As the year comes to an end, SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, is breaking down Kansas City’s most influential figures from 2025. Star columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss five people — two players, two administrators and a coach — who helped shape the region’s sports landscape and tell the story of our teams. Who made the list? It starts with Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, who last week announced the franchise would leave its home of more than a half-century, Arrowhead Stadium, and relocate to Wyandotte County, Kansas, for the 2031 season. Also, Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney breaks down the Chiefs’ Week 18 road game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. What’s at stake for the Chiefs, beside draft position? Check out this week’s podcast. SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Randy Mason, Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen.   

It’s the biggest Kansas City professional sports franchise move in more than five decades. The Chiefs are moving to Kansas. The team and state made the major announcement Monday in Topeka, and on SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR, columnist Sam McDowell breaks down why the decision to relocate was made and what it means to the team and metropolitan area. After a break, Royals beat writer Jaylon Thompson provides an update on the latest moves by the Royals. They’ve added outfield help but is it enough? SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Randy Mason, Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen.   

The Chiefs have reached a stopping point.  They won’t be in the playoffs thanks to last weekend’s loss to the LA Chargers, ending Kansas City’s 10-year run of postseason appearances, the second longest in NFL history. But the biggest news was Patrick Mahomes suffering a season-ending knee injury. He underwent surgery Monday and the recovery has started — but his timetable to return is uncertain.  On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney and Star columnist Sam McDowell discuss this new reality for the Chiefs and what it means as the team closes out 2025. SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen

Another week, another painful loss for the Chiefs.  This time to the Houston Texans at home, resulting in serious damage to their playoff chances.  On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell explain how the Chiefs fell for the fourth time in five games.  Then, we talked Kansas City’s draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Star reporter Pete Grathoff breaks down the group stage games coming to KC, starting with the opening game for defending champion Argentina. In a whirlwind of events at Kansas State, the Wildcats had a football coach resign, hired a popular replacement and turned down an invitation to a bowl game. Beat writer Kellis Robinett catches his breath to share his thoughts on the developments. SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen

Another week, another huge game for the Chiefs and their playoff chances.  This time, the Houston Texans visit Kansas City on “Sunday Night Football,” and the teams are headed in different directions. The Chiefs have dropped three of four; the Texans have won four straight. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney breaks down the keys for a Chiefs win, KC’s playoff chances and the latest troubling issue: injuries on the offensive line. Then, we look ahead at the upcoming draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That’s when teams will assigned positions for the group stage games. SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen.   

It’s not a happy Thanksgiving for the Chiefs.  Playing on the holiday for the first time in nearly two decades, the Chiefs dropped a 31-28 decision to the Dallas Cowboys and damaged their playoff chances. How much? On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell share their thoughts on what went wrong and how the outcome impacts the season. Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes in his NFL debut at the stadium near where he grew up, but it wasn’t enough to overcome poor defense, penalties and other problems. Check out our full coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/ 

Things were looking bleak for the Chiefs in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. A drive ended with Kareem Hunt’s fumble — was that really his first lost fumble since 2017? — and the Chiefs trailed by 11 points. But the defense held, Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice and Kareem Hunt put the offense in gear and the Chiefs rallied for a 23-20 overtime victory at Arrowhead Stadium in a game that may have saved their season. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, Star columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian along with Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney break down the biggest moments from the win, what it means for the Chiefs’ playoff chances and look ahead to the Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen.   

With consecutive losses, the Chiefs have hit a rough patch. Can they work free or are they stuck? Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney breaks down where things stand with a Chiefs team, coming off the loss in Denver and having to face another division leader this weekend in the Indianapolis Colts. Also, a shakeup at the Current since falling in their NWSL playoff opener included Vlatko Andonovski the coach who guided the organization’s most successful regular season. Where did he land?  Soccer correspondent Daniel Sperry discusses Current’s moves, plus how Sporting KC can benefit from the MLS’s decision to switch its playing calendar to align with major European leagues. SportsBeat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Randy Mason, Monty Davis, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen.   

Not often in the Patrick Mahomes era have the Chiefs looked up in the AFC West standing this late in the season. But here they are in third place with a 5-4 record, making Sunday’s game at the first-place Denver Broncos critical to their division chances. On SportsBeat KC, Chiefs Insider Pete Sweeney and Star columnist Sam McDowell discuss the game and what it will take for the Chiefs to capture a 10th straight AFC West title — and if rookie left tackle Josh Simmons returns this week, how much should he play? Also, Star soccer correspondent Daniel Sperry breaks down the crushing end to the KC Current’s playoff run, a loss to Gotham FC in the NWSL quarterfinals. Sports Beat KC is the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, hosted by Blair Kerkhoff. It’s produced by Randy Mason, Irvin Zhang, Suzanne Hogan, and Gabriella Lacey, and edited by Jeff Rosen and Scott Chasen.   

The Chiefs have crossed the halfway point of their schedule, and if the season ended today they wouldn’t be in the playoffs. It’s a strange place to be for the team that’s played in five of the last six Super Bowls. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, Star columnist Sam McDowell shares his thoughts on where thing stand with the Chiefs, starting with Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. The sequence at the end of the first half in which the Chiefs settled for a field goal from the 1, was critical in the outcome, according to McDowell. As the Chiefs head into a bye week, we look at the second half of the season and speculate what it’s going to take to make the postseason for an 11th straight year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs keep rolling. They polished off the Washington Commanders 28-7 on Monday Night Football for their third straight victory and fifth in the last six games. It also sets them up nicely for a showdown on the road Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, Chiefs beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian break down the triumph and look ahead to Sunday’s huge game against the Buffalo Bills. After a break, we discuss the big events in college football last weekend. The news was good for Kansas State. Not so much for Kansas and Missouri, not to mention a bunch of coaches who have been fired recently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs won in a way NFL teams aren’t supposed to win. They dominated the Las Vegas Raiders in a 31-0 victory and held the visitors to three first downs and fewer than 100 total yards. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR, beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell explain how it happened and what it means for the Chiefs, who return to action on “Monday Night Football” against the Washington Commanders. Also, the Chiefs welcomed back receiver Rashee Rice — and he delivered a big game — but are still missing left tackle Josh Simmons, and now defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott could be lost for the season. The Sunflower Showdown arrives this weekend when Kansas State travels to Kansas. The Wildcats own a 16-game winning streak in the series, but beat writers Kellis Robinett and Shreyas Laddha discuss why both teams are feeling pressure in this game. Check out this week’s podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs delivered their best performance of the season by defeating the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. Patrick Mahomes played like an MVP, and we know what looks like. The Chiefs defense held the Lions to less than half of their scoring total, and they got a solid performance from a new starter, left tackle Jaylon Moore. Columnist Sam McDowell Chiefs beat writer Pete Sweeney break it down on SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR and looking ahead to the long-awaited return of wide receiver Rashee Rice, who comes off his season-opening six-game suspension in time for Sunday’s home game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Also, we discuss the latest developments in the Kansas City stadium story. What does it mean to have a new Jackson County executive? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs had control of their Monday Night Football game at Jacksonville, then lost it, regained it, and finally went down to defeat. On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Kansas City Star and KCUR, beat writer Pete Sweeney breaks down what went wrong in the crushing 31-28 loss. In other topics, the FIFA World Cup in North America is ninth months away, and Kansas City will be part of the action. What progress has been made? KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer provides a snapshot of what’s been happening, and what needs to happen as Kansas City prepares for the world’s biggest sporting event. Missouri takes on Alabama on Saturday in one of the biggest college football games in the Tigers’ SEC era. We preview the college football weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs played a complete game and the Royals completed a season. Both are topics on SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR. Chiefs beat writer Pete Sweeney breaks down Kansas City’s convincing 37-20 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens and what it means as they take on an a Jacksonville Jaguars team that suddenly looks rugged. The Royals finished their season with a winning record but missed the playoffs. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? And how does next year shape up? Beat writer Jaylon Thompson joins columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian in the discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All fixed, right? The Chiefs won their first game this season, at the New York Giants on Sunday. It wasn’t artful but a much-needed victory, and the Chiefs might have found a weapon at wide receiver in the process. On SportsBeat KC, sports podcast of The Star and KCUR, beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell break down the triumph near Gotham. and look ahead to Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens. Also, Star correspondent Daniel Sperry reviews the huge soccer weekend in Kansas City. He covers the Current, Sporting KC and the Premier League’s fan festival at the Power & Light District. Was the party at the P&L a preview of what Kansas City can expect with World Cup visitors next summer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 0-2 Chiefs. That hasn’t happened since 2014, Andy Reid’s second year with the organization and three years before Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes. But that’s where the Chiefs stand two weeks into the NFL season with the latest loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell discuss the key factors in the Chiefs’ slow start, especially on the offensive side. When the strong-armed quarterback is the team’s leading rusher you know there are multiple issues. After a break, Royals beat writer Jaylon Thompson and columnist Vahe Gregorian set up the season’s final two weeks and break down the long odds of the Royals’ playoff chances. Hey, it’s late in the year and the Royals remain alive. But a second straight postseason appearance is a longshot...even with Salvador Perez reaching career milestones while improving his Hall of Fame credentials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chiefs find themselves in a rare place, coming off a loss to open the season. They fell to the LA Chargers in Brazil last week and on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, the coverage team breaks down what went wrong. Beat writer Pete Sweeney and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian explain the problems on defense, as the Chargers built an early lead and held on to their first victory over the Chiefs since 2021. Patrick Mahomes was excellent but the Chiefs offense was dealt a major blow early in the game when wide receiver Xavier Worthy suffered a shoulder injury. We cover it all on SportsBeat KC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven months after losing the Super Bowl, the Chiefs are back in action with the regular-season opener on Friday against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Sao Paulo, Brazil of all places. On SportsBeat KC, The Kansas City Star sports podcast, beat writer Pete Sweeney breaks down what to expect from a team bidding for its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance. First, we review the roster moves over the past week that helped shape this team. After a break, we look ahead at how standouts like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and Isiah Pacheco will fare. Also, we submit our final record predictions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Football kicked off last weekend for KU and K-State and the Chiefs are counting down the days to their opener. On SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, we cover the college gridiron with beat writers Kellis Robinett and Shreyas Laddha who covered games in remarkable settings, with mixed results from their teams. After a break, you’ll meet new Chiefs beat writer Pete Sweeney. He breaks down the Chiefs roster with Star columnist Sam McDowell and looks ahead to the Chiefs opener the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices