Star
GH: That makes Martin unlike most of us. Chasing the dollar is not a bad thing. It is a large part of what makes this a great country to live in.
“I just wonder if it would have changed anyone’s vote. That’s a pretty bad loss. That loss and a three-way tie for second place, I think I would have voted for Bill Self after that loss.”
Nate Bukaty, on the bulk of the voting for Big 12 COTY being completed before K-State’s loss at home to Iowa State on senior night, 810 AM
GH: Martin earned his COTY award but Bukaty has a decent argument. Is Martin really more deserving than Self, Baylor’s Scott Drew or A&M’s Mark Turgeon? Not really.
“What Frank Martin did is more impressive than what everyone else in the conference did. Does it change my opinion of them since they lost to Iowa State? No.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
“I was really aggravated, ticked off and upset with Kansas State for losing to Iowa State. I was hoping they’d get a number-one seed because that how much I believe in Frank Martin. I believe in what he’s doing. That loss on Saturday was a kick in the gut.”
Bob Fescoe, 610 AM
GH: When Fescoe started his morning show in January on 610 Sports he did so with an audio promo that shouted that Kansas State basketball was a fraud. Nice to know Fescoe has gotten that much smarter in only two months.
“I have no problem with Frank Martin as Coach of the Year. It’s great for the conference that someone else besides Kansas is in the spotlight.”
Kevin Harlan, 810 AM
“What if Kansas State loses to Oklahoma State? I think their fall could be massive – even to a six (seed).”
Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: The Big 12 tourney starts Wednesday at Sprint Center and the NCAA seeds will be determined by the results. Seven teams are still likely to make the dance. It will be the order of the dance card that will be interesting to watch unfold.
“We would love to win a national championship, but we're not obsessed with it because we're obsessed with these guys trying to live their NBA dream. What's happened to Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, T.J. Ford -- I'd give up a national title for all of our guys to be able to live their dream."
Rick Barnes, ESPN Magazine
GH: Wow. Barnes makes over $2 million a year as the Texas basketball coach. I think he is obsessing about the wrong thing. Read on.
“That might be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard a college coach say. I can’t believe a coach would ever say that.”
Kevin Harlan, on Texas’ Rick Barnes saying they are obsessed with the players trying to live their NBA dream over obsessing about winning an NCAA title, 810 AM
“I can say from the people I’ve talked to that they are almost 95% sure that they are going to expand the tournament next year. Do not be surprised if in the next week or ten days there is something fairly startling announced in regard to the size of the tournament and things associated with the tournament.”
Kevin Harlan, 810 AM
“I think it’s a horrible idea myself. It is truly the most perfect postseason of any sport. I think (expansion) dilutes it and you cheapen it, obviously. There is just a crush right now to make more money and these people need more money.”
Kevin Harlan, on expanding the NCAA tourney to 96 teams, 810 AM
“Let’s go back to Philadelphia!”
Verne Lundquist, deftly switching the CBS audience between the KU/MU game and the West Virginia/Villanova game, CBS
GH: CBS deserves high praise for catering to their basketball audience’s needs last Saturday. While WV and Nova were battling in an overtime game that lasted far into the KU/MU skirmish, CBS made sure the Big 12 audience didn’t miss a play of the KU/MU game. CBS was so diligent in switching back and forth between games, they used every commercial break (until the 7-minute mark of the KU/MU game) to switch back to Philadelphia instead of selling us soap. In a time when the almighty dollar appears to be the constant god of TV sports, this was something to witness.
“For this (Kansas) team to win it all, (Cole Aldrich) is going to have to elevate his offensive production in my mind.”
Clark Kellogg, TV analyst, NBC
GH: I am not so sure KU needs Aldrich to score more than 10/game in the tourney. He is far more important as a defender in the paint. No other team has an Aldrich that they force the opposition to contend with.
“I’m not sure you could say Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are the stars of this team.”
David Lawrence, KU postgame show, 610 AM
GH: Kansas’ talent is deep but not that deep.
