KC’s Next Play: Chiefs in playoffs, league games for KU, KSU and MU + Monster Jam (!)
.JPG "Led by coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are done with the regular season now, so it’s full steam ahead toward another playoff run.")
Before we get into this week’s rundown of cool sports stuff happening in and around Kansas City, a quick COVID preface: Just about anything we include these days should come with an Omicron Asterisk.
What’s on the docket now may or may not actually happen as scheduled, because the virus doesn’t care about schedules, or protocols, or playoff standings or anything like that.
OK, that said, here are few sportsy things you should know about.
Chiefs in the playoffs
A clear number one on the KC-area sports agenda is nailing down the Chiefs’ appointment in the NFL playoffs.
The Chiefs clinched their spot in the postseason a couple weeks back, so all eyes today — Jan. 6 — are on Sunday’s noon game between the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. The outcome will help determine KC’s seeding for the playoffs, which begin with the wild card round next weekend (and into Monday, thanks to a new scheduling format that stretches those opening-round games over three days instead of the usual Saturday-Sunday format).
Not much more we can say here until that game at NRG Stadium is done, so like many of you, we’ll be watching and waiting this afternoon. The Titans should mop up, but this is why they play the games, right?
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Boatloads of basketball
The Kansas Jayhawks are scheduled to play twice this week, home against Iowa State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and home again vs. West Virginia on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
K-State also plays twice at home this week, against TCU on Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Texas Tech on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Over in the SEC, Mizzou is at Arkansas on Wednesday at 8 p.m. and home against Texas A&M Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Hockey in the heartland
The Mavericks and Thunder haven’t exactly been lighting up the ECHL this season, but any time we can get a piece of the KC-Wichita rivalry, we’re in. This is especially true in hockey, where some fighting is semi-cool with the officials.
No strangers to one another, these two minor-league clubs are scheduled to tangle again on Tuesday at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence. It’s Liberty Night (if you’re from Liberty and not there, you’ll be square), and some fun auctions will benefit Restoration House and its mission of bringing hope and support to survivors of human trafficking.
The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday.
In honor of Mellinger ...
This one gets a mention mainly because we’re missing our old pal @mellinger, known in non-social media circles as Sam Mellinger, the Royals’ new VP for media relations.
It’s January in Kansas City, so yes, we’re talking about Monster Jam. The annual kid-friendly assault on human senses descends upon T-Mobile Center this coming Friday-Sunday. Readers of The Star might remember Sam’s kids’ fondness for the big ol’ mud-trucks.
They’re still loud, they’re still proud, and they’ll be roaring in downtown KC in a few days. Tickets are available through the usual outlets. (And they let adult-size kids in, too.)
This story was originally published January 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM.