Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

2 JULY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS

Steve FischPublisher

11730 W. 135th St., Suite 18

Overland Park, KS 66221

Phone/Fax: (913) 764-2050

Email: [email protected]

www.kcsportspaper.com

EditorAlan Eskew

Sales913-764-2050

Steve Fisch

[email protected]

Ed Coan

[email protected]

Contributing WritersBill Althaus, Chris Balda,

Audrey Harman, Tom Cannon,

John Doolittle, Greg Echlin,

Alan Eskew, David Garfield,

Bill Grigsby, Alan Hoskins,

Dr. Andrew Jacobs, John Landsberg,

Jim Potoski, David Smale,

Marc Bowman

Contributing PhotographersScott Thomas, Ed Graunke,

Alan Hoskins, Tom Cannon,

Scott Weaver, Jim Gill, Warren Ingram

On The CoverNew Teams In KC!

ABA and CHL

Published MonthlyEntire Contents © Kansas City Sports& Fitness 2009. 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.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE JULY 2009

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Cover Stories: New Teams in KCAmerican Basketball Franchise awarded . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Mavericks Hockey to play in Independence Arena . . . . .3

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KC Baseball Report8 What if the Royals had drafted Pujols?

9 Royals can blame injuries partially for record

9 Seven questions with John Mayberry

Chiefs Report27 Haley wants Chiefs to be in superb condition at camp

Health & Fitness Report10 Sports performance enhancers

11 Lose weight without changing lifestyle

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KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS JULY 2009 3

American BasketballAssociation awards

franchise to Kansas CityBy MARC BOWMAN, Contributing Writer

Professional basketball is returning to

Kansas City.

I n May, the rapidly-expanding American

Basketball Association (ABA), awarded

Fame Sports & Entertainment (FSE) a

Kansas City franchise. The league has

added 25 teams within the past month, and

now boasts 60 franchises in 24 states from

coast to coast.

“We feel that Kansas

City is a tremendous mar-

ket for the ABA,” said

ABA CEO Joe Newman in

a May press release. “The

key is strong ownership,

management, marketing

and community relations.

In Fame Sports &

Entertainment, we believe

strongly that the sports and

entertainment combined

with the business experi-

ence of this group will

maximize the potential of

the team there. We are thrilled to have them

as part of the league.”

The focus of the latest Kansas City entry

into the ABA will be on community.

“This is a new team with new manage-

ment,” said General Manager Reggie

Harris at the introductory press conference

at the end of June. ‘We have a marketing

plan and we will stick to it. We see this as

an opportunity to see us prove to you how

involved and active we can be in the com-

munity from now to October. We will give

of ourselves first.”

“It’s about community,” said COO

William Palmer. “We’ll be organizing in

the community and putting on fun events.

This is going to be about community, about

families, about adults with children.

We’ll be getting with the schools. We feel

it is very important to give back to the

community, and not just basketball. I teach

the game, and not just on the court.”

Harris and CEO David Francis fielded a

number of questions about the recent fail-

ures of ABA teams in Kansas City.

“We feel like this is one last chance with

Kansas City,” Harris said. “We’ll have no

other options and we know we have to do

some repair (to Kansas City’s ABA rela-

tionship to the local fans).

We believe we can do that

by focusing on our mar-

keting plan and focusing

on the community.”

Said Francis, “Our

focus is on getting the

community involved. We

recognize that there

always has been a trust

issue in the past, either

due to marketing or own-

ership. We’re moving

beyond that. We’re strictly

business and we have a

strong business plan.”

The new, as-yet-unnamed franchise

hopes to distance themselves from past

ABA failures.

“It’s not fair what has happened in the

past,” Palmer said. “But we aren’t that

team. We are a completely new organiza-

tion. We show it in how we are approach-

ing this opportunity. We have a solid busi-

ness plan and we are not in competition

with the NBA or NFL.”

“We don’t want to be seen as never

sticking to our marketing niche, Francis

said. “We know we can’t compete with the

NBA or the NFL. We will be sticking to

Hockey returns withMavericks at new

Independence arenaBy ALAN ESKEW, Editor

They have a name, the Missouri

Mavericks. They have a new arena to

open this fall, the Independence Events

Center, which will seat 5,800 for the

Central Hockey League club and be their

home for 32 regular season games.

They have a coach, Scott Hillman, and will

begin naming players in July.

The Mavericks unveiled their new name

from a name-that-team contest before an

overflow crowd at the

WhistleStop room at the

Harry S. Truman

Presidential Library and

Museum in Independence.

The Mavericks will be he

first professional hockey

team in the Kansas City

area since the Outlaws in

the 2004-05 season in the

United Hockey League, the

year of the National

Hockey League lockout.

The Outlaws were one and

done. Before that, there

was the Kansas City Blades for several

years at Kemper Arena, but the league

folded in 2001.

The Mavericks should fill a void for the

hockey-thirsty fans.

“Judging by the events I’ve attended,

this is unbelievable,” Hillman said of the

enthusiasm and interest in the Mavericks.

“It looks like we’re on the right start.

I’m excited to be here, to be the first

hockey team in Independence, to develop

a new team.

This is pretty amazing, the turnout for

midday on a week day months before we

take the ice.”

A little background on Hillman. He

played eight years in the CHL. He was

with El Paso for nine games and then spent

the rest of the time with Odessa (Texas).

“I was an offensive defenseman,”

Hillman said.

He said “coaching had always been a

part of my makeup even when playing.

“I was involved in the most technical

sides,” he said. “I was a thinker in the

game and liked to help younger players. It

seemed like a very natural step for me to

get into coaching.”

The past two years he was the head

coach at Knoxville, Tenn.

in the Southern Hockey

League. The team won

two regular season titles

and two post-season

championships under

Hillman’s leadership. He

was a player-assistant

coach with Odessa before

retiring from the ice.

Hillman said he is in

negotiations with several

players.

“I’m looking for much

more than hockey players,

but good people to really make an impact

in this community,” Hillman said. “Their

job and living is to play hockey, but it is

more than that. We want our guys in

schools reading to the kids.”

It has been publicized that the Mavericks

want to lead the team in penalty minutes.

Not true, Hillman said.

“We want to be a physical team and an

intense team and smarter penalties come

with that,” Hillman said. “We want to be

disciplined. You can be physical, but

you’ve got to know how to be in control.”

He said training camp would open in

early October at a youth rink adjacent to

continued on page 5continued on page 4


ABA awards franchise to Kansas City...continued

our niche. Our marketing plan is to stick to

our niche and to stabilize our focus. The

way we will stabilize our focus is that we

know we are not a major league team. We

are a minor league team.”

Foremost in the franchise’s community

focus will be education.

“We are working on a partnership with

the Kansas City School District,” Francis

said. “We hope to implement a reading and

math program, to help the district regain

their accreditation and to get the MAP

assessment program back up. The hook is

sports, but the reality is: what good are a

professional basketball player’s skills - he

may be able to dunk a basketball - but what

good are those skills if he can’t read the

contract? Education is the key.”

Additionally, the team hopes to partner

the schools with area businesses.

“We plan to go to youth sports programs

and20the schools, to reach out to the

schools,” Harris said. “We are in contact

with some corporations right now to have

them buy blocks of tickets to donate to

schools.”

Although the team does not yet have a

head coach, they expect to name someone

to the post in July.

“We have made contact with a couple of

head coach prospects,” Francis said.

“We’re reviewing their resume and creden-

tials and we expect to have a major press

release soon.”

The new head coach will “definitely be

somebody you’ll know,” Francis promised.

“It’ll be someone with college experience

and with pro experience, too.”

Dennis Still, the brother of Chiefs Hall

of Fame defensive end Art Still, has been

named an assistant coach.

“We have a short list but we aren’t ready

to release any names yet,” Harris said of

the head coaching search. “Dennis has

almost 20 years experience overseas

and we think he can help us with players

who have played overseas or expect to

go overseas.”

Said Still, “I have 19 years in the game,

in Europe, in South America. I’ve traveled

a lot. We expect to bring a couple of

ballplayers in from overseas.”

Still believes he is able to reach players

from all areas and help them become pro-

fessionals.

“I’m an Indian; I’m not a chief,” Still

said about why he wanted to be the assis-

tant coach even though he had the opportu-

nity to take the head coaching position.

“I like to be in the background, teaching.

I like teaching and helping the players in

going to the NBA. We will be seeing a lot

of kids looking to go to the NBA or go

overseas. We will do it ‘old school’. We

will teach the real game. They’ll see what

the game really is and respect the game.

They’ll earn the respect.”

The player pool is expected to include

undrafted NBA prospects, NBA players

hoping to revamp their career and former

players from local schools. Leo Lyons,

who went to Missouri and played high

school basketball in Kansas City, would

seem like a natural fit for the ABA Kansas

City team. Lyons was not picked in the

NBA draft.

“There is major talent in the Midwest

region,” Francis said. “There are a lot of

undrafted players and a lot of NBA-drafted

players may not make it, so they have a

shot with the ABA. Some players may be

looking at going overseas, but if players

want to stay in

the country and

get their shot

they have that

chance with the

ABA. We’re

definitely look-

ing at potential

players from

KU, MU,

Avila, and a lot

of undrafted

free agents. We

will have top-

notch undraft-

ed players from

local schools.”

The ABA

could be a

stepping stone to the NBA for players.

“This is a minor league, a developmental

league,” Harris said. “We are here to devel-

op talent, not to compete with the NBA.

A lot of our players will be fringe

prospects, some of them undrafted players,

some of them perhaps going overseas. This

is an option for them to play in the states

instead of going overseas. These guys

aren’t coming because of pay. It will be

about developing their talents.

We expect to have some close and recog-

nizable names. It is about logistical things

and about being closer to us. There are

some really good programs within a couple

of hours from Kansas City.”

The team will hold try-outs July 11,

from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Will Shields’

68 Inside Sports Fitness Center at 11301

W. 88th Street in Overland Park.

Participants may register the day of the

event, or online at www.fseglobal.com or

www.kcabateam.com.

Members of Fame Sport & Entertainment (from right) Chris Brown,President; William Palmer, COO and David Francis, CEO and team GMReggie Harris answer questions from the media.

ABA - continued from page 3

continued on page 6


Hockey returns with Mavericks...continued

the Independence Events Center.

“Anytime the surface (in the arena) is

available, we’ll practice there,” Hillman

said. “If it’s not, we have a second surface,

which is a big advantage.”

While the schedule will not be released

until August, the CHL will open the week-

end of Oct. 23-24 with the Mavericks first

home game on Nov. 13 or 14.

Brad Lund is president and a minority

owner of the Mavericks and has been in

the CHL since 1992. He has been with the

Oklahoma City Blazers the past 16½ years

and that has been called the most success-

ful minor league franchise in the United

States. He said the Blazers led the CHL in

attendance for “all 16 years I was there.”

“This is only the second job I’ve ever

had,” Lund said. “It’s exciting.”

The name Mavericks was chosen from

more than 12,000 votes cast. More than

1,200 people submitted names. The club

narrowed it down to 10 finalists for the

voting. Others in the voting included the

Maulers, Mules, Pioneers and Outlaws.

Jim Collings of Platte City was chosen

from those submitting Mavericks and

won a $2,000 gift certificate at the

Independence Center.

“In Independence and in Missouri, peo-

ple kind of stand out on their own,”

Collings said. “They do things the uncon-

ventional way. A maverick is somebody

that does things that way.”

Words to describe a Maverick in the

publicity video included untamed and

unbroken.

“I would love it if our players will

remain unbroken,” Hillman said.

Lund said the team would reveal their

uniforms in October.

“As rough and tumble as the sport is, a

hockey uniform is beautiful from head to

toe,” Lund said. “A lot will go into it and

we will certainly welcome input of any

hockey fan out there.”

Since he was at the Truman Library,

Lund joked that Harry Truman said, “the

puck stops here,”

instead of the

buck.

They will soon

be dropping the

puck at the

Independence

Events Center.

Hockey is back in

Kansas City.

Team presidentBrad Lundannounces thatthe new hockeyteam will beknown as theMissouriMavericks. Theannouncementwas made at theTruman Library inJune.

ABOUT THEABA,CHL &

KC’S NEW TEAMSABA CHL

# of teams 60 19

# games in season 30 64

Home-Away 15-15 32-32

Regional St. Louis ColoradoRivals Stunners Eagles

Aurora Rocky Mt.Force Rage

Chicago Rapid CitySteam Rush

Cleveland WichitaRockers Thunder

Detroit OK CityHoops Blazers

Lake Michigan TulsaAdmirals Oilers

‘09 Kentucky TexasChamps Bisons Brahmas

TeamWebsite kcabateam.com missourimavericks.com

League centralhockeyleagueWebsite abalive.com .com

TeamPhone 816-392-0396 816-252-7825

Mavericks Hockey - continued from page 3


June was a good month for Missouri

Western in St. Joseph. The Kansas City

Chiefs made it official they’re moving

their training camp there in 2010 to the

Missouri Western campus.

Missouri Western students Dallas Mesa

and Ben Jeschke accomplished a feat at

the end of June that could put them in

world Beer Pong tournament.

Mesa and Jeschke qualified for a local

World Series of Beer Pong tournament

(WSOBP), July 31, with a chance to go

to Las Vegas. Out of a field of 30 teams

that competed at Toby Keith’s Bar and

Grill on the Harrah’s North Kansas City

complex, the top eight actually qualified

for the WSOBP tournament to be held in

the same venue. But Mesa and Jeschke

took home the cash on the evening of

June 26. They are first-time qualifiers,

first-time winners of the double elimina-

tion tournament. The WSOBP is also

double elimination, consisting of 64 teams.

In three overtimes, Mesa and Jeschke

nosed out Justin Farmer, a seasoned beer

pong tournament competitor, and his part-

ner, Cory LeCuru. Farmer, who lives in the

Waldo area and attends Missouri-Rolla, has

stepped up his beer pong tournament

schedule in the last year with hopes of

earning a trip to Vegas.

“It’s a very social sport,” said Farmer

when trying to explain the appeal of

beer pong.

Unfamiliar with Beer Pong? Here are a

few pointers:

1. Yes, it’s played with ping pong balls.

2. It is played with cups slightly filled

with liquid (commonly beer, but water dur-

ing tournament play at Toby Keith’s Bar

and Grill).

3. Ten cups are lined up on each end of

an eight-foot by two-foot table in the same

triangle manner of a pool table racking.

4. Then it’s “Fire Away!” Try to get the

ping pong ball in the cup on the other side,

either on a fly or a bounce, and eliminate

that cup each time the ball goes in.

5. First team to eliminate all the cups

wins. Overtime consists of a three-cup

triangle.

Ziggy Ziegler traveled to Harrah’s in

Kansas City from St. Louis to serve, to use

the term loosely, as the tournament host

and will conduct the WSOBP tournament

on July 31. Though Ziegler couldn’t play

as the host, he’s an active player who paid

the $1,000 entry fee to play in Las Vegas

last year.

“I like meeting all the new players,”

Ziegler said. “That’s the best part about

beer pong. It’s really competitive. You and

your partner can talk as much trash and

smack as anyone that’s on the other side of

the table, but when it’s done there’s no

hard feelings whatsoever.”

Mesa fit the role of the trash talker on

his way to winning the qualifier. After he

and Jeschke made it to the finals through

the winner’s bracket, Mesa was hovering

around the table of Farmer and LeCuru in

the semifinals. They even passed out

compliments on Farmer’s toss technique:

a body dip with the

elbow close to the table,

then rising up and

cradling the ping pong

ball before the release.

But when Mesa trash

talked his way

through the title

match, he backed it

up with clutch tosses.

The best roll of the

night belonged to

Scott Sellmeyer, a

Gladstone native who

attends William Jewell. Sellmeyer and

Matt DiMiceli were matched against

their St.Pius X high school buddies,

Victor Dau and Dangphy Du. Farcing

their first loss in the double elimination,

Sellmeyer was forced to hit on the

remaining cups. One miss and the

match was over.

Sellmeyer hit all five cups.

Sellmeyer and DiMiceli were among the

eight qualifying tandems. Du and Dau nar-

rowly missed out, but planned on continu-

ing their attempts to qualify through tour-

naments in the ensuing weeks.

Just like the NCAA basketball tourna-

ment bracket, Ziegler will seed the teams

based on what he has seen through the

qualifying tournaments.

“I have learned bracketology pretty well

doing Beer Pong,” Ziegler said.

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Contributing

Writer

Harrah’s, Toby Keith’s site for Beer Pong tourneys

Practices will also be held at Will

Shields’ 68 Inside Sports Fitness Center,

but the team does not yet have a venue for

games.

“We are looking at a couple of loca-

tions,” Harris said. “It has to be a minimum

capacity of about five thousand and it has

to be civic-owned and operated. We aren’t

going to be playing at high school gyms.

We want to conduct ourselves professional-

ly and you can’t do that in a high school

gym. We will be keeping our mind on the

end goals and training our players and staff

accordingly.”

Francis said tickets are expected to be in

the $10 to $25 range.

The team will play 30 regular season

games, 15 each at home, mostly played on

mid-week dates as a way to not conflict

with weekend dates scheduled by the

NBA, NFL and local college teams. The

exhibition season will begin in October

with the regular season running from

December through February and the play-

offs in March.

“There is not a schedule yet because the

ABA is still adding teams,” Harris said.

Harris is hopeful of bringing a fun prod-

uct to the court.“If you put the right prod-

uct out there, the people of Kansas City

will support it,” Harris said.

Chris Isaak Toad the Wet Sprocket The Wallflowers

ABA - continued from page 3

presents THE KC BASEBALL REPORT


By ALAN ESKEW, Editor

What if the Royals had drafted Pujols?I n 1999, the Kansas City Royals had six

draft picks in the first two rounds,

including four extra choices for losing

free agents Dean Palmer to the Detroit

Tigers and Jose Offerman to the Boston

Red Sox.

The Royals used those six picks, in

order, on Kyle Snyder, Mike MacDougal,

Jay Gehrke, Jimmy Gobble, Brian Sanches

and Wes Obermueller. In the fifth round,

the Royals picked K en Harvey. In the

ninth, they selected Mark Ellis, who was

traded to Oakland. In the 12th round, they

selected Stanford left-hander Tony Cogan,

who would pitch in the majors. In the 13th

round, the Royals chose Pepperdine third

baseman G.J. Raymundo.

In the 13th round, the St. Louis

Cardinals also picked a third baseman.

Somebody named Albert Pujols from

Maple Woods Community College and had

played high school baseball at Fort Osage.

While Pujols is headed for Cooperstown

and the Hall of Fame, it is not that the

Cardinals were that much smarter than

anybody else in the 1999 draft. There were

401 players picked before Pujols. Think of

that number again, 401. The Cardinals

passed on him for the first dozen rounds.

The Cardinals has four picks in the

first two rounds and used them on Chance

Caple, Nick Stocks, Chris Duncan and

Josh Pearce.

Scouts give various reasons on

why Pujols went so low in

the draft. Many believe he

is two to four years older

than his age, 29, in the

Cardinals media

guide. He was born

in the Dominican

Republic. He was

considered a

below-average

runner, but he

seems to circle

the bases fast

enough when

the ball clears

the fence. They

did not like his

body type, too

bulky. He did

not have a posi-

tion and was

considered below

par defensively,

although he won a

2006 Gold Glove at

first base.

There was plenty of

talent in the 1999 draft. The

first overall pick was Josh

Hamilton by Tampa Bay, while the

Marlins selected Josh Beckett second.

Others chosen in that first round

included Barry Zito, Ben

Sheets, Brett Myers and

Jason Jennings.

After watching

Pujols absolutely

destroy the Royals

as a one-man

wrecking crew

over a weekend

– three home

runs and 10

RBIs in the

Cardinals’

three-game

sweep –

I decided to

rewrite history.

What if the

Royals had

drafted Pujols,

who was in their

own backyard,

instead of the

Cardinals?

Pujols will be

selected to his eighth

All-Star game this year.

The Cardinals have been in

the playoffs five times in the

Pujols era, including two World

Series and winning the 2006 World Series.

The Royals haven’t20had a scent of the

playoffs since 1985, when ironically they

beat St. Louis in the World Series.

Initially I envisioned the Royals would

have made the playoffs at least three times

with Pujols’ bat in the middle of the order,

possibly even another World Series flag

flying at Kauffman Stadium.

But after thinking it over, the Royals

would still be losing 90 to 100-plus games

if they had drafted Pujols.

Why you ask? In 2004, the Cardinals

gave Pujols a seven-year contract for $100

million and will be worth $111 million if

they pick up the option for 2011. You think

they might pick that up?

Knowing the Royals’ frugal ways, the

Royals would have had to get rid of Pujols

by 2005 because he would have been a

free agent after the 2006 season. They

weren’t about to pay him $100 million, so

the Glass family would have instructed

then general manager Allard Baird to ship

him out.

We know how these Baird trades had

worked out for the Royals. It was five

years ago, Baird traded franchise player

Carlos Beltran to the Houston Astros in a

three-team deal. The Royals acquired

pitcher Mike Wood (out of baseball),

Mark Teahen and John Buck.

In 2001, Baird dealt power-hitting out-

fielder Jermaine Dye to the Colorado

Rockies for shortstop Neifi Perez. Yes, this

has to rank as one of the Royals’ all-time

worst deals.

The previous year, the Royals shipped

Johnny Damon to Oakland in a three-team

deal. The Royals received Angel Berroa,

A.J. Hinch (the Arizona Diamondbacks

manager) and Roberto Hernandez in the

deal. The Royals also threw in minor

leaguer Mark Ellis in the trade and he

developed into the Athletics starting

second baseman.

On the July 31, 1999 trading deadline,

the Royals moved Kevin Appier, a premier

pitcher, to the A’s for right-handers Blake

Stein, Brad Rigby and Jeff D’Amico.

Those are four All-Star caliber players,

possibly future Hall of Famers in Beltran

and Damon, but the Royals received little

in return.

