August - Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

INSIDE 

THIS 

ISSUE: 

AUGUST 2011 

Chiefs 

Report 

page 2 

Sports 

Entertainment 

Report 

page 10 

High 

School 

Report 

page 14 

BIG 12 College 

Football Report 

page 7 

Steve Fisch 

Publisher 

11730 W. 135th St., Suite 18 

Overland Park, KS 66221 

Phone/Fax: (913) 764-2050 

Email: sfisch@kcsportspaper.com 

www.kcsportspaper.com 

Editor 

Alan Eskew 

Contributing Photographers 

Scott Thomas, Ed Graunke, 

Scott Weaver, Jim Gill 

Contributing Writers 

Charles Redfield, Alan Eskew, John Landsberg, 

Jim Potoski, James Peuster, Marc Bowman, 

Dr. Qizhi Gao, Matt Fulks, Dr. Lynn McIntosh 

Cover Photo 

by Scott Thomas 

Published Monthly 

Entire Contents © Kansas City Sports & Fitness 

2011. The views and opinions of the contributing 

writers contained in this publication do not necessarily 

reflect the views and opinions of the editor 

and/or publisher. 

70 

F 

2 AUGUST 2011 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS www.kcsportspaper.com 

Where Have You Gone? Frank Pitts 

rank Pitts has wonderful memories from his time with the 

Kansas City Chiefs. Great teammates. Trips to Super Bowls I 

and IV. Being part of the American Football League’s 

break-through. 

Sadly, though, a few years ago, burglars 

took two of Pitts’ prized mementos from 

his career: his two Super Bowl rings. 

“They trashed our room,” said Pitts, 

who lives in Baton Rouge. “They went 

into our computer room and didn’t take 

anything. They also didn’t take anything 

from our front room, which is where 

I have pictures and paraphernalia from my 

days (in the NFL).” 

Pitts, who’s a sergeant-at-arms in the 

Louisiana Senate, had been wearing the 

rings as the senators with whom he works 

were traveling to areas affected by 

Hurricane Katrina. Some of the senators 

felt that it would be enjoyable for their 

constituents to see the rings. Something to 

take their minds briefly off the overwhelming 

tasks at hand. 

For reasons unknown even to Pitts, he decided to leave the rings 

at home one December day. He put them in their normal resting 

place, ring boxes in the second drawer of his bedroom dresser. 

Later that morning, burglars kicked in the back door of Pitts’ 

home. A television, VCR and DVD player were taken, along with 

some other jewelry. 

But the Super Bowl rings meant the most. 

“The only reason I want them back is for my son, who’s done so 

well in his life,” said Pitts, 67, who began working for the 

Louisiana legislature about 10 years ago, after spending most of 

his post-playing career as a physical education and special education 

teacher. “I want (the rings) to be part of the legacy that I leave 

for him.” 

During 1965-71, Pitts was a speedy receiver, 

whom the Chiefs picked in the fourth round of 

the 1965 American Football League draft out of 

Southern in Baton 

Rouge. That draft, the 

Chiefs chose two other 

receivers with speed, 

Otis Taylor and Gloster 

Richardson. (Coincidentally, 

the Chiefs’ 

first pick in the draft 

was former Kansas star 

Gale Sayers, who 

decided to play for the 

NFL’s Chicago Bears.) 

The threesome came along at a time 

when the 40-yard dash was first being 

recorded on a regular basis. Pitts, the 

speediest of the three, clocked a 4.4. 

That speed led to one of the Chiefs 

most effective plays during their Super 

Bowl seasons. 

“(Coach Hank Stram) got excited when he saw how quick 

I was in a short distance, and came up with a reverse,” says Pitts. 

“We mastered it during the 1966 season, when we went to the 

first Super Bowl. Then we perfected it two years later.” 

As for the first Super Bowl, called the AFL-NFL World 

Championship game at the time, the Chiefs faced the Green Bay 

Packers in the famed Los Angeles Coliseum. The Packers and the 

NFL both were seen as superior to the Chiefs and the AFL. 

The Chiefs were out to prove that wrong. But, that doesn’t 

mean that the players weren’t excited. Especially Pitts. 

“Before the game, I’ll never forget running by Green Bay 

coach Vince Lombardi, and I stopped, started shaking his hand 

and said, ‘I’ve seen you on TV so much and I’m out here in Los 

Angeles, and it’s so great to meet you,’” Pitts remembered. 

“(Lombardi) said, ‘It’s great to have you out here. Now get back 

to the other side!’ 

“When we got ready to kick off, Elijah Pitts was playing for 

Green Bay. I made the tackle on him during the kick off. When 

I got him, I was hugging him and falling to the ground and I said, 

‘This is your namesake making a tackle.’ He just said, ‘Fine, 

now get up.’ That was a big highlight for me. That was my second 

year as a pro. 

“At that time, everything (with the Super Bowl) was new, 

even to the Packers. It was so new that anything and everything 

was an excitement. It was favoring both of us. In Super Bowl IV, 

we still had that shadow following us, even though the Jets beat 

Baltimore in Miami the year before. We didn’t gain any ground 

with our way of thinking. We felt we needed to prove that we 

were bigger and better.” 

The Chiefs got that chance. It didn’t hurt that they “perfected,” 

as Pitts said, the reverse in 1968, which was Pitts’ best season 

statistically. He ended with 107 rushing yards on 11 carries, and 

655 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 30 catches. 

The next season, the Chiefs reached Super Bowl IV in New 

Orleans. Pitts was fired up again except for a slightly different 

reason. After all, it was close to where he attended college in 

Baton Rouge, plus Southern’s marching band played at halftime. 

And, the Chiefs as a team wanted to mirror the New York Jets’ 

showing in Super Bowl III, proving that the AFL was for real. 

“We were determined to let everybody know we were going to 

take care of business,” 

Matt Fulks 

Contributing 

Writer 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4


his is painful to write. After all, no 

sports fan wants to say anything nice 

T about a rival — ever. Especially when 

it’s Chiefs-Raiders, but here we go. Tom 

Flores should be in the Pro Football Hall of 

Fame. There, I said it. 

When thinking last month about Frank 

White being a snub for the Baseball Hall of 

Fame, and looking ahead to this month’s 

Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony 

in Canton, Ohio, it became obvious 

that Tom Flores deserves enshrinement. 

Frankly, I’ve research Flores and the Hall 

for years, and my opinion hasn’t changed. 

When most football fans hear the name 

Tom Flores, they immediately think about 

the silver and black. Heck, Flores probably 

bleeds silver and black as much as Al 

Davis himself. 

After all, Flores was an original member 

of the Raiders — even before Davis — 

when the team began play in the American 

Football League. He was the team’s first 

quarterback as well as the league’s first 

Hispanic signal-caller. A few years later 

he was an assistant coach under John 

Madden. And then the head coach. And 

for the past 15 years or so, the Raiders’ 

radio color commentator. 

Flores is one of the few people in this 

world with four Super Bowl rings. He 

received one as a player and one as an 

assistant coach, and then, more impressively, 

two as a head coach. In an eight-year 

stretch as head coach of the Raiders, Flores 

led his team to two Super Bowl victories, 

and a postseason record of 8-3. 

Although Flores isn’t one to bang his 

own drum and yell from a watchtower that 

he deserves to receive Hall of Fame consideration, 

he has thought about his omission. 

“I think about it all the 

time,” Flores told Dave 

Stewart and me during 

an interview on 

SportsRadioKC.com’s 

“Behind the Stats.” “I 

have to be honest with 

you about it; sure, I think 

about it all the time. I’ve 

never even made the 

final 15. It’s become a 

popularity contest and 

political with who pushes 

who the most. I’m not 

criticizing anyone in the 

Hall of Fame, but it’d be 

nice to be in that group. 

I think I’ve contributed 

enough to at least be considered in 

the top 15.” 

Flores won’t politic for the Hall of Fame. 

That’s not his style. If he’s going to receive 

overdue and deserved consideration, it’s 

going to come from columns such as this 

one. To bang that drum for Flores is perfectly 

fine with me. Even though any selfrespecting 

Chiefs fan has utter disdain and 

disgust for anyone associated with the 

Raiders, Flores is one of the nice guys. 

Probably at the top of the list. 

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Flores has 

a direct tie to the Chiefs. 

In 1969, Flores’ playing career seemed to 

be finished when Buffalo cut him early in 

the season. That is, until Chiefs quarterback 

7 QUESTIONS with WILL SHIELDS 

From time to time, Matt Fulks and co-hosts Dave Stewart and Steve Renko on their radio show 

“Behind the Stats” on SportsRadioKC.com, will pose “7 Questions” to their guests. The following 

conversation is with former Chiefs great and future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Will Shields. 

1. My idol growing up was...? 

Will Shields: Ed “Too Tall” Jones. 

2. If not for football I would’ve 

been a/an...? 

WS: I have no idea. My major was 

Communications. Maybe I could’ve been a talkradio 

person. 

3. My greatest day in football was...? 

WS: When we won the state championship in 

high school. 

4. My favorite vacation spot is...? 

WS: Split between Hawaii and Denmark. I’d have 

to say Denmark is my absolute favorite vacation 

spot because I can go and do absolutely nothing. 

As far as Hawaii, my favorite island is Oahu. 

Flores deserving of Hall nod 

5. My favorite type of music/musician is...? 

WS: Brian McKnight. 

6. My message to parents of young athletes 

would be...? 

WS: Let them choose what they do and when 

they want to do it. Don’t force them. If they blame 

you later for not pushing them, then they blame 

you. [Laughs.] That’s the way it works. 

7. The one person in history I’d love to meet is...? 

WS: Martin Luther King, Jr. It’d be incredible to 

pick his brain for about five hours. How did he 

become what he became? That’d be unreal. 

For more about “Behind the Stats,” 

or to read past “7 Questions” segments 

go to www.SportsRadioKC.com. 

Len Dawson injured his left knee after the 

third game of the season, and backup Jacky 

Lee was hurt. 

Flores called Kansas 

City coach Hank Stram. 

The Chiefs brought 

Flores to Kansas City, 

he worked out and 

signed a contract. 

He was a backup 

quarterback during the 

1969 season and then 

spent 1970 on the taxi 

squad. With Dawson 

established and Mike 

Livingston on his way 

up, the aging Flores — 

32 at the time — played 

sparingly for the Chiefs. 

His main duty was 

holding for kicker Jan 

Stenerud. However, Flores finished his 

Chiefs career with a perfect completion 

percentage. He threw one pass that was 

completed for 33 yards and a touchdown. 

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” 

Flores has often said, usually with a laugh. 

Joining the team three games into the 

1969 season didn’t afford Flores much time 

to learn Stram’s system. He did that on the 

fly. Thanks to Stram’s system — as well as 

the players to execute it — it was with the 

Chiefs that Flores first won a Super Bowl 

ring, in Super Bowl IV over the Minnesota 

Vikings. 

“It was such a thrill to win the Super 

Bowl that season; I was kind of numb,” 

said Flores, who was the second player in a 

growing list of guys who have played for 

both the Chiefs and the Raiders. “Even at 

that point, we realized that there was no 

guarantee we’d be back to the championship 

game.” 

Indeed. The Chiefs haven’t made it back 

to that ultimate championship game since. 

Flores, though, made it back several times. 

In fact, he is one of two people who has 

played, and served as both an assistant 

coach and a head coach for Super Bowl 

winners. After getting a ring for Super 

Bowl IV as a player, he was an assistant 

under Madden in Super Bowl XI, and then 

head coach in Super Bowls XV and XVIII. 

Those two victories as head coach came 

during an eight-year tenure. In that span, 

1979-87, the Raiders finished with a combined 

record of 83-53. And, to reiterate in 

case you missed it earlier, they also went 

8-3 in the postseason. Not too shabby. By 

comparison, the Chiefs’ all-time playoff 

record is 8-14. 

Here’s a reason why it might be tough for 

Flores to get into the Hall of Fame, though. 

After working in the 

front office for the 

Raiders in 1988, Flores 

took the job as Seattle’s 

president and general 

manager. In 1992 he 

hired himself as the head 

coach. He got fired from 

both posts in 1994 after 

his Seahawks went 14-34 

in three seasons. 

That stretch of a few 

years should not taint his 

qualifications for the 

Hall of Fame. Nor should 

Matt Fulks 

Contributing 

Writer 

the fact that he worked for Al Davis, as 

some have suggested. (Heck, the fact that 

he survived eight years as Davis’ head 

coach should garner him more consideration, 

if not actual induction.) 

Including his time in Seattle, Flores’ 

career coaching record is 97-87, with two 

Super Bowl victories. Good enough for the 

Hall? Time will tell. 

Of course, if Tom Flores is going to be 

inducted, it’s going to have to be because 

he was a great coach. And he was. The 

numbers don’t lie. 

“Behind the Stats” interviews can be 

heard On-Demand at SportsRadioKC.com. 

For information on “Tales from the Raiders 

Sidelines,” by Tom Flores with Matt Fulks, 

visit www.MattFulks.com. 

PITTS| FROM PAGE 2 

Pitts said. “I was plum excited, and I tried 

to show off.” 

Did he ever. Two reverses to Pitts and 

another long pass play set up Kansas City 

points, two Jan Stenerud field goals and a 

Taylor touchdown. Pitts finished with 37 

yards rushing and 33 yards receiving. The 

Chiefs manhandled the Vikings, 23-7. 

“In Super Bowl IV, we still had that 

shadow of the ‘Mickey Mouse League’ following 

us around,” says Pitts, referring to 

the AFL’s nickname. “But we went out and 

proved that we were bigger and better.” 

Before the next season, the AFL and 

NFL merged. 

As Pitts looks at his NFL career, which 

ended before the 1975 season after shorter 

stops in Cleveland and Oakland, he’s especially 

mindful of his first season in Kansas 

City, which led to two Super Bowl appearances. 

“I just got in there in ‘65 and made my 

way,” he says. “I worked for it, but I got 

lucky.” 

Matt Fulks is a writer for SportsRadio- 

KC.com, and co-hosts “Behind the Stats.” 

You can reach him through SportsRadio- 

KC.com or his website, MattFulks.com.

www.kcsportspaper.com KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS AUGUST 2011 5 

W 

Chiefs repeat? AFC West looks interesting this year 

e all can agree last 

year’s schedule 

was very instrumental 

to the Chief’s success. 

Rated as one of the 

softest schedules in recent 

NFL history, KC’s run in 

2010 was one we have all 

been waiting for years. 

At this time last year 

I did my BLT predictions 

(Branches Limbs Twigs) 

and I had Kansas City 

James 

Peuster 

Contributing 

Writer 

going 11-5; however, with the Chiefs finishing 

first. They are obviously going to have a 

tougher time winning it once again, but with 

the NFL lockout finally over they can begin 

preparing in earnest for a much more 

rugged schedule. 

Add the fact that the AFC West has to 

play the NFC North as well as the AFC East 

- Denver, San Diego, Oakland and KC will 

have a tough road ahead of them in the divisional 

race. In addition, the AFC West teams 

play each other twice, so we may see a very 

tight race this year as well as the same scenario 

as the NFC west last year. 

Being in the media, we are in the “what 

if” arena and we make predictions and statements 

that others criticize or agree 

with. For me, anyone can go out on 

a limb or slide over to a safer 

branch. With all this being said, I am 

going out on a “twig” and say a 7-9 

team is going to win the AFC West. 

Before you call me crazy or turn 

the page, let’s look at what is ahead 

for 2011. All for teams have to play 

the New England Patriots and the 

New York Jets from the AFC East 

and the Chicago Bears and Green 

Bay Packers of the NFC South. 

Detroit is improving and the teams 

batter twice with each other, there 

are not many “sure thing” wins. 

Denver, Oakland and Kansas City 

play eight games with teams that finished 

last season above .500, while 

San Diego plays seven. Denver and 

Oakland will get five of them at 

home, San Diego four and KC three. 

All teams will have tough road 

schedules as well. I am quickly 

going to run down each teams 

schedule with my win-loss predictions 

(see chart). 

Breaking down my predictions; all 

AFC West teams will go 1-7 on the 

AFC West: 2011 Predictions 

DENVER (4-12 Last Year) 

Home Game Wins: Oakland, Cincinnati, San Diego, Detroit, Kansas City. 

Home Game Losses: New York Jets, Chicago, New England. 

Road Game Wins: Buffalo 

Road Game Losses: Tennessee, Green Bay, Miami, Oakland, Kansas City, San Diego, Minnesota 

Prediction: 6-10 

OAKLAND (8-8 Last Year) 

Home Game Wins: Cleveland, Kansas City, Denver, Detroit, San Diego 

Home Game Losses: New York Jets, New England, Chicago 

Road Game Wins: Buffalo 

Road Game Losses: Denver, Houston, San Diego, Minnesota, Miami, Green Bay, Kansas City 


SAN DIEGO (9-7 Last Year) 

Home Game Wins: Minnesota, Kansas City, Miami, Oakland, Denver, Buffalo 

Home Game Losses: Green Bay, Baltimore 

Road Game Wins: Detroit 

Road Game Losses: New England, Denver, New York Jets, Kansas City, Chicago, Jacksonville, Oakland 


KANSAS City (10-6 Last Year) 

Home Game Wins: Buffalo, Minnesota, San Diego, Miami, Denver, Oakland 

Home Game Losses: Pittsburgh, Green Bay, 

Road Game Wins: Detroit 

Road Game Losses: San Diego, Indianapolis, Oakland, New England, Chicago, New York Jets, Denver 


road while the Chiefs and Chargers go 6-2 

at home, the Broncos and Raider end up 

with a 5-3 home record. While a few games 

could go either way, judging by last year’s 

records and what some other “experts” are 

predicting, I think you can see that I am not 

too far off with having the San Diego and 

Kansas City finishing 7-9 and Denver and 

Oakland 6-8. 

In 1985, The Cleveland Browns won their 

division with a .500 record as well as the 

2008 San Diego Chargers. San Diego won 

their last four games to tie the Denver 

Broncos in the AFC West in 2008. That 

run included an improbable 22-21 victory 

in December at Arrowhead Stadium with 

the Chiefs blowing a 21-3 lead in the third 

quarter and the Chargers recovering an 

onside kick with just more than a minute 

left to set up the winning Phillip Rivers’ 

touchdown pass. 

However, last year provided NFL fans 

with the “thrill” of two teams finishing 7-9 

in the NFC “Worst” division with St. Louis 

and Seattle on top of even more inept San 

Francisco and Arizona. Seattle won the division 

and upset defending Super Bowl champion 

New Orleans in the first round of the 

playoffs. With three games left, there was a 

slight chance all four NFL West teams 

would finish 7-9. Thanks to the disparity of 

the NFL schedule, I believe this year we 

will see the same fate for the AFC West. 

Predicting the outcome of a whole season 

does not take into account injuries, benching 

unproductive returning first-team players, a 

rookie coming in and making a huge 

impact, etc. But for the thrill of making the 

bold predictions before the season starts, my 

7-9 record for winning the AFC will either 

make me look like a genius or an idiot. 

Who ends up winning the AFC West in 

2011? The Chiefs, of course, by the nature 

of the tie-breakers.

THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT 

T 

his is the time of year many begin 

practicing for the fall sports season. 

This is exciting as long as you are 

careful with how hot it is outside. 

Football gets the most attention about 

heat exhaustion injuries, but there are 

plenty of other sports teams out there practicing. 

All athletes need to be mindful of 

their condition of their body in the heat. 

The intense temperatures of the past 

month or so can have a drastic effect on 

you and usually this extreme heat lasts 

through August. Heat exhaustion and heat 

stroke are two serious conditions that can 

occur if you over-do it in this weather. 

Either of these conditions can happen 

when your body gets too hot. Of the two, 

heat stroke is by far more serious and can 

lead to death if not treated immediately. 

The symptoms can come on so suddenly, 

that preventative measures are important. 

A smart athlete takes care of their body 

in order to perform well at all times. This 

includes drinking plenty of fluids before 

exercising, maintaining a nutritious diet 

that includes vegetables, fruit and plenty of 

protein, taking multi-vitamin supplements, 

getting plenty of rest and knowing your 

body well enough to pay attention to signs 

that something isn’t quite right. 

Keep in mind medications, both prescription 

and over the counter, could effect 

dehydrating as well. Some allergy, blood 

pressure and seizure medications are just 

a few that can affect how your body reacts 

to heat. 

It’s easier to prevent heat exhaustion 

than to treat it. Wear appropriate clothing 

when exercising and don’t try to work out 

in extreme heat conditions. Appropriate 

clothing is light weight, light colored and 

ventilates well. 

Warm up your muscles correctly before 

The National Stroke Association reports that there are nearly 

4 million people in the United States who have survived a stroke 

and are living with the after-effects. 

These numbers do not reflect the scope of the problem and 

do not count the millions of husbands, wives and children who 

live with, and care for stroke survivors, and who are, because of 

their own altered lifestyle, greatly affected by stroke. 

A stroke, or cerebral vascular accident (CVA), occurs when a 

blood clot blocks a blood vessel or artery, or when a blood vessel 

breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When 

a patient survives a stroke, all but a small percentage of them 

suffer from limitations in functional activities and subsequently 

do not become self-sufficient. In the United States, post-stroke 

patients normally receive physical therapy, occupational therapy 

and/or speech therapy for their rehabilitation. 

Based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) 

theory, stroke is caused by an imbalance of Yin and Yang of the 

inner organs and an imbalance of qi (vital energy) and blood. 

Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, a classic Chinese Medicine 

journal written by Zhang Zhongjing, a famous TCM doctor in the 

Eastern Han Dynasty (300 A.D.), first described the symptoms 

and treatment method for post-stroke syndrome. During the past 

2,500 years, many studies on post-stroke have been conducted 

to continuously improve rehabilitation. 

Recovery success 

The most useful of these studies show that TCM therapy, 

such as acupuncture and moxibustion, herbs, Tuina Anmo 

(Chinese Massage) and Qigong (energy healing), increased 

recovery success. 

Let me describe these therapies and present some of the 

study results. 

• Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy: In acupuncture, 

the TCM physician or acupuncturist inserts one or more fine 

needles into the patient’s body to adjust the energy flow. Thus, 

the treatment plan is accomplished according to the patient’s 

syndrome. Acupuncture points are like traffic lights on the city 

street. The TCM physician or acupuncturist utilizes the needles 

Hot, hot, hot! 


exercising, and don’t overexert yourself. 

Take frequent breaks to rehydrate. 

Sweating depletes the body of salt and 

moisture that muscles need 

and when it becomes too 

low, one can experience heat 

cramps. It is important to 

replace salt and moisture 

with water or pedialyte, and 

salty foods, such as peanuts. 

If cramping continues, 

seek medical attention. You 

should drink eight ounces of 

fluid for every 15 - 30 minutes 

of exercise outdoors in 

the heat. 

Some heat exhaustion 

symptoms include headache, 

dizziness, chills, nausea and 

weakness. The person 

should be moved to a cool shady area and 

use cold packs on the back of the neck, 

under the arm and in the groin area. This is 

the quickest way to cool the body down. 

To determine heat stroke, one can have 

all of the aforementioned symptoms and 

add to that a body temperature more than 

104, seizures, breathing problems, cool and 

disorientation. The skin will be flushed and 

feel cool and clammy to touch. You can do 

just like traffic lights to control traffic flow. Moxibustion prevents 

and treats disease by applying heat to points or certain locations 

on the body. For centuries, moxibustion and acupuncture have 

been combined in clinic practice, thus they are usually termed 

together in Chinese Medicine. 

A study conducted by Chen YM,. Et al, shows that for 108 

cases of hemiplegia caused by stroke, early treatment (first 

three weeks) with acupuncture produces better results, 90.9 

percent, than the treatment initiated three weeks after stroke, 

71.4 percent. 

• Herbal Therapy: In ancient China, TCM medical experts 

tasted and tried all the herbs on themselves before prescribing 

them to their patients. Raw herbs are usually in the form of bark, 

leaves, seeds or roots. Today hundreds of different herb formulas 

are used to treat different diseases. Several commonly used 

herbal formulas are manufactured based on Chinese Herb 

Medicine Classics, formulas which have been used for hundreds 

of years in China. 

A study conducted by Lin Faching, et al, Department of 

Neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China, reported that when 

herb formulas were used in treatment of a sample of 78 cases 

for which clinical signs were evaluated, 97 percent reported an 

improvement in some symptoms, No obvious side effects were 

noted as a result of treatment when using the herbs. 

• Tuina Anmo (Chinese Massage) Therapy: This is the 

Chinese term for bone setting, muscle and joint manipulation 

and massage. Tuina Anmo is used in all areas of trauma, internal 

medicine, surgery, gynecology and pediatrics. An article 

written by Li Yangao, et al, The Bethune International Peace 

Hospital, China, mentioned that 44 patients suffered from 

hemiplegia due to stroke. The average patient age was 54. 

The disease course lasted from one month to three years, with 

an average of 105 days. Each patient was treated by Tuina 

Anmo therapy from 10 to 60 times, with an average of 24 times. 

The results were: 18 out of 44 cases improved obviously, 18 

improved, 8 cases failed and the overall effective rate was 

81.82 percent. 

a test to determine if 

they are dehydrated by 

pinching the skin on their 

arm or back of the hand. 

If the skin stays a bit 

pinched after you let 

go, they need fluids 

and medical attention 

immediately. 

Remember, one can 

suffer from heat exhaustion 

at any time when 

spending a lot of time in 

Dr. Lynn 

McIntosh, DC 

Contributing 

Writer 

extreme heat. That includes hanging out at 

the local theme park or being a spectator at 

a sporting event. Stay hydrated and watch 

for the signs of heat exhaustion for yourself 

and for the people around you. 

Dr. Lynn McIntosh is a board certified 

Chiropractor, licensed in Kansas and 

Missouri. In addition to being licensed to 

provide general chiropractic care, she is 

also a Certified Chiropractic Sports 

Physician, working with athletes from multiple 

disciplines on specific sports-related 

problems and a Certified Acupuncturist. 

She can be found on the internet at 

KansasCityChiropractic.com. 

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: Effective with Traditional Chinese Medicine 

• Qigong Therapy: Qigong is a method to exercise the 

body’s vital energy. It combines body movement, breath 

exercise and mind concentration. Qigong uses body movement 

to conduct the Qi to the place in which the mind is concentrated. 

At the same time, different breath techniques are applied 

depending on the exercise purpose. The Fourth World 

Conference on Medical Qigong reported in their 1998 publication 

that of 147 cases of hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of 

the body) due to cerebrovascular accident that were treated by 

Qigong, a total effective rate of 93 percent during the 12-week 

treatment period was observed. 

• Integrated therapy using Traditional Chinese and 

Western Medicine: Integrated therapy combines the best of 

Chinese treatments with conventional Western care. 

Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, herbal therapy, Tuina 

Anmo therapy, qigong therapy, physical therapy, occupational 

therapy and speech training are all used as appropriate to 

patient needs. 

Wang Shaoqin, et al, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, China, 

conducted a study on 100 cases of post-stroke patients treated 

by an integrated therapy of Traditional Chinese and Western 

Medicine. After three months of treatment, the total effective rate 

was 83 percent. For post-cerebral hemorrhage cases, the total 

effective rate was 89 percent. The overall effective rate of 67 

cases under age 60 was 91 percent, of over age 60 was 67 

percent. The total effective rate of 50 cases whose treatment 

started later than six months was 72 percent. 

These are only a few of the studies conducted on post-stroke 

rehabilitation. The results are exciting and I am happy to share 

them with the public. 

Dr. Qizhi Gao is the President and Founder of the Kansas 

College of Chinese Medicine and The Evergreen Wellness 

Center, A Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, both located in 

Overland Park, Kansas. EWC offers a complete integrated 

therapy program for post-stroke patients utilizing the Traditional 

Chinese and Western Medicine techniques noted above. For further 

information, call (913) 871-6309 or Toll-free (888) 481-5226.


D 

Rivalries and their jokes help define college football 

id anyone actually think that the NFL’s 

billionaire owners would not settle 

with their millionaire players before 

the fans’ money spigot was shut off? 

The likelihood of that would be about the 

same as Mark Mangino pushing away from 

a buffet table. Greed rules the day again. 

Hey, I am of the belief that if the owners 

were disciplined enough they could have 

implemented a salary cap of $300,000. 

