Mahomes plays The Match, Royals dig themselves deeper, high schoolers soar: KC Replay
.jpg "The Match, awaiting next week in Las Vegas and featuring (top row, left to right) Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and (bottom left) Josh Allen, is bringing out some sweet trash-talk among the elite NFL quarterbacks.")
Patrick Mahomes took center stage for a sports event on Wednesday night, in early June, and football wasn’t the name of the game.
Let’s back up a skooch. Patrick Mahomes took center stage in The Match, a for-charity and for-TV abbreviated round of golf in Las Vegas alongside fellow NFL superstar quarterbacks Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen.
Mahomes, the former NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion, and Allen, his championship-less Buffalo Bills counterpart, teamed up against the elder Brady and Rodgers. And while the latter duo won, it was a pretty entertaining evening all around.
It also paired nicely alongside a week in Kansas City sports that featured ample baseball (which wasn’t great, but more on that shortly), soccer and some high school state championships.
Oh — and good news: The Big 12 men’s basketball is staying in Kansas City through at least 2027, thanks to a new contract announced Friday morning. That’s not included in this week’s KC Replay, but we thought you should know.
Golfing and guffaws with QB1(s)
Mahomes and his fellow marquee signal-callers kept the one-liners flowing during 12 holes of celebrity golf at Wynn Golf Club in Nevada. Mahomes, who recently announced that he and wife Brittany are expecting their second child, enjoyed a few cold beverages while booming drives down fairways — of course the guy pipes ‘em 300 yards! — and showing off his sweet short game.
Perhaps the best quip of the day occurred before the tandems teed off. Mahomes was asked about Allen’s greatest fear, and here’s how our own Pete Grathoff recounted the moment:
“Josh’s biggest fear,” Mahomes said ... “A coin toss.” That reference to January’s AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium drew a mix of laughs and groans. As you may recall, the Chiefs kicked a field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter to pull even with Buffalo.
A Current win, a Sporting loss
The Kansas City Current waited patiently for their attack to catch up to the pace of their defense (which has been pretty darned stout).
And it finally happened on Monday in KC against Racing Louisville: The Current won 1-0 thanks to an early penalty-kick goal by Lo’eau LaBonta and clean sheet from keeper A.D. Franch.
Sporting KC, after going 2-0-1 since a 7-2 whupping at Portland, wasn’t as fortunate, falling 1-0 to Vancouver at home last weekend.
More rocky road for Royals
It was another rough week for the Royals, who assumed the dead-last position in the American League — heck, in all of the majors.
Entering the weekend, their most recent win was Saturday, May 28 at Minneapolis, when they beat the Twins 7-3 (they’d lose by the same score the following day). They finished the road trip with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Guardians in Cleveland.
The Royals did make a trade Thursday, but it was a pretty minor one — not the kind that can alter the fortunes of a foundering franchise or resuscitate a reeling fanbase. They exchanged right-handed pitchers with the Rangers, shipping out Yohanse Morel and bringing in Albert Abreu. And so it goes.
Teams, individuals win prep titles
While the Royals continued to struggle, some young athletes from the Kansas City area enjoyed the highest of high school highs in the Kansas and Missouri state meets and tournaments.
Blue Valley West and Blue Valley Southwest won baseball championships, Blue Valley claimed a golf title, Eudora earned a softball crown and multiple teams and individuals took the top step on the podiums at the state track and field meets in Jefferson City and Wichita.
No doubt missing many special moments here, so apologies on that front and congratulations to all the area athletes who took part in this year’s high school postseason for spring sports.
This story was originally published June 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM.