(GOOOOOO CHIEFS!)— Kansas has won the biggest plum of its long-standing economic border war with Missouri, luring the Kansas City Chiefs west of our state line where they will play in a new and enclosed stadium starting in 2031. Their new playground will be in the same economic development area that houses the Kansas Speedway, where NASCAR and sometimes IndyCar run, a track originally proposed for an area near Kansas City International Airport but which lacked sufficient Missouri government enthusiasm to keep Kansas from grasping it and making it a place that has boomed economically and will boom even louder now.
The announcement that the Chiefs will move to Kansas means Missouri has been unable to hang on to a third NFL team—the Cardinals and the Rams from St. Louis and the Chiefs from Kansas City. All three have bailed out of Missouri in disputes about state support for new stadiums.
Kansas is going to build a domed stadium project costing $3-million near the Kansas Speedway and The Legends retail district. There also will be a $300 million practice facility in Olathe, Kansas—ending St. Joseph’s role as the Chiefs training camp.
Shortly before the announcement in Topeka, Kansas legislators unanimously voted to allow STAR bonds to be issued for as much as 70% of the costs of the stadium and a mixed-use district that will be developed around it. Tax revenues on liquor and sales generated within the district will pay off the bonds.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt says the only thing that will change will be the location of Chiefs games. Otherwise, he said, the fan experience will remain the same and the team will compete for more championships.
Missouri has lost three NFL teams—the Cardinals, Rams, and now the Chiefs, all because it was not as aggressive as the teams’ owners wanted the state to be in financing new stadiums. Kansas City also lost a major league baseball team, the Athletics.
It’s a huge economic loss to this side of the state line. Governor Mike Kehoe had called the legislature into special session last summer to put together a bond package covering up to half of the costs of a new stadium or a massive overhaul of Arrowhead, plus $50 million more in tax credits for the Arrowhead project and a new stadium downtown for the Royals, plus financial help from local government.
But the financial help from local government evaporated last year when Jackson County voters gave a strong “no” vote to extending a local sales tax that would have paid for those projects.
Now, the Royals are in play and there is a report that “an affiliate” of the team has taken a mortgage on land in Overland Park, Kansas.
(SO, WHAT NOW?)—Well, there’s always the UFL. St. Louis has its poor substitute for an NFL team. The domed stadium named for a now defunct airline where the Rams used to play is the home of the Battlehawks. Whether there still will be an Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Whatevers, if the UFL expands, is undetermined.
(CHIEFS TODAY)—The Chiefs might have spoiled the Tennessee Titans’ chances of getting the first pick in the NFL draft, giving the Titans their first win in a dozen home games and only their third victory all season. Kansas City played most of the game with its third-string quarterback, Chris Oladokun, calling signals after Mahomes backup Gardner Minchew limped to the sidelines and then to the dressing room with a second-quarter knee injury. It was Oladokun’s first NFL game. He’s been on the taxi squad for the last couple of years.
The pitiful 26-9 loss guarantees the Chiefs with their first losing season since 2012, before the Andy Reid era began. The chiefs now are losers in four straight games, and six of the last seven. The Chiefs went into the game with the league’s eighth ranked defense and gave up 376 yards to rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who broke Marcus Mariota’s team record for most passing yards in their first season.
The Chiefs had only 133 yards of total offense and only nine first downs; the Titans had 22 first downs and . The Titans ran 70 plays; the chiefs only 43. Oladokun finished 11/16 for 111 yards.
The Chiefs entered the game in a poor physical situation. Patrick Mahomes and right tackle Jawaan Taylor are on injured reserve and nine players were declare out, including five starters.
Things appear likely only be worse this week. They play the Broncos on Christmas night
(MIZPORTAL)—The instability of college football caused by the transfer portal that allows athletes to become carpetbagging mercenaries hired by schools looking for a golden arm or unstoppable legs, in particular, is a big deal for the Missouri Tigers.
Beau Pribula has turned into one of those carpetbaggers who found a bigger paycheck at Missouri than he was likely to get at Penn State couldn’t wait until after a bowl game helped the team get to before he told Mizzou he was looking for a greener pasture.
Pribula wasn’t so bad at Missouri that he wouldn’t likely do better with a second year in the system—although the system departed when the Offensive Coordinator Kirby Moore found a portal that he could go through, too—but Pribula didn’t exactly show that he was the next great NFL clipboard quarterback to be produced by Mizzou.
So Missouri becomes just another team headed to a bowl game with a patchwork lineup because some guys would rather go campus-shopping than play another game in their latest school’s colors.
(MIZOC)—Missouri’s new offensive coordinator is bringing experience from one of the Big Ten’s elite teams. Chip Lindsey is moving to Missouri from the University of Michigan. He’s been a college coach for a dozen years in increasingly higher circles. His South Carolina team ranked 7th in the nation in total offense in 2023, averaging almost 500 yards a game. This year at Michigan, his teams averaged almost 400 yards
He and Mizzou and Eli Drinkwitz have some acquaintances with each other. During his three-year head coaching stint at Troy, his team lost to Missouri and Coach Barry Odom at Faurot Field 42-10 and fell to Drinkwitz’s Appalachian State 48-13. He has helped develop three quarterbacks who’ve made it to the NFL including Patriots starter Drake Maye, and Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens. It’s not known what his role will be for the bowl game next weekend.