Pujols would not be a Royal today if

they had drafted him. They couldn’t or

wouldn’t afford him. He might be a

Yankee, Met or Red Sox, possibly a Cub,

Angel or Dodger. He would be traded and

in return, however, the Royals would

receive anything but All-Star players. Look

at the above list of what the Royals

received in return and Teahen and Berroa

would top the talent list. That is an unim-

pressive list of players the Royals received

for quality talent in previous trades.

On KCXL 1140 AM and KCTO 1160 AM

Friday and Saturday evenings from 6-10 pmand on Sundays from 12-9 pm

Local and National Sports Coverage

Sports Page � Forward ProgressWise Guys � Courtside � Go Deep

Sports Smucks � BLTDon’t Talk Back

KC Sports & Fitness Radio Show

presents THE KC BASEBALL REPORT


By ALAN ESKEW, Editor

Royals can blame injuries partially for recordW e all expected the Kansas City

Royals would be better this year.

The Glass family hiked the payroll

to $70 million. While that is a

franchise high, but to put it per-

spective it ranks only 21st among

the 30 Major League clubs and

fourth in the American League

Central. Only the Minnesota

Twins, $65 million, have a small-

er payroll in the division, while

the Detroit Tigers check in at

$115 million and the Chicago

White Sox at $96 million.

The Royals picked up Mike

Jacobs, Coco Crisp and Willie

Bloomquist in the off-season to

supplement the offense and added

Kyle Farnsworth, Doug Waechter

and Juan Cruz to the bullpen, the

latter at the expense of losing

their second-round draft pick to

the Arizona Diamondbacks. All

but Bloomquist have underper-

formed and/or spent time on the

disabled list.

It just hasn’t worked. The

Royals began July 10-games

below .500, hopelessly out of the

playoff chase and kept out of the basement

only because of an underachieving

Cleveland Indians team, which has already

started to dismantle their club, trading

Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Royals teased us by starting the sea-

son 18-11 and were in first place, but then

they hit the skids, big time. So why are the

Royals in this predicament this season?

Injuries, injuries and more injuries. The

Royals need a M*A*S*H unit to handle

the wounded.

The Royals ended June with seven play-

ers, including three everyday players when

the season started, on the disabled list.

Third baseman Alex Gordon, who many

projected would have a breakout year after

working with new hitting coach Kevin

Seitzer during the winter to

tinker his swing, played a total

of seven games, hitting .095

with one extra-base hit, a home

run, before needing hip surgery.

He is on a minor league rehab

assignment, but is not expected

back until after the All-Star

break.

Crisp won’t be seen again on

the field this year, maybe ever

in a Royals uniform since he

has an $8 million option for

2010. He had season-ending

surgery to repair a torn right

labrum. Crisp gave the Royals

solid defense in center, although

his throwing was limited

because of the shoulder injury.

He hit a career low .228 in 49

games, but did steal 13 bases in

15 attempts.

Mike Aviles hit .325 in 102

games as a rookie and there

were questions whether he

could duplicate that as a sopho-

more. We never found out. Aviles hit .183

with only five extra-base hits in 36 games

r

The following is from the “Behind the Stats” radioshow with Matt Fulks and Toby Cook, who werejoined by Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame playerJohn Mayberry.

1. My idol growing up was...?John Mayberry: Al Kaline. He was a Hall of Famerwith a lot of hits who played a great outfield. And, hewas a good guy. I got achance to meet him andplayed against him. Hewas the toast of Detroit.

2. If not for baseball, I would’ve been a...?JM: A mortician.[Laughs.] I guess thatfaked you out, didn’t it?When people would saythey wanted to be a fire-man or whatever, I’d yellout, “I want to be a morti-cian!” It sounded better, but I don’t think I would’vebecome that.

3. My greatest day in baseball was....?JM: I have two, and both of them revolved aroundthe bat. I hit three home runs off Ferguson Jenkinsone night in Texas. And then I hit for the cycle, but Ididn’t even know it because my last hit was a doublein a game when we blew out the Chicago White Sox.I was standing on second base with my last hit, andpeople gave me a standing ovation. I didn’t evenknow I hit for the cycle! I was just taking my lead off,making sure I didn’t get picked off. Buck Martinezgot a hit that scored me, and guys started asking mein the dugout if I knew what I’d just done. I wasn’t

worried about cycles; I just wanted to get somehome runs.

4. My favorite vacation spot is...?JM: Going home to Detroit. Going there and seeingsome of my family and some of my friends, andgoing back to some of the old baseball fields where Iplayed when I was 12 and 13 years old or whatever.

To be home with thefamily has always beena great vacation forme.

5. My favorite movie ofall-time is...?JM: “Glory,” the CivilWar movie.

6. My message to parents of young ath-letes is...?JM: Get them to the

games on time. Besides that, as parents, we’re allguilty of snapping at umpires or thinking our kidsshould be playing this position or that positionbecause it’s better for them. Just let your kid be akid. Let him go out there and have fun.

7. The one person in history I’d like to meet is...?JM: President Barack Obama. I’m not big into poli-tics, but I’d like to ask him about growing up and seeif he ever had any doubts, or ever thought that hegot in over his head at times. You know, I wasaround in the 1960s when things were hard so forhim to win was really special.

For more information or to find out the next broad-cast time for “Behind the Stats,” please go towww.BehindTheStatsRadio.com.

7 Questions with John Mayberry

John Mayberry joins Behind the Stats radiohost Matt Fulks (left) and the Royals Toby Cook(right).

continued on page 12

Phot

os b

y W

arre

n In

gram

presents THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT


Are sports performance enhancers worth the risk?I often am asked which sports perform-

ance enhancers I have used, and what

works as so many people are looking for

a quick fix to replace hard work and sacri-

fice. I know this is going to be a very con-

troversial topic, but here goes.

The increased avail-

ability and over-

whelming number of

sports supplements

presents an ongoing

challenge for practi-

tioners (dietitians,

nutritionists, coaches-

trainers) and the ath-

lete needs to keep up-

to-date about the

validity of claims and

scientific evidence.

However, the fact

remains that very few

improve performance.

Unfortunately, as long

as a supplement label

indicates the active

ingredients and the

entire ingredients list

is provided, claims for

enhanced perform-

ance can be made,

valid or not. The manufacturers are not

even required to demonstrate the safety

and effectiveness of their products.

Ultimately, athletes are responsible for

the products they ingest and any subse-

quent consequences.

Dietary supplements or aids will never

substitute for genetic makeup, years of

training and optimum nutrition.

From a practical standpoint, most

aids can be classified into one of four

categories:

• Those that perform as claimed

• Those that may perform as claimed,

but for 20 which there is insufficient

evidence of efficacy at this time

• Those that do not perform as claimed

• Those that are dangerous, banned or

illegal and, therefore, should not be

used.

Aids That Perform As Claimed

Creatine

Currently the most widely used aid

among athletes wanting to build muscle

and enhance recovery. Creatine has been

shown to be effective in repeated short

bursts of high-intensity activity in sports

that derive energy primarily from the ATP-

PC energy system such as sprinting and

weight lifting, but not for endurance sports

such as distance running. Most of the

research on creatine has been conducted in

a laboratory setting with male athletes.

This is a key factor because the researchers

know if the creatine is pure, not tainted

with a illegal substance.

The most common adverse effects of

creatine supplementation are weight (fluid)

gain, cramping , nausea and diarrhea. The

long-term effects of creatine use remain

unknown but athletes should carefully be

monitored for any risk of liver or kidney

dysfunction or, in rare instances, anterior

compartment syndrome.

Caffeine

Is still a restricted substance by the

NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic

Association), and can lead to a positive

doping test. Using high energy drinks con-

taining caffeine can be potentially danger-

ous when used in excess or in combination

with other stimulants, etc. Adverse effects

of caffeine are anxiety, jitteriness, rapid

heartbeat, gastrointestinal distress and

insomnia. There is little evidence to

support the use of caffeine as a weight

loss aid.

Sports Drinks, Gels and Bars

Are commonly used as convenient

dietary supplements or aids for busy ath-

letes and active people. However, this is a

mixed bag (depending on the ingredients),

and knowing how to evaluate the “prod-

uct” content is very important.

Sodium Bicarbonate

May be an effective aid as a blood buffer

(role in acid-base balance and prevention

of fatigue), but its use is not without

unpleasant adverse effects such as diarrhea.

Protein and Amino Acid

Supplements

Current evidence indi-

cates that protein and

amino acid supplements

are no more or no less

effective than food when

energy is adequate for

gaining lean body mass.

They are a potential

source of illegal sub-

stances such as nan-

drolone, which may not

be listed on the ingredient label.

Aids That May Perform As Claimed but with Insufficient Evidence

• Glutamine

• B-hydroxoxyme-thylbutyrate

• Colostrum

• Ribose

Aids that Do Not Perform as Claimed • Amino acids

• Bee pollen

• Branched chain amino acids

• Carnitine

• Chromium picolinate

• Cordyceps

• Coenzyme Q10

• Conjugated linoleic acid

• Cytochrome C

• Dihydroxyacetone

• Y-ormyzanol

• Ginseng

• Inosine

• Medium chain triglycerides

• Pyruvate

• Oxygenated water

• Vanadium

Audrey Harman

Contributing

Writer

continued on next page



To date none of these products has been

shown to enhance performance and may

have adverse effects.

Aids That Are Dangerous, Banned, or Illegal • Androstenedione

• Dhydroepiandrosterone

• 19-norandrostendione

• 19-norandrostenediol

• Other anabolic, androgenic steroids

• Tribulus terrestri

• Ephedra

• Strychnine

• Human growth hormone

It is unfortunate many sports supplement

manufacturers are taking advantage of

young people and adults alike. To get peak

performance from your body you need the

best quality fuel available. Clean proteins,

grains, fruits and vegetables combined

with Juice Plus+®

whole food-based con-

centrates of 17 fruits, vegetables and

grains-and you have everything you need

to increase your nutritional intensity at

the cellular level. Delivering this kind

of fuel to your body guarantees peak

performance (with training, of course)

the “natural” way.

Audrey Harman is a nutrition consultantand can be reached at 913 707-4717 or atwww.NutritionByAudrey.com.

How to Shed Weight Without Changing Your Lifestyle

H ave you tried several diets and failed? Maybeeven tried some exercise only to find you losesome weight but it comes straight back again?

Well don’t panic! There’s a reason for that and inthis article I’ll explain why it happens, and how tofight it.

Stress it not just a mental reaction but a physicalcondition. When placed under stress your body willproduce adrenaline but it also secretes a hormonecalled Cortisol. This hormone is responsible forpumping energy in the form of sugar into the blood-stream to fuel the adrenaline rush. Stress is then anatural bodily function designed to help keep usaware and reactive to things going on around us.

Unfortunately there is then a negative by-productif you are not using this energy. Stress in the mod-ern world often takes the form of money worries,issues in the office, family problems and muchmore. The extra blood sugar that is being secretedhas nowhere to go except settle around your bellyas fat to be used later.

