A local conservative candidate for KS 3rd Congressional House District, is working with a PAC to bring Candice 0wens to speak at "KC Sporting Training Center" sometime in "mid January." Does anyone have any info on this? Ive called both Pinnacle and various SKC directors to no avail. This quoted info is supported/linked/advertised by the candidate's own campaign web page as "paid for" by the candidate. Its also been tweeted by KC Star reporter/affiliate Bryan Lowry @BryanLowry3 that 0wens "will be appearing in KCK" on the candidate's behalf. This thread could get fire-bombed and taken down by Mods, but before that happens, my memory is we have discussed all things club-related on these pages for many years. If this is indeed Pinnacle hosting, or any SKC facility hosting, I'd certainly like any info that's available. And no, its definitely not bc I want to buy tickets to see CO speak. Thanks.
That is weird. Not just political, but divisively so, and at the training facility? I'm perplexed by this one.
just want to make sure I am super clear, I havent confirmed that its anything related to SKC facilities. All I know is what is stated online: "KC Sporting Training Center". I have about 50 lines in the water right now trying to confirm whether or not the location is/or will be anything SKC related. Trying to give the club the considerable benefit of the doubt, for now.
Its confirmed to my by a campaign staffer. Sporting KC is hosting Candice Owens, at Pinnacle, in January. I called a ton of people at SKC today. I've received zero response from anyone at SKC. But, in the fog of all my phone calls, I rec'd a misguided phone call from the campaign staff itself to help "confirm" my reservation for the "Candice Owens speaking event" in [mid*] January at "PINNACLE." Yes, that's right. Staffer also said that the campaign has a contract with Sporting KC. Under the contract, the campaign is the "host" of the event. Regardless, there's definitely a contract between Sporting KC and the campaign to host Candice Owens. The staffer was clearly confused, and told me to contact "Selena" (sp?) for more info about the contract. When the staffer figured out I was not a friend to the campaign, she then stopped giving me information and said she doesn't have "Selena's" phone number. *the staffer told me the specific event date, but I intend to do absolutely nothing to help promote this event so I wont repeat it here.
for context, Candice Owens believes white nationalism is not a problem for minorities in the US. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/...e-nationalism-not-a-problem-for-minorities-in She has made many public comments on a variety of subjects I wont repeat here. In my view, she profits off fascist ideas and audiences. I personally don't like her. I don't like my club hosting her nor welcoming her to the community. I don't like local consumer money (over 60MM Star Bonds) being used for this purpose. And, I don't like how SKC thinks it can cast ME in the pejorative by taking this action without repercussion. It shows a craven attitude. Its not okay. It raises doubts about the political affiliations of the club's leadership. So, I called the club's leadership and told them so. This will chill my relationship with the club (baring some sort of plausible explanation otherwise). Id urge you all to call the club and voice your concerns, here: https://www.sportingkc.com/club/associate-directory But you know, I could be wrong about SKC's position in all this. Pinnacle is largely publicly funded, obviously. If its an open calendar and the club is obligated to keep an open calendar for x % of public events... then hey, I guess that is what it is to a certain degree.
It does? I mean a few years ago it was reported that leadership had donated money to Brownback (if I remember right). The club's political stance has been fairly well known (or assumed) for a while. And of note, if this gets any more political it probably needs moved to the NSR SKC forum but I'll let the mods @vividox and @KCFutbol make that call.
There is a bit of difference between extremely wealthy individuals promoting a politician who is very pro-big-business... and PragerU.
Buzz -- its okay to acknowledge steps backwards. Did "Sporting KC" ever host Brownback on the campaign trail, outside his official capacity as governor, at any SKC facility? This speaker is not elected, not campaigning, and not governing. Nor is she a Kansan or Missourian. Nor is she in any way soccer-related. The speaker's chief political message is not tax policy. We have to recognize regressive steps toward an even worse present day. Its happening. And SKC appears willingly in the middle of it. All those Cauldron messages about 'too much love to let hate win' are much hollower today. PS _ Id urge mods to not move this to NSR just yet. Traffic on this website likely isnt that onerous at this particular point in the calendar year is it? Sorry if I am not staying in my lane with such request.
Agreed, but not really surprised. The ownership, not surprisingly, leans right. This goes against my political leanings. I understand they have every right to do this, I wish they wouldn't.
To call this "leaning" to the Right is a gross understatement. That said, agree with you about SKCs rights. Unless I am missing some wrinkle in state law about STAR bonds, SKC can host whatever kind of event it wants so long as it doesn't violate state law. I don't like Candice Owens, but I cant claim she has violated or would violate any law.