“Somebody needs to be held accountable (for Alex Gordon’s broken thumb). This is not a fluke injury. This is Alex Gordon, I’m sorry – being stupid. You don’t slide into second head first in a spring-training game.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: The nightmare career continues. Gordon is simply jinxed in Royals blue. He needs a fresh start elsewhere and the Royals need a third baseman.
“I will not be happy until he’s ‘former’ manager Trey Hillman. That’s just the way I feel. I think if you talk to the people who cover him they’ll agree. He’s very Bob Boone-ish.”
Steven St. John, 810 AM
GH: At least we have basketball to ponder the next month before we dive into what ails the Royals. I intend to enjoy the next four weeks.
Greghall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
COWBOY ANDERSON GIVES AN EXIT INTERVIEW
Posted
3-7-10
Changing jobs isn’t easy but it can be liberating.
“I am getting out of radio,” is how Cowboy Cory Anderson began the interview. That is a fairly busy highway in today’s broadcasting climate. Why give up on the industry he was educated in at Oklahoma State in 2002? “Unless your name is Johnny Dare in Kansas City, Entercom doesn't treat the on-air talent with a lot of respect,” said Anderson. “Entercom cares much more about the bottom line than doing right by their on-air talent, at least here in Kansas City.”
A new business venture in Jacksonville is where Anderson is headed. “I am partnering up with a friend, but I don’t want to get too specific,” said Anderson. “The business we’re going into is in the service industry and it will involve the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
Anderson is adamant that people know it was his decision to leave 610 Sports. He told the station last December that he would be leaving at the end of February. That exit was hastened in early February when Anderson tossed a Tiger Woods bobble head doll in mid-show and it shattered a studio window. The station management and Anderson mutually agreed to part ways three weeks early. “They were worried I might go ‘Whitlock’ on the air and start airing a lot of dirty laundry,” said Anderson.
Anderson began his radio career in Lawrence working for a small radio station right out of college. He struck up a friendship with Jason Whitlock after meeting him in the press box. “I owe Jason a ton because he’s the guy who got me into the Kansas City radio market,” said Anderson.
Whitlock hosted a sports talk show on 610 Sports at the time and paved the way for Anderson to be hired as the producer for Damon Amendolara’s (DA’s) morning show on 610. “A lot of people don’t respect Whitlock and his takes but he stirs the pot,” said Anderson. “I think Jason Whitlock is great for Kansas City. If he left, Kansas City sports would not be as fun to follow.”
Anderson contends that the decision by 610 Sports to can DA in December 2007 and replace him with veteran broadcaster Roger Twibell was a catastrophic error. “One of 610’s biggest mistakes was firing DA and hiring Roger Twibell,” said Anderson. “Roger Twibell is a joke! He’s no good! He would show up 20 minutes before his show and ask, ‘What’s going on?’ In the five-and-a-half years I worked in Kansas City radio, DA was the most talented radio host in the city.”
So why did Entercom dump DA for former golf-guy Twibell? “It was all about name recognition,” said Anderson. “The decision was not made by Allan Davis (the Program Director at 610 at the time). They went above his head to bring in Twibell. They thought Twibell swung a big stick here in Kansas City and that he would bring in a lot of clients. He brought in Nigro Golf and some others, but it wasn’t the windfall they thought it would be.”
What does Anderson think of his on-air coworkers at 610 Sports? “I had beers with Chris (Hamblin) just last night,” said Anderson. “We’re fine. I feel bad how it ended and that he had to work the last three weeks of the show without a partner, but he and I are still good friends. All those rumors out there that I was throwing the bobble head at him are all wrong.”
Is there any friction between Anderson and the station’s young upstart, mid-morning guy Nick Wright? “Nick Wright is one of my best friends,” said Anderson. “Nick is the smartest guy in Kansas City radio and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.” Anderson believes there is a higher calling for his friend. “I think he’s destined for something bigger than sports talk radio,” said Anderson. “He’s built to tackle issues much bigger than who the Chiefs are going to draft or what the Royals pitching rotation is going to look like.”
While Anderson’s departure from 610 Sports was not pleasant, he did leave with a large dose of respect for Dave Alpert, Entercom’s Market Manager here in Kansas City. “I don’t have a lot of respect for Ryan Maguire (Anderson’s PD) but I appreciate how my departure was handled by Dave Alpert. Even though I think Entercom screwed us over, I think Alpert is a straight shooter. He gets a lot of grief on the Kansas City radio message boards from I think former Entercom employees but in my experience it isn’t justified. He is a class guy.”
Anderson will miss some of the college coaches he covered here in Kansas City. “There are three unbelievable coaches and personalities coaching basketball at Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State,” said Anderson. “I am as big a Bill Self homer as you will find, but Frank Martin is my favorite sports personality in Kansas City.” Self is a Cowboy alum, same as Anderson, but Martin’s genuineness won over Anderson. “He is so straight forward and so gracious with the media,” said Anderson. “The guy just seems to be above everything petty. He’s very confident and he truly doesn’t care what other people think of him. A lot of people say that but he really doesn’t care.”
Does he think Martin will stay at K-State after this meteoric season? Anderson said he doesn’t see any reason for Martin to remain in Manhattan except one. Loyalty. “Frank Martin just seems like a guy where loyalty really matters,” said Anderson. “He knows Kansas State took a chance on him and gave him his first chance to be a head coach. That might be why he eventually decides to stay – but they will have to pay him what he’s worth.”
Cowboy Cory Anderson was probably the most vocal critic of former KU football coach, Mark Mangino, in the Kansas City media. “He was a complete ass and he treated people like shit,” said Anderson. But Mangino wasn’t the only sports figure in Lawrence to leave Anderson with a bad taste. “The entire Kansas athletic department – minus Kurtis Townsend and the other KU basketball coaches – was a pain in the ass to work with,” recalls Anderson. “Jim Marchiony (KU’s Associate AD) and his staff acted like they had a sense of entitlement, an arrogance about them that you just didn’t experience when working with the staffs at Mizzou or Kansas State.”
Chris & Cowboy sponsored the King Douchehbag contest online in 2008 that targeted the eventual runaway winner, Kevin Kietzman. As the reigning sports talk champion in Kansas City, Kietzman was a constant and frequent target for Chris & Cowboy’s rants. What are the relationships like between the on-air sports talk radio personalities in Kansas City? They are a lot chummier than you might imagine.
“I consider Soren Petro a very good friend,” confessed Anderson. “Todd Leabo and I are good friends as well. I play on the same soccer team as Nate Bukaty. People think there is this big war between the stations but there isn’t.”
Has 610 Sports decided if they can’t beat 810 to join them? “I don’t think you can beat 810 in this market,” said Anderson. “The only way to beat them is if they beat themselves by doing bad radio – and that hasn’t happened.”
Does Anderson think KK is really the King Douchebag? “I wouldn’t call Kietzman a friend but he is a brilliant radio personality,” said Anderson. “People may consider him ingenuous and his show sensationalistic but he does entertaining radio. Unless Kietzman retires to Arizona to play golf, 810 is going to be almost impossible to beat. And even if he left, Soren would probably take over the afternoon show and the ratings might slip a bit but not enough to notice.”
Chris & Cowboy’s ratings on 610 Sports steadily improved during their ten months together in afternoon drive. They recorded a 7th, a 6th and a finally a 5th place finish in the lucrative men 25-54 demo. While their numbers never challenged those of Kietzman or WHB, they were profitable. “Kansas City is as great a sports talk market as there is in the country,” said Anderson. “Sports stations in major markets across the country don’t come close to pulling the numbers that 810 and 610 get together. Kansas City is unbelievable in how passionate they are about their teams and sports talk radio. I’ll miss it.”
GregHall24@yahoo.com
For earlier Greg Hall columns, click here
