The Las Vegas Raiders’ commanding victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, 20-14, was a triumph for then-interim head coach Antonio Pierce and the Silver and Black. It forecasted the style of play that Pierce would build a team around in the months after with the hiring of general manager Tom Telesco.

That day also proved to be a rough one for arguably the world’s most prominent couple: Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his mega-star girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Kelce discussed the defeat on a recent episode of the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast. He said that the couple’s first Christmas was “ruined.”

“We got our a– beat by the f—–g Raiders on Christmas. F—–g ruined Christmas, motherf—–s,” Kelce told podcast hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. “[Antonio Pierce], he had those dudes were ready to brawl out there on the field. One hundred percent man. And I love that s–t. I was like, man if we play with that kind of edge, or that kind of toughness, that kind of like don’t f–k with us mentality, we won’t be stopped. And it just kind of ended up like that. But that Raiders game was definitely a turning point.”

The defeat served as a wake-up call for the Chiefs, as they would cap off the regular season with two wins. The Chiefs marched all the way back to the Super Bowl, beating the seemingly unstoppable Baltimore Ravens in the process. The Chiefs are now looking to three-peat in 2024.

The good news for Kelce and the Chiefs is that Christmas Day is behind them and they won’t have to face the Raiders on the holiday in 2024. Instead, they will play the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kelce and Swift have a 50-50 chance of another ruined Christmas.

More bad news arrives for the Chiefs by way of the Silver and Black: the team that was “ready to brawl” will continue to do so under Pierce. The team is better, too. Signing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and drafting linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and cornerback Decamerion Richardson will only bolster what was becoming one of the most physical, and best, defenses in the NFL.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Some of the best soccer players in the world are in Kansas City this week for the Copa America soccer tournament.

The tournament pits the best teams in North and South America against each other once every four years. On Tuesday, Children’s Mercy Park played host to a group-stage match between Peru and Canada. Next Monday, the US Men’s National team is set to host Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium.

The game, and the tournament, are giving Kansas City attention on the global scale.

“It gives Kansas City a great chance to showcase ourselves as a destination, not only for soccer fans in the Midwest and around the country but also internationally, too,” said Kurt Austin, Sporting KC’s Senior Director of Communications. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the city. You see it not only in the events we’ve been able to host in the past but also now looking forward and the events we’re going to be able to host in the future all kind of gearing up towards 2026 with the World Cup.”

Former Sporting KC legend Roger Espinoza played in two World Cups for his home country of Honduras. He says Kansas City is ready for FIFA to come to town.

“Kansas City is ready,” said Espinoza. “They don’t know what’s coming, but I think Kansas City is ready. I think it’s a city that has hosted many events, a lot of championships here, so they know how to host the world.”

Kansas City sports fans say soccer has elevated the city’s standing. The fans told KCTV5 they are grateful the sport has had a positive impact on KC.

“With the World Cup coming, I don’t think everyone is prepared for what kind of money that’s going to bring into the area,” said Ken Dotson, a long-time MLS supporter.

“It’s huge. It’s really putting us on the map, especially with us getting the World Cup, and now the COPA, it’s phenomenal,” said fan Brandon Murphy.

With the eyes of the soccer world on Kansas City on Monday, Espinoza thinks KC is about to put on a show.

“They get to see what we’re all about,” Espinoza said of the international fans. “They get to see that there are true fans here that support the sport.”

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.

Despite the Royals sitting at third place in the American League Central going into Saturday’s tilt opposite division leader Cleveland, Kansas City can win the four-game series outright with a triumph in the set’s penultimate matchup. Left-hander Cole Ragans, whose earned run average sits at just a notch over three even, gets the start for the home team at Kauffman Stadium.

The Guardians (51-29) don’t just lead the division. The resurgent squad, led by first-year manager and former MLB catching veteran Stephen Vogt, has the third-best overall record in the AL. Getting the ball first for the visitors is Tanner Bibee, who is 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 16 games.

Kansas City has a respectable 46-38 record, nearly 10 games over .500 even though it does not occupy either of the top two places in its division’s standings. Part of that is owed to the Guardians’ great first-half start. Reigning division champion Minnesota is in second with a 45-37 record. The Royals, meanwhile, have won three games in a row, including the first two in the ongoing series against Cleveland. On Friday night, Kansas City put up double-digit runs and won 10-3. First pitch Saturday will be at 3:10 p.m. CT.

Live Updates (most recent at top):

Top 1:

Pregame: