SportsBeat KC

The Chiefs took a perfect record to Seattle last week and ran into a brick wall. The Seahawks won every phase in a 20-3 victory. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3), columnist Sam McDowell shares his thoughts on the lopsided loss and what it means going forward. Things don’t get easier for the Chiefs, as they travel to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Kansas City dominate...

The Chiefs remain one of three NFL teams with a perfect record, but the schedule is turning rugged starting with this Sunday’s game at the Seattle Seahawks. A feature of this meeting: Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III is the league’s rushing leader, and he was named Super Bowl MVP for Seattle last season. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3), Chiefs insider Pete Sw...

The Chiefs had a bye week to catch their breath, iron out problems and get injured players healed, and did so as one of three undefeated teams in the NFL. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM), beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Vahe Gregorian identify the team’s biggest needs and look ahead to Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a big week i...

After four weeks of the NFL season, the Chiefs are one of three teams to stand 4-0, but remaining undefeated wasn’t easy ... and it was costly from an injury standpoint. The Chiefs outlasted the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27, but lost wide receivers Tyquan Thornton and Rashee Rice during the game. Thornton’s ankle injury is more serious than Rice’s hamstring strain and Thornton is likely to miss the res...

The Chiefs didn’t win many style points, but they won the game. A 24-10 triumph in the first road game, at the Miami Dolphins, improved the Chiefs’ record to 3-0 for the 14th time in franchise history. On SportsBeat KC, the weekly sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3), beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian broke down the game they covered in Miami, and what i...

The Chiefs won in the same building that Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl, a 24-10 too-close-for-comfort win against the Dolphins on Sunday. They were imperfect. But the record remains perfect: 3-0. Here are The Star’s initial observations from the game SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Hannah Wise, Suzanne Hoga...

Patrick Mahomes passed for 382 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and when he plays like he did against the Indianapolis Colts, there’s no limit to the Chiefs’ fortunes. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3), Star columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell discuss Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Kenneth Walker III and an offense that continues to hum. The defense was a...

On the first play of the season for the Chiefs’ offense, Patrick Mahomes handed the ball off to running back Kenneth Walker III. And the second, third and fourth, with Andy Reid establishing the team’s intent from the outset. It worked. Walker rushed for 173 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, and the Chiefs rolled past the Denver Broncos 31-10 in a resounding season opener. On SportsBeat KC, th...

A new season for the Chiefs has arrived. The season opener against the Denver Broncos is set for “Monday Night Football” at Arrowhead Stadium, and get ready for Patrick Mahomes’ first game since suffering a knee injury late last season. For the first time in a decade, the Chiefs aren’t coming off a playoff year, but the season is full of promise, if not a clean bill of health. Tackle Josh Simmons...

As we approach Week 1 of the college football season, eligibility remains a major topic. Used to be, these things were settled long before the season began, but as Missouri Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said last week, the eligibility system is an “absolute embarrassment” and a “complete clown show” as players are using the courtrooms to get injunctions to play. On the field, the 2026 season arrives...

SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM) features coming attractions with the Royals and Chiefs. Columnist Sam McDowell breaks down city council’s approval of funding for the Royals proposed ballpark at Crown Center. Financial questions remain about project, which could end up costing taxpayers some $600 million. Later, beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Vahe Gregorian...

The preseason has started and training camp at Missouri Western is winding down. Did the Chiefs maximize their time in St. Joseph? On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM), beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Vahe Gregorian share their thoughts from KC’s preseason-opening loss to the L.A. Rams — and what must be accomplished in the second exhibition game. The Chiefs v...

Patrick Mahomes is unlikely to play, and other starters might sit out the preseason opener. But there will be plenty to see and evaluate when the Kansas City Chiefs meet the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. Backup quarterbacks Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier figure to get the bulk of the snaps, at least early, and the performances among newcomers at running back and the defen...

Chiefs training camp doesn’t really begin until the pads come on. It’s the first time to evaluate linemen and most defensive players. So who’s looking good? Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian break down what they’ve seen at camp on SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM). Tackle Josh Simmons and rookie defensive lineman Peter Woods h...

This week’s most important local sports story came out of training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, where the team announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes — just seven months removed from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee — was fully cleared for the start of training camp. Although most of the eyes will be on Mahomes’ recovery, there are several other subplots worth wa...

Preparations for Chiefs season No. 67 begin Friday as training camp opens in St. Joseph. Quarterbacks, rookies and a few others will have Missouri Western to themselves for a few days before the full squad reports the following week. This camp will have a different feel than any in several years with the Chiefs coming off their worst season, a 6-11 record, in the Andy Reid era. How the Chiefs will...

The FIFA World Cup and its games, Fan Fest, watch parties and celebrations have departed Kansas City. And all that remains is the cleanup. How did Kansas City do, and was it worth the cost? By many accounts the world’s biggest sporting event played in the smallest U.S. World Cup market unfolded as planned, and the national reviews have been positive. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Sta...

Ouch. The U.S. team’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup occurred in ugly fashion — and sooner than many had hoped. The U.S. team’s Round of 16 loss to Belgium in Seattle on Monday, by a 4-1 score, means the American team failed to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM), Star columnist Vahe Gregorian discusses...

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is bringing out the best of Kansas City ... or is it the other away around? The massive global soccer tournament’s group-stage games at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium provided incredible drama, all the way down to the final goal. The Netherlands’ “Oranje FanWalk” captivated the city and Arrowhead was painted in different hues for each match. Now, it’s on to the knockout-ro...

Two games into the FIFA World Cup schedule in Kansas City, and we’ve seen some spectacular performances, starting with Lionel Messi’s hat trick for Argentina in the opening game. The action has been top-rate. But how about Kansas City’s overall performance as a host city? On SportsBeat KC, sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM), columnist Vahe Gregorian and sportswriter Pete Grathoff discus...

The Chiefs have closed the book on OTAs and minicamp, but they’re continuing to make news. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a contract extension, former KC cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was re-acquired and the team traded away offensive lineman Wanya Morris — all before the Chiefs were finished with their summer workouts. KC Star Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney discusses all these developments and more...

North America was awarded the 2026 FIFA World Cup eight years ago. Four years later, Kansas City was named one of the event’s 16 host cities. Now, it’s here. The world’s biggest sporting event begins Thursday with the first game in Kansas City on June 16. Are we ready? In this week’s episode of SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM), sports columnists Vahe Gregorian and S...

The news is good and bad for the Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes is back on the practice field, taking part in some drills. That’s a great sign as the two-time MVP continues to heal from torn knee ligaments. The not-so-good news: Wide receiver Rashee Rice is still serving his 30-day jail sentence for violating terms of his probation stemming from his 2024 arrest for his role in a Dallas car crash. On Spor...

Of the 11 U.S. cities to host FIFA World Cup games, Kansas City is the most unlikely — but also among the most deserving. The story of how KC turned itself into one of the nation’s premier soccer cities is the subject of the book: “Perfect Pitch: How Kansas City Became the Heart of American Soccer,” by Nate Bukaty and Rustin Dodd. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM)...

In less than a month, the first FIFA World Cup game will be played in Kansas City, and it won’t take that long for fans of teams with base camps here to begin arriving. So, what can KC expect? On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR (89.3 FM), Ignaciao Bottaro, a journalist from Buenos Aires, shares his thoughts on Argentina’s quest to defending its World Cup title that begins in...