A sports month so much fun it has its own nickname is upon us. March Madness brings its special appeal to Kansas City with the Big 12 Tournament and at Kansas and Missouri. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian break down the Big 12, SEC and NCAA tournaments. They’re not the favorites in their league tournaments, but the Jayhawks and Tigers are safely in the NCAA field and would like good showings in Kansas City and Nashville this week to gain mo...
Mar 10, 2025•38 min
Back to the business of roster building for the Chiefs. The NFL Combine is in the rear-view mirror and the draft is next month. The Chiefs are looking to fill projected voids, especially at offense tackle and the defensive line. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Sam McDowell and beat writer Jesse Newell break down where the Chiefs stand and what changes could be on the horizon. Two potential departures -- guard Trey Smith to free agency and tight end Travis Kelce to retireme...
Mar 04, 2025•37 min
A game in the Big Easy was nothing but for the Chiefs. They dropped Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 and were never part of the game. How did this happen, and what’s next for the Chiefs? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell, columnist Vahe Gregorian and sportswriter Pete Grathoff broke down the action, starting where it all went wrong for the Chiefs. With free agency possibily having a major impact on next season’s roster -- and a decision by Travi...
Feb 10, 2025•29 min
Another NFL season, another Super Bowl appearance for the Chiefs. Their AFC Championship Game victory over the Buffalo Bills was a master class in preparation and execution by the players and coaching staff, and now one opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, stands between the Chiefs and making history as the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell along with beat writer Jesse Newell review the triumph over...
Jan 28, 2025•40 min
Remember when all of the country outside of New England wanted the Chiefs to knock off the Patriots in the 2018 AFC Championship Game? Football fans had grown weary of the ultra-successful team playing in its eighth straight conference title game. Little did we know that’s when Chiefs began their path to becoming the same team. Sunday marks the Chiefs’ seventh straight AFC title game appearance, this time against the Buffalo Bills. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDo...
Jan 21, 2025•35 min
The Chiefs are back in a familiar place, the AFC playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium. The two-time defending NFL champion begins the quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title with Saturday’s meeting in the AFC Divisional Round against the Houston Texans. The teams met last month in Week 16 of the regular season with the Chiefs prevailing 27-19. How could this game be different? Star columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian along with beat writer Jesse Newell break down the game and ...
Jan 13, 2025•33 min
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Dec 31, 2024•35 min
On a day when the Chiefs’ offense sputtered and Patrick Mahomes didn’t finish the game with an ankle injury, the defense rose to the occasion and its best game of the season. In a 21-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Chiefs came up with six takeaways and five sacks. Kansas City looks to keep it going on Saturday when it plays host to the Houston Texans. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast (now with video), columnist Vahe Gregorian and beat writer Jesse Newell break down the triump...
Dec 16, 2024•38 min
Sometimes while breaking down the uneven play and the wild finishes we lose sight of the big picture when it comes to the Chiefs. They’re 12-1 for the first time in franchise history. Plenty of good is happening. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s Chiefs podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnist Vahe Gregorian break down the Chiefs with an emphasis on their latest heart-stopping triumph, a walk-off field goal off the upright by Matthew Wright to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17. Also, with ...
Dec 10, 2024•34 min
One thing seems certain: The Chiefs don’t lead the NFL in style points. They’re coming off their second straight unimpressive victory, a 19-17 survival of the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, a week after a similar outcome against the Carolina Panthers. Still, at 11-1, the Chiefs own the NFL’s top record. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Sam McDowell and beat writer Jesse Newell break down how the Chiefs can maintain an excellent record while improving enough to remain on track tow...
Dec 03, 2024•35 min
The perfect record for 2024 and the 15-game winning streak over the past two seasons are gone with the Chiefs’ loss at the Buffalo Bills last weekend. Where to the Chiefs go from here? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s Chiefs’ podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnist Vahe Gregorian dive into what happened in Buffalo -- from the defensive mistake on the Josh Allen game-clinching touchdown run to another deep misconnection from Patrick Mahomes to Xavier Worthy -- and what must be fixed for the C...
Nov 19, 2024•38 min
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A Chiefs game decided on the final snap of the game. It happened for the fourth time in five home games last weekend as the Chiefs outlasted the Denver Broncos because Leo Chenal blocked a field goal attempt. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian and beat writer Jesse Newell break down how the Chiefs found themselves in a block-or-likely-lose situation and what needs to improve this week as they take on th...
Nov 12, 2024•36 min
Another week, another victory for the Chiefs. They improved to 8-0 with an overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, getting a big game from new wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, a scary ankle injury from Patrick Mahomes, and perhaps a fortunate decision by the Bucs not to go for a two-point conversation in the final seconds of regulation. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian and beat writer Jesse Newell discuss the game and look ahead, not j...
Nov 06, 2024•36 min
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Oct 29, 2024•35 min
In their last game, the Chiefs lost two more starters to injury and Patrick Mahomes scored the lowest passer rating game of his career. A recipe for disaster? Not at all. The Chiefs are coming off one of the best victories of the season, by 10 points at San Francisco. Star columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian and beat writer Jesse Newell explain how a team that at times seems flawed continues to win. And what’s the upside for a team, which takes as 12-game winning streak into Sunday’s game...