(THE BOWL)—The preparation for the game by freshman quarterback Matt Zollars will be different by game time. He and Coach Drinkwitz both know that he’s not a fill-in for the next game. He’s number one and the pre-game preparations are different. This game and the spring practices can put him in a commanding position for 2026. He has shown good potential as Pribula’s substitute for three games this year. The Gator Bowl could be the game in which he reduces or erases the word “potential.”
One thing to watch for—because his coach will be watching—-is how well he performs on third downs, passing downs. “You look at our four losses this year, you look at our three losses last year, look at our two losses the year before that—our inability to consistently convert third downs in critical games or throw the ball has been a major factor in our losses,” said Drinkwitz.
Virginia is looking for its first 11-win season. The Cavaliers go into the game having won two of their last three. Missouri’s season flattened out as it began facing top 10 fellow SEC Schools. They go into the wining with three losses in their last five game.
(NOT RUNNING AWAY)—-Although he could write his own check elsewhere, Ahmad Hardy is staying at Mizzou. He admits he hadn’t gotten any offers: “I think they know I’m a Tiger, so they ain’t hit me up.”
That means Missouri will have an All-American running back for the new offensive coordinator.
Hardy would have been among the hottest properties if he wanted to go portalizing. His 1500 yards-plus performance—before a bowl game—ranks him 28th among all Missouri career rushers. Another season such as this one could get him to third on the all-time list. He’ll likely have to stick around for another year to move past Larry Roundtree (3720) and Brad Smith (4289 who, as a running/passing quarterback also threw for 8799 yards.).
But—-the Tigers’ one-two backfield punch this season might not be complete next year. Running back Jamal Roberts, who gained an average of 6.2 years every time he got the ball this year (so far) is in play as a possible portal entrant. Coach Drinkwitz hopes some moneyed supporters will cough up a lot mor NIL funding to keep him at Faurot Field in 2026.
(MOSTPORTAL)—Missouri State Quarterback Jacob Clark, who finished his college career with a 34-28 loss to Arkansas State in a bowl game in Texas, has little good to say about the portal process.
He was sacked eight times as the Bears played without their starting left tackle Ebubedike Nnabugwu, the Conference USA’s best pass protector, who is portal bound. Also missing was right tackle Erick Cade, has played out his eligibility. Defensive end D. J. Wesolak took himself out of the lineup to protect himself for the portal. Starting center Cash Hudson, also reportedly headed for the portal, DID play but left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury.
Clark pointed to Texas-San Antonio coach Jeff Traylor whose team will play Florida International the day after Christmas without almost twenty players who are going portal shopping to show the absurdity the portal is creating in college football. Traylor has blamed “all of the tampering and the agents and coaches,” who are promising “incredible” financial deals to lure players into the portal. “I hate it because I really want to coach them in a bowel game, but they’re getting leveraged out of it…I never thought we’d be punished for making a bowl game by being leveraged.”
“You’re talking about teams that have $26 million to $40 million, and the number’s just too big, and who knows if they’re being told the truth? It’s sad, it really is sad,” he continued.
“There’s no such thing as tampering. Coaches talk to players, agents talk to players. Oh, then turn them in, coach. You think those players are going to give me the coach that’s actually talking to them? Why? It’s driving the price up. The more they get driven up, the price goes up higher and higher. As long as there’s people gonna pay it, who’s going to stop it? What’s going to stop this? What’s going to stop it? Only the freedom of process is going to stop because when there’s no money left, what are we going to all do?”
—a highly pertinent question.
Missouri State and Arkansas State both finish the year at 7-6.
(MIZSIX)—CBS’s Mike Renner thinks he has identified the top 150 potential NFL draft picks—and sixTigers are on the list. The last time six Mizzou players were drafted was 2023; the record is seven, in 1981.
Linebacker Josiah Trotter is the highest-rated Tiger at number 74. Defensive Tackle Chris McClellan is 85, IOL Cayden Green is 90. In the last third are Edge Rusher Damon Wilson at 105, WR Kevin Coleman at 110 and IOL Keagan Trost, 141.
The Winter Solstice means we are one step closer to the magical day when Spring training starts.
(BRAGGARTS)—-First, we lost the Chiefs. Then we lost a basketball game to Illinois—and it was the worst loss by either team in the history of the so-called “Braggin’ Rights” game between Missouri and Illinois.
Illinois “outed” the Tigers everywhere—offense, defense, rebounding—in all facets of the game. Toward the end, the biggest question was whether the Fighting Illinois would double-up on the Tepid Tigers—and they almost did, 91-48.
Missouri heads into the SEC schedule 10-3 with losses to Illinois, Notre Dame, and Kansas, losses that could play a role in a couple of months when it comes time to decide if Missouri is good enough for post-season play..
Junior point guard Anthony Robinson talked on Sunday about a ‘TPD’ mindset, meaning tough, physical and disruptive, saying that would be a key to playing their brand of basketball and finding success against Illinois.
The Illini out-rebounded Missouri 43-24. They outscored the Tigers on second-chance opportunities 29-5. The Illinois defense produced miserable Missouri shooting—29% from the field, only 27% from the arc (6 of 22 from the three-point line).
Life won’t get easier with the start of the SEC schedule on January 3. Florida. The Seminoles are ranked 22nd this week.
(CARDS)—The St. Louis Cardinals have taken their first deep plunge into the trading market by sending catcher/first baseman Willson Contreras to the Red Sox for three right-handed pitchers: Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Contreras waived his no-trade clause.
Dobbins was 4-1 last year for Boston. Eleven of his thirteen games were starts. He fanned 45 in 61 innings and had a 4.13 ERA before he tore a knee ligament early in July and had season-ending surgery. Shipping off Contreras opens the door for Alec Burleson to become a fulltime first baseman. Dobbins takes Contrera’s spot on the 40-man roster.
Fajardo won’t be 20 until the 2026 season is almost over. He was with two teams in the minors last season, posted a 2-8 record but had a 2.93 ERA and whiffed 147 batters in 122 innings. Aita will be 23 next June. He’s seen as a potential starter. He also was with two teams last year, went 5-7 with an ERA of 3.98.
Until the Contreras trade, the Cardinals had been making only small waves. Left Fielder Matt Koperniak was put on waivers, went unclaimed, and is headed back to Memphis for a third season. He hit .309 at Memphis in 2024 but had a disappointing ’25 when he dropped to only .246.
The Redbirds signed free agent pitcher Dustin May to a one year, $12.5 million contract. May missed three weeks last season with an elbow nerve inflammation and was 7-11 with a 4.96 ERA in 23 starts for Boston and Los Angeles. He’s struggled with arm problems throughout his career and had Tommy John surgery in 2021. He is 19-20 with a 3.86 ERA in 57 starts and 14 relief appearances in a six-year career.
(ROYALS)—The Kansas City Royals seem to be taking their time in the free agent/trade markets. This past week, they traded relievers with the Phillies. The Royals added veteran left-handed pitcher Matt Strahm, who came over from the Phillies in a trade for pitcher Jonathan Bowlan.
Strahm went 62.1 innings in 66 games, was 2-3 with six saves and a 2.74 ERA. Bowlan has been in 50 games in his two-year career, 1-2/3.86 last year with 45 Ks in 44.1 innings.
Now, a little tragedy, and some and history—.
(NASCAR)—Federal investigators say it will be quite a while to figure out why the plane of retired NASCAR Cup driver Greg Biffle crashed, killing Biffle, his family and others. Biffle, who was popular in the garages and was known for his philanthropic work, was named one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers in its first 75 years. He won 19 of his 515 races, was in the top five 92 times and finished 175 races in the top ten. He was the runner-up for the 2004 Cup championship and finished in the top ten in points six times.
(INDYCAR)—There are few higher-ups in big-time sports who spend more time relating to fans and sometimes getting their hands dirty while doing it than Doug Boles, the President of IndyCar and of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most often, he’s the guy looking cool in a blue suit in a crowd of one, two, or three hundred thousand people in verrry casual, if not sometimes outrageous, summer attire. The fact that he got a journalism degree before becoming a lawyer (three of my former Missourinet colleagues did the same thing, so we relate on that level, too) means he can speak board room lingo as well as he comfortably can wander among the hordes of folks who like to mix sunshine, hot dogs, beer, and really, really fast cars on hot summer weekends.
He finds adventure outside the office and inside the speedway and enthusiastically shares it with Speedway fans and worshippers with videos that he calls “Behind the Bricks.”
The track is called “The Brickyard” because it once was paved with millions of bricks that sometimes cause problems for the modern paved squared oval where cars have touched 240 mph before making a left turn. There still were a few feet of bricks on the main straightaway when my parents took me to the track for the first time.
His enthusiasm about the old place is shown in three recent episodes that shows us “under’ the bricks—a project to repave part of the track when some the old bricks shifted and caused a bump that cars going four miles a minute shouldn’t encounter, especially in a turn. The project turned into an archaeological expedition that recalled the earliest days of the track and became three podcasts that mix technology, history, and the guy who runs the whole place.
Behind the Bricks: Turn 2 Repave, Part 2
Behind the Bricks: Turn 2 Repave, Part 3
It’s grey and it’s cold and we’ve had a bad day in sports in Missouri. It seems like a long time before we’ll write again about daring men and women doing remarkable things when the asphalt over the old bricks is hot again. But Doug reminds us that the good times are waiting.
(Photo Credits: Stadium, Hardy—Instagram)