Gordon aiming to rebound in '08

See, the Royals can make it onto ESPN.com for good reasons... sometimes. Check out Jerry Crasnick's column on Alex Gordon. He elaborates on some of the points I made in an earlier February post about how the Royals could eclipse the 81 win mark. Anyone ready for opening day? 

Here we go again

After reading this story from Tuesday's Kansas City Star, I think that buying season tickets to the Kansas City Brigade may be a better option than investing in more Chiefs tickets for 2008.

Brigade home opener

If you're a fan of Herm Edwards' old-school style of football (strong run game, hawkish defense and error-free special teams), you probably won't agree with the assessment I made while attending my first Arena Football League game.

However, I, for one, am not a big supporter of Edwards' decades-old philosophy. So, the fact that the Kansas City Brigade ran the ball about five or six times the entire game didn't bother me at all. I didn't mind that the Brigade's defense was mediocre at best. And, as far as special teams go, there isn't even a punter on the team's roster.

The Brigade's season opener against the Tampa Bay Storm on Saturday at the Sprint Center was really something else. Purist football minds such as Edwards most likely despise the AFL's concept and rules. But I don't see how fans of sports, in general, couldn't be impressed.

For one, many Kansas City residents already know that the Sprint Center offers a great indoor experience for all types of entertainment. It really is a top-notch option for such sporting events. As far as the game went, there was constant, face-paced action. Even though the Brigade lost by a last-second field goal, the game was extremely entertaining. One reason that fans remain attentive is because a running clock has been implemented throughout AFL games, other than during timeouts or less than two minutes remaining in the second or fourth quarters. So the games are much shorter than average NFL games (the game started at five and ended about 7:30). Also, even during timeouts and intermissions, something was happening, whether it was a field goal competition or beach ball race. And the halftime show featured the Marching Cobras, one of the most energetic acts around.

The Sprint Center was probably about half-full, and I didn't quite understand this. I was invited by a friend to the game, but the price listed on my ticket was $8. The athletic entertainment is really unlike any other sport, and we were back to our vehicle before 8 p.m. I would recommend dropping by a Brigade game sometime this season. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you'll hate it. But at least give it a shot. The worst thing that could happen is that you'll be out eight bucks and 2 1/2 hours.