Midwest Sports Fan Blog

Even as the losses piled up, Trey Hillman never lost the respect of his players or the Kansas City Royals’ management.

It was evident in the way the Royals allowed him to manage one last game, in the tears that filled general manager Dayton Moore’s eyes as he spoke about the man he hired to rebuild a struggling franchise.

Those losses were just too hard to overlook.

The Royals needed a change and, tough as it was, Hillman had to take the fall.

Hillman became the first manager to get fired this season, bowing out with a graceful exit and a win in his final game on Thursday.

Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost will move from the front office to replace Hillman in the dugout for the remainder of the season.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Before you even ask, yes — Luke Hochevar’s bruised left ankle is fine.


At least that’s what Hochevar, who starts for the Royals tonight against Detroit, has been saying since he was hit by a line drive in his last outing, an exhibition loss to Texas on Friday.

“It’s not even an issue,” Hochevar said after Monday’s 8-4 loss to Detroit at Kauffman Stadium. “I haven’t felt it since I got hit. There’s no swelling, no bruising.”

It’s a good thing the ankle is the least of his concerns right now. This is clearly a big year for Hochevar, and the last thing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft needs is a distraction. He’s trying to get off to a strong start and put a disappointing 2009 season behind him.

Click here to read the full article – By TEREZ A. PAYLOR of The Kansas City Star

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Kansas City signed running back Thomas Jones to a two-year deal worth $5 million, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Chiefs announced the deal Tuesday but declined to disclose the terms.

Jones was released by the Jets last week after being due a $3 million roster bonus on top of a $2.8 million base salary this season. He and the Jets failed to reach a compromise on restructuring his contract; the team wanted him to take a pay cut.

Jones wasn’t the only running back on Kansas City’s radar. After spending Tuesday with the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers free-agent running back Willie Parker was scheduled to visit the Chiefs on Thursday, a league source told Schefter, but the trip was canceled when Jones entered the fold.

The Chiefs also met with Justin Fargas on Tuesday, according to a league source.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

As expected, the Kansas City Chiefs have officially hired Romeo Crennel to be their new defensive coordinator, a source close to the situation tells ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Crennel, who replaces Clancy Pendergast, reunites with general manager Scott Pioli and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who all worked together in New England during their Super Bowl runs. Weis was hired by Kansas City last week following his ouster as Notre Dame’s coach.

The Chiefs informed Pendergast early Wednesday that they would be terminating his contract one year after hiring him from Arizona, sources close to the situation told Schefter. Potential landing spots for Pendergast could include Atlanta, which did not renew the contract of defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas.

Crennel will not start work for Kansas City for a couple of weeks because of a prior commitment — he’ll be the head coach of the East Team in the East-West college football all-star game on Jan. 23 in Orlando, Fla.


Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

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Larry Johnson’s record-breaking career as a Kansas City running back is over.


The Chiefs confirmed Monday that they had run out of patience with his off-the-field problems and released Johnson the day he was due to come back from his second suspension in a year.

Johnson, who turns 30 on Nov. 19, was just 75 yards away from breaking Priest Holmes’ team rushing record.

The decision by the Chiefs (1-7) was not a surprise.

“A part of him is excited and a part of him is very regretful,” Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer, told The Associated Press. “There’s a lot of feelings going on right now. It’s analogous to breaking up with a girlfriend. Maybe you saw it coming, but it still hurts when it happens.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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Below are links to memorabilia available for Larry Johnson.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, who made two gay slurs within a 24-hour period, was given what amounts to a one-game suspension Wednesday night, but Johnson’s agent said he would appeal.

Agent Peter Schaffer said the game check and other lost revenue would amount to about a penalty of about $600,000 for the former two-time Pro Bowl player.

In a three-sentence release, the Chiefs said Johnson would be suspended until Monday, Nov. 9 for conduct detrimental to the team. The Chiefs are on their bye week and will not play again until traveling to Jacksonville on Nov. 8.

The Chiefs had been saying for three days that they were “investigating” the situation. Johnson was told to stay away from the team on Tuesday.

Schaffer said he had consulted with the Players Association about the appeal.


Click here to read the full article – By DOUG TUCKER of The Associated Press

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Todd Haley stepped into a hallway, the tears still in his eyes and the praise still coming. Somebody handed him a cell phone. It was his wife. That didn’t help the overflow of emotion that he was experiencing.


“I’ve been waiting to enjoy one of these,” said Haley, the Chiefs’ coach.

The postgame meeting and a different kind of news conference behind him, Haley took a breath and absorbed what it meant to get his first victory as Kansas City’s head coach, a 14-6 win at Washington. His shirt was still soaked after an ice bath, and his eyes remained red from four hours of cold and ending five weeks of losses. Haley, 42, leaned against a wall and was honest about the day’s importance.

Click here to read the full article – By KENT BABB of Kansas City Star

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The Chiefs were determined to stand up this time to the bullies from the NFC East and, with some timely help in the form of Dallas turnovers, they did.


Sunday’s game against the Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium was theirs for the taking. But as with their tackling on so many long passes to Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin, they failed to grab hold.

So the result, a 26-20 loss in overtime, was familiar to the 0-5 Chiefs. They’ve now lost 28 of their last 30 games.

Their method was different. They used two early Dallas turnovers to build a 13-3 lead.

Even after falling behind 20-13 in the final moments of regulation play, the Chiefs showed some spunk. They went downfield for the tying touchdown, scoring on Matt Cassel’s 16-yard, fourth-down pass to Dwayne Bowe with 24 seconds left.


Click here to read the full article – By ADAM TEICHER of Kansas City Star

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The dizzying pace of change accelerated Wednesday at Chiefs headquarters. They made one change in their starting lineup and filled two roster vacancies with available free agents.

Coach Todd Haley promised more of the same until the Chiefs find a better roster combination than the one that delivered them to an 0-3 start.

“We’re in the process of shaping this team. It’s critical that we understand and all the players understand and everybody really understands this is the beginning stages of the process,” Haley said. “One thing that’s going to be clear to the players is that there’s going to be changes here as we try to improve and get better each week. They can’t let it affect them in any way, shape or form other than to push them to be better each and every day they’re in here and each and every Sunday.

“We’ve been clear with the guys about that. That’s the way we’ll continue to operate.”


Click here to read the full article – By ADAM TEICHER of The Witchita Eagle

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