Oct 22, 2024•34 min
of times for Kansas City sports fans. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell share their thoughts on our winning teams. For the Royals, who are battling the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, it’s a continuation of an unexpectedly successful season. Even the Chiefs, winners of three Super Bowls in the past five years, are ahead of their recent pace. The 5-0 record is the best start since 2018. What lies ahead for both teams? ...
Oct 09, 2024•21 min
Can the Royals keep it going? The team that lost 106 games a year ago is one of the final four in the American League playoffs, and the Royals, fresh off their sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card round, take on the New York Yankees. Game 1 of the AL Division Series begins Saturday, and beat writer Jaylon Thompson breaks it down. We discuss the Royals momentum built on pitching and defense, matchups and star power. In Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge, Juan Soto this series has three of bas...
Oct 04, 2024•31 min
Another week, another key player injured for the Chiefs. This time it’s wide receiver Rashee Rice, who suffered a knee injury while attempting to make a tackle after a Patrick Mahomes interception. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss the ramifications of the injury for a Chiefs offense that had been seeking an identity and what are the team’s options. The news isn’t all gloom. The Chiefs improved to 4-0 with...
Oct 01, 2024•33 min
The Chiefs are having issues in the passing game. Patrick Mahomes seems a tick off. Travis Kelce isn’t getting open. The big plays aren’t there. Yet the Chiefs are the second highest scoring team in the AFC and take a 3-0 record into Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Chargers. The rest of the NFL would love to have the Chiefs’ problems. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast and youtube program, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss the issues with t...
Sep 24, 2024•37 min
The math still favors the Royals making the MLB playoffs. With nine games left to play, they remain in possession of the second of three American League wild-card berths. But the race is getting tighter, and the Royals lug a four-game losing streak into their final home series of the season — which begins Friday against the San Francisco Giants. In this episode of SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Jaylon Thompson and columnist Vahe Gregorian assess the Royals’ postseason poss...
Sep 19, 2024•36 min
The Chiefs are 2-0 after their thrilling one-point victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week, but they are not without concerns. Running back Isiah Pacheco is lost for an extended time with an ankle injury, and left tackle Kingsley Suamataia played so poorly last weekend he was benched. At running back, the Chiefs signed their former standout Kareem Hunt. We address why that might not be the best move We discuss those storylines and more on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, with beat...
Sep 17, 2024•35 min
By the length of a toe, the Chiefs clinched an opening night victory over the Baltimore Ravens and now look ahead to a Week 2 encounter with the Cincinnati Bengals. On SportsBeat KC, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnist Sam McDowell break down the dramatic triumph with an emphasis on the performances of wide receiver Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy plus offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. What worked for the Chiefs, and what are the concerns heading into Sunday’s game against the last team to d...
Sep 10, 2024•37 min
The Chiefs’ 65th season with the prospect of making NFL history. The team will attempt to become the first to win three straight Super Bowls. It starts on Thursday with a banner-raising home game against the Baltimore Ravens. Do the Chiefs have what it takes to accomplish the unprecedented feat? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell joins columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian to discuss the Chiefs’ prospects, starting with the Thursday night opener against th...
Sep 03, 2024•33 min
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Aug 27, 2024•30 min
As the final preseason game for the Chiefs approaches, the battles intensify for the roster spots. On this episode of SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnist Vahe Gregorian discuss what factors are considered when arriving at the 53-man roster. The Chiefs play host to the Chicago Bears on Thursday at Arrowhead, and neither teams starters are expected to play. But in some ways it will be the most dramatic game of the preseason. Which positions groups have ...
Aug 21, 2024•38 min
One Chiefs preseason game down, two to go. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, we review the Chiefs’ loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars, starting with the running back position. It seemed easy in the preseason with Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire leading the way. But the picture isn’t as clear now with Edwards-Helaire missing several practices with illness and the emergence of undrafted rookie Carson Steele. Also, we break down other positions like defensive end, cornerback and wi...
Aug 14, 2024•41 min
The quest for a third straight Super Bowl and fourth in six years begins for the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday with the preseason opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is plenty familiar about these Chiefs, starting with stars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, but there is much to discover. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Jesse Newell and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss what they’re more looking forward to seeing from the Chiefs ...
Aug 06, 2024•39 min
The Missouri Tigers are coming off their best season under Eli Drinkwitz and are poised for even more success. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Sam McDowell discusses what went right for Mizzou in a season that finished with a Cotton Bowl triumph over Ohio State and No. 8 final ranking and what could be in store for the Tigers. Also, Coach Eli Drinkwitz shares his thoughts on this season when he met with reporters at SEC Media Days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Jul 30, 2024•29 min
Full-squad training camp is underway for the Chiefs, but discussion around the team’s future home never stopped. Renovate Arrowhead Stadium or build a new structure? In Missouri or Kansas? On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, columnist Sam McDowell and beat writer Jesse Newell analyze the decisions confronting the Chiefs after chairman and CEO Clark Hunt addressed the stadium issue Monday at Missouri Western in St. Joe. Also, early training camp talk has focused most often on one player:...
Jul 23, 2024•34 min
Four Royals players contributed to the American League’s 5-3 victory over the National League in baseball’s 94th All-Star Game played in Arlington, Tex. Starting pitchers Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo each pitched a scoreless inning and they took the field with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and catcher Salvador Perez. On SportsBeat KC, the Star’s sports podcast, Royals beat writer Jaylon Thompson discusses the Royals’ performance in the midsummer classic and what lies ahead for the team that has played ...
Jul 17, 2024•28 min
