Big time sports are back. Sure, in most cases there are no real fans in the stands, but still. Are things getting closer to normal?
What am I talking about, there’s no such thing as normal in 2020.
I’ll probably check out of it now that the NFL is rolling again but in late summer when we were getting desperate for sports entertainment I watched bits and pieces of the NBA playoffs. For me, the NBA remains a yawn fest but it’s a different type of yawn fest than it was the last time I really paid attention. When did the NBA become such a three-point shooting game? Unlike 15 or 20 years ago, there’s hardly any assault and battery going on in the lane these days. I kinda missed it.
Not sure which brand of the NBA I prefer. Do I want to see WWE style wrestling in the lane or do a I want to watch guys shooting from 25 feet in what often resembles a more aggressive game of H-O-R-S-E?
Probably neither. When it comes to basketball, the college game remains much more entertaining in my eyes.
My favorite part of Week 1 of the NFL season? Thanks for asking. Other than the Chiefs easy victory over the Houston Texans last Thursday night, my favorite part was the obvious reduction in penalty flags. Did you notice how much smoother the action flowed without so much yellow laundry being tossed on the field?
And it wasn’t just our imagination. The numbers back it up. This morning I read that there were 78% fewer offensive holding calls in Week 1 of the NFL this season than in Week 1 last season.
Will that trend continue as the season moves along? Let’s hope so. Sometimes I think flag-happy refs just want to get some TV time. They’re human and they’ve got egos, too, I suppose.
I would be in favor of the broadcast networks/stadiums turning down the fake crowd noise that comes across on the telecasts, though. What’s the point? Everybody knows there are virtually no fans in the stands. It’s a bit like setting your clock 10 minutes ahead because it inspires you to get with it out of fear of being late. Wut. Are you really fooling yourself with that strategy even though you’re the one that set the clock 10 minutes ahead?
Rather than be fed the fake crowd noise, I’d prefer to hear more of the sounds of the game, some of the chatter among players and coaches on the field. Having spent several seasons photographing Chiefs games from the sidelines, I can tell you there are some impromptu conversations there that fans at home would find very entertaining.
Sure, some of it would have to be bleeped, but still.
A lot of us have noticed a pattern. The most unintentionally entertaining Nan Johnston is the late night Nan Johnston. Some of the biggest temper tantrums and meltdowns by the Parkville mayor on social media and in emails have happened in the late night hours. (This is simply a fact-based observation, you’ll have to draw your own conclusions.)
If Parkville loses that Sunshine lawsuit and you’re in the mood for some cheap after dark entertainment, hang by your computer. Unless a friend hides Nan’s internet devices, it will be glorious.
A couple of news nuggets for you from the local banking world.
.Central Bank of the Midwest has announced it will permanently close its location at 1401 Branch St. (Hwy. 92) in Platte City on Friday, Oct. 9. Most of us know this building as the former BankLiberty. Central Bank of the Midwest, as you know, acquired all Platte Valley Bank branches and all BankLiberty branches in the recent past. It seemed just a matter of time before Central would then close the smaller of its two Platte City locations, and now it is official. It closes for good at 5 p.m. on Oct. 9.
.As you’ll see on our front page, Nodaway Valley Bank, which had been approved by the City of Platte City to construct a temporary facility in the green space east of Price Chopper near where Direct Medical Care is going in, has had a change of heart and will not be putting up a temporary building there. The new plan is for NVB to lease space in the lower level of the Saint Luke’s Multispecialty Clinic along Running Horse Road in Platte City. That opening is expected to happen in about 90 days or so. Meanwhile, NVB is operating a loan office at 2425 Prairie View Road in Platte City. NVB still has plans to find/construct a permanent location while it leases space from Saint Luke’s, officials say.
I don’t want to talk politics with her, but let it be known I still love Taylor Swift. Not in a creepy stalking way, but you know what I mean. Her musical talents are a national treasure. Come at me, haters.
“Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift just came on the office radio and I started singing along. Office manager Cindy Rinehart was not impressed. Who knew she was a Taylor hater?
This just in: Cindy Rinehart denies being a Taylor hater. She said it was my singing that drew her negative reaction.
Platte City is not short on banks and Platte City is not short on Mexican restaurants. Not a complaint, just a fact-based observation.
The town with a population of 4,900 people now has three Mexican restaurants–wait, actually four if you count Taco Bell. Yes, two new dining options have opened in town, both offering Mexican cuisine. Las Cabanas has opened on Main Street, directly across from the Platte County Courthouse, and Rapidos has opened in the former Maria’s Mexican Restaurant location along Hwy. 92. Add those two to the longstanding Taco Bell location on Prairie View Road and the El Maguey restaurant on Platte Falls Road.
Someone once told me that you don’t actually buy the food at a Taco Bell, you’re just short-term renting it.
(Ivan Foley can be found listening to Taylor Swift while searching for anything normal or renting food at Taco Bell. Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)