Arrowhead release baffles Kansas

[KingPriest2]

Posted on Fri, Oct. 29, 2004

Arrowhead release baffles Kansas

By JASON KING The Kansas City Star


The wording of a press release issued Thursday by the Chiefs saying Kansas was going to play a football game at Arrowhead Stadium next season has KU officials upset.

The timing has opponents of Bistate II annoyed.

This much is clear: Kansas has been in negotiations with the Chiefs about playing Oklahoma at Arrowhead on Oct. 15, 2005. And while the school is optimistic that deal will get done, officials said the final details still need to be worked out.

“Right now, the contract is not finalized,” Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins said.

The release, which appears on the Chiefs' Web site and was forwarded to area media outlets Thursday by Kansas City Sports Commission president Kevin Gray, has a headline that reads: “Kansas, Mizzou coming to Arrowhead in 2005.”

Quotes from Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson and Gray were included in the release, as was a sentence that said the schools had agreed “in principle” to play the games — KU vs. Oklahoma and MU vs. Arkansas State.

Peterson was traveling Wednesday night and could not be reached for comment regarding the wording or timing of the release, but Chiefs public-relations director Bob Moore said Kansas knew the release was coming.

KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said he was informed Thursday morning about the KC Sports Commission's intentions to issue a press release regarding the possibility of moving the KU-Oklahoma game to Arrowhead. But he said the wording wasn't what he expected.

“That's not what we agreed to say,” he said. “We agreed to say that we have an agreement in principle that we may play a game at Arrowhead. We don't have an agreement in principle to play the game. The wording on this was carefully crafted this morning so that it wouldn't say that. I don't know what to tell you.”

When asked why he thought the Chiefs would issue a release without a formal agreement, Marchiony said: “I guess they're doing it to get some positive publicity for the bistate referendum.”

Wayne Flaherty, treasurer of Kansans Against Bistate, said he thought the release is an attempt to garner support for County Question One — the tax initiative that would provide money for stadium improvements at the Truman Sports Complex, among other things.

“We've been pretty sure all along a few things like this were going to happen,” Flaherty said.

County Question One, which will be voted on Tuesday, is mentioned in one of Peterson's statements in the release.

“Our only concern is that if we are to continue to attract college football games and championships it is crucial that Arrowhead Stadium be kept up to the standards that these schools expect when they look for suitable off-campus venues,” Peterson said in the release. “For NCAA Division I-A schools and the Big 12 championships, the teams view these games in Kansas City with a bowl-like atmosphere. Obviously, we are very hopeful that County Question One passes.”

The Star first reported in September that administrators from both Kansas and Missouri were in discussions with Peterson about the possibility of playing at Arrowhead in 2005.

Missouri did not want to lose one of its six home games in Columbia, so it helped broker a deal in which Arkansas State will move its Sept. 3 home game with Missouri to Arrowhead.

Kansas insists it's still negotiating to move its game with Oklahoma.

“We're in discussions, we're trying to work out a contract, but we haven't yet,” Marchiony said. “There's no reason to say we're not going to play the game. But, at this point, it's not a done deal.”

KU football coach Mark Mangino seemed surprised when told the deal was nearly completed.

“It is — really?” Mangino said. “All I know is that I'll get a chance to look over the details before anything is signed or agreed upon. And that hasn't happened yet.”

[Phobia]

Originally Posted by KingPriest2

County Question One, which will be voted on Tuesday, is mentioned in one of Peterson's statements in the release.

“Our only concern is that if we are to continue to attract college football games and championships it is crucial that Arrowhead Stadium be kept up to the standards that these schools expect when they look for suitable off-campus venues,”

Interesting. You're pulling these colleges in to play almost every year already. How many more college games would a renovation provide? And.... why should we care? Excepting the Big 12 Championship game, the only colleges that will ever play at Arrowhead are within a couple hours drive. Why is the renovation even relevent to college football at Arrowhead?

My guess is since the Chiefs are doing poorly, they're gonna try to appeal to fans/alumni of area colleges to vote yes. That's silly and transparent, IMO.

[KingPriest2]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Interesting. You're pulling these colleges in to play almost every year already. How many more college games would a renovation provide? And.... why should we care? Excepting the Big 12 Championship game, the only colleges that will ever play at Arrowhead are within a couple hours drive. Why is the renovation even relevent to college football at Arrowhead?

My guess is since the Chiefs are doing poorly, they're gonna try to appeal to fans/alumni of area colleges to vote yes. That's silly and transparent, IMO.

I think they are trying to pull everything out of their bags of tricks. They know that they are losing the fight so they have to do something.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Interesting. You're pulling these colleges in to play almost every year already. How many more college games would a renovation provide? And.... why should we care? Excepting the Big 12 Championship game, the only colleges that will ever play at Arrowhead are within a couple hours drive. Why is the renovation even relevent to college football at Arrowhead?

My guess is since the Chiefs are doing poorly, they're gonna try to appeal to fans/alumni of area colleges to vote yes. That's silly and transparent, IMO.

Right. Peterson should just come out and admit that he has permanent morning wood thinking of 1 Arrowhead Dr. recieving a check for 200 mil. For "rennovations", of course.