Watch Out, KU!

Jim Chappell, the owner of Chappell's Restaurant in North Kansas City, loves to tell stories. Especially other people's. One of his favorites is from Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson. According to Chappell, Dawson said tackle Dave Hill perfected the "Watch Out!" block. A defensive lineman would get past Hill and he'd turn around to Dawson and shout "Watch Out!"

I'm going to provide a "Watch Out!" block for KU.

In case you haven't heard, the No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks were knocked off by Arizona last night. The Ducks are about the 47th team this season to hold the No. 2 ranking only to be upset. They're following in the footsteps of teams such as USC and USF. Although the Jayhawks won't officially be the second-ranked team in the country when they take on Iowa State this weekend, it may feel like it. The Cyclones have been surging in recent weeks. So, KU, "Watch Out!"

But, assuming KU gets past Iowa State, they'll likely be second-ranked in the polls when they meet a great Missouri team at Arrowhead on Thanksgiving weekend. Probably enough said. Kansas will be in good company, though.

****

On a side note, Dave-O and I will have a special KU-MU "Behind the Stats" show next week. Since it's Thanksgiving, we're taping on Monday, Nov. 19, at noon at Chappell's (323 Armour Road). Right now we're scheduled to have Steve Renko and Frank Seurer representing KU and Corby Jones representing MU. (We're awaiting word from another ex-Tiger.) We hope you can join us then. If not, and even if so, be sure to listen Thanksgiving night from 6-7 p.m. on 1140-AM and 1160-AM in the Kansas City area.

Matt

Catbackers Unite

Before the time gets away, Dave and I want to thank the KC Catbackers for allowing us to look like a couple of goofballs last Tuesday at their weekly gathering at the Lucky Brewgrille in Mission. In case you're a K-State fan, you definitely want to check out this group. Besides their downfall of inviting Dave and I, they have a great time and they love their Wildcats.

I've found through my unscientific research that K-State fans are some of the best (translated: nicest) fans in college sports. That certainly held true last week.

Even though the CD we took to display some of our better "Behind the Stats" shows didn't so much work, we're hoping you guys enjoyed at least some of our stories. (The clips that were on that CD, incidentally, can be accessed here.)

By the way, here's my lone shameless plug of the day. If you're looking for a good place to nap next Sunday the 18th around 3 p.m., come by Claridge Court at about 80th and Mission. I'll be there telling stories from a couple of my books.

Well, one more plug. Former Chiefs quarterback Bill Kenney will be our guest on "Behind the Stats" this Thursday. Stop by Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum on Thursday night from 6-7 to join us for an entertaining guest.

Matt

That's It for the Rocks

Rosie O, start tuning your vocal cords. The Colorado Rockies are about finished.

Who saw this one coming? (C'mon, the Rockies are a very good baseball team.)

I didn't. I thought Boston would win the first game of the Series and then Colorado would take the second. But, as we've seen in Kansas City so often in recent years, a relatively young team with relatively young arms usually struggles in a longer series against a veteran team that knows how to win.

It didn't help that the Rockies had eight days off. For a recent article on Metro Sports' Web site, Royals Hall of Famer Willie Wilson told me that when the Royals had three days between the ALCS and the World Series against the Phillies in 1980, it pretty much killed them. He said at this point of the season, if you take more than two days off your timing is shot. It's been obvious with the Rockies.

That's too bad. I predicted a six-game series. Oh well. A great season for ex-Royals Clint Hurdle and Jamie Quirk.

Matt

A Tale of Two Guests

I need to preface this by saying that I've never called out (or thrown under the bus, if you will) anyone I've interviewed during my career. And, believe me, as anyone in the media can tell you, there are plenty of times we'd like to. Sure, I've talked about a few privately -- that's just human nature.

But the more I think about this story, the more I feel I need to apologize to you, our listener.

A couple of weeks ago we were scheduled to have Clay Johnson, former Missouri Tiger basketball player, as well as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers' famed "Showtime" days, on "Behind the Stats." Dave O'Hara and I both have known Clay for a few years...nice guy who wants to help the Kansas City community with his newly formed Clay Johnson Foundation. He's also a good storyteller.

That said, we generally book guests far enough in advance that we can promote it in Brad Doolittle's "Week Ahead" column on page two of Monday's "Kansas City Star" sports section. That way, when you're reading Brad's column on Monday morning, you can plan on what to bring to Chappell's that week to get autographed and so on. Last week we got a lot of questions about Clay Johnson and why he wasn't at Chappell's, as scheduled and mentioned in The Star, on the 13th.

Basically, Clay forgot. Whether he's too busy trying to get his foundation going or he had a lot on his mind with his celebrity basketball tournament, or what, he -- as much as it pains me to admit this -- was at a fashion show. Yes, we were juked for a fashion show.

Dave and I are neither egotistical nor ignorant enough to think that any guest, even someone like Clay Johnson, should feel honored to be on "Behind the Stats," and should never have anything come up that would force them to have a change of plans on the day of the show. However, Clay asked Dave to let him come on the 13th so he could promote his event and kick off his charity.

Guests calling, sometimes at the last minute, to cancel is part of this business. It's not ideal but it happens. In Clay's case, he didn't even call. Dave, about 10 minutes into the show, after we realized you didn't want to listen to us ramble much more about traffic and the Tour of Missouri, called Clay.

We ended up doing a 25-minute phone interview with Clay, which was fine. But, again, on behalf of Dave and our sponsors, I want to apologize especially to those of you who came to Chappell's expecting to meet Mr. Johnson.

So, all of this makes me wonder about the future of his foundation. Pardon the cynicism but if attending a fashion show makes him forget about a radio appearance that he had planned to promote these things, what does the future hold for his foundation? I didn't watch any news coverage last weekend, but I understand his celebrity game went very well, at least all four stations covered it during their news. Although you shouldn't get your hopes up to hear Clay on "Behind the Stats" in the future, it will be interesting to see how his foundation works out. It really seems like a great cause for youth in the Kansas City area.

After a great time last week with Chiefs Hall of Famer Ed Budde on "Behind the Stats," we're scheduled to be joined by former KU great and another Chiefs HOFer, Curtis McClinton. When Curtis and I spoke over the weekend, he was looking forward to the show and meeting some great fans.

We hope you can join us in person this Thursday, 6-7 p.m. at Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum at 323 Armour Road in North Kansas City. If not, tune in to 1140-AM or 1160-AM. And, as always, you can find more info than you care to learn about the show at www.mattfulks.com.

Matt

Belichick and Bonds go hand in hand

You'll be happy to know that today's post is going to be short (albeit not sweet -- you'd expect nothing less). But I need to quickly lead some of you away from the idea that what Bill Belichick and the Patriots did isn't as wrong as what Barry Bonds (allegedly) did because "Belichick was just looking for a competitive advantage."

I'm not a fan of Bonds. I don't particularly have a strong affection for Belichick. That said, what Belichick did was wrong. NFL teams were warned before the season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that videotaping another team was strictly prohibited. What do the Patriots do in their first game of the year? They use videotape against the Jets. The Patriots are probably good enough (and the Jets bad enough) that they didn't need to resort to cheating. In football, there's really no telling how much knowing the signals really helps. It's not like in baseball where, if a team steals its opponents pitching signs and can relay that somehow to the hitter before each pitch, it's a tremendous help.

However, what Belichick did was wrong. Period. He blatantly went against rules that were explicitly laid out before the season. And he deserves whatever punishment Goodell hands down.

What Barry Bonds allegedly did, was wrong. Steroids in whatever form are wrong. Against the rules. By using them, like Belichick, he was looking for an advantage. If Major League Baseball ever proves it, Bonds should be punished.

But by saying what Belichick did wasn't as bad as Bonds and, therefore, shouldn't be said in the same breath, is ludicrous, ignorant or hypocritical. Take your pick.

One more thing. I recently heard someone say that George Brett, because of the Pine Tar Game, was one of the top cheaters of all time. Evidently, the person was a Yankees' fan. Everything George Brett touched as a player had pine tar. Helmet, jersey, you name it. Pine tar up to the label on a bat wouldn't help the ball fly any farther. Sorry.

OK, now one more thing. Be sure to join Dave O'Hara and I tonight at Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum in North Kansas City for the "Behind the Stats" radio show from 6-7. Former Mizzou and L.A. Laker player Clay Johnson will be our guest. Either stop by and join us (and try to answer the Chappell's Trivia Tour question) or tune in to 1140-AM or 1160-AM.

Until then, have a day.

Matt
(www.mattfulks.com)

The Tour is Here!

For most of you who care, this isn't news to you. For the rest of you, here you go: the Tour of Missouri begins in Kansas City tomorrow (Tuesday)! What's the Tour of Missouri? It's a professional bike race that will be similar (albeit 3x shorter) than the Tour de France. This year marks the first annual race in Missouri, which is only one of three of its kind in the United States.

Here's the really cool thing about this year's race. It's the final race for the potent Discovery Channel team, the one that featured Lance Armstrong, the one that had this year's Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and third-place finisher, American Levi Leipheimer. Armstrong's long-time teammate George Hincapie also will be racing.

Having a chance to see the start and finish of a cycling race, even if you're not a cyclist or pay much attention to the sport, is going to be a unique and thrilling experience. Besides the pageantry and excitement surrounding the event at the start, inevitably in a race such as this, there will be an exciting finish. Not to mention, it's starting and finishing at the Plaza.

Some more information can be found on the Tour of Missouri's Web site...here is the page on Kansas City. (There also was a two-page spread in the sports section of Sunday's Kansas City Star.)

This is a chance for the state of Missouri, beginning with us in Kansas City (although I don't claim to be from Missouri), to show off our area to the world.

I hope to see you there.

Matt Fulks

Mangino rant is right on

I will start off by saying that, although I grew up in the Kansas City area, I attended college at a small school in Tennessee. So, I don't have any financial allegiance to any schools in this area. Also, I happened to be in Tennessee over the Labor Day weekend and am just now hearing about Kansas football coach Mark Mangino's berating of wide receiver/kick returner Raimond Pendleton. Although it looked as if he was about to have a heart attack -- literally -- and he dropped many more F-bombs than I'd prefer hearing, his actions were fantastic.

In case you didn't witness it in person, have you seen the YouTube video? Just type in "Mark Mangino" and you'll see a video that's getting some tremendous play and responses.

I wrote extensively about this in my "Behind the Stats" column for Metro Sports' Web site this week (www.kcondemand.com), but I just have to say, regardless of your argument, I believe Mark Mangino had every right to do what he did to Pendleton. Yes, Pendleton was excited and did what many other athletes do -- enjoyed the moment. Celebrated in his own way. Yada, yada, yada.

But what Mangino did is also part of sports. Coaches sometimes berate or call out their athletes. I was in a locker room one time when a coach, while yelling at one of his main players, "accidentally" smacked him upside the head. It stunned everyone in the room. And I was the only person not directly a part of the team. So, if it stunned the players and other coaches, you know it shocked me a little. Did the coach mean to do it? Only he knows for sure. The coach and the player are friends of mine, and both have said it was a heat of the moment kind of thing. It happens in sports, particularly when a coach is trying to foster a team attitude.

In order to build a team concept, as Mangino is trying to do with Kansas football, a coach has to make sure each individual on that team is on the same page. Dick Howser did that. Bill Snyder did that. Vince Lombardi did that. John Wooden did that. Even Bobby Knight does that. That's not to compare Mangino to those legends, but I'm hoping you get the point.

Coaches are not perfect people. Even someone like Wooden, who's widely considered one of the top coaches in the history of sports, has said he wasn't perfect. But he was demanding of his players. And he got their respect because of that.

Mark Mangino is trying to do the same thing. He demands a lot from his players and the other people around him. In the long run, though, that's what will help build a better football program at Kansas.

By the way, in case you haven't done so yet, be sure to check out Dave O'Hara's latest post from Tuesday, right below this one.

That's it for now. We look forward to seeing everyone at Chappell's Restaurant in North Kansas City Thursday night as we welcome KC music icon Tony DiPardo on "Behind the Stats" from 6-7 p.m. If you can't make it to see the show live, be sure to tune in to 1140-AM or 1160-AM.

Matt Fulks

Frank White is a Hall of Famer in Every Way

We appreciate those of you loyal listeners that joined us at Chappell's for a great time with Royals Hall of Fame 2nd Baseman, Frank White. Frank was very engaging and candid, as always. Whether he was discussing the possibility of managing or what it was like playing for his hometown Royals, Frank handled our interview with his usual dignity and class. His usual "frankness," if you will. He also discussed the finer points of his book, "Good as Gold: Techniques for Fundamental Baseball," which you can purchase, signed, at mattfulks.com. Thanks again to Frank White. We look forward to future shows with him.

Please join Matt and me at 6pm this Thursday from Chappell's. We will be helping all of KC get ready to kick off the Chiefs' regular season. Our guest will be Chiefs' bandleader and KC legend, Tony DiPardo. Tony will be signing and selling his bobblehead and also his book, "Life, Love, Music, and Football." (Proceeds from the sale of the bobblehead will go to the TD Music Foundation.)

Go Chiefs,

Dave

Frank White's Coming To Chappell's

In case you haven't heard yet, I just wanted to give you a heads up that we have a special "Behind the Stats" planned for you this week, Aug. 30. Royals Hall of Fame second baseman (and someone who should be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame) Frank White will be joining Dave and I for a fun and candid night.

Although each guest each week is "special" in some way, we're adding a little something extra this week. Frank will be at Chappell's a little longer as he signs copies of his book, "Good As Gold: Techniques for Fundamental Baseball." We'll be selling books at Chappell's for $20. Most of the time with "Behind the Stats" you're more than welcome to bring whatever you want to bring to have signed. In a way, you can do that this week, but there's a catch. As with a "traditional" book signing, Frank will sign one piece of memorabilia for each book that you buy to have signed. I apologize for any inconvenience. The shindig will begin at 5 p.m. and last until the end of the show, 7 p.m.

Since Frank's book is an instructional book on how to play better fundamental baseball, we'll ask Frank a few questions during the show about some different baseball plays and techniques. If there's a question you want us to ask Frank about playing the game of baseball, please feel free to send an email to mattfulks@hotmail.com before Thursday morning and we'll do our best to ask Frank about it during the show.

As a bonus, if we ask your question on the air, you'll receive a pass for two to the upcoming 23rd Annual "Pork Out" at the Airline History Museum. The charity event, which is scheduled for Saturday night, Sept. 8, will feature a Celebrity Texas Hold'em Tournament hosted by former Chiefs player Danan Hughes.

You know, it just hit me that this blog is nothing more than a big advertisement. For everything. I guess that's a good thing about blogs.

Maybe next time I'll have something better to write.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you Thursday night at Chappell's in North Kansas City.

Matt

Steve Palermo, Calling It, Like He Sees It, On and Off the Field!

Friends,

Thanks to those of you who came out to see Matt and me host our weekly radio show from Chappell's and thoroughly enjoy ourselves by having a conversation with MLB umpire, survivor and our new hero, Steve Palermo. Steve handled every question with a very entertaining and detailed story. In particular, Steve detailed his experiences of umpiring 1977's Yanks vs. BoSox "Bucky Dent" game, in his native Boston and of being shot, that 1991 July night in Dallas. As per usual, the fun didn't stop after the show, as Steve, his wife Debbie and their friend Jackie, swapped stories with the hosts and patrons.
A huge thank you, again, goes out to Steve, Debbie and Jackie. Thanks also to Jim and his wonderful staff at Chappell's and to Brad Doolittle, KC Star sports writer, who includes our show guest list in each Monday's page 2 column, "The Week Ahead".
Please join us this Thursday, August 23rd. Our guest will be former Royal catcher, Mike McFarlane.

Keep Listening,

Dave

John Wathan is "The Duke", Indeed

In case you missed "Behind the Stats" radio show last week, you missed a very candid and playful John "The Duke" Wathan. If you did catch the show, you know what I mean. The former Royals player, coach, manager, broadcaster, scout and current roving baserunning/catching coach, was very engaging and insightful. Numerous times during the broadcast, he commented how he had never shared certain stories publicly before, how quickly the hour went, and what a great place Chappell's was to do this show -- thanks Jim.

Well Duke, Matt and I would say the same back to you. We appreciated your candor in your storytelling and we felt as though 60 minutes seemed like 15 minutes. We will definitely take you up on your offer, that when your schedule permits, we will have you back on the show.

Stay tuned this week as former MLB Umpire, Steve Palermo joins Matt and me.

Please be sure to check out our weekly show guest list. It's in every Monday's KC Star sports section, in Brad Doolittle's article on page 2. Thanks Brad.

Thanks again to you, our loyal listeners,

Dave O'Hara

Riding For A Cause

This might not be the time nor the place for a post such as this, but please humor me for a few minutes while I solicit from you.

For the past couple of years, I've participated in the MS 150 Bike Tour. The weekend of riding helps raise money for the MS (multiple sclerosis) Society. It's an incredible cause and they've done great work for people who suffer from MS. This year, however, due to a close relative and numerous friends fighting cancer, I've decided to ride in the "Sunflowers to Roses" Bike Tour, which is a 62-mile ride to raise money for cancer research and programs, next Sunday, August 19.

Why this ride? Well, like most people, I've already been touched by cancer's wrath more than once. About a week before last year's MS 150, a close uncle who was the reason I went to Lipscomb University and the reason I became a writer, lost a battle with cancer. Even before that, though, in 1991, at the start of my first senior year at Lipscomb, one of my best friends -- and my first broadcasting partner -- lost a quick battle with cancer.

My wife and I have had other friends who have either battled cancer or had others in their family (children and parents) fight cancer during the past 12-18 months. Simply put, cancer sucks. And I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help find a cure.

I have a goal this year of raising $1023 to support the Sunflowers to Roses organization which raises money for both Kansas City area cancer treatment centers (i.e. the KU Cancer Center) as well as national organizations such as the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Bike For Life Children's Cancer Camp. I am meekly asking for your help in making my goal. If you'd be interested in helping, please visit my Sunflower to Roses site and sponsor me online today. (And, yes, every donation is tax deductible.)

And, this will be the only time I ask you for money. Unless you want to sponsor the "Behind the Stats" radio show. Or, if you're offering money.

Thanks!
Matt Fulks

Upcoming....the "Duke"

It's been more than a week since I returned from Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony and, especially, to see our friend Denny Matthews receive the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting. It was a thrill for me to live vicariously through Denny that weekend as we worked on the daily "Denny's Diary" for Metro Sports' Web site. (You might still be able to go to http://www.kcmetrosports.com or http://www.kcondemand.com and read the three entries.) It was especially interesting to see how busy the Hall of Famers and award winners are during the weekend. I also got a kick out of hearing the excitement in Denny's voice after meeting some of the players he followed as a child such as Willie Mays, Monte Irvin and Sandy Koufax. One day, Lord willing, I'll tell you about one of my big thrills, which was sitting down with famed author and sports historian Bert Sugar.

In the meantime, the "Behind the Stats" radio show goes on. Last week, August 2, former major-league pitcher and Leawood resident Steve Renko joined us. Besides being a solid big-league pitcher, Steve also was a three-sport letterwinner at the University of Kansas. Great stories.

Speaking of great stories, this week's guest will be former Royals player, coach, manager, scout, broadcaster John "Duke" Wathan. Overall this is his 31st season with the Royals organization.

As I wrote in a "Where Have You Gone?" article for Metro Sports earlier this season, Wathan’s career with the Royals started as the club’s first-round selection in the 1971 January Free Agent Draft. Even though many felt he’d never make it to the big leagues, he played 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, 1976-85. One of his crowning moments came in August 1982, when he set the single-season record for stolen bases by a catcher against the Rangers. It’s a record that stands today and could have Wathan’s name next to it for years to come.

Besides being a solid player, Wathan is a great storyteller. The show should be a lot of fun. My co-host Dave O'Hara and I would like to invite you to join us live during the show at Chappell's Sports Museum and Restaurant (323 Armour Road in North Kansas City) from 6-7 p.m., Thursday. John Wathan is more than willing to meet with fans, sign autographs, have photos taken, and so on. If you can't stop by and meet "Duke," be sure to tune in to 1140-AM or 1160-AM.

Matt

First Day in Cooperstown

Greetings from Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame! Actually, I shouldn't say that because, technically, I'm not in Cooperstown right now. Rather, I'm in my hotel room more than an hour away. Evidently, most of Baltimore had already booked every hotel room, bed & breakfast, campground, nook and cranny available within 75 miles of Cooperstown. And, according to a couple hotels, Oriole fans started doing this the day after Cal Ripken Jr. retired! In 1999, when George Brett was inducted into the Hall of Fame, there were a record (and estimated) 50,000 people in attendance. They're expecting more than that this year with Ripken, Tony Gwynn, St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Rick Hummel and, of course, our own Denny Matthews getting their induction into the Hall of Fame. (Another tecnicality -- Denny and Hummel are receiving awards from the broadcasters' and writers' wings of the Hall.)

I did arrive in Cooperstown yesterday in time to walk around the town and tour the Hall of Fame. If you're a baseball fan and you've never been here, I would encourage you to make plans. Although you'll wonder why in the world Cooperstown has the Hall of Fame, it's amazing to walk through the Hall. You'll see everything from Cy Young's jersey to Babe Ruth's bats and uniform to George Brett's pine-tar caked helmet and Frank White's glove. It's a wonderful place. That's not even to mention the town of Cooperstown. It's a great little hamlet here in the middle of New York. The only problem this weekend is the weather. When Brett was inducted, it was sunny and about 140 degrees. Friday, it rained most of the day and night. They're calling for more storms throughout the weekend. If it rains, Sunday's ceremony will be moved inside. Too bad for the 50,000-plus people who are expecting to be hanging out in the grass, watching the ceremony. If it's moved inside, I believe only friends and family members of the inductees, along with the Hall of Famers, will see the event in person.

One of the funniest things about Hall of Fame weekend is the number of people who line the streets to watch a "parade" of Hall of Famers on Saturday night. The former players go down Main Street on their way to a big shindig at the Hall of Fame. In spite of the rain, people and empty chairs (saved, of course) line the streets to get a glimpse of these legendary players. Only thing is, they start lining up days before the event!

Before I make the trek to Cooperstown for a day of "work," I should add this. Be sure to check out http://www.kcmetrosports.com throughout the weekend for complete articles and "Denny's Diary," daily thoughts from Denny on Cooperstown and his big day.

Matt Fulks

Ed Hearn, WOW, what a great guest!!

To Our Faithful Listeners,

We hope that you enjoyed listening to our program last night, with our guest Ed Hearn. On behalf of Matt and me, we had as good of time speaking with Ed during the show, as we did before and after the show and during commercial breaks.

Ed has a great message about "surving and advancing". Not just in the world of sports, but more importantly, in life. It was a great pleasure in having Ed on our program and we look forward to many more conversations with him in the future. To learn more about Ed, go to www.edhearn.com

If you can't make it to our live radio show from Chappell's every Thursday @ 6pm, please tune in to 1140am or 1160am, in the metro KC area. Please remember to check us out at: http://www.mattfulks.com/ click on "Behind the Stats" and check out our buddy Jim Chappell, his top rated sports museum/restaurant and wonderful staff in North Kansas City, Mo., at 323 Armour Road, (816) 421-0002, a 1/2 West of I-35 or at http://www.chappellsrestaurant.com/

Our prospective future guest list includes: August 2nd-former Royal pitcher Steve Renko, August 9th-former Royal player and manager John Wathan, August 16th-former Royal catcher Mike McFarlane, August 23rd-former MLB umpire Steve Palermo and August 30th-Royal Hall of Fame 2nd baseman Frank White. We hope to see you at Chappell's.

Many thanks & keep listening,

Dave O'Hara

Here We Go...

Here's our first blog for the "Behind the Stats" radio show that I host with Dave O'Hara. Over the next few days we'll post some of our thoughts about the show itself, our guests, behind the scenes stories, and our comments on what's happening in the world of sports (as if you care). In the meantime, be sure to listen to the show in the Kansas City area on Thursday nights from 6-7 p.m. on 1140-AM and 1160-AM, or visit us live at Chappell's Sports Museum and Restaurant in North Kansas City (323 Armour Road). You can also go to http://www.mattfulks.com and listen to past shows.

Incidentally, this week's guest (July 26) will be former Royals catcher Ed Hearn, who has an inspiring story that you won't want to miss.

Matt Fulks