The 2008 vote to raise the sales tax in Jackson County was a last-ditch effort to keep the Chiefs and Royals after the larger metro area voted against a bi-state stadium and arts tax in 2004. The tax was rejected in every county but Jackson – Johnson, Clay, Platte, and Wyandotte – so in 2008 Jackson County once again stepped up and funded a regional amenity without any help from the Northland or Kansas side.  But voters decided that a roof was just too much of a burden to shoulder on their, without help from the rest of the metro area.

It’s really the overall lack of regional cooperation and vision that cost us the Superbowl. Sam should be thanking Jackson County voters for keeping the teams here and blaming Northland and Kansas voters for losing the Superbowl.

Fortunately, the lack of an “anchor” tenant means the Sprint Center actually turns a profit for the city and taxpayers. Landing a big league team would mean massive subsidies for rent, operations, etc. in exchange a likely very small cut of ticket sales.  It would also tie up  dozens of dates that are currently used for concerts and other events where AEG and the city keep all the profit.

Pitch: If New Orleans Hornets move, Kansas City is on the short list. But let’s be honest …

It all started with Mizzou’s and Governor Jay Nixon’s very public flirtation with the Big 10 conference and its higher academic and athletic reputations.  Some say the Big 10 was coveted by the eastern-looking St. Louisans who fund Governor Nixon, and so once again Jay has screwed the state’s largest city.

And even Gary Forsee is back to screwing Kansas City.  The UM System President and former Sprint/Nextel CEO is bad at mergers and acquisitions, and now the rest of Missouri is learning what we’ve known in KC for quite some time.  So don’t look for any Big 10 banners near his Dunford Circle home anytime soon.

The building at 433 Ward Parkway is quite the party pad.  The adjacent penthouse belongs to Annette Bloch, widow of H&R Block co-founder of Richard Bloch. Other tenants include developer Robert Esrey, philanthropist Beth Smith, Central Exchange president Ellen D’Amato, former H&R Block CEO Frank Salizzoni, and other assorted business and society types. Former Chief’s head coach Herm Edwards still owns a condo there as well.

433 Ward sits on the south bank of Brush Creek, next door to the Intercontinental Hotel and directly opposite the Granfalloon and Baja 600. Unit 7-W is the most expensive property currently for sale in the city limits, and third in the metro area behind the $6.7 million Mission Hills home of former Marion Labs CEO Fred Lyons and the $4.7 million Lee’s Summit house of developer David Burkart.  Taxes on Peterson’s pad are about $18,000 a year, as it’s one of the few condo projects without a TIF or abatement.

Business Journal: Kansas City saturated with professional sports.

Portfolio.com: A Sporting Chance.

Perhaps the loss of the stadium has a silver lining. The city couldn’t really afford it.  It would have combined the riskiest financial aspects of the Power & Light District and Citadel Plaza schemes.  Besides, the original neighborhood plan probably has more long term benefits for southern Kansas City anyway.  So the question now becomes twofold – will the city be willing to revisit their plan and raise the bar, and can developers still be found during this Great Recession?

Pitch: The tragic story of how Kansas City leaders, blinded by the Wizards’ pro-sports glamour project, turned their backs on an idea that might actually have saved Bannister Mall

Everyone thought the Three Trails project was a done deal until the economy tanked and killed the retail and office markets that the deal depended on. So then the team came back and asked for millions in cash advance and for the city to guarantee the bonds with its credit – basically combining the worst parts of the Power & Light District and Citadel Plaza deals.

So now one could wonder if this KCK stadium is the real deal or just a ploy to force KCMO into granting the cash advance and credit guarantee. It seems eerily familiar to the Chiefs’ brief flirtation with a KCK stadium when it looked like Jackson County was hesitating to put a stadium tax renewal on the ballot – which they promptly did after the KCK option surfaced.

Tony’s Kansas City has a round up of coverage from multiple sources.

“Angry fans reacted to the loss of Zack Greinke, who is considered to be THE bright spot on the Royals roster. “It’s not the lack of public transportation that keeps the fans away – it’s the fact that the K is not downtown,” one disappointed fan claimed.”

Dodd: “@clairecmc How about a friendly wager on tomorrow’s Elite Eight game between my Huskies and your Tigers?”

Dodd: “@clairecmc I’ll put up some New Haven apizza for you and your staff that UConn comes out on top.”

McCaskill: “@SenChrisDodd You’re on. Happy to supply Arthur Bryant’s BBQ to your office if UConn manages a win. Get ready for 40 min of chaos! M I Z!“

Dodd: “@clairecmc It’s a deal. GO HUSKIES!!“

What’s next?  Trading votes in Congress?  Actually, moving legislative wrangling to Twitter would be a great thing for transparency.