Thursday, April 27, 2006
DRAFT 2006: Chiefs looking at defense
Despite all the changes for the Kansas City Chiefs in the last four months, plenty has stayed the same.
Herman Edwards took over for retired coach Dick Vermeil, and inherited an offense that returns nearly everyone on offense.
And once again, the Chiefs will probably use their first draft pick Saturday to help a defense that ended up near the bottom of the league for the fourth straight year.
Kansas City picks 20th, and will probably go for a cornerback or a pass-rushing defensive end.
"Hopefully, the guys we're going to pick come in and help us right now," Edwards said. "I'm a firm believer when you draft players, you don't wait to let them play."
But few recent draft choices have helped shore up the Chiefs' perennially leaky defense, which has been a big reason why they have been out of the playoffs since 2003.
Linebacker Derrick Johnson, last year's top pick out of Texas, became a starter but lacked the big-play pop president and general manager Carl Peterson was seeking. Defensive lineman Ryan Sims, the No. 4 overall pick in 2002, has struggled to become a starter.
Hulking defensive lineman Junior Siavii, their first pick in 2004, has made more news for his part in a training camp fracas in Minneapolis last summer than for his play.
But Kansas City has no choice but to look again toward defense.
Peterson finally cut loose cornerback Eric Warfield and backup Dexter McCleon, when it looked as though the Chiefs would be several million dollars over the salary cap, and now has nobody to play opposite Patrick Surtain.
Peterson and Bill Kuharich, vice president of player personnel, have all but conceded that cornerback and defensive end will be priorities, despite signing Lenny Walls, Chris Johnson and Carlos Hall in free agency.
"We'd like to think that's a position that has some depth and quality," Peterson said of the defensive backs available. "There are going to be some in the first or second round which you would hope could come in and help immediately."
That should suit Edwards, a former defensive back, just fine.
Edwards helped draft Brian Kelly, and Donnie Abraham and Ronde Barber became Pro Bowl players in Tampa Bay under his watch. He also picked nine cornerbacks in five years with the New York Jets.
But if the Chiefs wait until the second round to draft a cornerback, they most certainly will look to defensive end first - another position that has a decent amount of depth and talent in the draft.
North Carolina State's Manny Lawson and Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka are both possibilities, as is Florida State defensive end Kamerion Wimbley, whom Kuharich showered with praise but whose stock would have to slip.
"When you're evaluating, you go through the breakdown of a player of his ability to get off the ball, use his hands to get off the blocker. Wimbley has a lot of those things," Kuharich said. "He's a good prospect."
If the Chiefs look to offense, it could be at wide receiver, where reserves Marc Boerigter and Chris Horn both left in free agency. Peterson also mentioned the need for offensive line and quarterback projects in the later rounds, who could be developed to help replace aging stars Willie Roaf, Will Shields and Trent Green.
"I like to think, if you look at our roster, there are some good, young, talented players at every position," Peterson said. "You try to look ahead there, but sometimes you just have to make decisions."
And making the right decisions in the draft could be the difference between another year spent squandering a high-powered offense, and Kansas City winning its first playoff game since 1993.
"We've won a lot of games here and we've been very successful, but we want to take the next step," Edwards said. "Our guys are well aware of that. This is a winning team. Now we have to get to the next level."
Despite all the changes for the Kansas City Chiefs in the last four months, plenty has stayed the same.
Herman Edwards took over for retired coach Dick Vermeil, and inherited an offense that returns nearly everyone on offense.
And once again, the Chiefs will probably use their first draft pick Saturday to help a defense that ended up near the bottom of the league for the fourth straight year.
Kansas City picks 20th, and will probably go for a cornerback or a pass-rushing defensive end.
"Hopefully, the guys we're going to pick come in and help us right now," Edwards said. "I'm a firm believer when you draft players, you don't wait to let them play."
But few recent draft choices have helped shore up the Chiefs' perennially leaky defense, which has been a big reason why they have been out of the playoffs since 2003.
Linebacker Derrick Johnson, last year's top pick out of Texas, became a starter but lacked the big-play pop president and general manager Carl Peterson was seeking. Defensive lineman Ryan Sims, the No. 4 overall pick in 2002, has struggled to become a starter.
Hulking defensive lineman Junior Siavii, their first pick in 2004, has made more news for his part in a training camp fracas in Minneapolis last summer than for his play.
But Kansas City has no choice but to look again toward defense.
Peterson finally cut loose cornerback Eric Warfield and backup Dexter McCleon, when it looked as though the Chiefs would be several million dollars over the salary cap, and now has nobody to play opposite Patrick Surtain.
Peterson and Bill Kuharich, vice president of player personnel, have all but conceded that cornerback and defensive end will be priorities, despite signing Lenny Walls, Chris Johnson and Carlos Hall in free agency.
"We'd like to think that's a position that has some depth and quality," Peterson said of the defensive backs available. "There are going to be some in the first or second round which you would hope could come in and help immediately."
That should suit Edwards, a former defensive back, just fine.
Edwards helped draft Brian Kelly, and Donnie Abraham and Ronde Barber became Pro Bowl players in Tampa Bay under his watch. He also picked nine cornerbacks in five years with the New York Jets.
But if the Chiefs wait until the second round to draft a cornerback, they most certainly will look to defensive end first - another position that has a decent amount of depth and talent in the draft.
North Carolina State's Manny Lawson and Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka are both possibilities, as is Florida State defensive end Kamerion Wimbley, whom Kuharich showered with praise but whose stock would have to slip.
"When you're evaluating, you go through the breakdown of a player of his ability to get off the ball, use his hands to get off the blocker. Wimbley has a lot of those things," Kuharich said. "He's a good prospect."
If the Chiefs look to offense, it could be at wide receiver, where reserves Marc Boerigter and Chris Horn both left in free agency. Peterson also mentioned the need for offensive line and quarterback projects in the later rounds, who could be developed to help replace aging stars Willie Roaf, Will Shields and Trent Green.
"I like to think, if you look at our roster, there are some good, young, talented players at every position," Peterson said. "You try to look ahead there, but sometimes you just have to make decisions."
And making the right decisions in the draft could be the difference between another year spent squandering a high-powered offense, and Kansas City winning its first playoff game since 1993.
"We've won a lot of games here and we've been very successful, but we want to take the next step," Edwards said. "Our guys are well aware of that. This is a winning team. Now we have to get to the next level."
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Royals, Chiefs await tax vote
Sports fans awaited the results of a vote on two stadium-improvement tax increases Tuesday that some warn could determine whether Kansas City remains a major league town.
The measures on the ballot in Jackson County were designed to raise more than $500 million to renovate Kauffman Stadium, where baseball's Kansas City Royals play, and Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.
A three-eighth-cent sales tax would raise $425 million over 25 years to renovate the stadiums and add such things as a pavilion behind the baseball stadium. A separate user tax would generate about $200 million for a rolling roof that would make both facilities climate-controlled.
The teams' owners have pledged, together, more than $125 million toward the renovations. But arguments have raged for weeks over whether the Royals' David Glass and the Chiefs' Lamar Hunt were putting up enough of their own money.
During the run-up to the vote, the owners did not threaten to leave town if the measures failed, but they refused to promise they would stay.
A no vote would mean the Jackson County Sports Authority, the body that governs operations of the stadiums, would be in violation of a requirement in its lease that it maintain the facilities in "state of the art" condition. After Jan. 1, 2007, the Royals and Chiefs would both be free to leave.
Supporters of the tax increases pointed to other cities that have lost franchises beloved by their communities - Cleveland's Browns and Baltimore's Colts, for example - over basically the same issue, inadequate stadiums.
The NFL pledged to award Kansas City a Super Bowl in 2015 if the measures passed, and Major League Baseball said it would give the city an All-Star Game sometime after 2010.
Sports fans awaited the results of a vote on two stadium-improvement tax increases Tuesday that some warn could determine whether Kansas City remains a major league town.
The measures on the ballot in Jackson County were designed to raise more than $500 million to renovate Kauffman Stadium, where baseball's Kansas City Royals play, and Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.
A three-eighth-cent sales tax would raise $425 million over 25 years to renovate the stadiums and add such things as a pavilion behind the baseball stadium. A separate user tax would generate about $200 million for a rolling roof that would make both facilities climate-controlled.
The teams' owners have pledged, together, more than $125 million toward the renovations. But arguments have raged for weeks over whether the Royals' David Glass and the Chiefs' Lamar Hunt were putting up enough of their own money.
During the run-up to the vote, the owners did not threaten to leave town if the measures failed, but they refused to promise they would stay.
A no vote would mean the Jackson County Sports Authority, the body that governs operations of the stadiums, would be in violation of a requirement in its lease that it maintain the facilities in "state of the art" condition. After Jan. 1, 2007, the Royals and Chiefs would both be free to leave.
Supporters of the tax increases pointed to other cities that have lost franchises beloved by their communities - Cleveland's Browns and Baltimore's Colts, for example - over basically the same issue, inadequate stadiums.
The NFL pledged to award Kansas City a Super Bowl in 2015 if the measures passed, and Major League Baseball said it would give the city an All-Star Game sometime after 2010.
Chiefs add veteran cornerback Walls
The Kansas City Chiefs signed free-agent cornerback Lenny Walls on Tuesday, giving the club an experienced cornerback to play opposite Patrick Surtain.
Terms of the one-year deal were not announced.
The team was looking for help in the defensive backfield after releasing Eric Warfield last month, when it looked like the Chiefs were going to be several million dollars over the salary cap if the NFL and its players' union did not reach a labor deal.
The 26-year-old Walls started for the Denver Broncos in 2003, but injuries limited his playing time the past two years. The 6-foot-4 cornerback started three times in 2005 before a groin injury put him on the injured-reserve list. He was later released.
Walls is expected to compete with Julian Battle, Benny Sapp and Alphonso Hodge for a spot in the starting lineup. The Chiefs may also add another cornerback through free agency or the draft.
Warfield, an eight-year veteran, started 10 games at right cornerback last season after sitting out the first four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He signed with the New England Patriots on Monday.
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The Kansas City Chiefs signed free-agent cornerback Lenny Walls on Tuesday, giving the club an experienced cornerback to play opposite Patrick Surtain.
Terms of the one-year deal were not announced.
The team was looking for help in the defensive backfield after releasing Eric Warfield last month, when it looked like the Chiefs were going to be several million dollars over the salary cap if the NFL and its players' union did not reach a labor deal.
The 26-year-old Walls started for the Denver Broncos in 2003, but injuries limited his playing time the past two years. The 6-foot-4 cornerback started three times in 2005 before a groin injury put him on the injured-reserve list. He was later released.
Walls is expected to compete with Julian Battle, Benny Sapp and Alphonso Hodge for a spot in the starting lineup. The Chiefs may also add another cornerback through free agency or the draft.
Warfield, an eight-year veteran, started 10 games at right cornerback last season after sitting out the first four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He signed with the New England Patriots on Monday.
DisplayOAS3 = '1'
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Chiefs sign Griffin, Gammon to one-year deals
The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Denver Broncos running back Quentin Griffin to a one-year contract Friday, giving Larry Johnson a veteran backup if Priest Holmes decides to retire.Terms of the deal were not announced.Griffin appeared in 16 games his first two seasons with the Broncos, rushing for 656 yards and two touchdowns and catching 18 passes for 129 yards. He went to training camp in 2005 but was released before the regular season.Holmes has not decided whether to return in 2006 after suffering a spinal injury following a helmet-to-helmet hit in a game Oct. 30 against the San Diego Chargers.The Chiefs also announced a one-year contract with tight end Kendall Gammon, who was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl as a long snapper but missed the final six games last season with a leg injury.Gammon had played in 218 consecutive games to begin his 14-year career, spent with the Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.Terms of his contract were not announced.
The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Denver Broncos running back Quentin Griffin to a one-year contract Friday, giving Larry Johnson a veteran backup if Priest Holmes decides to retire.Terms of the deal were not announced.Griffin appeared in 16 games his first two seasons with the Broncos, rushing for 656 yards and two touchdowns and catching 18 passes for 129 yards. He went to training camp in 2005 but was released before the regular season.Holmes has not decided whether to return in 2006 after suffering a spinal injury following a helmet-to-helmet hit in a game Oct. 30 against the San Diego Chargers.The Chiefs also announced a one-year contract with tight end Kendall Gammon, who was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl as a long snapper but missed the final six games last season with a leg injury.Gammon had played in 218 consecutive games to begin his 14-year career, spent with the Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.Terms of his contract were not announced.
Richardson leaves Chiefs for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings reached terms Tuesday on a two-year contract with free-agent fullback Tony Richardson.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The move ends Richardson's career-long tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I am personally disappointed that we were not able to work out a new contract for Tony Richardson," said Chiefs president Carl Peterson. "Obviously, his contributions both on and off the field in his 10 years here have been outstanding."
Richardson, one of the NFL's finest lead blockers, rushed only six times for 20 yards in 16 starts last season.
The two-time Pro Bowler also caught nine passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson has totalled 395 carries for 1,576 yards and 15 touchdowns in 163 NFL games (94 starts) since signing a free-agent pact with Kansas City on Feb. 28. 1995.
The Minnesota Vikings reached terms Tuesday on a two-year contract with free-agent fullback Tony Richardson.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The move ends Richardson's career-long tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I am personally disappointed that we were not able to work out a new contract for Tony Richardson," said Chiefs president Carl Peterson. "Obviously, his contributions both on and off the field in his 10 years here have been outstanding."
Richardson, one of the NFL's finest lead blockers, rushed only six times for 20 yards in 16 starts last season.
The two-time Pro Bowler also caught nine passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson has totalled 395 carries for 1,576 yards and 15 touchdowns in 163 NFL games (94 starts) since signing a free-agent pact with Kansas City on Feb. 28. 1995.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Edwards’ Experience Invaluable at NFL Combine
New Chiefs coach Herm Edwards is still a scout at heart.
Before embarking on his coaching career in the NFL, Edwards was a college scout for the Chiefs and every week traveled to remote campuses, spent hours and hours in film rooms, attended practices in searing heat and bone-chilling cold and worked long nights writing detailed reports on the chance the club might use one of its draft picks on the hundreds of players he graded.
So when the Chiefs begin evaluating the 330 college players attending the NFL scouting combine that begins today at the RCA Dome, Edwards will see them through the eyes of a scout as well as a coach.
Sometimes, that extra dimension can make a difference in analyzing players.
“I look at them a little different,” Edwards said. “There are certain things you look for as a scout … the things you can’t measure with the stopwatch and the tape measure. Does the guy enjoy playing football? Why is he playing football? Is he playing it for the opportunity to make a lot of money, or is he playing it because he likes football?
“The first-, second-, third-round guys, their talent jumps out at you because they have measurables. They’re big, fast, athletic, strong … all those guys have those traits of being a first-day guy. But why don’t all those guys make it? There’s a reason. Talent alone gets you in the league; it doesn’t keep you in the league.
“As a scout, you realize that. A coach is busy coaching football while these scouts are out there doing all the ground work, gathering that information.”
The scouting staff appreciates Edwards’ understanding of their jobs and how they will contribute to this year’s draft.
“Herm knows what we go through,” said Chuck Cook, the Chiefs’ director of college scouting. “We’ve worked since August on these guys. He believes in the scouts, he believes in what we say and is going to push us to get up on the table and stay on our conviction of a guy if we really have that gut feeling.
“He’s going to lean on us, and I think (the draft) is going to be more scout-driven than in the past. Dick (Vermeil) listened to us, Marty (Schottenheimer) listened to us. … but I know Herman has been in the same firing line that we’ve been in.”
Edwards wants to know everything about a player from the way he practices to how he competes not against other players but against himself.
“My big deal is the good players always compete against themselves,” Edwards said. “That way, their level of play never varies. If you play to the competition, you limit yourself. The competition some weeks at some schools, you should beat them by 30. If you have a great game against them, you should have a great game. But if you don’t, you’re playing to the level of competition.
“The good players have learned you set your own standards as a player. You don’t let the opponent determine how you’re going to play that week.”
Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson, who hired Edwards as a scout in 1990 before Edwards became the club’s secondary coach in 1992, said his new head coach’s perspective “will be refreshing.”
“There are some coaches who are not very good evaluators of talent,” Peterson said. “I already know about Herm’s ability to evaluate players, so I’m very comfortable with that. I’m going to take his opinion into the final decision (of drafting players) with a renewed interest …
“I’m going to solicit and want his opinion and input with all these players we’re going to be seeing at the combine. I don’t know that it will be more so than with Marty, Gunther (Cunningham) and Dick, but I really respect that he can and will look at it, not only from a coach’s viewpoint, but from a player personnel scout’s viewpoint.”
Edwards’ imprint on this draft could be especially important because the Chiefs, who have the 20th pick in the first round, have targeted cornerback and safety as primary needs. Edwards spent seven of eight years as a secondary coach with the Chiefs and Tampa Bay before he became the New York Jets’ head coach in 2001.
When the Chiefs make their first pick April 29, the decision-making process will be similar to past years.
“Everyone will have their point of view, their day in court,” Edwards said. “At the end of the day, Carl and I will huddle up. You gather enough information on the guy, from the scouts, coaches, and then you make the decision. Then when you get him here, you have to coach him. Then it’s on the coach.”
New Chiefs coach Herm Edwards is still a scout at heart.
Before embarking on his coaching career in the NFL, Edwards was a college scout for the Chiefs and every week traveled to remote campuses, spent hours and hours in film rooms, attended practices in searing heat and bone-chilling cold and worked long nights writing detailed reports on the chance the club might use one of its draft picks on the hundreds of players he graded.
So when the Chiefs begin evaluating the 330 college players attending the NFL scouting combine that begins today at the RCA Dome, Edwards will see them through the eyes of a scout as well as a coach.
Sometimes, that extra dimension can make a difference in analyzing players.
“I look at them a little different,” Edwards said. “There are certain things you look for as a scout … the things you can’t measure with the stopwatch and the tape measure. Does the guy enjoy playing football? Why is he playing football? Is he playing it for the opportunity to make a lot of money, or is he playing it because he likes football?
“The first-, second-, third-round guys, their talent jumps out at you because they have measurables. They’re big, fast, athletic, strong … all those guys have those traits of being a first-day guy. But why don’t all those guys make it? There’s a reason. Talent alone gets you in the league; it doesn’t keep you in the league.
“As a scout, you realize that. A coach is busy coaching football while these scouts are out there doing all the ground work, gathering that information.”
The scouting staff appreciates Edwards’ understanding of their jobs and how they will contribute to this year’s draft.
“Herm knows what we go through,” said Chuck Cook, the Chiefs’ director of college scouting. “We’ve worked since August on these guys. He believes in the scouts, he believes in what we say and is going to push us to get up on the table and stay on our conviction of a guy if we really have that gut feeling.
“He’s going to lean on us, and I think (the draft) is going to be more scout-driven than in the past. Dick (Vermeil) listened to us, Marty (Schottenheimer) listened to us. … but I know Herman has been in the same firing line that we’ve been in.”
Edwards wants to know everything about a player from the way he practices to how he competes not against other players but against himself.
“My big deal is the good players always compete against themselves,” Edwards said. “That way, their level of play never varies. If you play to the competition, you limit yourself. The competition some weeks at some schools, you should beat them by 30. If you have a great game against them, you should have a great game. But if you don’t, you’re playing to the level of competition.
“The good players have learned you set your own standards as a player. You don’t let the opponent determine how you’re going to play that week.”
Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson, who hired Edwards as a scout in 1990 before Edwards became the club’s secondary coach in 1992, said his new head coach’s perspective “will be refreshing.”
“There are some coaches who are not very good evaluators of talent,” Peterson said. “I already know about Herm’s ability to evaluate players, so I’m very comfortable with that. I’m going to take his opinion into the final decision (of drafting players) with a renewed interest …
“I’m going to solicit and want his opinion and input with all these players we’re going to be seeing at the combine. I don’t know that it will be more so than with Marty, Gunther (Cunningham) and Dick, but I really respect that he can and will look at it, not only from a coach’s viewpoint, but from a player personnel scout’s viewpoint.”
Edwards’ imprint on this draft could be especially important because the Chiefs, who have the 20th pick in the first round, have targeted cornerback and safety as primary needs. Edwards spent seven of eight years as a secondary coach with the Chiefs and Tampa Bay before he became the New York Jets’ head coach in 2001.
When the Chiefs make their first pick April 29, the decision-making process will be similar to past years.
“Everyone will have their point of view, their day in court,” Edwards said. “At the end of the day, Carl and I will huddle up. You gather enough information on the guy, from the scouts, coaches, and then you make the decision. Then when you get him here, you have to coach him. Then it’s on the coach.”
Waters Agree on Six-Year Extension
Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters has agreed to a six-year contract extension, the team said Wednesday.
Waters has made the Pro Bowl the last two seasons. Terms were not disclosed.
Waters started his NFL career with Dallas in 1999 but was cut, signing with Kansas City about six months later.
Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters has agreed to a six-year contract extension, the team said Wednesday.
Waters has made the Pro Bowl the last two seasons. Terms were not disclosed.
Waters started his NFL career with Dallas in 1999 but was cut, signing with Kansas City about six months later.
49ers Cut Plummer, Two Others
The 49ers have cut cornerback Ahmed Plummer, wide receiver Johnnie Morton and defensive end Chris Cooper, the team announced Thursday.
Plummer missed most of past two seasons with injuries and was one of the most highly paid players on the team. Morton was a free-agent acquisition from the Kansas City Chiefs. Cooper spent the season on injured reserve.
After signing a lucrative contract in 2004, Plummer missed most of that season with a bulging disc in his neck and sat out all but few games in 2005 with an injured ankle. He signed a five-year, $25 million contract as the team's top cornerback but has had little opportunity to prove he is worth the money.
The situation led to exasperation from coach Mike Nolan and to open derision from fans.
The 49ers selected him in the first round (24th overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft.
The 49ers have cut cornerback Ahmed Plummer, wide receiver Johnnie Morton and defensive end Chris Cooper, the team announced Thursday.
Plummer missed most of past two seasons with injuries and was one of the most highly paid players on the team. Morton was a free-agent acquisition from the Kansas City Chiefs. Cooper spent the season on injured reserve.
After signing a lucrative contract in 2004, Plummer missed most of that season with a bulging disc in his neck and sat out all but few games in 2005 with an injured ankle. He signed a five-year, $25 million contract as the team's top cornerback but has had little opportunity to prove he is worth the money.
The situation led to exasperation from coach Mike Nolan and to open derision from fans.
The 49ers selected him in the first round (24th overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Chiefs Agree to Terms with Three Free Agents
The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to terms Tuesday with three free agents.
Offensive lineman Thomas Barnett and cornerback Michael Bragg signed two-year contracts, and wide receiver Darrell Hill agreed to a one-year deal. Terms of the contracts were not announced.
The 6-foot-4, 314-pound Barnett spent time in the Chiefs training camp the past two years before being released. The former Kansas State Wildcat spent 2004 with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.
Hill, a seventh-round draft pick of Tennessee in 2002, has also spent time in the Chiefs training camp.
Bragg joined the New York Giants as a rookie free agent last year before being released.
The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to terms Tuesday with three free agents.
Offensive lineman Thomas Barnett and cornerback Michael Bragg signed two-year contracts, and wide receiver Darrell Hill agreed to a one-year deal. Terms of the contracts were not announced.
The 6-foot-4, 314-pound Barnett spent time in the Chiefs training camp the past two years before being released. The former Kansas State Wildcat spent 2004 with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.
Hill, a seventh-round draft pick of Tennessee in 2002, has also spent time in the Chiefs training camp.
Bragg joined the New York Giants as a rookie free agent last year before being released.
Advocates kick off effort for stadium taxes
Politicians, civic boosters and professional sports executives on Thursday kicked off a campaign to persuade Jackson County voters to approve $1 billion in tax increases to finance a roof over Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, extensive renovations and 25 years' worth of future upgrades.
Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes highlighted the potential of hosting Super Bowl games, All-Star baseball games, college championship tournaments and extreme sport competitions at a roofed and renovated Truman Sports Complex.
"What if the Jayhawks - or maybe the Tigers - could make it to the Final Four, and that Final Four was held right here in Kansas City?" Barnes said.
Jackson County voters will decide April 4 on two tax proposals.
Question 1 seeks a three-eighths-cent sales tax that would raise an estimated $850 million to pay off at least $425 million in construction bonds as part of a $575 million concourse expansion plan at the sports complex. Excess taxes will pay interest and help pay for ongoing repairs, upgrades and renovations.
Question 2 calls for raising $200 million with a tax on goods used inside Jackson County but bought outside Missouri. The use tax would finance a rolling roof capable of making Arrowhead an indoor stadium or of sheltering Kauffman Stadium from sun or rain.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been seeking a roof as part of stadium improvements since Nov. 17, when NFL owners decided to give Arrowhead Stadium a Super Bowl game in 2015 or 2017 if the stadium has a climate-controlled enclosure by 2010.
Politicians, civic boosters and professional sports executives on Thursday kicked off a campaign to persuade Jackson County voters to approve $1 billion in tax increases to finance a roof over Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, extensive renovations and 25 years' worth of future upgrades.
Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes highlighted the potential of hosting Super Bowl games, All-Star baseball games, college championship tournaments and extreme sport competitions at a roofed and renovated Truman Sports Complex.
"What if the Jayhawks - or maybe the Tigers - could make it to the Final Four, and that Final Four was held right here in Kansas City?" Barnes said.
Jackson County voters will decide April 4 on two tax proposals.
Question 1 seeks a three-eighths-cent sales tax that would raise an estimated $850 million to pay off at least $425 million in construction bonds as part of a $575 million concourse expansion plan at the sports complex. Excess taxes will pay interest and help pay for ongoing repairs, upgrades and renovations.
Question 2 calls for raising $200 million with a tax on goods used inside Jackson County but bought outside Missouri. The use tax would finance a rolling roof capable of making Arrowhead an indoor stadium or of sheltering Kauffman Stadium from sun or rain.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been seeking a roof as part of stadium improvements since Nov. 17, when NFL owners decided to give Arrowhead Stadium a Super Bowl game in 2015 or 2017 if the stadium has a climate-controlled enclosure by 2010.
