The Star has a new sports columnist. He’s covered Chiefs, Sporting KC, Royals and more
From one Sam to another, The Kansas City Star has filled its sports columnist post with a familiar face and first name.
Award-winning reporter Sam McDowell has been promoted to the columnist job vacated by Sam Mellinger in December, when the Kansas City Royals hired Mellinger as vice president of communications.
McDowell has covered the Kansas City Chiefs beat alongside Herbie Teope for the past three seasons.
A Kansas City native and 2007 University of Missouri graduate, McDowell has shown a knack for in-depth storytelling and analysis while covering a range of topics and sports for The Star since 2012.
“Having grown up in Kansas City, I recognize and appreciate the weight of this job,” he said. “I’ve loved The Star since reading it as a kid, and I reached my career ambition when I began working here nearly 10 years ago.
“To graduate into this position is a privilege and a responsibility that I’ll strive to match with my work.”
McDowell joined The Star’s sports department as a high school sports reporter in August 2012. He began covering Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer in September 2013 and became a sports enterprise reporter in summer 2018. He also contributed to coverage of the Chiefs and Royals and moved to the Chiefs beat full-time in September 2019.
McDowell has won numerous awards for breaking news, projects and features, including his 2020 profile of Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones.
“Sam’s been an integral part of The Star’s coverage team for the past decade, from reporting on high school sports to Sporting KC and most recently the Chiefs,” Star sports editor Jeff Rosen said. “He’s a gifted, well-sourced writer who has earned the community’s trust, and we can’t wait to see what he does in his new role.”
A product of Blue Springs South High School, McDowell began his newspaper career as a sportswriter at The Jonesboro Sun in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He also spent more than three years in the sports department at the Island Packet in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
During his time in South Carolina, he met his wife, Kate. The couple has two children.
McDowell will partner with veteran sports columnist Vahe Gregorian to provide commentary, insight and analysis across the Kansas City sports scene.
This story was originally published February 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