Because of this, many people are keeping orputting on weight without even realizing it. Ofcourse, there are other reasons, but stress is onethat very few people talk about. Stress, however,needs to be controlled and fought against just as anunhealthy diet needs to be. It may be the one thingstopping you from shedding the weight you so des-perately want to.

Stress and anxiety are, in fact, a double edgedsword. Not only do they produce the excess bloodsugars that turns to fat but they also encourage you

to eat more for comfort. You may consume choco-late or fast food for that instant high that is the culi-nary equivalent of a warm hug from a loved one.

Eating these foods that are not good for youwhen you are stressed does not mean you areweak-minded. You are just following your body’sprogramming. Tests on rats have shown that, understress they engage in pleasure seeking behavior,consuming high calorie treats.

Other tests have shown that men who only man-age to get four hours sleep a night have on averagea 37% higher level of Cortisol (the hormone that isresponsible for energy - sugar) than those who geta full night’s sleep. And what is one of the biggestreasons for insomnia? Stress.

On top of that, it is important you have a goodnight’s sleep when trying to lose the weightbecause a deep sleep results in higher secretionsof a natural occurring hormone called HumanGrowth Hormone. This protects your muscle mass.It is muscle that helps to maintain a steady burningmetabolism. We’re not talking bodybuilder typemuscle here either. Just the natural muscle we all have.

Of course if you are already stressed thechances are you are not getting enough sleepalready and may be trapped in a vicious circle thatis impeding your weight loss. Going to your doctorto ask about prescriptive sleeping tablets is oneidea, but should be used alongside a healthylifestyle not instead of one. Fortunately, despitestress being the silent diet destroyer, there are

some easy ways to combat it.First, with a little bit of exercise you can help

yourself get an easier night’s sleep. Just a briskwalk every day will be enough for your body to fallto sleep naturally at the end of the day.

A hearty breakfast is also associated with lowerstress levels. Skipping breakfast is just asking fortrouble and will actually have a negative effect onyour weight loss. You should eat breakfast to fuelyour energy resources. This will also manage yourCortisol levels. Cereal is very good at this.

Fish, although not to everyone’s liking, is anotherfood that should be added to your menu to reducestress and therefore help weight loss. Oily fishespecially are high in Omega 3s. A tin of bonelesssardines costs little and is delicious on toast. Thisalone contains a week’s worth of Omega 3 which isperfect for your health plan.

Finally, learn to embrace stress and use it. Inother words let stress work for you. We all need alittle stress to keep us on our toes, and in this dayand age it is everywhere. The trick is to put thingsinto perspective and ask yourself “Are things reallythat bad?” There are worse situations across theworld and often we let every day issues stress usout when they needn’t. Remember, fighting stresswith a healthy diet could just be the miracle weightloss plan you’ve been searching for.

Article by Lorraine Brown, provenweightlossfor-mula.com. Article Source: http://5star-articles.com.

Enhancers - continued from previous page


S ummer means outdoor activities and

heat. From outdoor jogging to laps in

the pool, regular exercisers love to

embrace the sun as they exercise.

However, the heat is a intense environment

and seasonal changes can leave even the

most elite athlete unprepared for a poten-

tially lethal scenario-heat stroke.

While your body is working hard to

keep up with whatever activity, it is also

susceptible to the external temperatures.

Without preparation, a heat related illness

can lead to something as annoying as

cramps, but also something as serious as

death. Why is this?

The concept known as acclimatization.

Acclimatization is the way your body

adapts to weather changes. For example

the first few days of winter can be quite a

jolt. Why? Because your body is used to

the previous season and its temperatures.

Now, as the season progresses, you get

better adjusted to the cold.

Likewise populations who live in tropi-

cal or artic climates have adapted to their

temperature extremes. Also consider mili-

tary divisions such as Navy SEALS train

specifically to adapt to grueling activity in

extremes of heat or cold. The body really

can adjust. It just needs time.

The problem is many do not acknowl-

edge or know this process and can inno-

cently find themselves in a dire situation.

These situations are all known as heat

related illnesses and there are varying

stages and symptoms.

Heat cramps are an initial stage. With

heat cramps you will feel involuntary

spasms or cramping in specific muscles

(usually the ones exercised). This form is

usually caused by imbalances in fluid lev-

els and electrolyte concentrations. To

prevent future cramping drink copious

amounts of water before an event and add

a extra pinch of salt to your meals a few

days before.

Heat exhaustion happens quite a lot at

the beginning of summer temperatures.

It is mainly due to unacclimatized people.

Symptoms include a weak, rapid pulse,

headache, dizziness and general weakness.

Sweating may be reduced, but body tem-

perature is not significantly increased.

If you find yourself in this situation, stop

your activity and go to a cooler environ-

ment. Fluid intake is a must. Generally the

risk of heat exhaustion will decrease after

about a week of regular activity in the heat.

Heat stroke is the most serious form of

heat illness

and requires

immediate

medical

attention. The

symptoms

and onset are

similar to

heat exhaus-

tion, with one

big difference

- core body

temperature.

With heat

stroke your

body temper-

ature can

reach excess

of 105

degrees.

If you or

someone you

know is in

this situation,

immediately

stop the

activity, call

for medical

help, and do

everything

possible to

cool the indi-

vidual down - water, ice bath, etc.

All of these heat related complications

can be prevented with some smart plan-

ning. Check the forecast and see how long

you will be in the heat. Two-plus hours is a

little excessive at the beginning. Dress

appropriately, wear light breathable cloth-

ing. Drink plenty of fluids prior and

AVOID stimulants like coffee and

Red-Bull, which dehy-

drate you. Above all,

think ahead and be safe.

Chris Balda is a USAWeightlifting coach,National Strength andConditioning Associa-tion Trainer and owner ofFixXprt, a fitness andtraining consulting busi-ness. Contact him at(913) 244-0287 or at [email protected].


Exercise...the Heat...and You

ChrisBalda

Contributing

Writer

before going on the disabled list with a

right forearm injury. He is scheduled for

season-ending elbow surgery in July.

While Mark Teahen is a suitable replace-

ment for Gordon at third, the injuries to

Crisp and Aviles left gaping holes. The

Royals lack of depth could not adequately

replace either.

John Buck, the starting catcher in

past seasons who was relegated to second-

team this year behind Miguel Olivo,

missed all of June with a herniated disc

in his lower back.

Waechter, who the Royals signed as a

free agent after he was non-tendered by the

Marlins, appeared in just three games

before going on the disabled list with a

strained right elbow and then while rehab-

bing in the minors pulled an oblique mus-

cle to delay his return.

Kyle Farnsworth, who the Royals are

paying $4.25 million this year, went on the

disabled list with a torn right groin. Sidney

Ponson went on the disabled list with a

right elbow strain.

The current list does not include closer

Joakim Soria missing 17 games with a

right rotator cuff strain. Jose Guillen was

also on the 15-day disabled list in April

with a partial tear of his right hip flexor.

Reliever Robinson Tejeda was out 26

games with right rotator cuff tendonitis.

Some of the walking wounded will be

returning in July and that should help, but

it won't be enough to turn around this mis-

begotten season.

Sure, the Royals can use injuries as an

excuse, but there are other reasons why

they have played poorly. The defense is

atrocious. Only the Seattle Mariners and

White Sox have made more errors in the

American League in the first three months

of the season.

The offense stinks. They ranked next to

last in the American League in batting

average, runs scored, slugging percentage,

on-base percentage, home runs, hits, total

bases and walks. The Royals scored three

runs or less in 38 of their first 76 games.

That does not harvest many victories in the

American League.

The pitching dropped off. After ranking

second early in the year in earned run aver-

age, the ERA dropped to 10th in the league

by the end of June.

With the trading deadline July 31, look

for general manager Dayton Moore to

spend hours on the phone wheeling and

dealing this month. It is not too early to

look to 2010 and beyond.

Centerpoint MedicalCenter presents

Sports Seminars in July and August

SPORTS NUTRITION SEMINAR

& RUNNING CLINIC

On Tuesday, July 14, at 6:30

p.m., Midwest Sports Medicine at

Centerpoint Medical Center will

offer a free program on nutrition

for athletes with special guest

speaker Sally Berry Brown, MA,

RD, CSSD. Sally is a registered

dietician and nutrition therapist,

certified in sports nutrition. Sports

Medicine physicians from

Centerpoint will also be on site to

answer questions.

CONTACT SPORTS INJURY

PREVENTION SEMINAR

Centerpoint Medical

Center Sports Medicine

and Wellness is offering

a free contact sports

injury prevention semi-

nar on Tuesday, August

18, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. A

seminar presented by

Dr. David Dyck,

FAOSM, and Dr. Lori

Boyajian-O’Neill,

FAOSM will be followed

by a question and answer period.

These programs will take place

in the Auditorium at Centerpoint

Medical Center, 19600 E. 39th

Street, Independence, MO. Call

816-751-3000 to register. More

information can be found at

www.centerpointmedical.com.

Injuries - continued from page 9


World Champion Karate and AmeriKick SchoolWW orld Champion Karate of Overland

Park has been in existence forover four decades. World

Champion Karate is part of the world famousAmeriKick network and regarded as one ofthe nation’s premier martial organizations.

TheOverland Parkoperation isheaded up by9th DegreeMasterInstructor andsix-time WorldChampion BobLeiker. MasterLeiker hasbeen inductedinto countlessmartial artsHalls of Fameand recentlyinducted intothe LivingLegends Hall.Master Leikeris assisted inthe businessoperations by his seven-time WorldChampion son Jarrett Leiker. Jarrett Is cur-rently one of the Nations top Sport Karateathletes. He is a member of the AmeriKickWorld Team a member of the WKA UnitedStates Karate team and a member of WAKOUnited States Karate team.

In addition to the operation of the martialarts school the family is proud to be the

developers of the TAKE defense program, oras some know it, The Ali Kemp Educationalfoundation. The non-profit foundations’ criti-cally acclaimed self defense program is ledby Jill Leiker an 8th Degree Master Instructor.

AmeriKick of Overland Park is a family-establishedbusiness thatcaters to families. Theschool has anenrollment ofover 300 stu-dents rangingfrom the ageof 3 up tofolks in their60’s. The cur-riculumoffered is agespecific andthe classesoffered are forchildren andadults. AtAmeriKickyou will find fitness

programs, self defense and awareness programs and training in all aspects of themartial arts.

At AmeriKick the belief is that individualswith strong personal activities that boost selfconfidence deal with a lot less problems andsocial issues including excelling with schoolwork for children. Self confidence and selfesteem are the keys to success...just turn on

any channel on television and see what theyare trying to sell you about becoming a per-son in charge - or in other words personalpower.

In addition, at AmeriKick the belief systemand practice is that a person who has defini-

tive positive goals, respect for himself or her-self and others, a positive outlook on life, aself disciplined life-style along with a healthyself esteem will be a successful productivemember of our community.

You will find it here at AmeriKick.

Jarrett Leiker


Heartland Sportsman’s: a unique hunting clubHH eartland Sportsman’s Association

(HSA), Inc. is a new company that isleasing attractive farms and property

for its member’s to hunt and fish. New members

in the Associationwill be the chartermembers and willhelp choose whattype of property isleased for theother club members.

