It is easy to take potshots at the Kansas City area’s most-read blogger, Tony Botello of tonyskansascity.com.
His photos of scantily-clad women on his site is a turn-off to some folks who use that as proof that he does not break serious news. They would be wrong.
One would be hard-pressed not to recognize that he routinely breaks news stories on his blog that force other media outlets to play catch-up.
The most recent example of a story TKC broke was the ridiculous decision of Kansas City, Missouri, city officials to pay $15,000 to boxer Floyd Mayweather to speak to inner city youths about positive role models and how to be successful.
Botello’s blog revealed the behind-the-scenes dealings to bring Mayweather to town on Nov. 4 (LINK): “TKC TIPSTERS CONFIRM THAT COUNCILMAN BROOKS DID, IN FACT, ENCOURAGE THE CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE TO FUND FLOYD MAYWEATHER’S KANSAS CITY VISIT TO THE TUNE OF $15K!!!”
And today Kansas City Star reporter Lynn Horsley is reporting on the entire debacle, noting that Mayweather-the highest paid athlete in the nation—served two months in jail this summer after pleading ”guilty in December 2011 to domestic battery and no contest to two counts of harassment, all misdemeanors, for assaulting the mother of three of his four children and threatening his two sons in 2010.
“He also pleaded guilty in 2002 to two counts of domestic battery in connection with an assault on the mother of his other child,” added Horsley.
There was no mention or link to the tonyskansascity.com blog for breaking the story.
What is even more silly is that after learning of Mayweather’s jailing, organizers were willing to bring him into town for a Dec. 8 event as some sort of role model.
“(Councilman Michael) Brooks said he wasn’t initially aware of Mayweather’s domestic violence record, but even after he became aware of it, he thought Mayweather had paid his dues and could still be a useful role model to Kansas City’s youths,” noted Horsley.
An Orlando Sentinel columnist once called Mayweather the “biggest jerk in sports.”
That came about after Mayweather unleashed a “profanity-laced, homophobic rant against Manny Pacquiao. It is documented proof that this guy is a clown with no class.”
STAR ADMIT BLOGGER BROKE STORY?
Not that you are, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for The Star to acknowledge that some local blogger had broken a story, even if the story in question indicated that the world had come to an end or, in this case, that the City of Kansas City was shelling out $15,000 for a talk by a bad boy boxer.
CALLING MIKE TYSON
And coming up next for the Kansas City Council, contracting with Mike Tyson for an appearance about being a hit with friends doing face painting!
CAN’T TAKE TKC SERIOUSLY
I’m sorry, I can’t take TKC seriously anymore. There’s his track record of accuracy, which is terrible. There’s his boring “inside baseball” posts about politics and city hall (of which this is one - City Hall farts $15,000 every thirty seconds).
And then there is the shtick.
“I hate mass transit. I hate Union Station. I hate The Star (and, especially, women at The Star). I hate white people in power. I hate The Plaza. I hate women. I hate Mayor Funkhouser. I hate the mayor’s son. I hate Peregrine Honig. I always call Independence Meth Town. I hate the city’s sports teams. I hate Mike Hendricks.”
And we’re supposed to find all that enthralling after seven years. We get it. But we’re done with it. Botello’s shtick is old and dated. It is not the least bit funny anymore, and I know a lot of people who have moved on from his site. Everything’s in big red letters with a picture of a nuclear explosion. And we’ve seen it a million times.
What say you, John? Don’t you agree the Slandarellian Shtick has run its course here?
SOUNDS LIKE A LOYAL READER
You talk a tough game about tkc and claim that you’re moving on but I have noticed your “slanderella” comments on tkc for at least a year and a half. For somebody who claims to be “done” with tkc, you seem like one of his most loyal readers. What say you Beausonic?
USES REAL NAME
At least Botello uses his real name getting in the face of newsmakers.
What say you Beausonic? Why should we take what you write seriously?
SAME CITY COUNCIL
Just throwing this out there… but these City Council folks, are they the same ones saying we should be spending money on trolleys, light-rail, and tearing down and rebuilding KCI?