Kansas City Playlist: World Cup 2026 Betrays EPIC Promises

If TKC readers take one thing away from our blog this week . . . It should be this: 

KANSAS CITY WORLD CUP ECONOMIC WINDFALL ASSURANCES ARE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MORE THAN FICTION!!!  

It's one thing for a blogger to note as much . . . We want people to be skeptical of TKC scribbling.

However . . .

Here's the word from a much smarter person who cites independent economic study . . .  

Next year, 11 U.S. cities will host World Cup matches. Officials are promising big returns: $653 million for Kansas City, Mo.; $594 million for Los Angeles; and $400 million for Dallas/Fort Worth. FIFA claims the national impact will exceed $17 billion in GDP.   

While FIFA and host cities often tout massive returns to justify public funding, research consistently questions these optimistic projections — particularly for events like the World Cup. One recent study concluded, “The results generally show that the observed impact of the World Cup has been a fraction that touted by the event boosters, and frequently the observed impact has actually been negative. Evidence of long-run economic impact has also been elusive.” 

And here's another passage that should be burned into our memory as the event approaches . . . 

"Chances are your city has spent public money on amenities like entertainment districts, hotels, convention centers or stadiums, all the while claiming enormous economic benefits. But it doesn’t take cynicism to see that these investments stray from local government’s essential duties — especially when cities struggle with basics like trash collection, road maintenance and public safety."  

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

The Hill: Cities should stick to the basics of governing   

Again . . .

TKC HIGHLIGHTS KC WORLD CUP MYTH-BUSTING BECAUSE EVERY OTHER LOCAL OUTLET IS PLAYING ALONG WITH THIS DECEPTION WITHOUT ASKING ANY TOUGH QUESTIONS!!!

And for course all of this inspires our www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist tonight . . . 

As always be begin with 90s nostalgia . . . An urban Brit classic that still evokes a smile from oldheads was just a bit "classier" than most tracks earning top ranking during that forgotten epoch. In 1996, Mark Morrison's "Return Of The Mack" seemed to reinvigorate the American R&B scene that was losing listeners to hip-hop en masse. It earns a place on tonight's list because it tells a classic story of love, betrayal, broken promises . . . And then survival.

An obvious song for second place . . . TKC dates himself . . . Yes, we do remember when "Promises, Promises"by British new wave band Naked Eyes was something better than lobby/commercial music even if we were only a grade-schooler . . .

Forgive us this b-side from our favorite band in the 3rd grade . . . Scottish pop group Simple Minds had many songs that defined a generation . . . This isn't one of them . . . Even if it fits our theme for tonight.

A somewhat more current track from Jellyroll, posted only because he dropped about 200lbs from this point and we're impressed.

Finally, we dig deep to come up with this track introduced to us by way of college radio . . . Another song entitled "Promises" from a Brit "punk rock" band seems quaint by today's standards but still deserves a listen if only because The Buzzcocks were ahead of their time and hold up a lot better than so many of their imitators.

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.