Additionally,HSA is offeringthose chartermembers a one-year money backguarantee, and aspecial discount on their membership dues.Once 100 charter members are signed up,this special offer will cease to exist. Thenmembership will still be a good deal, but itwould not have all the extra perks of thecharter group.

What sets Heartland apart from some ofthe other hunting clubs is members will beable to hunt in various other clubs throughoutthe United States. HSA has worked out adeal with a national group that allows mem-bers to get a reciprocal membership in “sister” clubs throughout the nation.

Heartland has also has integrated high tech-nology into their club. They will offer arialphotos of properties available, as well asGPS coordinates, so finding the right farm is

easy formembers.This will alsoensure noone tres-passesunknowinglyonto anotherproperty.

Oneunique bene-fit of theHeartlandplan is mem-bers will be

allowed to bring family members along withthem at no cost. So, if a potential hunter ischecking out the club he/she could save byinvesting in the charter membership and still take advantage of all the perks without having to pay extra for spouse or kids.

Heartland is setting up meetings withpotential clients daily, They can arrange ameeting with your group, answer your questions and iron out any details. HSA can be reached via the web at heartlandsportsman.com or by phone at 877-405-1110.

1/4

Family-friendly Volleyball Beach - inexpensive exercise & funFF or 20 years Volleyball Beach has been

an entertainment mainstay in southKansas City.

Whether you are a competitive volleyballplayer or a novice out for a night of exerciseand fun, Volleyball Beach has a league foryou. This family-friendly complex providesplayers with 13 well-lit and groomed outdoorsand courts. When you sign up, you’ll playthe same night and time that you chooseevery week. There are two levels for recre-ational play and power leagues available for2, 4 or 6 people.

And playing at Volleyball Beach is inexpen-sive. It costs the average person only fourdollars per week to play. Volleyball Beachhas daily open times at no charge for league

players. No uniforms are required plus all theequipment you’ll need to play is supplied.That’s why Volleyball Beach can say they areKansas City’s Cheapest Entertainment.

Besides league play, Volleyball Beach isavailable for groups, company parties, pic-nics, walk-in play and tournaments. The facil-ity can accommodate up to 300 people. Theirfull service bar/restaurant and experiencedstaff make it easy and convenient to planyour next event.

You can sign up today to play at VolleyballBeach. Summer leagues are in progress, butare accepting players and teams, and Fallleagues begins August 17th.

To join the fun at Volleyball Beach, call816-942-2820 or visit volleyballbeach.com.


Anytime Fitness OP: a whole new health club philosophyWW hen Kim Peterson decided to open

a new Anytime Fitness in OverlandPark last year, she set out to create

a club based on everything she’d alwayswanted in a gym. Marketing specifically toregular folks, her goal was to create a wholenew group of gym users who might otherwisenever feel comfortable working out. What she discovered is that serious gym users and ath-letes had been looking for the same featuresthat made sense to her.

For her, the worst part of any gym mem-bership always began with the sales staff.Commissioned salesmen never had theprospective members’ needs in mind, and theinflated price that they would cut as soon assomeone said, “I’ll get back to you,” wasoffensive. Kim shares her prices up front andgives every member the opportunity torewrite their contract if she ever offers a bet-ter price or special. And with prices starting atless than $1/day, everyone can affordAnytime Fitness.

Experience also told her that a great pricemeans nothing if a club is too crowded, soAnytime Fitness plans to cap their member-ship, ensuring that members will never sufferlong waits to get on the equipment.

Member loyalty is the easiest way to mar-ket any business, so the Overland ParkAnytime Fitness rewards their members forreferrals with up to one free year of member-ship and free personal training sessions. Add24-hour access and nationwide reciprocityand there are few excuses to keep anyone

from joining this club.Kim knew from personal experience that

intimidation is often a problem for people newto the gym, but you won’t find anythingthreatening or uncomfortable at this club. It isspotlessly clean, with a lobby that blocks theview from outside for privacy and security.The colors are warm, the equipment is effec-tive and easy to use, and the staff is helpful,friendly, and low-key.

The biggest surprise in her first year hasbeen the number of gym regulars and seriousathletes who are as thrilled by this new con-cept as the rest of the members. It seemsthat her low-key, family-run philosophy thatconsiders the members’ needs first is whateveryone has always wanted in a gym.

AnytimeFitness is locatedacross from OakPark Mall in theQuivira 95 Shopsat 95th & Quivirain Overland Park. You can reachthe club at 913-599-3700

or check them out online at http://club.anytimefitness.com/clubs/over-landparkks.

UU nder the direction of Sifu BryanStevenson, Dragon Family MartialArts and Professional Fitness center

has been in existence now for 10 years.Unlike most Martial Arts Schools, DragonFamily offers a wide-range of non-traditionalas well as traditional martial arts and profes-sional fitness programs.

Classes are available in Jeet Kune Do,weapons, MMA, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, and more.

Our goal is to provide you with the tools toenhance your life. Whether your motivation isin self-defense, physical fitness, emotional/

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THE GOLF REPORT


Win-Win Watson Challenge earns grade of A+G rading the Watson Challenge: A+.

A win-win-win for all involved, here

are the winners:

Tom Watson won his second straight

championship, proving once again that

despite nearing 60 and giving up some dis-

tance off the tee,

he’s still Kansas

City’s best golfer.

Kansas City’s

golf community

– both the ama-

teurs and profes-

sionals who were

given the chance

to challenge

Watson and in

some cases play

with the Hall of

Famer – and the

fans who were

able to watch

one of golf’s all-

time greats but

from a few yards

distance.

The members

of Shadow Glen got a chance to show off

one of Kansas City’s toughest and best-

landscaped golf course.

And last but certainly not the least, the

First Tee of Greater Kansas City. Although

the tournament was not originally set up to

raise charitable money, more than

$150,000 has been pumped into the First

Tee coffers over the three-year history of

the Challenge.

“At first, we just

wanted to have the tournament for the

players, the best tournament possible for

the players,” Watson said. “But we had

such a wonderful response at Hallbrook,

if was asked if a charitable element could

be added and we said by all means.

I suggested First Tee and they said sure.

That’s where the players of the future are

going to come from; the only place they

can come from.”

Despite a

course made

soggy by a

couple of

rains includ-

ing one that

caused a

three-hour

delay in play

in Monday’s

final round,

high and

humid tem-

peratures and

a brand new

left hip cour-

tesy of hip

surgery last

October,

Watson

opened the 54-hole tourney with a 4-under

par 68 and then turned back Sean Doug-

herty’s every challenge over the next

two days.

“I was looking at you all three days,

thinking that here’s my

competition right here

and it was almost to be,”

Watson told Dougherty,

who was first out in a

three-man playoff with

Watson and champion

Blake Graham in 2007

and then tied for second

last year on his home

course at Milburn.

“You’re a fine player and

you’re going to win this

championship when my

tooth gets a little longer.”

However, that may be a while. Leading

Dougherty by three shots going into the

final round, Watson had his lead cut to one

when he bogeyed the par 5 second hole (a

hole he had previously eagled) only to

rebound with back-to-back birdies at Nos.

4 and 5 and then stretch his lead to four

with a 30-35 foot birdie putt on No. 9.

Dougherty came again, making birdie at

No. 10 while Watson bogeyed No. 11 as

his lead fell to two shots heading into what

proved to be a pivotal 13th hole. While

Watson was making par with two putts on

the 477-yard dogleg, Dougherty missed the

green, chipped to within eight feet and then

With a 7-under par 209 total for 54 holes, TomWatson (right) took home the Watson Challengechampionship cup for a second straight year.Dick Landon, the president of host ShadowGlen, made the presentation.

Frank Zuk (left) and Mike Hardesty happilyaccepted a check of $25,000 for the First TeeFoundation of Greater Kansas City.

Phot

os b

y Al

an H

oski

ns

AlanHoskins

Contributing

Writer

continued on page 24


Bonneville, Arbanas’ greens draw rave reviewsJust like E.F. Hutton, when Craig

Schreiner talks, people listen. And well

they should when he talks about his

most recent favorite subject, the Fred

Arbanas Golf Course at Longview Lake.

“Unbelievable. Russell Bonneville is the

hero. I have never seen greens this nice in

just nine months,” said Schreiner, the

nationally known golf architect who got his

start here in Kansas City and is headquar-

tered in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“I worked on the Ryder Cup course at

Oak Hills in Rochester, N.Y., and the

greens there are not anywhere close to

being as good as these. I re-did the

Firestone Course in Akron, Ohio, and they

did not have greens this good.”

It is not his

own horn,

however, that

Schreiner

blows.

“I gave them

the design but

the golf course

superintendent,

Russell

Bonneville,

made it hap-

pen,” Schreiner

said emphati-

cally. “What

Russell and

his staff have

done in the

last four

months

exceeds anything I’ve seen. He’s put his

heart and soul into it. He’s the consummate

professional, not the kind of employee who

goes home at 3:30 p.m. You can’t educate

that kind of person, it’s born into them.”

Said Arbanas at the grand opening,

“A lot of love has been put into this golf

course. This is the finest public course in

the area and maybe the country.”

From seeding and the laying of sod in

late July through the middle of September,

it was pretty much dawn to dusk for

Bonneville, who was at the course every

day while averaging 75 hours a week and a

lot of tender care.

“There were some concerns over two of

the greens going into the winter because of

late seeding, so we had to cover them,”

said Bonneville. “But once we removed the

blankets, they actually were the best two

greens out here.”

Bonneville, a graduate of Paola High

School has spent most of his life has been

on a golf course. His first summer job was

at Brookridge when he was 14 and he also

worked summers at St. Andrews and Paola

Country Club before graduating from high

school.

“I went to KU but

dropped out my sopho-

more year and went to

work the next day at

Alavmar and worked

two years there,”

Bonneville said.

The next nine years

were spent at McPherson

Country Club before

returning to Overland

Park Golf Course, where

he worked with

Schreiner in opening the

West Links course.

“I took a year off to pursue a song writ-

ing career but that didn’t work out so I

had to get

back into

golf,” said

Bonneville,

who spent a

year and a

half at Loch

Lloyd before

taking his

present posi-

tion 12 years

ago.

Opened

originally in

1986 as

Longview

Lake Golf

Course,

aging greens

made worse

by significant drainage problems had long

been an eyesore to an otherwise exception-

al layout. On June 1, 2008, the Jackson

County Parks and Recreation Department

bit the financial bullet, shutting down the

course for 11 months to begin a $1.6 mil-

lion project that included renovation and a

new drainage system to alleviate a water

runoff problem that had plagued the course

for years.

“The greens were like a catcher’s mitt

and rains from peripheral mounding

drained right on to the greens which is the

worse thing you can have,” Schreiner said.

“Now the greens have been waterproofed

by channeling all the surface water into

strategic drainage locations so there will be

no more problems of runoff.

“We also created a wonderful assortment

of strategic pin locations by increasing

locations 15 fold. Some greens only had

two pin locations. Now every hole has 15-

17 pin locations, 70 percent of which will

be very accommodating and 30 percent

challenging. So the course can now be set

up any number of ways - six tough loca-

tions, six medium and six easy; all easy or

Thanks to the efforts of architect Craig Schreiner (left) andgolf superintendent Russell Bonneville, the Fred ArbanasCourse at Longview Lake boasts the finest greens in thegreater Kansas City area.

Phot

o by

Ala

n H

oski

ns

AlanHoskins

Contributing

Writer

THE GOLF REPORT

continued on next page


if you’re playing a men’s championship, all

difficult.”

The new greens, which were given a

foundation of a rock layer base and 12

inches of soil mix, featuring A4 bent grass,

which has become the state of the art grass

in the Midwest.

The restructuring did not stop at the

greens. As he did at Prairie Highlands,

Overland Park’s St. Andrews and West

Links, Falcon Ridge, Winterstone and

other area courses, Schreiner rebuilt the

entire green complex with new bunkers

and new zoysia approaches and collars that

make for much more manageable chips or

bump and run shots.

“Very friendly,” general manager

Bob McMillin said. “With the addition of

the zoysia around the greens, it’s a much

better opportunity to get up and down and

make par.”

While some greens were strategically

moved short distances, the course layout

changed very little.

“We did lengthen the par 4 seventh hole

25 yards to 180 yards and the par 3 No. 11

by 30 yards to 212,” McMillin said. The

big change aesthetically came at the par 4

12th hole, where the green was moved to

the left and lowered to open up a spectacu-

lar panoramic view of Longview Lake and

a large Oak tree at the back of the green.

It’s just gorgeous,” longtime head pro

Ron Flipowicz said. “Before you could

barely see the lake and the beautiful Oak

tree.”

“Said Schreiner, “When you come down

the fairway, you now can see why it’s

called Longview Lake. It adds a whole

new dimension to the hole.”

The closing of the course also gave

Bonneville an opportunity to tackle other

needs.

“Russell has done a fantastic job,”

McMillin said. “”It’s been a long winter

and he’s got a lot done. Three tee boxes, at

4, 7 and 11, have been enlarged and more

then 600 trees have been trimmed. And

after the renovation, there was all the clean

up and top dressing.”

Called by County Executive Mike

Sanders the crown jewel of Jackson

County, Sanders said the project actually

came in under budget and allowed for a

much-needed $130,000 renovation of the

clubhouse. An old farmhouse converted

into a clubhouse, its knotty pine paneling

was retained with re-staining and varnish-

ing.

“All 39 windows were also

replaced, which was a major

project,” McMillin said. “We

also put in all new lighting

throughout the entire area,

refurbished the counter tops,

kitchen and serving area; put in

all new bathroom fixtures and a

new tile floor; painted and laid

new carpet.”

In addition to its 18 champi-

onship holes, Fred Arbanas

offers a 9-hole20par 3 course

that remained open during the

renovation, as did the driving

range and clubhouse.

Flipowicz has two full-time

assistants, Jeff Sedorcek and

Kyle Piedomonte, and lessons

are available.

One of the metro area’s

busiest courses with 46,000-48,000 rounds

a year, not including 18,000 rounds on the

par 3, it’s also a very walk-able course.

Walking green fees are $25 Mondays

through Thursdays and $35 Fridays,

Saturdays, Sundays and holiday. For sen-

iors and juniors, it’s $22. Use of brand new

Club Cars from M&M are an additional

$14. Nine-hole fees are $11 for adults and

$9 for juniors and seniors.

Golfers at Fred Arbanas Golf Course now get a spectacular view of Longview Lake, thanks to moving andlowering the green at hole 12.

Phot

o by

Ala

n H

oski

ns

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THE GOLF REPORTTHE GOLF REPORT

Wrist Exercises forPower Golf

You want more power in your golf swing? Want aneasy exercise(s) to quickly see improvement in dis-tance? It’s all in the wrists! Yes…they say over 70%+of your speed comes from the hinging and unhingingof your wrists.

The only problem with that is many golfers, espe-cially older ones have both weak and inflexible wristjoints, and they cannot get or maintain their wrist cock(lag) during the downswing. This is a HUGE powerloss for golfers with these limitations.

I’ll bet when you hear power and distance, youwouldn’t think wrists would you? Just picture hitting agolf ball, baseball, or throwing anything without awrist cock with lag before release. It would be a pow-erless movement with no speed.

There’s a simple exercise I do for wrist strength,and I use my weighted golf club to speed up thestrength improvement, but if you don’t have one, youcan use an 8 iron or even your 3 iron. The longer the club the more the resistance on your wrist andforearm.

The exercise is so easy and simple you can do itanywhere. In your living room. At your office. Evenwhen you travel (with your clubs that is).

• Grab a single club as stated above. Start withsay a pitching wedge and work your way up to a3 iron.

• Your arm hangs at your side. Grab the club andlet the head rest on the ground at your side.

• Cock your wrist upward to raise the clubhead offthe ground as high as it can go while leavingarm at side.

• Slowly lower to ground uncocking your wrist. • Repeat this 15 times and switch hands. • You will feel a burn in your forearms. • Do this 2-3 times a week and you’ll be plowing

through the ball at impact!

These tips were provided by Mike Pedersen ofPerformBetterGolf.com. Mike is a Golf SwingBiomechanic specializing in helping golfers producemore power and distance in their golf swings. Visit hiswebsite at www.performbettergolf.com for more tips,and power golf training products.

Arbanas - continued from previous page


By CHARLES REDFIELD, Contributing Writer

Colbert’s grandson makinghis own name in golf

C urtis Yonke finished his high school

golfing career at Blue Valley West in

convincing fashion.

Yonke shot a round of 68 at the Kansas

Class 6A state tournament at the Shawnee

Country Club in Topeka to win the state

individual title. His score beat the runner-

up by four strokes and the state individual

title is his sec-

ond straight.

In 2008, he

tied with three

other golfers

for first place

and won a one-

hole playoff.

“I wanted to

avoid a three-

way tie,”

Yonke said. “I

backed into the

playoff last

year. This year

I didn’t want

any guessing

on the last

hole.”

The 68 was

the first-ever

bogey free round for the Jaguars’ senior.

“That was the most consistent round

I have ever played,” he said.

His best round ever was a 64 practice

round at the Wichita Country Club in late

April. Yonke is pleased with the back-to-

back state individual titles.

“It’s huge,” he said. “State golf in

Kansas is just one round and some say that

the champions are a fluke. I showed win-

ning it two in a row that it was not a fluke.”

Yonke moved to Overland Park in the

middle of his sophomore year from

Lubbock, Texas. He played golf at

Coronado High School, one of four

high schools in Lubbock. Yonke noted a

difference between the courses in Lubbock

and Kansas.

“The (Kansas) courses golf courses are

more challenging,” he said. “The courses

in Lubbock are flat.”

His father, Steve, came to Overland

Park to manage a weight management

company. Steve had been in golf course

management in Lubbock prior to moving

to Overland Park.

Incidentally, Steve graduated from

Shawnee Mission North.

Curtis, who first took up golf when he

was three, finished in a tie for 12th in his

sophomore campaign at BV West.

“I had a plastic club,” he said. “And

I was trying to hit it over the roof.”

Yonke learned the game from his dad,

Steve, older brother, Kyle, and grandfather

professional golfing great Jim Colbert.

“When I have a bad day, I go to see my

dad,” he said. “He has suggestions of what

to do to do it better.”

Kyle played four years of golf at Kansas

State and just graduated with a degree in

marketing and economics. He hopes to

play professionally this coming year.

“Kyle had a

great deal to

do with my

success,” he

said. “He is

great with

showing me

what to do

around the

green. He

always has

been there to

tell me how to

do it better.”

Colbert,

who was in

the first grad-

uating class at

Bishop Miege

High School,

went to

Kansas State as a quarterback. But he was

felled by an injury and turned to golf.

He played for many years on the PGA

Tour and is playing on the Champions

(over 50) Tour. Yonke credits Colbert for

much of his success.

“He taught me my swing, short game

and putting,” Yonke said. “He taught me

the game from the ground up. He made my

game where I can understand it. I know

what and how to do it. I know how to cor-

rect my game.”

When Colbert is not playing, he lives in

Manhattan.

“I have spent countless hours in the sum-

mer with him,” Yonke said. “When he was

not traveling, I’m in Manhattan.”

There is a routine Colbert uses to teach

his grandson the game.

“We will hit balls, and I couldn’t leave

until I was hitting it right,” Yonke said.

Yonke will follow the family tradition

and play golf for Kansas State, where

he can get help from his grandfather in

the fall.

Yonke joins a group of area golfers on

the Wildcats golf roster. Former BV West

golfer Kyle Smell will be a junior and

Rockhurst High School graduate Jason

Schulte will be a red-shirt junior. Yonke

will major in business and his dream is to

play golf professional. He practices three to

four hours a day during the high school

season and seven to eight hours a day dur-

ing the summer months.

Curtis Yonke

THE GOLF REPORT


Stallworth lucky he didn’t strike a dogH ow silly is it Cleveland Browns wide

receiver Donté Stallworth was given 30

days in jail for hitting and killing some

poor slob while driving drunk, but Michael

Vick was given two years in prison for killing

some dogs?

Talk about a screwed up world we live in

these days. It is a world where the NFL com-

missioner now has to punish Stallworth

because our legal system enables rich jocks

to buy their way out of trouble, but the com-

missioner will have to punish him for PR rea-

sons. He was suspended indefinitely.

It is a sad commentary to the youth that

athletic stardom and riches can virtually get

you out of anything (see Simpson, O.J.).

Who cares if Stallworth killed a guy who

was walking to a bus stop after getting off

work? Jock sniffers are quick to call into

sports talk shows and give their brilliant

opinion, “Hey, the guy may have been jay-

walking.”

Good point. If the guy was jaywalking he

probably deserved to get run over. Heck, is

there a way we can charge the guy for

scratching the hell out of Stallworth’s

Bentley? Those aren’t cheap cars to repair.

Vick and Stallworth (and let’s even toss in

Plaxico Burress, who shot himself in a night

club while playing with his Glock) epitomize

many of the

athletes we

see today.

They are a

product of

their genera-

tion where

athletic skill

and money

are all-

important.

They have the athletic skills, are paid mil-

lions, and therefore can do any damn thing

they want.

Unfortunately for Vick he really pushed

the envelope by offending dog lovers. The

worst thing anyone can do these days is be

politically incorrect and now PETA will use

him for years as its personal PR piñata.

Stallworth simply killed Mario Reyes, who

by all accounts was a good family man who

worked as a crane operator and could not

afford a car. Let’s face it, his loss is not near-

ly as big compared to Stallworth’s potential

contributions on a football field.

The reported fact that Stallworth “worked

out a financial settlement” with the Reyes

family pretty much says it all. It certainly

sounds like the famous “What will it take to

shut you up about me running down your

loved one?” The family probably used a

wheelbarrow to haul the money necessary to

get over their loss.

A New York prosecutor said the unspeak-

able in an article in the New York Daily

News about Stallworth’s sentence. “I believe

it undermines the public’s perception of fair-

ness in the criminal justice system. Whether

it is accurate or not, this sentence gives the

appearance that another wealthy celebrity

was given tremendous leniency.” You think?

Stallworth and Vick followed the same

path to the NFL. Stallworth was a star

receiver at Tennessee who bolted to the NFL

after his junior year. Vick bailed out of

Virginia Tech after his sophomore year. You

can bet both guys were dedicated students

who were not shown any favoritism during

their college careers.

I’m also sure that polar bears don’t crap on

the ice.

A guy who was a guard at Leavenworth

when Vick arrived sent me a note saying Vick

fit in perfectly in the prison system except he

received an enormous

amount of mail, mostly

from a bevy of “fat chicks

around the country.

“He blended right in

with all the other thug

boys, only he had a bigger

bank account,” said my

source. “He was caught

stealing chicken from the

dining room within his

first 10 days and had to

work it off washing dishes

in the kitchen.

“I wonder if he’ll put that in his book.”

I wrote in an earlier column Vick’s sen-

tence for dog fighting and related issues was

way over-the-top. One can only hope that he

learned an important lesson: animals’ lives

are more important than human beings.

It is a lesson that Donté Stallworth already

knows. He should thank his lucky stars he

didn’t hit a dog.

Send your thoughts, comments, com-plaints, etc., to John at [email protected].

When the game was a gameW hen it comes to sports and fitness,

bowling is usually mentioned dead

last in this category. Seriously, it has

to be the only athletic competition that actu-

ally encourages drinking and smoking.

I grew up working at bowling alleys and

I never really saw much stretching and jump-

ing jacks before the week’s match ups. More

often than not the pre-game ritual included

taking out your hand towel and ordering a

double-decker, bacon cheeseburger with

tater tots and the first round for the team.

You laced up your shoes, put on your glove

and grabbed a handful of yellow pencils as

preparation.

Computers, neon lights, funny graphics

have changed the game as we know it. Gone

are the days of the “Tele Score” that was

nothing more than 2 overhead projectors

screwed into the floor. That was it, all that

was left was to take a deep breath and roll

your first ball.

Bowling has been around for awhile with

its history is often debated. There are only a

handful of bowling alleys remaining in which

humans sit in the “pits,” clearing off the dead

wood on the alley to send the ball back to the

bowler. Brunswick

and AMF machines

would provide

“modern technolo-

gy” and elevate the

game in to the 20th

century.

But the biggest

change to the game

has been the ball

itself. Plastic and

rubber bowling balls

were standard equip-

ment. The bowling just relied on skill and

focus. Now the bowling balls are made with

urethane with inner cores designed to make

the ball curve more drastically, creating more

pin action.

With all this being said, the game is

about 10 percent athletic skill, 10 percent

luck and 80 percent mental. Sure, you need

to be shown the technique of how to roll

the ball and causing it to “hook,” creating

more pin action and

higher scores, but

the main difference

between a 190 aver-

age bowler and pro

bowler is focus.

This is what I call

mental fitness.

David Waswo

once toured with

the professionals.

He is one of the

best local bowlers

Kansas City has seen. At 43, he has bowled

as many 300 games as years lived. Naturally

a right hander, some of the perfect games

have come from the left side of the lane. The

Kansas City Bowling Hall of Fame has a

space waiting for him. I can remember one

time when his mom came to watch him bowl.

As a teammate, I had to tell my dad to leave

Dave alone, because he wanted to bowl a 300

game so badly for his mother, and he did. My

six perfect scores pale in comparison to his

and many other greats.

Mentally, I would dwell on a missed

shot or bad break and it would affect my per-

formance. But other times, I would concen-

trate really hard on my game and perform to

the greatest of my ability. One time I brought

back an old bowling ball (GTB for those

at home) and tossed strikes on my first

nine rolls.

The Pro Bowler’s Tour had a tournament

earlier this year in which

they brought back plastic

bowling balls and the

scores were still as high as

ever. The bowlers elevat-

ed their focus and scored

just as good with lesser

equipment as they did

with the higher tech bowl-

ing balls. I am a firm

believer that the physical

fitness of our mind

requires mental exercise

as well. All sports require

concentration while not over thinking. Last

month I wrote about Chi Chi Rodriguez and

golf in general. If you get in your own way in

that sport, you will slice or hook your shot.

Bowling is made easier by actually a line

of arrows that are on the lane just a few feet

in front of you. The actually lane length is 60

feet, but by focusing on the arrows that are

only 15 feet from you, you have a better

chance of hitting your mark. Like most

sports, bowling is a game of inches and miss-

ing your mark will make or break your score.

My wife bowled her one and only 300 after

adjusting to aiming at the arrows.

Whatever sport you play, you can gain a

competitive edge by keeping your mind sharp

but more importantly, positive. Tiger Woods

believes that he will win every tournament he

plays and causes his competition to believe

this as well. When you fail, you have two

options, either dwell on the mistakes or find a

lesson learned. When you approach the game

with a positive mindset, your chances of win-

ning is far greater.

John LandsbergContributing

Writer

JamesPeuster

Contributing

Writer

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EVENT CALENDAR

UPCOMING EVENTS7/11 Zouire Warehouse Sale-KC Sports & Fitness Radio Live!,

8 AM, 7226 W. Frontage Rd., Merriam, KS 7/11 ABA Men’s Pro Basketball Tryout, 68’s Inside Sports, Overland Park, KS7/12 Shawnee Mission Triathlon, Shawnee Mission Park, Shawnee Mission, KS7/12 Run to the Sun 5K, Independence, MO7/13 Fore KC! Golf Classic, Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, MO7/14 Sports Nutrition Seminar & Running Clinic,

Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence, MO7/14 Runner’s Edge Summer 2009 Programs & Classes,

Garry Gribble’s Running Sports, Overland Park, KS & KC, MO7/16 Annual SPORT KC PROPS, Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO7/17 HORSE ‘N Around Hoops Finals, CBE, Kansas City, MO7/22 Blazin’ 10K Picnic Run, Quivira Park, Overland Park, KS7/25 2nd Annual Start2Finish, Johnson County Community College, OP, KS7/31-8/2 Hoops 4 Hope Tournament benefiting the

American Cancer Society, Johnson County, KS8/2 Run Kansas City Fall Running Program Starts8/18 Contact Sports Injury Prevention Seminar,

Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence, MOIf you have a sports event you’d like included in our calendar, send it to

ssffiisscchh@@kkccssppoorrttssppaappeerr..ccoomm at least 45 days before the event.

three-putted for double bogey and a

four-shot deficit. “Just was not even

thinking,” said Dougherty of a missed

two-footer for bogey. “That pretty much

sealed the deal.”

Watson finished an even par 72 by

rifling a five-iron to the back of the green

on the par 5 18th hole and then two-put-

ting for a birdie.

“I was two shots ahead and it was

anyone’s tournament right then and all

of a sudden, bingo, I’m four shots ahead

and I had some real breathing room,”

Watson said of the 13th hole being the

decisive one.

Watson was particularly pleased with

his stamina and how well his new hip held

up on the rain-drenched course played in

the extremely hot and extremely humid

weather. “I was surprised I was in this

good a shape for walking seven miles a

day,” Watson said.

“I think myself and my caddy, Brian

Wright, each lost six or seven pounds,”

said Rob Wilkin, whose 69 on Sunday got

Wilkin into the final foursome with

Watson and Dougherty. “I don’t know if it

was the heat or the difficulty of the course

but I had trouble on 11, 12 and 13 all

three days.”

Despite a 78 on Monday that dropped

him to fifth, Wilkin said being in the final

group was something special. “Anytime

you play with Tom, even if it’s just a

Wednesday afternoon, it’s a big thrill and

you want to perform well,” Wilkin said.

“The way they set the tournament up with

marshals, signboards galleries makes it a

top notch professional event.”

The head pro at Heritage Park, Wilkin

is no stranger to the spotlight. He once

led the PGA Championship by posting

birdies on the first two holes and has won

two Midwest PGA assistant champi-

onships and been Section Player of the

Year 15 times.

One of just three players to break par

the first day with a one-under 71, Fred

Arbanas first assistant Jeff Sedorcek was

paired with Watson and Dougherty on

Sunday. The smallest golfer in the field at

5-6, Sedorcek nevertheless stayed in the

hunt until his legs gave out on the last five

holes and he finished with a 78 and even-

tually tied for sixth.

“When the ball starts going left and

right, you know your legs are going out,”

Sedorcek said. “But it was a lot of fun.

Tom is such a down to earth guy it was a

real thrill to play with him.”

Dougherty said his third straight near

miss only whetted his appetite for another

shot in 2010.

“Tom is a tough competitor and I

always love tough competition,”

Dougherty said. “Putting this week was

pretty much unacceptable. It’s not frus-

trating not to win but its frustrating not

to play as well as I know I can. But losing

to an eight-time major winner is not

too bad.”

The 2010 Challenge will be played at

Kansas City Country Club, a course

where Watson learned the game of golf,

and he will defend. “Darned right,” said

Watson, who obviously was pleased with

his successful title defense. “I’m feeling

good and with my advanced age and

being still able to get it done and beat the

best in Kansas City, I’m awfully happy

about that.”

Watson - continued from page 17


Soldiering on dutifully for Family and CountryThe scene played out like Graduation

day meets Hollywood film set.

The date was June 18, 2009. An eclectic

group of participants and well-wishers

had assembled on the north side of the

Liberty Memorial in downtown Kansas

City to witness a “Change of Command”

conducted by the U.S. Army Recruiting

Battalion Kansas City. Hooah!

The setting was gorgeous. The backdrop

spectacular. It was also stinking’ hot with

nary a breeze. Rain was in the clouds.

Humidity was at ground level. There was-

n’t a dry shirt in the crowd. Guests return-

ing to their offices, military posts or homes

were sweating like Royals’ pitchers facing

Albert Pujols. Nobody seemed to mind.

A little history first. The custom of

acknowledging a change in commanding

officers of a military unit in a formal cere-

mony traces back to Roman times. Its pur-

pose is to emphasize the continuity of

leadership and unit identity despite

changes in individual authority.

The ceremony also symbolizes the trans-

fer of command responsibility and

accountability from one individual to

another. The next senior commander tradi-

tionally performs this transfer from the

outgoing commander to the incoming

commander. The formal ritual is conducted

before assembled members of the com-

mand, colleagues, military counterparts,

honored guests, dignitaries, family and

friends.

Steve Fisch (owner and publisher of this

magazine) and I were invited guests under

the friends’ banner. Our Army chum, dedi-

cated sponsor and frequent radio-show

guest Lieutenant Colonel Eric T. Reinkober

was the Outgoing Commander. For the past

18 months or so he had enlightened us with

Army Strong stories as well as personal

experiences from halfway around the

globe. Cool dude. Terrific family man.

We’re gonna miss him. He’s heading to

Fort Bragg, North Carolina to reunite with

wife Jen and their two young children. Get

this – Jen is a LTC cur-

rently commanding the

330th Transportation

Battalion (Airborne) at

Fort Bragg. The girl got

game. Puts a modern-day

spin on “Honey, I’m

Home” family values.

The Incoming

Commander is Lieutenant

Colonel Ronald Tucker.

Fresh off a two-year stint

(among other duties) as a

professor of Military

Science at Southern

Illinois University. He

brings his wife Beth and

four children to town for

his newest assignment. According to his

bio, Tucker is a Bronze Star winner who

served as an Army Ranger during

Operation Urgent Fury in the battle for

Grenada and as a Battalion Operations offi-

cer for an Air Defense/Gun Truck Battalion

during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Welcome,

Ron. It’s reassuring to have strong, noble

leaders living in our community.

By the way, his unit’s

Grenada invasion was

turned into the movie

“Heartbreak Ridge,”

starring Clint Eastwood.

We’ll get more details

during an upcoming

Kansas City Sports &

Fitness Radio Show

interview.

The Change of

Command ceremony

only took about 35 min-

utes. The passing of the

command flag was conducted by 5th

Recruiting Brigade Commander and

Colonel Robert Akam. After a few speech-

es, the big finale was a rousing sing-along

of The Army Song (“...And the Army Goes

Rolling Along.”). Nice theater. The ensuing

after-party was mercifully held inside the

air-conditioned World War I Museum.

Thanks again, Eric. You’re a distin-

guished role model for our country. Hooah!

You were also very instrumental in getting

Steve and me to San Antonio in January for

the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Can’t thank you enough for that. It was a

memorable experience on multiple fronts.

Good luck in your new commission. If you

do indeed end up serving in Kuwait, we’ll

be staying in touch via e-mails and tweet.

JimPotoski

Contributing

Writer

HORSE ’N Around HoopsFinals scheduled July 17

The Finals for the HORSE ’N AROUND

HOOPS tournament are scheduled for

Friday, July 17 from 2 to 6 PM at the

College Basketball Experience in downtown

Kansas City.

“It’s appro-

priate that we

top off this

exciting event

at the CBE,

since that’s

where it all

was started,”

says Keith

Zimmerman of

Double Dog

Sports &

Entertainment,

the promoters

of the HORSE

competition.

In November of 2008 Zimmerman and his

partners announced the HORSE tournament

at a gala event held at the CBE.

The day will be divided into two segments,

playoffs of all qualified contestants from 2-4

PM and the finals where the local winner

plays trick shot artist David Kalb will begin

at 5 PM. Kalb is the man who beat Lebron

James at HORSE last fall in a highly-publi-

cized event in California.

A $10,000 prize is up for grabs if the local

winner is able to beat Kalb at the finals.

In addition to the competition, there will be

celebrities play-

ing HORSE,

too. Actors

Jimmy “J.J.”

Walker and

Cylk Cozart

from “White

Men Can’t

Jump” will be

on hand taking

their best shots

to entertain the

crowd in atten-

dance.

Tickets for

the final event

are available by contacting the College

Basketball Experience at 816-949-7500.

Information is also available online at

www.collegebasketballexperience.com.

For more information, contact HORSE ’N

AROUND HOOPS promoter Keith

Zimmerman at 913-568-8142 or visit his

website at www.doubledogsports.com.

Lieutenant Colonel Eric Reinkober (right) was honored in aChange of Command Ceremony in June at Liberty Memorial.Lieutenant Robert Akam (center front) presided over the cere-mony. Command of the recruiting battalion was transferred toLTC Ronald Tucker (left).

HORSE ‘N AROUND HOOPS held a competition at the recentSports Radio 810 Big Boy Toy Show at the Power & LightDistrict which was sponsored by the U.S. Army.

Great time to get Chiefs seatsR ight now you can see a Royals game at

the all new “K” - a great place to see a

major league contest. But in just a few

weeks, there will be excitement across the

parking lot at Arrowhead.

The baseball team got a year’s jump on

the Chiefs and the new “K” went over BIG

TIME! Win or lose, the Royals are drawing

from all over the Midwest. What the fans

have experienced has

drawn rave reviews.

Now the same excite-

ment awaits you at

Arrowhead, where close

to half a billion dollars

will have been spent by

the time20the 2010 sea-

son rolls around.

When the construc-

tion is all done, our

town will have the greatest dual venue sta-

dium in the world. Planners of the Truman

complex were brilliant in their design and

building of stadiums to accommodate base-

ball and football. Building two separate

stadiums meant a whole lot more parking

for fans at a much cheaper cost.

You see, for many years I have worked

in every stadium in America, and in most

the parking starts at $50-$60 or even $70.

And ticket prices are equal or more...some-

times much, much more.

I guess what I am get-

ting around to telling

you is right now is one

great time to buy season

tickets for football. For

the first time, there will

be quality seating avail-

able for the season ticket

buyer.

Back in the days, folks

bought everything in

sight. I got mine early

and in 46 years lots of

folks got to see the game

from great seats. Guess that’s why I have

so many friends.

Because of the nature of our financial

times, many folks have let their tickets go,

leaving thousands of great season ticket

buys. That also goes for the suites. New

luxury accommodations will be available

for the 2010 season.

Right now is the time to call the Chiefs

ticket folks and get lined up for the next 50

years. I’ve been around for 46 and I know

from past experience how tough it is to get

the good seat locations. As the team gets

better, the seats and suites get scarcer.

Don’t be left out because our team has

had its ups and downs...that happens in

every city. I advise you to get aboard for a

future of NFL excitement. I’ve been there.

It’s been a beautiful life.

BillGrigsby

Contributing

Writer

CHIEFS, COMMAND CHANGES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS


presents THE CHIEFS REPORTBy ALAN ESKEW, Editor

Haley wants Chiefs to be in superb condition at campTodd Haley, the first-year

Kansas City Chiefs head

coach, is known to be hard-

nosed and has a reputation of

yelling at his players on the field

when they get sloppy and make

miscues.

Haley, however, surprised most

everyone in June when he ended

the Chiefs OTAs with two days

remaining on the schedule, fin-

ishing it with conditioning tests.

It seemed like an unorthodox

move for a coach still learning

his players and the players trying

to adjust to the Haley playbook

and system.

“I think we made a lot of

progress overall, specifically in

some areas. In strength and con-

ditioning each and every guy was

clearly improved,” Haley said.

“We started this at the start of the

conditioning program, not the

OTAs, but we’ve come a long

way in that respect and I think

we’ve come a long way as far as

schematically and guys under-

standing what they’re supposed

to do.

“This wasn’t so much premedi-

tated as much as we as a staff felt

it was the right thing to do right

now for the guys. They gave such

a good effort that I thought it was

fair to give something back.”

Haley acknowledged he

believes the Chiefs are ahead of

the curve.

“I believe we all feel that way,”

Haley said. “Now, we’ve got a

long way to go, but from where

we started to where we’re at right

now I think the guys really

worked hard every day and we

had such a good attendance – so

many guys here – that it was

worth throwing them a bone.”

That was the Chiefs last organ-

ized practice until they leave for

River Falls, Wis. for one final

time. There will be meetings and

conditioning on July 31 and two-

a-day sessions beginning Aug. 1.

The first intra-squad scrimmage

is Aug. 8.

One of Haley’s final messages

to the squad was stay in excellent

shape.

“I don’t want

to go into train-

ing camp to get

into shape,”

Haley said. “I

want to go into

training camp in

shape. I think

that gives us the

best chance to

succeed since

that’s one less

thing to be wor-

rying about.

We’ll have more

focus on the

football aspect of

it. We’ll have less injury and all

the things that have to go along

with being a well-conditioned

team.”

Haley is switching to a 3-4

defense, which means Chiefs that

were on the line the last couple of

years will be switched to line-

backer. Haley said the defense is

a “lot further along than they

were at the start.” Let’s hope so.

“I think we’ve made great

progress,” Haley said. “Until the

pads are on and we’re really play-

ing we won’t know for sure. But

as far as understanding what they

need to do, I think we’re night

and day. Technique-wise, funda-

mentals, alignments, all the things

that go with making a big change

like we did, I think we’re a lot

further ahead. We put in a bunch

of our pressures, really all of

them, and I think that those are

the tough things for guys – get-

ting lined up correctly, under-

standing what gap they have to

take care of and I think overall

I feel encouraged by what I’ve

seen.”

Haley was not concerned he

omitted two days of OTA prac-

tices.

“That’s a decision we had to

make,” he said. “Was there going

to be a case of diminishing

returns because again these guys

started early, have been working

really hard? I just thought it was

worth the sacrifice and what we

need to get to in

training camp

other than hav-

ing pads on is

much more of

the situational

football. We did-

n’t get to a lot of

that in these

OTAs.

“I didn’t think

we would do it

(in the two other

days), so in

training camp

we’ll have to see

a lot more prac-

tice devoted to situations – all

kinds of situations, anything you

can think of to get this team to a

point where it’s a smart football

team and understands how to win.

That will be the next progression

along with getting into the full

pads and having some physical

practices.”

Besides being in tiptop shape,

Haley wants his players to study

their playbooks, knowing it by

the time they arrive in River

Falls.

“What we can’t do is go back

to square one in any way, shape

or form,” Haley said. “If we do

that it really just becomes a waste

of time which we don’t want it to

be. Teams that I’ve been a part of

that have been successful have

utilized this time efficiently and

been into training camp and been

a step ahead of where they were.”

He said not everybody passed

the conditioning test, some

because of injury, on the final

OTA day. He said all the rookies

did pass conditioning test. For

those who did not pass, he said

“that’s like an albatross hanging

over their heads for the next

month.” He said everybody

would take the conditioning test

again, which would be the first

thing in camp, even if they passed

it in the OTA.

“It’s a stressful test and not

easy by any means for any of

them, even for the top-condi-

tioned guys,” Haley said. “It’s

a20taxing conditioning run but it

has its purpose. When training

camp’s hot we need these guys in

shape. We don’t want to have any

issues. There are different adjust-

ments (for different positions).

It’s a test that I’ve been familiar

with for a while now and a num-

ber of teams use it I’m sure.

“It’s a tool to keep guys where

we need them. It’s just what I

believe. It’s not like the old days

where you had a long training

camp where you could get in

shape. It’s a short training camp

and it’s trying to get shorter.

These guys need to come in

condition for us to have the

best chance to compete at a

high level.”

Haley said he is looking for-

ward to his first training camp as

a head coach, but acknowledged

there is some trepidation.

“I’m a little nervous but we’ve

got some time to get over that,”

he said. “I’ll just try to get my

butterflies flying in formation.”

Haley guarantees it will be an

intense camp.

“You will see that,” he said.

“I’ll be fair to the guys, but at the

same time we’re going to practice

efficiently; we’re going to prac-

tice fast. Everything we do is

going to be fast and up-tempo

and we’ll see how much we can

get out of that without doing

too much.

“There is give and take. If

you’re going to have a long prac-

tice, you can’t be running from

drill to drill. You have to balance

it out. My goal is to practice fast

and efficiently and get on and

off the field and get ready to do

it again.”

COMING IN AUGUST:

CHIEFS SPECIAL REPORT & the

FANTASY FOOTBALL GUIDEAd deadline: July 29

For information call 913-764-2050or email [email protected]

Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

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Transcript of Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine