Susandoodles

                  Panic settled upon me after hearing how driven the state of Kansas has become in  its effort to lure, entice, kidnap the KC Chiefs across state lines.

Wouldn’t that be a federal offense?

                  The same sense of panic sat in when Jackson County failed to renew the tax for the KC Royals in April.  

                  Why panic?  I live outside the KC metropolitan area, barely; but the Chiefs and the Royals are my teams.  I do not care what anybody says, the teams belong to the public (yes, I know they are a private corporation).

The public fan base serves as the extra player on the roster of both teams.  The fans in both states are fiercely loyal and support these two teams with complete abandon.  Even allowing a rumor that the teams are considering leaving the KC Metro area is a travesty.  

The athletic heart of our metro area has been pulsing hard for decades, and I am sure there is a need to upgrade the facilities as soon as possible.  I recognize that truth.  I just think there must be a more cooperative decision between all parts of the metro area and the two states to solve the physical needs of the stadiums.  

The fan base, dare I say, will do just about anything it can to make sure both teams stay in the KC metro area.  (Remember the pain when we lost the KC Kings NBA team or when St. Louis lost the NFL Cardinals.  Painful)

Time has come to think outside the stadium box (pardon the cliché).  The fan base is much broader than just Jackson County, Missouri, and it is unfair to dump the financial responsibility solely upon the one county—especially after the nightmare the county has caused all the homeowners in the last year with the property tax fiasco.

Obviously, Kansas has figured out how to attract major facilities through the STAR bonds which prevent further taxation on the individual or any one county. 

Since the STAR bonds work so well in Kansas, can not a similar funding source be made available in Missouri.  Why can’t Missouri also develop a STAR bond for the same purpose.  Just imagine the possibilities if both states joined together to create a unique funding proposal.

One more issue to address concerning the fear of moving either the Chiefs or the Royals.  I plead with the teams to remain at the same location if at all possible!  

Why, you wonder?  Traffic.  Visibility.  Location, location, location.  

When it was announced that the Royals wanted to move downtown, I was distraught.  Traffic in downtown is horrible.  How in the world could a game day be managed with the current traffic grid!  No way.  

And, for the fans who travel into KC for one of the sports events, they need to reach the stadiums in a fairly direct manner that would not weave them in and out of all the different streets, the streetcars, the buses, and even the irregularly-shaped blocks around Crown Center and Union Station. 

The fans need convenient accessibility. (Of course, having a streetcar line straight to the stadiums would be an excellent addition as it is being added to the KC Current stadium along the riverfront.)

Admittedly, the location of the two current stadiums is not a financial stronghold, but why not consider how to revitalize the stadium area.  The long-time, rundown hotel property could be purchased; and architects could consider how to reuse the space both north and south of I-70, even east and west of the stadiums.  

Other developrtd can see new ways to reuse an area—look at the West Bottoms in KC.  Why even think how the areas around the Legends have been transformed.  With all the work being done on I-70 and I-435, the accessibility to the stadiums is improving, so why not reconsider the current location—just target it for improvement.

What about developing a new sports district right there.  Create a year-round vacation destination, capitalizing on the Chiefs and the Royals, and the others professional teams in the area. 

Interstate 70 is a direct link from the Cable-Dahmer Arena, past the stadiums, and on through to the Kansas Speedway, Children’s Mercy Arena, and possibly even a new Buc-cees.  Name it the I-70 Sports Link.  How many other metropolitan areas can advertise such an artery?

The I-70 Sports Link ties Kansas and Missouri together in a unique manner and can even be expanded to include St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Blues Hockey Team, and the MU Tigers.  

If Branson has grown into a national tourist destination, Kansas City can become one, too, especially with a unique sports emphasis appeal which includes the Negro Baseball Hall of Fame which has just expanded Major Baseball League’s history.  

All the players in the decisions concerning the KC Chiefs and the KC Royals need to rethink the priorities and start working together.  Don’t let divisiveness destroy the fan base nor the historical significance of all the sports in Kansas City–Missouri and Kansas.

These two teams are the athletic heartbeat of our states and beyond.  Let us work together to find a solution that capitalizes on the thrill of sports competition.