Like Columbus? Nashville? St. Louis? What's your definition of small? (Via) |
Of course, that's not important. Oh no. Toward the end of the interview, Slyyyy was asked about the status of an NBA or NHL team at the Sprint Center (as he should be in every interview ever until it happens). Annnnnndddd here's what he said!
"I'd say, if anything, we're closer on the hockey front than we are the basketball front. There's a cohesive hockey interested group."
Click here to listen to the interview (important part starts at about 14:20)
I'm unsure what part of that to not believe more. Sure wish we had more info... great job by Fescoe following up on that lead!!! Anyway, it doesn't matter because who knows what he is talking about. I can't imagine he is referring to someone Paul McGannon's NHL21 has found, because he apparently has a new name and mission. It could be the super-duper double secret international investment group vying for the Coyotes a few months ago. Or it could be the reanimated corpse of Andrew bleeding Carnegie. Who knows.
After the interview, Slyyy Fox clarified his comments. He basically says the city's NHL prospects are the tallest midget, but still a midget nonetheless.
"2b clear. Nothing even close" – Sly James |
Here is the extent of hockey discussion on Kansas City talk radio.
Carrington Harrison: "Whenever the NHL playoffs were going on...very few people were saying 'talk NHL.'"
Danny Parkins: "Hockey isn't wildly popular outside of Canadians" (then goes on to list wild popularity in major American cities)
These are both somewhat myopic views, only because people don't text you or call you about hockey because YOU NEVER TALK ABOUT IT. The only personality who actually does initiate hockey talk on the radio here is Gary "G-D" Lezak and that's only over the past month and because he's an LA Kings fan (it should be noted that whenever he did this, 810's Border Patrol became visibly ill). Hockey fans will go where they can talk about hockey. They won't sit around and wait for you guys to talk about it. They are smarter than that. Hockey has as large of an online presence as any major sport. Just look locally, there are zero KC-specific basketball blog sites, yet just look at "The Locals" section on the right side of this page for those here in the area talking about hockey. A very, very small-scale example, but KC doesn't even have a team and people are talking about it.
The main take away here is Parkins stating his willingness to start talking hockey. So...do it. Interview people who want to talk about it. Devote ten minutes of your show once a week. Something. It's a chicken and the egg scenario. You don't talk about it, so people don't ask you about it. Look, this isn't a discussion of whether Kansas City can support a team or not, just talk hockey. We can support hockey talk. Radio personalities don't even have to learn anything about it. Have experts come on and talk about it. There are hockey writers all over North America that would love to talk hockey to the Kansas City audience. Teaching them about the players, the game. You don't even have to LEARN THE NAMES!!!
Also, as an aside, and they touched on this, but Bill Self's opinions on anything other than Kansas basketball is like asking Eva Perón about military strategy in Norway. NO. ONE. (SHOULD.) CARE.
"It's one hell of a Wednesday Kansas." Okay, that's funny.
Man, I knew this post was coming, but I hate talking about sports radio.