I'm cool with leaving this here for a bit. It's certainly not soccer related, but has a considerable amount to do with the perception of the ownership of our soccer team. I'll go ahead and throw this out there: I will be moving forward with an absolute zero tolerance policy for pro-facism comments on this forum. This thread should concern itself with the transparency of hosting such a speaker at an SKC facility. That's it. If this starts getting overly political, I'll start monitoring posts very closely, and any pro-fascism comments will result in heavy-handed consequences to the most extreme of my abilities. This is the first and last warning.
Agree. (Im old enough to remember LIVESTRONG. Understandably that was something were someone did something overtly illegal, whereas Owens giving a speech is hardly illegal). Its the sort of thing which should be discussed. From my media inquiries, my best understanding (without the benefit of ANY input from SKC) is that sure, ya, SKC rents out space in the "main hall" of Pinnacle from time to time. It just so happens that this time, its a political campaign. Seems like a bad biz decision, but that's SKC's choice.* Also their choice whether they want to address my complaints publicly or privately to me. All signs currently point toward SKC saying "F OFF." Maybe people don't care. I personally feel relegated to the wilderness of a KC Star Op Ed condemning the club for a lack of good judgment, and a sign of indifference towards its fanbase. But that's like, all I got at this point, man. *ironic given MLS' stance on political speech inside all its stadiums.
Does anyone have a contact over at Cauldron Leadership? And at American Outlaws? I mean USMNT's name is outside of Pinnacle as well and both groups might want to put out a statement against or for this.
I am also very upset that SKC would allow this speaker at Pinnacle. I can live with Illig being supportive of divisive and far right political figures (he has that right), but he should do that in his individual capacity and not directly taint the Club by using its facilities.
"Free speech for me, but not for thee." The overriding philosophy of people like the SKC ownership group.
Does anyone here know any of the corporate sponsors to the Victory project? Thanks in advance. Among other things, Owens is an anti-vaccine misinformationist. HPV vaccines help prevent cervical cancer and various other types of cancer. See specific recent example from Nov. 25 this year.
Good question. I don't know who new management is. Life has literally changed for me in the past five years, but I did contact Musean. I've deleted facebook so Im entirely out of the loop even if it still exists.
It's odd that Pinnacle can host a large event, but maybe they can't and this is a small event sort of thing. I have no idea what her draw might be. IIRC, Pinnacle was not built with STAR bonds, or public money? Is that correct? If not, I'm not a fan, but figure people have a right to be wrong. In the old days, he'd have hosted it at his mansion or something like that. If there was public money involved, he's almost certainly within his rights to offer the place for this function, but it's a bad look.
You are bigly incorrect on the funding. Pinnacle is a 75MM facility. Of which, 62MM is public funds. https://www.bizjournals.com/kansasc...e-sporting-kc-us-soccer-training-grounds.html Also, I find it incredibly moronic and ironic that someone with views which are fairly anti-vax would be giving a keynote address right next to the Childrens Mercy Center for Sports Medicine.
Backgrounder from Nov. 2015, with quote from Cliff Illig, on the significance of partnering with Children's Mercy Hospital: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015...ium-naming-rights-sports-medicine-partnership Public health has been a rallying cry for this club to the local community since before Sporting Park was built. Medicine and health are even incorporated into the club's own damn crest (see reference to Rod of Rod of Asclepius (health & medicine)). at: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2010/11/18/kansas-city-rebrands-sporting-kc All I can do is encourage you guys to call or email the club. I am not arguing SKC can't contract or sublet its own space, but I do think they have a duty of plain dealing they are blatantly failing to honor here.
KopRules, Excellent job bringing attention to this topic, and everything you have said is perfectly on point. The club, if they cared about their own stated values, has a lot of explaining to do. The fact that we likely won't get that explanation says a lot about how seriously we should take those values statements.
On the first point, he should feel really uneasy about doing this at a publically funded place. And he should choose Children's Mercy, and children's health, or the anti-vax community and pandemics. It's a really good point on CMP. It looks really bad, and I would think to them, horribly counter productive.
Im checking, but I believe FIFA has rules about 'no politics' for federations. To me, Pinnacle is clearly on brand with USSF. SKC could be putting USSF in jeopardy with FIFA. (I know. those two sentences sound totally crazy, but this is america 2019 so 'down is up' and whatnot).