SportsBeat KC The Kansas City Star

The baseball season is about two weeks old, and the Royals are still in it entering a three-game home series against the Houston Astros. The team is off to its best start in three years and it’s a refreshing change from recent seasons.
The starting pitching has been outstanding and players like M.J Melendez, Salvador Perez, Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr., are off to fast starts. On SportsBeat KC, beat writer Jaylon Thompson discusses the team’s solid start and what it will take for the Royals to keep up the pace.
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Jackson County votes have spoken, and they said “no” to a new stadium for the Royals and upgrades at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs.
On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian, who covered the stadium tax campaign from the beginning, share their thoughts on why it failed and what’s next for the teams.
The teams didn’t put together a winning game plan. Now the future of the teams in Jackson County comes into question.
Story links:
Sam McDowell: The Royals and Chiefs should blame themselves, not voters, for stadium tax failures
Vahe Gregorian: After stadium tax whiff, Royals, Chiefs should heed message and work to earn trust
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On April 2, Jackson County residents will decide whether to approve a 3/8-cent sales tax that would fund a new stadium for the Royals and provide upgrades at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs.
The tax expected to generate about $2 billion over 40 years. A “Yes,” vote means the Royals will move out of Kauffman Stadium and build a new stadium in the Crossroads District. The Chiefs will stay put and improve the fan experience at Arrowhead.
A “No,” vote means...
No one is certain, but columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian join host Blair Kerkhoff on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, to break down this generational decision. We discuss what the vote means for Kansas City and offer predictions on the outcome.
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The first wave of free agency has passed and the Chiefs were active. It actually started before the period opened when the two-time Super Bowl champion gave Chris Jones a record-setting contract.
In free agency, the Chiefs came away with wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown as their big splash, while signing several defensive players in hopes of recreating the magic of the 2023 unit.
The Chiefs aren’t finish. Running back and offense tackle remain positions of need. And what becomes of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who carries the franchise tag? Will the Chiefs seek a trade?
Beat writer Jesse Newell breaks down the free agency work and looks ahead at what might happen next on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast.
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The Kansas Jayhawks won their most recent battle. How will they fare in the postseason wars? On SportsBeat KC, The Star's sports podcast, beat writers Gary Bedore and Shreyas Laddha break down KU's victory over Kansas State and look ahead to postseason prospects.
The Jayhawks, who entered the season as the nation's top-ranked team but has fallen to No. 14 in the latest poll, do many things well, as it showed in the in the victory over Kansas State earlier this week.,
But it's also a team with fatal flaws. They've been good enough to defeat the nation's top teams, while losing to bottom teams in the Big 12 this season.
KU hasn't missed a tournament since 1989. The program lives for March, but two years after winning the program's fourth NCAA title, can they made a deep run?
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