Sportsbeat Kc

Things are a little different as the Chiefs prepare for their third and final preseason game. In most years, reserves would get first-team snaps in practice. But this year, Andy Reid said he’ll play starters like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones to open Friday’s game at home against the Chicago Bears. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell discuss the change, and where the focus will be with the regular season opener two weeks away. Also, college football season opens this weekend and Kansas schools are front and center. Kansas State will meet Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, in the traditional first game. Later that day, Kansas opens its renovated stadium against Fresno State. Will the Kansas schools play up to their roles as favorites? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is trending up and down for Chiefs preseason? Breaking down Kansas City Chiefs' preseason opener. Who's trending? Insights on veterans, young players, and roster battles on SportsBeat KC podcast. Chiefs preseason, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL preseason, Chiefs roster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs will have had three weeks of training camp practices by the time the preseason opener at Arizona kicks off Saturday. “You get to see some different looks,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “It become real, and these guys are all competing for spots.” Who needs to have big moments to improve his stock? Star columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discussed that topic and more on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast. Rookies, like first-round draft pick Josh Simmons, will get much attention Some veterans will as well, especially among non-starters. Also, McDowell and Gregorian determine if the Royals were winners or losers at the trade deadline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the All-Star break, Royals fans wondered if their team would be buyers or sellers. They answer was definitive. The Royals are in it to win it. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Vahe Gregorian breaks down the Royals’ decision to re-sign starting pitcher Seth Lugo, presumably the team’s biggest trade chip, while adding some punch to the lineup. It won’t be easy for the Royals, who are dealing with several injuries. But they’re giving themselves the best opportunity to be a playoff team. Also, Chiefs beat writer Jesse Newell provides the update from training camp at Missouri Western, where the offensive line is always a hot topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as the Chiefs were preparing to open training camp, several personnel matters were decided. The Chiefs made Trey Smith the NFL’s highest paid guard with a four-year deal worth $94 million, and a few days later the team locked up defensive end George Karlaftis with a similar contract. Also, the Chiefs likely will soon know about the status of wide receiver Rashee Rice when it comes to the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Rice was sentenced to five years probation and 30 days jail time for his role in a chain reaction car crash in Dallas last year. Now, Rice and the team await word from the NFL on a suspension. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, Chiefs beat writer Jesse Newell broke down the recent news and the ramifications for the team bidding to reach a fourth straight Super Bowl as training camp opens at Missouri Western State University this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a remarkable first half of the season for the Kansas City Current. With the team, like the rest of the NWSL, on its international break, let’s take stock of where things stand. The Current is 11-2 and in first place by eight points. The team will take a six-game winning streak into the second half when league play resumes on Aug. 1. Temwa Chawinga, second in the league with eight goals, is bidding to become the NWSL’s first repeat MVP. The Current hasn’t been idle during the break. They’re in the midst of the Teal Rising Cup, a four-team tournament played at CPKC Stadium, and several of their players have been called up to national teams. The list includes defender Izzy Rodriguez, who chatted with The Star on its weekly sports podcast, SportsBeat KC. Rodriguez made the most of her first USWNT appearance with a goal against Ireland in a friendly. She shares her reaction that special moment and what it will take for the Current to continue its winning ways. Izzy Rodriguez shines for KC Current and in

The future homes of the Chiefs and Royals is becoming a Border War. Missouri and Kansas have come up with incentives to build stadiums, or renovate Arrowhead for the Chiefs. The latest development: A letter from Chiefs President Mark Donovan asking Kansas to extend the deadline beyond June 30 for STAR bonds that would be used to pay for up to 70 percent of stadium projects. “Together,” Donovan write, “we have the opportunity to bring the National Football League to Kansas, anchored by a world-class domed stadium, new team headquarters, a state-of-the-art practice facility, and a vibrant mixed-use and entertainment district.” This comes on the heels of Missouri passing the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, which also sweetens the deal for the teams, paying up to half for the teams’ new homes. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, veteran Kansas City sports writers Vahe Gregorian, Sam McDowell and Jesse Newell join host Blair Kerkhoff to break down the Border War competition for new or rebuilt stadiums that

The Chiefs wrapped up mini-camp last week and a few items remain on the checklist for training camp, which begins at Missouri Western on July 22. Is left tackle settled as first-round draft pick Josh Simmons recovers from an injury? Will a deal get done with guard Trey Smith? Who is leading for the final couple of spots at wide receiver? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast presented by Underdog, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian address those issues and more as the Chiefs head into a month off before reassembling in St. Joseph. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Missouri House closed its special session last week with votes to provide funding to the Royals and the Chiefs, so a piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. But questions remain. The biggest: What do the teams want to do? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast presented by Underdog, Star columnist Sam McDowell discussed options for the teams. The Royals want a new ballpark. But where? The Chiefs’ top choice may to be to renovate Arrowhead Stadium. Would a practice facility be involved? Is a Kansas location an option for both teams? The ball is in the court of the Royals and Chiefs, and awaiting the return are fans who want to know the teams’ next moves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

College sports has entered a new era with a recent court ruling that allows the schools to make direct payments to athletes. For the upcoming school year, up to $20.5 million can be distributed to football, basketball, baseball, volleyball players and more. This is in addition to scholarships and payments for name, image and likeness. How are schools handling this new approach? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, college beat writers Kellis Robinett and Shreyas Laddha break down the structure and apply it to the schools they cover, Kansas State and Kansas. The schools also look to regulate NIL, preventing it from becoming a recruiting tool, by creating an enforcement organization outside the NCAA. That could be the biggest challenge to the changed sports world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The greatest Royal of ‘em all, George Brett, can’t wait to watch Jac Caglianone’s major-league debut on Tuesday. Neither can golf icon and Royals fan Tom Watson. At an annual fundraising event for The ALS Association in Overland Park Monday, half of Kansas City’s sports Mount Rushmore weighed in on the Royals’ decision to elevate their top prospect to Major League Baseball. Caglianone will make his MLB debut Tuesday in St. Louis. What can Caglianone expect in the bigs? Brett and Watson agree, and their answer may surprise you: Caglianone’s best approach, they say, will be to do less: “Try to do less when the pressure is on,” Brett said. “He’s got to breathe.” Brett and Watson join Star sports columnist Vahe Gregorian and podcast host Blair Kerkhoff in this special installment of the SportsBeat KC show, presented by Underdog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Say this for the Royals, they’ve been consistent this season. Through about two months of 2025, pitching has been excellent. Hitting hasn’t come around. But a few things are happening to keep hope alive for another playoff season. First, the Royals remain a contending team. Despite losing 11 of their past 16 games they’re over .500 for May. Also, the promotion of slugger Jac Caglianone looms. His hot hitting has continued after arriving at Class AAA Ohama. On today’s SportsBeat KC, Royals beat writer Jaylon Thompson breaks down the Royals and takes a guess at when Caglianone will make his big league debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The next step in determining the future playing venues of the Chiefs and Royals rest with the Missouri statehouse. After the state Senate failed to pass a state funding measure that could provide up to 50 percent of a new stadium for the Royals and a renovated Arrowhead State for the Chiefs, Gov. Mike Kehoe has called a special session to debate providing tax breaks that would keep the teams in Missouri. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss the latest stadium developments and project what may happen with the Chiefs and Royals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 43 games the Royals have the same record as 2024 -- 25-18. Does it feel the same? A year ago, Royals fans were thrilled with the fast start with the team coming off a 106-loss season. This year, with higher expectations, it’s easier to wonder if the team is reaching its potential. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast presented by Underdog, beat writer Jaylon Thompson discusses the strengths and weaknesses of a Royals team at the season’s quarter pole. The pitching has been outstanding. The hitting? The Royals are still waiting for consistent bats to arrive. There may be a solution in that department. When will the Royals summon minor-league slugger and top prospect Jac Caglianone to the majors? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs effectively hired a couple of dozen new employees last week, seven of them through the NFL Draft and the remaining through subsequent undrafted free agency deals. Their start date: How about now? They all took part in a three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend, concluding Monday. As part of it, each of the seven draft picks, along with a couple of intriguing other names, spoke to the media. I’ll apologize for the one-week reprieve you have from Blair Kerkhoff, our usual host, which leaves it to myself, Chiefs beat writer Jesse Newell and sports columnist Vahe Gregorian to cycle through our observations from the Chiefs’ rookie camp. We follow with a conversation about the record-breaking barrage of home runs from the Kansas City Royals. Which Royals hitter needed a slump-busting blast the most? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did the Chiefs fare in the NFL Draft? Star columnist Sam McDowell and beat writer Jesse Newell break it down on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast presented by Underdog. The Chiefs entered the draft with eight picks, and after trades, finished with seven. Their first round pick, offensive tackle Josh Simmons of Ohio State at No. 32 overall, was the product of a trade. The Chiefs addressed their biggest needs early, and took best available players with later picks. We discuss the best moves, the questionable ones and who can make the earliest impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year ago this month, Jackson County voters sent an emphatic message to the Royals and Chiefs: They didn’t want their taxes to help pay for a new stadium for the Royals and improvements for the Chiefs.Since then, the teams have considered several options for their future homes but haven’t landed on one. Their Truman Sports Complex lease is expiring in 2031.On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian share their thoughts about where things stand, what concerns have arisen since the doomed vote and where the Royals and Chiefs may end up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL Draft spectacle grows near. Next week in Green Bay, Wis., 32 teams will look to improve their roster and once again the Chiefs will be among the last teams scheduled to select in the first round.On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast beat writer Jesse Newell and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian go inside the Chiefs draft room to determine the path of the NFL’s perennial power.Which way to the Chiefs go in the first round? Defensive line? Tackle? What are the trade prospects with general manager Brett Veach? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is over but not transfer portal madness. Players are spinning through the transfer mechanism in the new order of college hoops roster building, and Kansas and Kansas State are among those looking to reshape their teams.On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, college beat writers Gary Bedore, Kellis Robinett and Shreyas Laddha discuss the portal’s impact on KU and K-State and provide the latest updates.We open by breaking down Florida’s comeback victory over Houston in a thrilling title game, and wrap up with some spring football talk. But mostly...portal madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sporting Kansas City’s progress and popularity as an MLS franchise helped shape the region as a soccer hotbed to the point of landing games in next year’s FIFA World Cup, and no person was more responsible for that growth than Peter Vermes.As the team’s losing trend continued early this season, Vermes and the franchise parted ways. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Vahe Gregorian discussed Vermes’ important contributions to the area’s sports landscape.Also, the Royals came out of the gate flat for their home opening series but got a nice lift from Kris Bubic in their first road game. And who saw this all-No. 1 seed Final Four coming? Someone on our show did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices