I was probably like many other sports fans Friday night who are crazed enough to get notifications on their phones about any kind of news possible — my reasons are trades, injuries to my fantasy football or baseball teams or general news happening.
The news that the Kansas City Chiefs released Kareem Hunt kind of took me back a bit.
Cody Thorn
Given how things were going for him that day with the release of the TMZ video, I figured he would get in trouble with the National Football League soon enough, but I never once thought the Chiefs could or would cut him.
I mean, this is a team that has had its fair share of issues with players in the past — like most teams in the league do — but it isn’t often one of your top three players, arguably, get released for assault.
When backup defensive tackle Roy Miller got arrested for domestic assault last November, the Chiefs cut him two days later. Maybe that is a sign that the team is changing their view on such actions.
The 49ers did cut Rueben Foster, a former first-round pick last week, but he was on his third arrest this year. Maybe a bit more warranted?
To most people’s knowledge, Hunt wasn’t a person like that.
I figured he would get suspended a few games, he would apologize and then everyone would love him again once he starts hurdling defenders. Kind of how most things in the world of athletics work. Just ask Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis and Ben Roethlisberger to name a select few.
Since Hunt’s release, news came out he was involved in two other instances this past year. The assault on a male at the KCP&L District broke yesterday, which occurred after the team lost to the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs.
Maybe he was just angry like the rest of us?
I saw someone I follow on Twitter wonder if the anger shown by Hunt, to both males and female, is a byproduct of a CTE injury.
That is a good question. Maybe it is. As many who have followed football long enough, there is plenty of evidence out there stating it only takes one year for the brain to get damaged.
Or maybe, Hunt needs anger management, like he mentioned in his interview on Sunday.
Recycle circle
Not sure how many people use the recycling center by the old Metro North Mall, but it is now gone, as is the old movie theatre over that way. That area, inside the Clay County lines by a few thousand feet, is still a landing spot for thousands of Ford trucks that await a destination and a Macy’s. Outside of that, there isn’t much there of the once booming mall. The recycling center was one I used since I moved to Kansas City last year. It was convenient since it was really close to my place off NW Barry Road and Highway 169, but I went there last month to drop off a month’s worth of tea, water and coffee bottles and newspapers only to see the area vacant and closed.
I ended up driving to the next closest location, but that is nearly 30 minutes away once you fight through a closed road.
I reached out first to the city of Kansas City to get information on when a new Northland center would be open, as the sign said it would be coming soon. The city said they had no control over it and to contact Bridging The Gap, which operates the facility. I got an answer back on Monday from Bridging The Gap, which told me they had no information and to contact the city.
At that point, my game of cat and mouse ended.
But I do think that is something that needs to be addressed. There are a few people like me that would like an option to recycle. I live in an apartment complex so I don’t have the option of sitting out a blue tub like others do in Kansas City.
A few random thoughts
I usually have a million things I want write about or give a few thoughts about. Generally, it is stuff I see on social media and think that is genius. Or that person is an idiot. The ratio is usually lopsided.
But here are a few of the things that I wanted to touch on.
A story from my neck of the woods caught my attention lately in the Springfield News-Leader. John Lindell of James River Church in Ozark stated that yoga was created with ‘demonic intent to open you up to the demonic powers because Hinduism is demonic,’ the paper reported last month. One, I was a little stunned but then I remember Springfield is the heart of the Bible belt, so I just shook it off. But the only thing I really thought was, what about Goat Yoga, is that demonic too?
Kudos to the businesses that were actually closed on Thanksgiving. I actually hate black Friday shopping in general, but the fact it is creeping more into the holiday is annoying to me. I’m sure this might be a mountain I’m alone in yelling at, but that’s my two cents. I remember how crazy I thought my mom was years ago when we woke up at 4 a.m. to go stand in line for J.C. Penney to open at 6 a.m. Years later that is all I remember. What we got that was worth that as a teenager, I have no idea.
I have waited too long about this topic, but the Jim Acosta being banned and then unbanned from the White House is pretty interesting. As a journalist, I can say I’m glad he got his pass back. I don’t believe coverage should be dictated by whether someone likes you or not. I’m old enough to remember Jason Whitlock made it his personal agenda each week to attack Carl Peterson for his job as the Chiefs general manager. Peterson didn’t get Whitlock’s press pass pulled because he didn’t like what was written about him or asked to him from the former Kansas City Star columnists. Do I think Acosta was a bit out of line, yes, but when you keep asking questions and you keep not getting answers, it can happen. I’ve had the feeling before. Especially when you know someone is lying to you. A few years ago, I asked Chris Neff is he was leaving Lafayette for Staley. He told me he wasn’t. Guess who coaches at Staley now? Chris Neff. The White House said there will be decorum that will need to be follow, which is their right. But, as journalist Karen Travers said, how can that be required when you have a president who says ‘what a stupid question that is,’ ‘I know you’re not thinking, you never do,’ and ‘you are a rude, terrible person,’ among many recent comments in his press conference. Decorum should go both ways.
Cindy McCain, the widow of former Sen. John McCain, said in her first interview since her husband’s death that the country needs more civility in its political discourse. She is right. I can’t tell you how glad I am that the political season is over for the time being. I’m sure I’m like many others all the television commercials and fliers in the mail were a bit too much. I know how cutthroat it is so I’m not surprised but it would be nice to limit the attacks and make sure the attacks are somewhat truthful — I’m still shocked a simple Google search would tell someone that Martin T. Rucker had nothing to do with the St. Joseph School Board, but you can’t let the facts get in the way of a good narrative apparently.
And on that note, I’m to the point when I get a Facebook notification for the work page, I kind of cringe waiting to see what kind of comments are made. We do get to look at them and take them down if we see fit, but I try not — and neither did Ross — to delete them unless we have to. I did make a comment to someone to not make threats, but that got me called a ‘liberal tyrant wannabe.’ I’m not even sure how to respond to that. Is that a compliment? Am I doing a good job running the ‘non-Republican’ paper or doing a terrible job? I’m very confused.
I had a friend post this, but apparently Fox News had a protest of Twitter in response to a protest that took place last month at Tucker Carlson’s house. The news station didn’t tweet for days after stating Twitter was slow to remove a video that featured Carlson’s address. Some Fox personalities continued to tweet from their own account, but the main handle didn’t, starting on Nov. 8. The no Twitter activity is true today — Tuesday, Dec. 4 — as the most recent is a federal appeals court rules against Trump administration on DACA.