KC Kingdom is growing and our goal is to be the best Kansas City area sports site on the internet. Ben and I are pleased to announce we have added several new staff members, including Kyle Morris. Kyle will be helping in our effort to expand our Missouri Tigers coverage and we are excited to have writing for KC Kingdom. Brandon’s first piece covered the Missouri Tigers’ quarterback situation and you can read it here.
Kyle has taken the time to answer the eight questions asked of all our new knights. Get to know Kyle Morris:
How did you become a fan of the team you’re covering? One night, Darth Vader came down from the planet Vulcan, and told me that if I didn’t become a Mizzou fan, he’d melt my brain.
Seriously though, I was raised as a Mizzou fan from birth by my dad. I didn’t really have any other choice. I used to sit around and watch basketball games with him as far back as I can remember. My favorite players back then were Anthony Peeler and Melvin Booker.
I’m also a big Royals and Chiefs fan, both because of my dad as well. I still believe Greg Hill is the real deal.
Where did you grow up and where do you currently live? I grew up in Blue Springs, MO. I currently live in Kansas City, near the Plaza. Basically, I’ve lived most of my life at ground zero of the Border War. (And I refuse to call it the “Border Showdown”)
What is your college/educational background? I graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 2005, and then stuck around to get an MBA in 2007. I was around for six football seasons and five and a half basketball seasons, and I hardly ever missed a game. I should probably disclose that I was a member of the Antlers during my time there. Yes, those Antlers.
What do you do for a living? I currently work at a bank in commercial real estate. I won’t bore you with the details. I will mention that I started in banking in 2009, well after everything that caused the recession took place, so don’t blame me for that. I actually spend a lot of my time cleaning up that mess.
I’m also a part owner of a local bar in the Crossroads area.
What is your family situation (wife, kids, etc.)? No wife, no kids, and no ect.
What do you like to do for fun (sports related or otherwise)? I like go to a lot of Mizzou, Royals and Chiefs games (and more recently, some Sporting KC games too). I used to have the goal of going to all 30 MLB stadiums and all the Big 12 stadiums. But halfway through my Big 12 quest, Mizzou up and switched conferences, so now I’m trying to get to all 14 SEC stadiums. My current counts are 17 MLB stadiums, and three SEC stadiums (including Faurot Field). I plan to hit at least two, maybe three SEC stadiums this fall.
Over the past year or so, I’ve dabbled in some competitive BBQing. I’m always up for a good beer or wine tasting. I’m also into running 5K’s and half marathons.
What is your favorite sports moment or memory? It’s hard for me to choose between two. The first one that comes to mind is the Mizzou beating Nebraska for the first time in 25 years when I was a sophomore in college. Brad Smith scored a touchdown on a QB throwback from Darius Outlaw that brought down the house. After the game, I (allegedly) rushed the field, helped tear down the goal posts, and carried them over the Harpo’s where they were hacked into pieces for souvenirs.
My other favorite moment was when Lorenzo Williams sacked Todd Reesing in the end zone at Arrowhead to seal Mizzou’s victory over Kansas in 2007 and vault the team to the number 1 ranking. In the words of Mike Kelly, “Safety! Ballgame! Bingo!”
What are your least favorite team(s) and why? When I started to receive mail from colleges when I was in high school, my dad used to throw the letters from KU away before they ever got to me. Let’s just say I was raised to have a strong dislike for the Jayhawks.
Maybe it’s because I root for small market teams in the pros, but I’ve always disliked the Cowboys, Lakers and Yankees. And of course, I couldn’t call myself a Chiefs fan if I didn’t hate the Broncos and Raiders.
If you love any of the following teams – Chiefs, Royals. Sporting KC, Tigers, Wildcats, or Jayhawks – and would like an opportunity to write about on KC Kingdom, feel free to fill out our on-line application.