If you plant your sports flag here and show you care, this region will reward you.
NASCAR knows it. United Football League, too. Even UFC. College hockey continues to make ºüÀêÊÓƵ a bigger spot on its map. Same for golf. The region recently has boosted gymnastics, college wrestling, mixed martial arts and even pro wrestling.
The other day, I turned on the TV and saw something called the Pillow Fight Championship. First thought: What? Second thought: ºüÀêÊÓƵ would sell that out.
“When you have this type of atmosphere and fans like here in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, it takes everybody to the next level,†UFC President Dana White gushed just last month after a UFC event in ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
He’s right. We don’t have mountains to climb or waves to surf. We do sports.
So what should come next?
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Glad you asked. A recent conversation with KTRS (550 AM) “Big Sports Show†co-host Brendan Wiese got wheels turning about what sports events I’d love to see swing by ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
Super Bowl!
No, let’s be a little more realistic. I think these five would be great fits. Well, six, if you count the Pillow Fight Championship.
Battlehawks parade
Yes, they absolutely deserve one if they win two more games. It would not be nearly as big as the Blues’ Stanley Cup championship parade, but it would be a scene. We haven’t had a sports parade since the pandemic. We’re due.
Besides, because the B-hawks players live and train in Texas when they’re not flying in for “home†games, it would give them a proper introduction to the city. Kaw.
MLS All-Star Game
This feels like a matter of when instead of if, right?
City SC has crushed the league’s expectations in every measurable metric since it secured its expansion spot, from ticket demand to attendance and even social media fervor. A city that builds a new, mostly privately financed state-of-the-art stadium in a downtown location is going to be rewarded with the All-Star Game by the league eventually.
The next two are scheduled for Ohio (Columbus) and Texas (Austin). So how about 2026?
Busch Stadium bowl game
If the Cardinals’ home perch can host a Winter Classic, all of your parents’ favorite bands and even Top Golf-inspired driving competitions, then surely a college football bowl game could happen. One of the benefits of the rise of name, image and likeness deals for college players is that it should incentivize them to not opt out and play in the bowl games that exist outside of the expanding College Football Playoff.
A Busch Bowl would offer a lot of intrigue because of the location and the amount of different big-program allegiances spread throughout the area. And wouldn’t it be cool if it snowed? The Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium) can’t keep having all the fun.
Celtics exhibition game
I’m sure many in the rapidly expanding Chiefs Kingdom would rather see Kansas City’s NFL team play a preseason game in the Dome at America’s Center than this basketball-themed suggestion, but if we’re talking exhibition games, I’d rather see hometown star Jayson Tatum bring his Celtics here.
Tatum has become one of the game’s leading figures. If he turns this second trip to the NBA Finals into his first ring, he should push for a Celtics exhibition in his hometown. Maybe the league would listen. It wouldn’t need to be a game that counted to make a splash.
If Des Moines can host the 76ers and Timberwolves in a preseason exhibition — it’s happening in October — can’t Tatum bring his Celtics home for a visit? Memphis or Indiana making the short trip would make sense.
SLU-MU men’s basketball series
During a recent trip to ºüÀêÊÓƵ, Missouri men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates went out of his way to praise new ºüÀêÊÓƵ University hoops coach Josh Schertz. They’re friendly. Friendly enough to revive the Tigers-Billikens basketball series?
Gates wouldn’t go that far, unfortunately. But it’s been too long. The series has been super competitive when active. Mizzou leads 21 games to 19, per SLU records. The most recent three meetings were decided by nine combined points. But the series has been dormant since 2001.
College basketball always says it wants to be more relevant before March, right? Well, playing nonconference games people are hungry to see helps. And no, Mizzou playing Illinois here in the annual Braggin’ Rights game doesn’t mean relaunching this series can’t happen. If ºüÀêÊÓƵ is as important to Mizzou as Mizzou insists it is, the Tigers could come to ºüÀêÊÓƵ more often.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d love ºüÀêÊÓƵ to host men’s and women’s Final Fours again. Those crown jewel events always are welcome here. But bringing back Billikens-Tigers would be a lot easier, as long as the few people standing in the way realize it’s what the people want.