Where else would these guys make that 

much money? McDonald’s? 

Sports Illustrated recently did a cute 

chart showing what many of the NFL players 

did in this off-season. A few went on 

TV. Some got married. 

But which categories featured the most 

players? Those players who were arrested 

for drugs and those arrested for assault. 

Toss in those arrested for DUI (Hines Ward 

was on TV and picked up for DUI), 

weapons, disorderly conduct and bar fight 

and you pretty much have a snapshot of the 

quality of many of the individuals playing 

in the NFL today. 

To me, that’s why college football 

still reigns supreme. Despite the NCAA’s 

best efforts to try and ruin its top colleges 

and players, there is nothing like the start 

of the college football season to raise the 

fan excitement level to Warp 10 across 

the country. 

Sure a meaningful NFL game with 

playoff implications can generate excitement 

for one season, but in reality it is 

nothing like Auburn vs. Alabama, Ohio 

State-Michigan, Notre Dame-USC, 

Texas-Oklahoma, Kansas-Missouri, 

Oregon-Oregon State or any other long 

running college rivalry. Maybe many of the 

rivalries are even more special because 

many of those colleges do not have NFL 

teams nearby. 

Virtually every college at every level has 

at least one team circled on its schedule it 

truly despises. It is often a hatred that is 

passed down from generation to generation. 

A loss can depress its fans for months. A 

win means bragging rights for a year. 

But aside from the actual game rivalry, 

sometimes the 

jokes and putdowns 

surrounding 

the games makes it 

even better. Sure, 

the Alabama fan that 

poisoned trees at 

Auburn crossed a 

major line of idiocy, 

but jokes seem to add 

a unique flavor to any 

rivalry. 

As a born and bred 

Ohioan, the game 

against rival Michigan 

defines the season. 

Bumper stickers saying 

things like “I root for 

Ohio State and any team 

that beats Michigan” are 

plentiful - and honest. 

You can be sure similar bumper stickers 

with the teams reversed are plentiful 

in Michigan. 

In fact, a Buckeye friend sent me a video 

(YouTube: Pure Michigan: U of M People) 

that made me laugh so hard about the 

“Walmart Wolverines” I am still trying to 

get coffee out of my keyboard. I sent the 

video to a diehard Michigan friend who did 

not share my enthusiasm for it. His 

response is not printable, but I would 

expect nothing less than a guy who has a 

ceramic golfer in his front yard dressed in 

Michigan’s maize and blue. 

Once there were bumper stickers in the 

Lone Star State that read: “Texas - The 

University.” Not to be outdone, their 

Baptist neighbors in Waco retaliated with: 

“Baylor - Thee University.” 

Years ago while traveling through Texas 

I came across an entire book of “Aggie” 

jokes about the rivalry between Texas and 

Texas A & M. I was amazed. An entire 

book of putdowns of your rival! How cool 

is that? 

Here are some of my 

favorite jokes from the 

book. Keep in mind, the 

teams and rivalries can 

be changed accordingly 

- and will work just as 

well: 

Q: How many Aggies 

does it take to screw in 

a light bulb? 

A: One, but he gets 

three-hours credit. 

Q: How many Aggies 

does it take to tackle 

a running back? 

A: Good question, no 

one knows. 

Q: What is the difference 

between the Aggies and Rice Krispies? 

A: Rice Krispies know what to do in a bowl. 

Q: Why don’t Aggies eat barbecue beans? 

A: Because they keep falling through the holes 

in the grill. 

Q: Why is ice no longer 

available in the drinks at 

Aggie games? 

A: The senior that knew the 

recipe graduated. 

Q: Why can’t Aggie farmers 

raise chickens? 

A: They plant the eggs 

too deep. 

And...Did you hear that 

the A & M coach is only 

dressing 10 players for the next home game? 

The rest of the team will get dressed by 

themselves. 

Pro football players can count their 

money and whine about having to actually 

prepare for games. Please no two-a-day 

practices permitted. They can file their 

union grievances against anything management 

tries to do. Good for them. 

Just give me a good college game and the 

jokes surrounding it any time. 

John Landsberg of Bottom Line 

Communications can be reached at 

jlandsberg@bottomlinecom.com. 

On KCXL 1140 AM & 102.9 FM 

Monday thru Thursday 6:00-9:00 pm 

Friday and Sunday 6:00-10:00 pm 

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Contributing 

Writer 

www.isbnteam.com 

info@isbnteam.com


Missouri could be a contender in “new” Big 12 

hen the Big 12 preseason media 

poll came out, Missouri was ranked 

W the top team in the North Division. 

Oops, there are no longer North and 

South Divisions. The Big 12 is a 10-school 

conference with Nebraska and Colorado 

pulling out. Kansas State, Iowa State and 

Kansas, the holdovers from the North 

Division, are predicted to finish eighth, 

ninth and 10th. Missouri is projected to 

finish fourth behind Oklahoma, Texas 

A&M and Oklahoma State. 

Lets examine the three area Big 12 

schools heading into the season. 

MISSOURI 

The Tigers went 10-3 last season, the 

third time in four years Missouri has 

reached double-figures 

in victories. 

The Tigers must 

replace quarterback 

Blaine Gabbert, who 

was a first-round NFL draft pick after leaving 

after his junior season. 

Sophomore James Franklin will be the 

new quarterback. Missouri coach Gary 

Pinkel said Franklin reminds him of Brad 

Smith, another former Missouri quarterback 

who is in the NFL. 

“Personality-wise, James and Brad 

Smith are a lot alike,” Pinkel said. 

“They’re 

not rahrah 

guys, 

especially 

being 

young 

players. 

Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel 

What 

they are, 

the greatest leadership that you can do as 

a player is to play well. That’s the first 

thing, the most important thing: You gotta 

play well.” 

Franklin got scant playing time as a 

freshman, but did rush for 122 yards and 

two touchdowns. 

“I think he can extend the play,” Pinkel 

said. “I think he can also do damage with 

his feet, not only in the passing game but 

the running game. We really haven’t had 

that since we had Brad Smith. But he’s got 

a good arm, throws the ball well and has 

got a good touch.” 

Franklin will be surrounded with experienced 

players with nine offensive starters 

returning from a unit that averaged 29.9 

points per game and 409.6 yards. Four 

of the five starters are back on the offensive 

line. 

When Franklin throws, his main target 

will be T.J. Moe, who caught 92 passes for 

1,045 yards and six touchdowns last year. 

Mizzou also returns running backs 

De’Vion Moore, Henry Josey and Kendial 

Lawrence, who combined to rush for 1,376 

yards in 2010. 

Aldon Smith led the defense last year, 

which ranked No. 1 in the conference in 

scoring defense, permitting 16.1 points per 

game. Smith, like Gabbert, was a firstround 

NFL pick. 

The Tigers return seven starters, including 

end Brad Madison, who logged 11 

tackles for losses and sacks and forced two 

fumbles, and Jacquies Smith, who logged 

10 TFL/sacks and also forced two fumbles. 

Five-star recruit Sheldon Richardson could 

make an immediate impact on the defensive 

front. Nose guard Dominique 

Hamilton is a force. The Tigers went 7-0 

with him clogging up the middle, but when 

he missed the final six games with an ankle 

injury Missouri went 3-3. 

Zaviar Gooden and Will Ebner, who has 

been injury-prone, lead the linebacker 

corps. The secondary is suspect with safety 

Kenji Jackson the lone returning starter. 

Franklin will get baptized by fire early 

with trips to Arizona State, Oklahoma and 

Kansas State in the first five games. 

Enduring that stretch could be a key to the 

Tigers finishing high in the Big 12 as the 

schedule becomes more friendly afterward. 

“This is the most experienced players 

I’ve ever had around a new quarterback 

since I’ve been a head football coach,” 

Pinkel said. “So that’s what I’m concerned 

with, can those four offensive linemen, 

receivers, running backs, tight ends, can all 

those guys play up their game to a different 

level? If they can do that, James Franklin is 

going to be fine.” 

And the Tigers will be fine. 

KANSAS STATE 

Goodbye Daniel Thomas. 

Welcome Bryce Brown. 

Thomas rushed for 

1,585 yards last season 

and 2,850 yards in two 

seasons at Kansas State 

after transferring from a 

junior college. The Miami Dolphins drafted 

Thomas in the second round. 

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE


BIG 12| FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 

Impossible to replace? Not really for the 

Wildcats. 

Bryce Brown is a transfer from 

Tennessee, where he rushed for 460 yards 

as a true freshman in 2009. He was considered 

the top high school running back 

recruit in the nation that year. 

After sitting out a year with the transfer 

rule, Brown was named first-team preseason 

Big 12. Expect him to rush for more 

than 1,000 yards, so Thomas won’t be 

sorely missed. 

He will running being a line that returns 

five starters. 

Another Brown, Bryce’s twin Arthur, a 

middle linebacker, who transferred from 

Miami (Fla.), could also make an immediate 

impact on a defense that was porous 

last season. Brown, who was a top 10 

national recruit, recorded 14 tackles in the 

spring game and has been chosen to the 

Nagurski and Butkus watch lists. The 

Brown brothers went to high school in 

Wichita and are coming back to the 

Sunflower State. 

The secondary is the defensive strength 

with the return of senior cornerback 

David Garrett, senior free safety Tysyn 

Hartman and sophomore strong safety 

Ty Zimerman. 

Coach Bill Snyder has brought in slew 

of junior 

college 

transfers 

that could 

transform 

the 

Wildcats 

K-State Coach Bill Snyder 

into a 

top-tier 

Big 12 team. They include quarterback 

Justin Tuggle, 337-pound offensive lineman 

Shaun Simon, defensive back Allen 

Chapman and defensive lineman Meshak 

Williams. 

The quarterback position is muddled, 

although Snyder said returning junior 

Collin Klein is showing leadership qualities 

and understands the offense. Tuggle, 

a highly-regarded quarterback recruit from 

Blinn Juco in Texas, and senior Sammuel 

Lamur are in the picture. There is no Josh 

Freeman in this group. Klein could get the 

nod at the start of the season, but if he 

underachieves could lose the job. 

“He’s made tremendous strides in 

regards to his leadership of our football 

team,” Snyder said of Klein. “That’s 

extremely important. He’s made tremendous 

strides in his understanding. He’s a 

very intelligent young guy and grasps 

concepts well. He’s just grown and grown 

and grown in his understanding of the 

offense and how to have dominant control 

of our offense.” 

Klein split time with Carson Coffman, 

who was graduated, last year. Klein’s 

throwing ability is a question. He rushed 

for 424 yards and six touchdowns last 

year, but threw for only 138 yards and 

one touchdown. He was run first, pass as 

last resort. 

Snyder also must confront a depth problem. 

The Wildcats enter the season with 

69 scholarship players, 16 less than the 

NCAA limit. 

“We’re still struggling with the scholarship 

count,” Snyder said. “That makes it 

difficult to create the depth you want.” 

The Wildcats finished last season 7-5, 

losing 36-34 to Syracuse in the inaugural 

Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. While it 

was a credible season, it was certainly not 

one to salute. Just ask Adrian Hilburn. 

KANSAS 

How many days before the first tipoff, 

not kickoff, is the question in Lawrence. 

The Jayhawks were 

bad last year, Turner 

Gill’s first season as the 

Kansas head coach after 

turning around a sagging 

Buffalo program. 

The Jayhawks were near the top of the 

college football world after the 2007 season, 

when they won 12 games and capped 

it off with an Orange Bowl victory. 

Last season the Jayhawks won one Big 

12 game - a miracle comeback 52-45 decision 

over Colorado - and were 3-9 overall. 

The losses included a 6-3 loss at home to 

North Dakota State to start the season, a 

48-point defeat at Baylor and a 52-point 

loss to Kansas State. 

The preseason polls have Kansas a consensus 

pick to finish in the basement. 

Kansas should be better, but is a year or 

two away from competing for a first-division 

finish in the Big 12. Gill redshirted 

15 players last year and has an excellent 

recruiting class with 25 newcomers. 

“We’re excited and ready to move forward 

in a great way.” Gill said. 

The Jayhawks ranked last in scoring in 

the Big 12 in 2010, averaging 17.1 points a 

game. They were also last in rushing and 

total offense. 

Jordan Webb and Quinn Mecham, 

returning quarterbacks, combined to throw 

for 11 touchdowns last season, but had 

13 intercepted. 

Gill keeps saying “we’re here to win a 

championship,” but as a former Nebraska 

quarterback 

he 

knows the 

Jayhawks 

have to 

get much 

better at 

Kansas Coach Turner Gill 

quarterback 

to 

be considered championship caliber. 

Bowl-eligible is a goal this year, but 

winning six games might be a stretch. 

“If you’re talking in reality, I’d be disappointed 

if we don’t get this done here fairly 

quickly of being bowl eligible,” Gill said. 

“Whether that’s going to happen this year, 

I don’t know.” 

Freshman Brock Berglund could challenge 

Webb and Mecham for the starting 

quarterback job. Berglund, however, was 

charged with a misdemeanor assault charge 

in Colorado on April 9 for punching a man 

in Sedalia, a town about 25 miles from 

Denver. Berglund pleaded not guilty. 

James Sims is the top returning running 

back, rushing for 742 yards, nine touchdowns 

and three 100-yard games as a 

freshman. His 28-yard fourth quarter 

touchdown gallop against Colorado was 

the longest run by the Jayhawks last year. 

Darrian Miller, a freshman four-star 

recruit from Blue Springs (Mo.), could be 

an instantaneous help. He ran for four 

touchdowns in a spring intrasquad scrimmage. 

Miller has the necessary speed to be 

a breakaway threat, capable of the big play. 

Whoever winds up at quarterback will 

be looking in the direction of Daymond 

Patterson who topped the Jayhawks with 

60 catches for 487 yards last season. 

The Kansas defense ranked 107th 

nationally in stopping the run last year. 

This unit has to improve. Darius Willis, a 

transfer from Buffalo, and Steven Johnson, 

who made 95 tackles last year, will spearhead 

the defense. The Jayhawks lacked a 

pass rush in 2010, finishing 105th in the 

nation, another major concern. 

D.J. Beshears is a threat returning kicks, 

but the Jayhawks won’t be a threat to contend 

this fall in the Big 12. 

518 Santa Fe 

Kansas City, MO 64105 

816-472-0444 

www.SurplusExchange.org


presents THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT REPORT 

By ALAN ESKEW, Editor 

Harrah’s 810 Zone: great food and wall-to-wall sports 

ootball and mouth-watering food. 

Baseball playoffs, the World Series and 

F delectable food. Pay-per-view boxing 

and mixed martial arts cards mixed with 

some of the best food at any sports restaurant 

and bar in the Midwest. 

The 810 Zone at Harrah’s North Kansas 

City is synonymous with sports and excellent 

food prepared from scratch. 

Harrah’s 810 Zone has 32 state of the art 

television sets, including one big screen, and 

eight direct TV receivers. They can dial up 

any NFL game for you and nearly every college 

game. Did I mention the food is superb 

while watching those sporting events. 

“We often ‘tailor’ or dinning room viewing 

to the guests requests,” Angelo Gangai, 

general manger 810 Zone - Harrah’s Casino 

said. “Normally the sound is on to the local 

teams.” 

Back to the delectable food. On a recent 

visit to Harrah’s 810 Zone, my dining partner 

and I feasted on a dinner meal that was 

unimaginably divine. 

We began with three appetizers, that come 

under the catchy-label of “pre-game.” Our 

choices were blue ball, spinach and artichoke 

dip and shrimp wontons. Kevin 

Collins, one of the three managers, highly 

recommended the trio. 

The bleu balls are mini-chicken Cordon 

Bleu’s filled with Canadian style bacon and 

Swiss cheese, rolled up into bite-sized 

pieces. Accompanying this selection was 

The 810 Zone’s special Dijon garlic dipping 

sauce. This is a must try appetizer item. 

The spinach & artichoke dip is a creamy 

blend of three cheeses with artichoke hearts 

and spinach topped with chopped tomatoes 

and served with pita bread triangles. These 

little triangles spread with dip could be a 

meal all by themselves. 

The shrimp wontons are so luscious. They 

were The 810 Zone’s version of crab 

Rangoon, wrapped with shrimp in the cheese 

filling and fried to a golden brown. The 

wontons were served with a spicy Thai chili 

sauce, complementing the sweetness of the 

shrimp/cheese filling. 

From the field of greens section, also 

known as salads, they all sounded irresistible, 

so we opted to sample three - spring 

salad, spinach salad and chopped salad. 

The spring salad was a mixture of spring 

greens - though some were vivid purple - red 

onions, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, toasted 

almonds and crumbled bleu cheese tossed in 

raspberry vinaigrette. The Mandarin oranges 

garnishing this salad were both attractive 

and tasty. 

The spinach salad had some very exciting 

flavors. Enhancing the tender leaves of 

spinach were Fuji apples, golden raisins, 

sunflower seeds and blue cheese crumbles. 

All of this was tossed with apple mango 

vinaigrette dressing. The full-size salad on 

the menu is served with herb-marinated 

chicken. 

The chopped salad was a wonderful combination 

of flavors. Diced cauliflower, broccoli, 

tomatoes, carrots, bacon, egg whites, 

Maytag bleu cheese and mixed greens were 

tossed in mustard vinaigrette and topped 

with fresh avocado slices. 

For salad lovers one could not go wrong 

ordering any of the above three. 

For the entrée selections, again we summoned 

Kevin’s advice and ordered at his 

suggestion the Fountain City chicken and 

the pan-seared salmon. He promised we 

would be extremely pleased in those choices 

and we certainly were. 

The Fountain City chicken was superb. 

The blackened, grilled split-chicken breast 

was topped with a luscious Cajun cream 

sauce and sprinkled with thin crispy tortilla 

strips that absolutely melted in your mouth. 

Had I prepared this cream sauce, I would 

have quadrupled the recipe so it could be put 

on EVERYTHING coming out of my 

kitchen that week. It was THAT GOOD. 

Wonderfully harmonizing the entrée were 

wild rice, black beans and asparagus. 

The pan-seared salmon was served 

with a risotto, an Italian rice cooked in broth 

to a creamy consistency. It was topped with 

a lemon beurre blanc and served with the 

vegetable of the day, which this evening was 

asparagus, which happens to be one of my 

favorite veggies. It was a wonderful meal. 

After sampling three appetizers and three 

salads and eating every bit of my entrée, 

I had no room for dessert. No room, that 

is, until Kevin said one should not leave 

without trying the chef’s cheesecake, a 

signature dessert. He didn’t have to twist my 

arm too much. 

That day the chef prepared a Margarita 

Cheesecake and it melts in one’s mouth. 

As its namesake suggests, the distinctive 

lime flavor of the cheesecake made it an 

excellent choice after a large meal. This particular 

cheesecake is just one of the many 

featured on the menu as “Chef’s Choice.” It 

changes periodically so ask your server what 

the chef came up with the day you visit. 

interesting cheesecake served around 

Thanksgiving is a Pumpkin Cheesecake. 

The service was excellent, very attentive. 

There was a screen right above our booth 

to watch sports (what else?). What more 

could one ask for than a terrific reasonably 

priced meal and sports? It’s an unbeatable 

combination. 

 

Hold your 2011 Fantasy Football Draft at 

the 810 Zone at Harrah’s Casino. For only 

$8.10 a person (minimum of 10 people), you 

can have your fantasy draft at the 810 zone. 

That includes free WIFI, reserved seating, 

free Pepsi products, one triathlon appetizer, 

(consisting of bleu balls, wings, chicken 

tenders, fried pickles and spinach and artichoke 

dip - one appetizer for every 5 people), 

and a $25 gift card to the 810 Zone 

for the champion of your league. 

On Saturday, Sept. 17, the 810 Zone at 

Harrah’s North Kansas City will be showing 

the pay-per view main event of Floyd 

Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz, a knockout 

artist from Kansas City. Bring a big appetite 

to watch the boxing.

THE GOLF SPOTLIGHT 


E 

Good posture produces performance on the links 

very golfer could use help with their 

swing. From PGA professionals to the 

weekend duffer, every golfer can use 

some help fixing a myriad of potential 

problems with their game. 

Fortunately, help is available in a variety 

of ways. From self-help videos and books 

to personalized instruction, golfers can get 

effective assistance. Much advice carries a 

familiar theme: use proper posture and keep 

your eye on the ball. 

“Most of the problems come from their 

base, from their weight position itself,” said 

Mike Dickerson of Golf MD. “If the lower 

body isn’t positioned right the rest of the 

swing is going to be off. If your weight is 

flatfooted or you are sitting on your heels, 

your upper body tries to compensate. It’s 

because of your weight balance. Right 

when you take it away you move forward 

and you’re going to come back and slice it 

or dead pull it, low and to the left.” 

Jeff Johnson, Master Golf Professional 

from Sunflower Hills, agreed “poor posture” 

is probably the No. 1 cause for a poor 

golf swing. 

“They don’t get setup over the ball properly 

and can’t turn their body the way they 

should,” Johnson said. “They end up 

swinging way too hard.” 

Fixing the posture problem is the 

first step. 

“I try to get them into an athletic stance,” 

Johnson said. “I get them to bend their 

knees, but a lot of 

times they bend 

their knees and lean 

backwards, and 

then they end up 

back on their heels. 

Your torso and your 

hips can’t move 

when you’re in that 

kind of stance. 

You have to be 

up with your knees 

slightly flexed. 

I have them bend 

slightly at the 

knees. It’s better to 

help them rotate 

their body.” 

Said Dickerson, 

“When we look at 

swings we always look at the lower body 

first. They need to be a little bit on the balls 

of their feet. Some people interpret bending 

the knees wrong. Usually people knee bend 

but sit back on their heels. We teach that 

you have to have forward knee bend.” 

Having poor posture often results in 

hooks or slices, and even when hitting the 

ball straight it’s without the power or distance 

generated from well-postured shots. 

“Golfers will 

see a wide variety 

of bad shots,” 

Johnson said. 

“They’ll swing 

more with their 

arms. When that 

happens they’re 

going to end up 

not hitting the ball 

solid and it’s 

going to go left or 

right. If you can’t 

rotate your body 

you can never 

be on a proper 

swing plane.” 

Dickerson said 

almost “all swings 

problems” are 

because of problems with the base. 

“What we find and the way we work is 

from the ground up, with weight distribution, 

stance, and ball position,” Dickerson 

said. “A lot of people make mistakes with 

ball position. A lot of people play their ball 

way too far back in their 

stance and then they are 

punching at the ball. 

People exaggerate too 

much with ball position. 

For example, with a 

pitching wedge ball 

position is the center. 

With an eight-iron they 

move their feet up. 

People don’t understand 

where they need to line 

the ball up.” 

Using an improper stance with relation to 

the ball can also cost one distance. 

“If it’s too far forward on their driver, 

they’ve already passed the impact zone,” 

Dickerson said. “Everything is stretched 

out ahead of your head. When you put it 

too far forward, you reach for it and that 

can cause a slice. A lot of people want to 

put the ball too far forward. Everybody 

wants to put it way up there. When you do 

that you lose your snap. Too far back and 

it can cause a push, or you hit it dead to 

the right. If it’s too far back, they’ve missed 

the impact zone; they’re hitting it before 

the impact zone.” 

The short game presents a different set of 

problems. 

Marc 

Bowman 

Contributing 

Writer 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

THE GOLF SPOTLIGHT 


GOLF POSTURE| FROM PAGE 12 

“The biggest problem is people want to 

keep the same stance and swing shorter,” 

Dickerson said. “You have to bring your 

feet a little closer together. There’s not a 

pro out there that doesn’t do this. And you 

need to change your aim point. The shorter 

the swing, the more you need to change the 

aim point. You have to open your feet so 

you’re aiming left, pointing to the left 

10 degrees. 

“You’re just using your upper body to 

swing anyways. The hips are out of the 

way. When you don’t have the torque of the 

full swing you’re not going to get them out 

of the way. It’s very, very common. 

I see it every day. The problem is trying to 

do it the same way and just shorten the 

swing. The lower body needs to be out of 

the way. Just get the hips open and take an 

upper body swing.” 

Johnson warns against overdoing it. 

“People try too much to hit the ball with 

just their hands,” Johnson said. “It’s a 

miniature swing. You need a very slow 

tempo going back and acceleration going 

through. Of course, with just about any shot 

you have to keep your head down. The 

common theme in golf is how well you can 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15


Kreilling MVP in All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium 

By CHARLES REDFIELD, Contributing Writer 

ndrew Kreilling has the flair for the 

theater and starring on the big stage. 

A There is no bigger stage locally for a 

high school baseball player than Kauffman 

Stadium and an All-Star Game. 

Kreilling, a Raymore-Peculiar High 

School graduate, just had one at bat in the 

43rd Annual Ban Johnson League All-Star 

Game at the end of July at Kauffman 

Stadium, but the 6-1, 190-pounder made 

the most of it. 

With his J All-Star team leading 3-1 in 

the bottom of the sixth inning at the home 

stadium of the Kansas City Royals, the 

left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder 

came to the plate with two runners on base 

and two outs. 

He boomed a triple down the right field 

line driving in both runners. League officials 

selected Kreilling as the Most 

Valuable Player for the All-Star Game. 

“It was a fast ball right down the middle,” 

Kreilling said of his clutch triple. 

It was quite a treat for the first-year allstar 

to play at Kauffman Stadium. “It was 

really cool to play on this field,” he said. 

Winning the MVP Trophy made it a 

special day for Kreilling. “It’s really cool 

to win this here,” he said. “I am overjoyed 

right now.” 

And this was one day after his 19th 

birthday. 

On his 18th birthday on July 23rd, he 

had an outstanding game at Missouri 

Southern hitting a home run to celebrate 

his birthday. Kreilling played in the Ban 

Johnson League 

with Building 

Champions. 

“Andrew is 

a great kid,” 

Building 

Champions 

manager Brad 

Willis said. “He 

played well for us 

all summer and is 

a really good hitter. 

He plays hard 

all the time and 

deserves everything he gets in baseball. 

I am really proud of him and all of his 

accomplishments.” 

The former Panther was part of the 

Building Champions Baseball Academy in 

south Overland Park. 

“Building Champions helped me very 

much,” Kreilling said said. “I could not ask 

for a better coaching staff. Along with 

coaching baseball, they taught me to be an 

all-around good person.” 

Kreilling was a two-year letter winner 

for the Panthers. His senior year, he was a 

second team Class 4 all-state pick in baseball. 

His best high school game came in his 

junior season at Community America 

Ballpark, the home of the T-Bones in 

Kansas City, Kansas. 

“I was four-for-five and a home run 

away from hitting for the cycle,” he said. 

“I had two singles, 

a double 

and a triple.” 

Defensively, 

he remembers a 

number of diving 

plays and 

assists from the 

outfield during 

his career. 

“I am a gapto-gap 

hitter 

with occasional 

power,” he said. 

“I need to work on hitting left-handed 

pitching, speed and strength.” 

He played football and basketball his 

first two years of high school, then turned 

to just baseball and the theater. 

In his junior year, he was one of the 

reporters in “The Front Page.” As a senior 

he played Constance Warren in “Our 

Town,” and one of the cowboys in the 

musical “Crazy for You.” 

Kreilling will be attending Kansas City 

Kansas Community College this fall. He 

is undecided on a major, but will be playing 

fall and spring baseball for the Blue 

Devils. 

“I want to play on a national championship 

team at some level,” he said. 

“Mainly, I want to play baseball as long 

as I possibly can.” 

And, yes, he would like to try his hand 

at professional baseball. Scouts should 

take notice.


GOLF POSTURE| FROM PAGE 13 

move and stay still at the same time. 

Obviously, nobody can move and stay still 

at the same time, so that’s what makes golf 

such a difficult game. What we preach is to 

keep their eye on the ball and keep their 

head still.” 

Once a player reaches the green, it is 

imperative to remain still. 

“Typically, for most players, when they 

hit a poor putt, they’ve moved on their 

body, head, or they’ve come up out of their 

shot,” Johnson said. “When they’re hitting 

weak shots to their right then they start 

pulling the ball to adjust. A proper shot is a 

true pendulum with the body and head very, 

very still.” 

“Everything’s got to be stable,” 

Dickerson said. “It’s a shoulder turn with 

the arms.” 

Dickerson warns golfers often don’t line 

up their putts correctly. 

“The thing is, people don’t aim where 

they think they’re aiming,” Dickerson 

said. “That’s the biggest thing that’s wrong 

with putting. Most people don’t aim where 

they should. People have the wrong aim 

point and then they adjust with the club and 

they don’t realize it. They don’t realize that 

everything’s round. 

“The ball is round, your eyes are round. 

They’re not seeing what they think they’re 

seeing and then when they have to hit a 

round ball with a square face, they make an 

adjustment, without even knowing about it. 

About 80 percent (of golfers) are aiming 

left and their stroke goes inside out. All of 

the tools people use, they don’t help if 

you’re not aiming straight.” 

Golfers who want more specific, handson 

assistance should contact local pros, but 

golfers still have to put those lessons into 

practice on the links. 

“The answer is still in the dirt,” Johnson 

said. “You can learn only so much from the 

lessons. You have to go out and practice 

them so they become ingrained. Lessons 

can only help so far.” 

Golf M.D., make extensive use of video 

to assist with swing corrections. 

“We’ve been in business for 20 years and 

have been ranked by Golf Digest magazine 

in the top 100 of America’s best club fitters,” 

Dickerson said. “That’s primarily 

what we do, fitting and customizing clubs. 

And we give lessons. Everything is done 

inside on video. That’s where we can get 

things straightened out.” 

Golf M.D. has helped several local pros 

and players who are on the PGA mini-tour. 

They can be reached at Golf-MD.com.


B 

Royals look to future as 2011 season winds down 

y the time you read this, Johnny Giavotella will likely 

be starting at second base for the Kansas City Royals. 

If not, expect riots at Kauffman Stadium. 

While I’m writing this, Giavotella is hitting .342 with 

Class AAA Omaha. He hit .398 in 

June and .383 in July. He has 33 

doubles, two triples and nine 

home runs for a .485 slugging 

percentage and .394 on-base percentage 

in 108 games. Yes, he’s 

not facing Justin Verlander, Josh 

Beckett, C.C. Sabathia or Felix 

Hernandez, but he is dominating 

the Pacific Coast League. Johnny Giavotella 

Chris Getz, the Royals second 

baseman, is hitting .257 at the beginning of August. 

He has eight extra-base hits - six doubles and two triples - 

in 343 at-bats. His slugging percentage is a pathetic .286. 

The last time Getz homered - do you really want to know - 

was July 19, 2009 while with the Chicago White Sox. 

He’s gone nearly 700 at-bats without hitting the ball 

over the fence. 

By all accounts, however, Getz is superior to Giavotella 

on defense and has better range. Scouts politely describe 

Giavotella as “adequate” defensively for a big league second 

baseman. 

Giavotella, who hit .322 last year with Class AA 

Northwest Arkansas and led the Texas League with 168 

hits, was a 2008 second-round pick out of the University of 

New Orleans. That’s the same year the Royals drafted first 

baseman Eric Hosmer in the first round. 

Barring any injuries, the Royals infield by mid-August 

should be Hosmer at first, Giavotella at second, Mike 

Moustakas at third and Alcides Escobar at shortstop. All 

but Escobar began the season with the Storm Chasers. 

The Royals had an opportunity to promote Giavotella on 

Aug. 2, but opted instead to recall rookie left-hander 

Everett Teaford and stick with a 13-man pitching staff. 

They won’t be able to keep Giavotella for long in the 

minors, however. 

“He’s close,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I know 

everybody wants to know why didn’t you bring Giavotella 

up. Somebody needed to ask it instead of just hemming and 

hawing around the corner at it. Giavotella is going to be 

here. He’s coming. He’s done everything he needs to do to 

get here. The time is not right. We needed to protect our 

pitching. I don’t imagine it will be too much longer until he 

finds his way up here.” 

The Royals did not move center fielder Melky Cabrera 

By ALAN ESKEW, Editor 

or right fielder Jeff Francoeur before the July 31 trading 

deadline without a player having to clear waivers. Both are 

eligible for free agency after the season. 

Cabrera, coming off a mediocre 2010 when he hit .255 

with four home runs and 42 RBIs in 147 games with 

Atlanta, signed a one-year contract in December. The 

Royals are getting more than they could even expect from 

Cabrera, who is having a career year. 

Cabrera, who turns 27 on Aug. 11, was hitting a teamleading 

.305 in early August. His 45 multi-hit games 

ranked second in the American League. He ranks among 

the league-leaders in hits, total bases, doubles and runs. 

He has also logged 10 assists and has a career high 

14 stolen bases. 

Francoeur, like Cabrera, had a not-so-good 2010, spending 

most of the season with the New York Mets, where he 

hit .237 with 11 home runs and CONTINUED ON PAGE 17


r 

ROYALS| FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 

54 RBIs in 124 games. Francoeur and the 

Royals both hold a mutual option for next 

year, but if he remains in Kansas 

City it will probably be a longerterm 

deal for more dollars. 

During a stretch at the end of 

July when the Royals won eight of 

12, Francoeur was a catalyst. 

During that span, he hit .341 with 

a home run, eight doubles, seven 

walks and a .451 on-base percentage. 

For the season, he has 18 

stolen bases, which is a career 

high. His 14 home runs tied Alex 

Gordon for the team high, one 

more than Cabrera, and his 62 RBIs topped 

the club, which was one more than Cabrera 

had in early August. Francoeur, like 

Cabrera, is 27, so we’re not talking 

thirtysomething past-their-prime outfielders 

like Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik 

last year. 

Royals general manager Dayton Moore 

opted to hold onto Cabrera and Francoeur 

for now even though both could bolt after 

the season. 

“I view it as a sign we like our outfielders,” 

Yost said of not trading them. 

“Everything we’ve asked on both sides of 

the ball, they’ve done. They’ve produced 

offensively. They’ve produced defensively. 

They’ve been great.” 

Even though the Royals have Lorenzo 

Cain waiting in the wings at Omaha. Cain, 

like Giavotella, is tearing up the Pacific 

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain is waiting in the wings 

Photo from mlb.com 

Coast League, but there is no room for him 

to play everyday in the Kansas City outfield. 

Cain, 25, was one of the four players 

the Royals acquired from the Milwaukee 

Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade. Cain’s 

time, too, will come soon. 

While the Royals flounder in the 

American League Central basement, 

they have one eye on 2012 and both eyes 

on 2013. 

If Hosmer, Moustakas, Giavotella and 

Cain produce offensively, the Royals still 

need pitching help, especially starting 

pitching. 

Left-hander Danny Duffy, 22, is the only 

young pitcher from the minors to move into 

the rotation this year. John Lamb, who 

many consider the Royals best pitching 

prospect, was set back by “Tommy John” 

surgery. Mike Montgomery, another 

topflight left-hander, has struggled at 

Omaha, but figures into future rotations. 

Aaron Crow, a Missouri alum who was 

an All-Star reliever as a rookie, will contend 

for a starting job in spring training. 

The 2011 bullpen is loaded with talented 

and hard-throwing rookies - Greg Holland, 

Tim Collins, Louis Coleman, Nate Adcock 

and Crow. Yost calls his bullpen “the 

strength” of the team with Joakim Soria 

still a premier closer. 

The bullpen has a winning record, 22-17, 

entering August, while the starters are 24- 

46 with an earned run average above five. 

While veteran left-hander Jeff Francis was 

a nice addition and it was key for the 

Royals to bring back Bruce Chen, the rotation 

is sub-standard. The Royals are hoping 

they have caught lightning in a bottle with 

the pick up of Felipe Paulino, who was 

unwanted in Colorado and struggled with 

the Houston Astros. 

Without Greinke, the Royals lack an ace, 

a No. 1 starter, one who can put a stop to a 

losing streak before it lingers longer than a 

bad cough. That’s what they must come up 

with in the future, whether it is Duffy, 

Montgomery or a free agent signee. 

If the starting pitching does not get better 

soon, the Royals will continue to struggle to 

become a contender, no matter how good the 

relievers are and how robust the offense is. 

BRUCE CHEN #52 | PITCHER 

Born: June 19, 1977 in Panama City, Panama Height: 6-2 Weight: 213 Bats: Left Throws: Left 

Acquired: Signed as a Major League free agent: January 19, 2011 

CAREER NOTES 

Chen was named the 210 Joe Burke Special Achievement Award winner after a remarkable 

season that started as a non-roster invite to Spring Training, then moved to Triple-A Omaha and 

ended with him leading the club with 12 wins...the win total was the second-most in his career 

(13 for Baltimore in 2005). 

In 2010 held batters to a .225 average in 16 road 

appearances (12 starts), the sixth-best mark in the 

American League 

Pitched the best game of his career in his final start 

of the season on October 1, 2010 vs. Tampa Bay, a 

2-hit shutout in a 7-0 triumph...this was his first career 

shutout after 143 starts 

Leads all Panamanian born pitchers in starts (144) 

and is third in innings (1009.2) and strikeouts (785) 

and fourth in wins (48) and games (292) 

Missed the 2008 season after undergoing Tommy 

John surgery on his left elbow following the 2007 

campaign 

MISCELLANEOUS: Grandparents were natives of 

China who moved to Panama, where his parents 

were raised 

Photo by Scott Thomas


W 

Top 9 reasons I’m looking forward to KC hosting 

2012 MLB All-Star Game 

hen I was a kid, the Major League 

Baseball All-Star Game was the 

cat’s meow. It was oozing with 

prestige and honor. Guys like Sinatra 

and Heston and Reagan showed up 

and strolled the clubhouse. Guys 

like Clemente and Rose and 

Kaline showed up and took the 

field. Guys like the vice president 

and the commissioner 

showed up and commanded 

respect (instead of being lampooned 

as clueless dopes). 

It was a magical evening for fathers 

and sons to watch every at-bat and interview 

on our boxy Magnavox in the 

living room. We didn’t have 

any inkling of ESPN or 

Xbox 360. We didn’t 

change the channel for three 

hours. We didn’t imagine 

how many Facebook 

friends the starting pitcher 

had or who was revealing 

too much on Twitter. 

Fast forward to Tuesday, July 10, 2012. 

The 83rd annual Midsummer 

Classic will be hosted by 

Kansas City and contested at 

beautiful Kauffman Stadium. 

The last time this prestigious 

showcase breezed through 

town was 1973 - most of 

today’s players weren’t even 

born yet?!. That’s crazy! It 

gets even crazier. Estimates 

have 200,000 visitors and 

1,800 journalists pouring 

into town for a piece of All- 

Star FanFest and free-flowing 

BBQ. Call it Comic-Con 

for balls-and-strikes geeks. 

Good luck to the Royals’ 

steering committee, the 

Convention and Visitor’s 

Bureau, the hotels, the restaurants, 

the Plaza, the Power & 

Light District, Crown Center, the 

Legends at Village West, the 

souvenir stands, the police and 

I-70 between Broadway and the 

George Brett Bridge. 

I’m rallying behind the Summer Soiree 

and all its sunflower-seed spitting. 

Here’s why: 

#9. It’ll be like the Oscars 

and ESPY Awards coming to 

the city of fountains. Pretty 

people. Television people. 

Celebrity jocks. Presidential 

candidates. 

Midwest folks 

in shorts, 

black socks 

and sandals. 

Wallets open. 

Let the grandslam 

spending 

begin. 

#8. The 

spotlight on the 

refurbished K. When 

was the last time a Royals 

game was on national TV? 

Been awhile for hosting the Buck- 

McCarver tandem. 

#7. All-Star FanFest. Hear it’s gonna be 

taking over downtown KCMO. Good news 

for area eateries, watering holes, rental-car 

operators, and parking lots. Start jacking 

up those prices and padding economicimpact 

stats. 

#6. The Negro Leagues Baseball 

Museum. These friendly folks will be 

gearing up for overflow crowds and 

social media trending. ‘Bout time. Let the 

educating begin. 

#5. Improved roads and ramps. Gotta 

pretty-up the roadways and fill the potholes. 

Local commuters win long-term 

after the short-term fuss is over. 

#4. Volunteer opportunities. 

The KC Sports 

Commission will be looking 

for a boatload of able bodies. 

I’m in. Are you? 

#3. Let’s 

hope Hosmer, 

Gordon and 

Soria get the 

call. Three 

Royals minimum 

for next 

year, no matter 

who the trio is. 

Better yet, let’s 

hope the Blue 

Crew gets off to a 

torrid start in 2012, so 

they’ll have more than their 

usual one perfunctory pick. 

#2. Monday night’s Home Run 

Derby. The K will be rockin’. The horsehide 

will be flyin’. Vegas is already taking 

action on who’s gonna be first to reach the 

Water Spectacular? Wouldn’t it be fitting 

if Kansas City native Albert Pujols won 

that slugfest? 

#1. I played baseball as a kid and softball 

as an adult. My mitt is oiled up. I’ve 

patrolled warning tracks. I’m officially letting 

Toby Cook and the Royals know I’m 

AVAILABLE to be an outfield shagger at 

the Derby. Pretty please?! With sugar on it!

THE SPORTING KC REPORT 


New park, players leading Sporting KC playoff push 

porting Kansas City has certainly made a 

huge splash in the last year here in KC. 

SFrom celebrity tryouts to a new home they 

call their own to a strong showing on the field, 

our MLS soccer team is bringing fans what 

they like. 

Kansas City Sports & Fitness recently invited 

Josh Whisenhunt, Content Manager for 

Sporting Kansas City to join us for an interview 

on GOOD SPORTS the KC Sports & 

Fitness TV and radio show (seen at 8:30 am, 

4:30 pm and 8:30 pm everyday on Surewest 

Cable channel 7 and heard Saturdays at 8 am 

on 1510 AM and Tuesdays at 6 pm on 1140 

AM and 102.9 FM). 

Whisenhunt, who has been with Sporting 

Kansas City for three years, grew up in 

Vermont and graduated from Syracuse 

University. 

Here are excerpts from that interview which 

was recorded on July 23, 2011. 

KCSF: First off, what is a Content 

Manager...that’s a different kind of title? 

Josh Whisenhunt: We produce a lot of 

written, video and audio features through our 

digital properties, so basically, I’m the guy 

behind most of that. 

KCSF: Now the big news for the team this 

year was the opening of the new stadium. For 

those who haven’t seen it yet, tell us about the 

stadium and the technology... 

JW: Well, we could be 

here for a while (laughs). 

Livestrong Sporting Park 

seats 18, 467 and can 

expand up to 25,000 for 

concerts. As far as soccer 

stadiums go in this country, 

it is truly state-of-the-art. 

Basically, every single 

thing at the stadium has 

more than one purpose. 

Even on days we’re not 

playing, there are so many 

different spaces in the 

stadium that can be utilized 

in so many different ways. 

And the technology that runs through the building 

complements everything. 

I don’t think there’s a venue like it in Kansas 

City...from an amenities perspective, from a 

comfort perspective, from an intimacy and 

atmosphere perspective. I don’t think you can 

really touch it... 

Our stadium is truly the centerpiece out 

there (The Legends) and it definitely is driving 

more activity to the area. 

Sporting KC’s Matt Besler 

KCSF: The excitement around the new field 

and the bigger crowds has obviously lifted the 

team’s performance... 

JW: Absolutely. We 

haven’t lost a league game 

since the stadium opened. 

And those performances are 

carrying into our road 

matches, too. 

The road trip to start the 

year was brutal and the team 

didn’t do very well. But 

coming home now and 

finally having a place to call 

home has been amazing. 

We have nine straight 

matches at home ahead of us 

and don’t go 

on the road until September 

17 at Real Salt Lake. So this 

is the chance to capitalize and earn all those 

points back that we lost earlier 

in the season. 

Traveling all over the country does take it’s 

toll on the team. The most important thing 

about our current homestand is it gives the 

team one extra day per week to practice and 

prepare for the next game because we don’t 

have a travel day. 

From a continuity and comfort perspective, 

being in Kansas City will do the team wonders. 

Photo by Ed Graunke 

KCSF: So what does the team need to do 

during the rest of the season to push to the 

playoffs? 

JW: The biggest problem with this team earlier 

in the year was that we were giving up way 

too many goals. Now, what we’ve done is gone 

out and signed Aurelien Collin. He’s big, he’s 

energetic, he’s a leader, he’s intimidating, athletic 

and a physical presence back there on 

defense. 

Along side him on defense, we also have 

Matt Besler, a local kid. He’s gone from a first 

round draft pick who many thought was “a 

reach” back in 2009 to a player who this past 

off season dedicated himself to nailing down a 

starting spot. He did that and through his 

efforts was named to the All-Star game (which 

was played on July 27th). Matt Beasler has 

been a huge success story. 

The problem of giving up too many goals 

have stopped. Now we’re working on developing 

a rhythm to score goals of our own. 

Hopefully Jeferson, who was recently 

acquired, will be able to be that playmaker to 

bring the offense together. 

KCSF: Sporting KC holds the distinction of 

being the only locally-owned team in the 

city...it’s the only team where all the owners are 

here in KC... 

JW: People discount how much it means to 

have local owners. Our owners are truly invested 

in seeing not only the team do well, but also 

in seeing Kansas City grow and prosper. They 

know that if Kansas City is doing well commercially 

and economically, it can only mean 

good things for the team. 

KCSF: Final words? 

JW: I think it’s definitely time for people to 

realize that a lot of people like soccer and a lot 

of people want to see it played at a high level 

with very good players. And that’s exactly 

what Sporting Kansas City provides. 

Visit the team’s website at sportingkc.com. 

For additional team content and special offers 

visit sportingmembership.com. For tickets call 

1-888-4-KCGOAL or go to ticketmaster.com. 

KC Ice Center offers 

improved facility, quality 

instruction, family fun 

In July the Kansas City Ice Center (KCIC) 

reopened after undergoing a $1 million 

renovation. 

Renovations were made to the rink itself 

from top to bottom. The arena now features 

an all new ice rink floor and ice surface, new 

boards and glass, a new dehumidification 

system, an improved ice rink refrigeration 

system, refurbished interior rink walls, new 

rink lighting, renovated locker rooms and 

refurbished bleacher seating. 

In addition, renovations were also made to 

the lobby. These include a new concession 

area and improved menu, a full bar serving 

spirits and bottled and draft beer, a freshly 

painted 

lobby, a 

parent’s 

lounge and 

refurbished 

lobby 

bathrooms. 

This state-of-the-art ice sports facility 

offers programs for all ages, from youth 

through adult. KCIC is home to the two 

largest figure skating clubs and the largest 

youth hockey association in the State of 

Kansas. 

As the only ice rink in Johnson County, 

KCIC’s focus is to provide a variety of skating 

programs to members of the community. 

They currently offer Learn to Skate and 

Learn to Play Hockey programs for all ages, 

public skate sessions, have facilities for birthday 

parties and more. The rink is located two 

miles west of I-435 off Johnson Drive in 

Shawnee. 

For more information on skating programs, 

public skating sessions, leagues, lessons, 

broomball, group rental or parties...or to sign 

up for classes, visit the KCIC website at 

www.kcicecenter.com or call 913-441-3033.

August - Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

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