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KC Replay: All the faves make news, from Chiefs, Mizzou, Royals, KU, KSU + World Cup

In the past seven days, Kansas City has been a buzzing beehive of sports activity. Let’s recap before we really recap:

  • KC put its best foot forward in hopes of securing a piece of World Cup 2026

  • Bill Self, Bruce Weber and the rest of the Big 12’s hoops coaches met for media days at T-Mobile Center

  • Mizzou and KU scored key victories on the recruiting trail

  • the Royals completed their trade of Danny Duffy to the Dodgers ....

And we haven’t even mentioned the Chiefs yet.

Lots to review from this past week, to be sure, so away we go.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates a touchdown last weekend against Washington at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates a touchdown last weekend against Washington at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Back to winning

Alarms would’ve blared had the Chiefs lost last Sunday at Washington. Both entered the game at FedEx Field with records of 2-3, but only one of these teams had Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Andy Reid behind the clipboard.

The Chiefs still turned the ball over too often (Mahomes threw a wounded duck that was easily picked off by a WFT defender), but the second half looked like something straight out of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning season. They won 31-13 to even their record at 3-3.

A tougher opponent awaits today (Sunday, Oct. 24) in the Tennessee Titans, but there was much to like about what Kansas City showed us in Week 6.

Newly committed to the Mizzou Tigers (check out the hat), Luther Burden, left, with parents Gaye Union and Luther Burden Jr., is set to play his next-level football in Columbia next season.
Newly committed to the Mizzou Tigers (check out the hat), Luther Burden, left, with parents Gaye Union and Luther Burden Jr., is set to play his next-level football in Columbia next season.

Mizzou scores (KU, too)

Missouri held the winning lottery ticket for five-star football prospect Luther Burden. The St. Louis blue-chip receiver picked MU Tuesday evening over Alabama and Georgia.

That’s big-time, folks, so we’ll say it again: Coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s Tigers beat out the Crimson Tide and UGA for a legitimate prime-time player, convincing the pass-catcher to stay home and don the black and gold.

The following day, the Jayhawks cashed in a victory of their own, albeit in basketball, as true big man Ernest Udeh Jr. of Orlando committed to KU over UCLA.

Kansas coach Bill Self does an interview during Big 12 media day Wednesday in Kansas City.
Kansas coach Bill Self does an interview during Big 12 media day Wednesday in Kansas City.

Basketball media days

KU’s Self, K-State’s Weber, newly minted national champion Scott Drew of Baylor and the rest of the Big 12 men’s basketball coaches convened for the conference’s annual media days in Kansas City on Wednesday (the women’s coaches gathered at T-Mobile on Tuesday).

The coaches’ and select players’ visit to KC produced some insightful and fun soundbites and served as a visceral reminder that, even as college football is heating up, basketball is just around the corner, too.

A native of Ohio, newly acquired pitcher Zach Willeman joined the Royals recently as the player to be named from the deal that sent Danny Duffy to the L.A. Dodgers.
A native of Ohio, newly acquired pitcher Zach Willeman joined the Royals recently as the player to be named from the deal that sent Danny Duffy to the L.A. Dodgers.

The newest Royal

You’ll recall that the Royals moved longtime fan-favorite Danny Duffy right before MLB’s trade deadline, shipping the pitcher from Lompoc, Calif. to the L.A. Dodgers for a player to be named later.

On Wednesday, we learned the identity of that PTBNL as the Dodgers sent Zach Willeman, their 19th-round pick from 2017, to KC. Royals officials see Willeman as a potential future piece of their bullpen. He’s 25, throws right-handed (and fast — 94-96 mph) and is said to manage his slider and curve effectively.

Here’s a social media “card” that made the rounds Thursday morning as officials from FIFA visited and toured Kansas City as a potential host city for the 2026 World Cup.
Here’s a social media “card” that made the rounds Thursday morning as officials from FIFA visited and toured Kansas City as a potential host city for the 2026 World Cup.

Your move, FIFA

As promised, officials from FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, visited Kansas City Thursday as part of their tour of nearly 20 cities vying to be among 11 chosen to host World Cup games in the U.S. in 2026.

The FIFA delegates’ time in KC included Joe’s for lunch and tickets to Thursday night’s game at Children’s Mercy Park between the U.S. Women’s National Team and Korea. A decision about which 11 U.S. cities will host in 2026 is expected in early 2022.

We hope the FIFA folks had a good time here and consumed some world-class BBQ. But now we wait.