GregHallKC

It has become a tradition for the Kansas City area runners who are registered to run the venerable Boston Marathon to meet in Kansas City the weekend before they travel to Beantown and the Back Bay. This gathering has become known as Boston Bound KC. Both first-time Boston runners as well as those who have run Boston more than a dozen times come together to share stories, make new friends and reacquaint with old pals. Some of my favorite running relationships were born here in 2013. Hard to believe there was a time when so many of us were strangers. Now – I run into BBKC runners at every race (and on the street) no matter the place.  Continue reading →

My Off The Couch column and the comments section that follows each column has always been a source of pride. I enjoyed the chance to share my thoughts with those who bothered to read my work. I write with a pointed opinion and I expected nothing less from those readers who agreed or disagreed with my stance on a subject.

The comments from readers – both pro and con – were just as entertaining for me and many of my readers.

Somewhere along the way that changed.

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“CHOKELAND”
Headline, following Oakland’s 24-20 upset of the Chiefs, in the Kansas City Star’s Sports Daily
GH: I am proud of the Kansas City Star for running this banner headline in the Friday newspaper. The local newspaper should report the news, offer opinions on the news and entertain its readers. This headline went three-for-three.

“It reminded me of Missouri’s loss to Indiana.”
Steven St. John, comparing Mizzou’s loss to the worst team in the Big Ten (0-6 in the B1G) to the Chiefs loss to the previously winless Raiders, 810 AM

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“Student Section at Mizzou Arena”
Mike Kelly, @mikekelly1120, play-by-play voice of Mizzou basketball, as he tweeted out this photo of the Missouri student section Wednesday evening from Mizzou Arena, Twitter
GH: I do not know what the problem is with Mizzou basketball fans. The attendance at Mizzou arena last night was 5,563. Yes, it was Oral Roberts…but 5,563? Is it the fans or the team? It seems to me that Norm Stewart’s teams never had this problem – definitely not to this extent.

“Guys, I don’t know how else to say this: Students don’t care about this Mizzou basketball team. It’s become an irrelevant program. Put a good product on the field and the students will come. For better or worse, it’s always been that way with Mizzou basketball.” Brandon Kiley, @BKSportsTalk, Twitter
GH: An irrelevant program? Is the attendance drop off really success related? That seems so, well…not college. But Kiley isn’t the only Tiger to think the hoops program needs to win to expect fans to show up. Read on.

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“We didn’t make any shots and we took some very ill-advised shots. … We didn’t play well and we didn’t play as well as we’re capable of. Give them a lot of credit too.”
Norm Roberts, KU assistant basketball coach after the fifth-ranked Jayhawks were dumped 72-40 by top-ranked Kentucky,, 810 AM
GH: Give Kentucky most of the credit. Maybe Kansas is as awful as they looked Tuesday night but I do not believe that to be true. I also do not believe there was much KU could have done to reverse what happened to them in Indianapolis. Kentucky appears to be that much better than the ten-time-consecutive Big 12 champs. And very possibly every other team not in the NBA.

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“If you take (Kentucky’s) first and second teams and split them up, they’d probably have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation. John (Calipari) should go 45-0 with that talent.”
Larry Brown, SMU head basketball coach, USA Today
GH: Brown was probably kidding his former Kansas assistant coach (at least somewhat) but his point is solid. Kentucky once again has more young talent this season than most coaches are able to recruit in a career. How Calipari is trying to keep all that basketball talent happy is an interesting story. Read on.

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“The Broncos lost to St. Louis and the @KCChiefs just beat the Suberbowl Champs. I don’t smoke, but pass me a Camel.”
Chris Stigall, @ChrisStigall, Twitter

“Three or four weeks ago we’re talking about Denver running away with the division and locking up home-field advantage…now all of a sudden Kansas City is in position to win that division.”
Howie Long, studio analyst, Fox

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